Chapter Eight
Savannah thought waking up in a cabana somewhere in the Caribbean was heaven on earth, but she severely underestimated how good it felt to wake up in Beau’s arms every morning.
It was better than heaven. It was. . .total enlightenment. Being wrapped up in him made her feel safe, small, sated, and cared for. There was not a single need she had that he did not fulfill, in and out of the bedroom.
After talking to her grandfather and convincing him that he didn’t have to come home right away, Beau offered to stay at her house until his return in a week. She knew the bed in her old bedroom was small and there was no way it wouldn’t buckle under his weight, but he insisted it was fine.
Somehow during the weekend, he’d had an air mattress set up in the bedroom instead. It took up most of the floor space, barely leaving any room for them to move around, but they’d made it work.
The worst part about being in such a state of sublime happiness was that it was going to end soon.
With her grandfather returning, she had no reason to stay in the town. The sheriff had found no tampering of the meds in her clinic and Conner admitted that the lock had been stuck and he’d needed to pry it open.
She was also going to miss Tate’s wedding, which left her in a flurry of emotions. Savannah and Tate were on the road to a solid friendship, like the one she had with the Connelly children, so she had been looking forward to the nuptials. Being Beau’s date was the icing on the cake. Since the phone call with her grandfather, Savannah kept envisioning another woman on his arm, leaving her wanting to set something on fire.
“Go back to sleep,” Beau said with a lazy moan before pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder.
The clock on the nightstand showed that it was only 2 a.m., far too early to be up for the day.
“Sorry. I was just thinking about things.”
Beau shifted and tucked her against his body, her head resting on his bulging bicep.
“What kind of things?”
“Just how I need to check in with the sheriff tomorrow to see if there are any changes before I return to Baltimore.”
“I’m going with you to that before my shift. And your roommate said that the vet's office was able to drop all of the charges against Harposia’s underlings.”
“I know. I just want to make sure, that’s all. And, well. . .”
“What, babe?” he asked, running his fingers through strands of her hair. That was one of Savannah’s favorite things. It reminded her of the way her grandmother would play with her hair when she was a child.
“Well, I keep remembering that I only have a few more days with you.”
It was dark in the room, only the slightest illumination of red from her alarm clock, but it was clear enough that Savannah noticed the moment of sadness cross Beau’s face.
“You know, you don’t have to leave right away. You could always stay with me.”
“Until you pack up your things and move. And are you really asking if I’d move in with you? I thought we already talked about the fact that neither of us wants the small-town life.”
He shrugged one of his shoulders. “We did.”
“Beau,” she said exasperatedly.
“Savannah,” he replied in the same tone.
They’d talked about the same thing the first night they’d slept together, how neither one of them wanted anything serious. Her because of the drama in her life. And him because he didn’t want anything to tie him down.
Could he have changed his mind? Was that something she would even consider?
“I want to settle down at some point,” he told her. “I’d like a family and a place to call home. I’m sorry if I considered that maybe you did too.”
“Beau, it’s not like that,” she tried to explain. Leaning forward, Beau kissed her forehead and turned over in the bed.
Somehow her heaven was turning into a nightmare.
The police office felt different for Savannah when she walked in the next morning. She didn’t feel the same shame as last time. She didn’t feel the same sense of being a stranger. This time she walked in, smiled at Alexis, and point-blank asked the sheriff if it was safe for her to return to Baltimore. Beau was close behind her and she hoped that he knew by the tone in her voice that nothing was going to change her mind at this point.
Something between them changed in the middle of the night. Savannah wasn’t sure, but it seemed like both of them were trying to push each other away. What good did that cause, except for hurt feelings and a broken heart?
Sheriff Savage explained that while nothing else had happened since her first and only visit to his office, he wasn’t so sure her returning to Baltimore was the best course of action. Not only had there been no leads on the group that dropped off her letter and package. Preston was concerned with a slew of medications that had been stolen between Carson and Asheville. Medications specifically used to concoct a date-rape drug. His team was going to be monitoring her grandfather’s clinic, the hospitals, and the local pharmacy more than ever.
“I don’t think leaving is the best thing to do yet, but I can’t make you stay. It may be in your best interest to stay at least a few days after your grandfather’s return.”
“I suppose,” she replied, wondering if she’d see Beau once that happened. She suspected last night’s chat left her as nothing more than an obligation.
“Keep me informed of your plans. I can have an escort take you to the airport.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you.”
Savannah spun around quickly, causing her to collide with Beau, her hands landing on his hard chest.