Sheriff’s Secret

by Webster, K

  “Morning,” Jax rumbles, his lips peppering kisses on my neck. “How do you feel?”

  His concern touches me. I’m usually the one doing the caring for, not the other way around.

  “Sore,” I admit. “What about you?”

  “Happy.”

  My heart does a familiar squeeze inside my chest, which means it’s my cue to leave. I’ve spent too much time with the sexy sheriff and it’s crumbling the very foundation I built for myself after Toby.

  “I need to get going.” I start to roll away, but Jax grips my jaw, pulling my face toward his.

  “I wish you could stay.” Sadness glints in his eyes before he presses a kiss to my lips. “I want to see you again soon.”

  I flash him a teasing grin. “It’s a small town. I’m sure I’ll run into you somewhere.”

  We kiss once more and then I’m out of the bed, throwing clothes on before I change my mind. Jaxson lies on the bed, the bulge in his boxers tempting as hell, watching me as I dress. His expression is telling. Regretful. Sad. Lonely. I crave to crawl back into bed with him and suck on his delicious big dick until he whimpers my name.

  I start to open the door when I hear a voice. It’s Zak talking to Ox. Fuck. When I glance over at Jax, his face pales, horror etched into his features.

  “I’m not crawling out the window,” I whisper. “I’ll sit in the damn closet all day before I do that.”

  He jolts out of his state of shock and bounds out of bed, scooping up his jeans and throwing them on. “Stay here. I’m going to grab your coat and then I’ll distract him.”

  “You could always tell him I came over to discuss official Chamber business,” I tease, my voice low. “Though, before long, everyone’s going to learn that’s code for fucking Dante.”

  Heat flashes in his eyes. “Come here.”

  “Why?” I smirk at him. “You ready to discuss official Chamber business?”

  He grabs the front of my shirt, hauling me to him for an urgent, hungry kiss that has both of us hard as stone by the end of it. I’m tempted to hide in the closet all day if it means we can do more of this. His brother’s voice on the other side of the door has us both sobering up.

  “Hey, Jax, want to hit Seaside Café this morning? I’m hungry as fuck and there isn’t shit to eat around here.”

  Jaxson clears his throat. “Yeah. Go get ready. I’ll be done in twenty.”

  As soon as we hear the backdoor close, we make a hasty exit. I grab my coat and gloves, quickly putting them on.

  “Dante,” Jax says when I twist the knob to the front door. “Wait.”

  He stalks over to me and cups my cheek with his palm. His lips brush against mine in a sweet kiss that once again has my heart behaving erratically.

  “Thank you,” he murmurs. “I’ll call you later.”

  My throat isn’t working because I’m overwhelmed by emotions I told myself I’d never allow myself to endure again. They’re too familiar. Emotions I missed with every fiber of my fucking soul. It makes no sense because Jaxson isn’t some guy I’ve been dating for months or years. I’ve known him for days. These emotions have no place in my world. Fuck him for being so intense and wearing his goddamn heart on his sleeve.

  “Fuck, that was quick,” Jax growls. “He’s already on the back porch.”

  He rushes me out the front door. I trot away from his house and when I look back, the front door is already closed. It does wonders to also slam the door on those ridiculous emotions.

  I’m a fuck buddy.

  A secret one at that.

  Jaxson Bell will never fit into the same category as Toby McAdams.

  By the time I cross the street, scrape the ice off my car, and have it warmed up, I’m cold as fuck, grumpy as fuck, and hungry as fuck. I scowl as I turn right onto First Street. The light at the intersection of First and Sandpiper Way is out and a crew is working on it. Because everyone in this damn town wakes up early, traffic is backed up and I end up waiting for ten minutes before I finally make it through. Thankfully, the intersection at First and Main is working. I hang a left and then park in front of Beacon Island Donuts since my sister is such a fan of this place.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and a stupid smile breeches my face.

  Jax: I miss you already. My room smells like you and I may never change my sheets.

  Me: My cum is all over your sheets, dirty boy.

  Jax: Exactly.

  Me: You can wash them. I’ll be over again soon to dirty them back up.

  Jax: I can’t wait.

  As soon as I shove the phone back in my pocket, the spell is broken again. I’m back to feeling pissy. I hate how easily I get drawn into his fantasy world. It’s a world I’ll never belong in because he’ll never tell a soul about being gay. Developing feelings for Jax would be dangerous. While I can’t judge him for what happened with Kian when he was a teenager, I certainly don’t want to be in Kian’s place.

  I climb out of my car and head into the donut shop. It’s busy for a Saturday morning. A quick scan of the place and my eyes settle on a couple of familiar faces. Mayor Dean Bell and Ned Townsend. Last night’s conversation with Jax comes bubbling to the surface. His father is an asshole.

  “Morning,” I greet, tipping my head at them.

  “Mr. Kincaid,” Dean replies, his voice cool.

  Ned’s face is contorted into one of disgust as he regards me. I don’t acknowledge this asshole, but instead keep my gaze focused on the mayor.

  “It’s good seeing you both.” My lie is sour on my tongue, but I can be nice. “I’ll let you get back to it.”

  “Oh,” Dean calls out. “I spoke with Gary.”

  “Gary?”

  “The city planner.” He grimaces. “I’m sorry, but I’m unable to help with your friend’s troubles. While your friend was able to prove his building meets environmental and zoning codes, the one that’s worrying is the transportation code. Because the building will house many new people in an already heavily congested area, Gary has concerns and is more than hesitant to approve such a rehab of the building. He says he’s working diligently on a solution for the transportation issue, but it’ll take time. Most likely months, maybe even a year to properly analyze.”

  A year? Fucking prick.

  “I appreciate your trying,” I grit out.

  “This is my town. I do what I can to better it.” Dean lifts his chin, his brown eyes narrowing. “Remember that.”

  A barely concealed threat.

  “Enjoy your coffee.” I turn away from him and place my order. Once I have a dozen donuts and a coffee of my own, I stop by their table. Both men wear smug expressions.

  “Yes?” Dean asks, craning his head up to look at me.

  “I think it’s great how welcoming Brigs Ferry Bay is to the LGBTQ community. When I got the call my little brother Callan had been in a fight, I was just sure he was the victim of hate. Imagine my surprise when it was all a misunderstanding and he befriended none other than the mayor’s son.” I nod, flashing him a wide grin. “I can’t thank you enough for your support. It means a lot to us.”

  His face burns bright red. I exit the shop before he has a chance to reply. Fuck that bastard for being a homophobic prick.

  The drive back to the B&B is short. I’m still smiling like an idiot, grinning over my little jab at Dean, when I pull into the drive.

  What. The. Fuck.

  Callan and Shelly are standing outside, staring at the B&B. I climb out of the car, donuts and coffee in hand, stopping beside them.

  “Who did this?” I demand, fury burning hot through me.

  “An asshole,” Callan offers.

  “Don’t say asshole,” Shelly chides. “But, for real, what an asshole.”

  In red spray paint, someone wrote out a message.

  Brigs Fairy Gay.

  My mind reels with who the hell could have done this. I know I have some enemies already, but this feels extreme. New York had a shit ton of crime, but not o
nce had someone done something so nasty regarding my sexuality.

  Surely Dean or Ned wouldn’t stoop this low. They’re the types to do other shit to get to me—like denying help to Rhett’s company or my B&B. I don’t see either of them as vandals.

  “Do you think the Rainbow Vigilante did this?” Shelly asks. “I read the article they posted in the paper.”

  “From rainbows to hate speech?” Callan shakes his head at our sister. “Seems like a stretch.”

  “I’ll get to the bottom of it,” I growl. “In the meantime, call Hans to see if he can get a crew out today to paint over this.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “For one, I’m getting the camera installation moved up.” I hand Shelly the box of donuts. “And then I’m calling the sheriff.”

  She smirks at me. “Good idea. Are we avoiding the obvious fact you’re wearing yesterday’s clothes and look utterly wrecked?”

  Callan snorts out a laugh.

  “We are,” I grumble.

  “Is he cute?” she taunts. “Are you going to marry him?”

  I flip her off. “None of your business, Shelly Belly.”

  “Come on,” she teases. “Throw us a bone. What’s he look like?”

  “I’m leaving now. Find someone else to torment.”

  “But it’s so much more fun to torment you.” Her laughter is joined by Callan’s as I walk away.

  “Fuck you both,” I call back. “Save me some donuts, brats.”

  Knowing Jax and Zak were headed to breakfast when I left, I decide to take a quick shower before I call in the vandalism to him.

  I wrack my brain, trying to think who hates me badly enough to write that bullshit on my B&B. Still, the only names I can come up with are Dean and Ned, but even those don’t feel right. If I’d considered this question on Wednesday, I would’ve said Jaxson, but clearly, I’ve learned what he feels for me is anything but hate.

  Could it be Kian?

  Sure, he’s friendly and seemingly harmless, but if he knew I was fucking around with his ex, he might become a problem.

  Whoever it is will learn soon enough that you don’t fuck with the Kincaids.

  I’ll sue their socks off and financially ruin them if they want to pull this shit on me.

  I just have to figure out who it is first.

  Jaxson

  “Maxton texted me last night,” Zak says around a mouthful of food. “Said Dad’s a dick.”

  “Oh, Max. Captain Obvious.” I chuckle. “Is that all you guys talked about?”

  Zak shrugs, diverting his gaze. “Other stuff too.”

  “Like?”

  “You.”

  Unease sours in my gut. “I’m not an interesting topic of discussion.”

  “To us you are.”

  It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what they spoke about, but I’m afraid he’ll blurt out something I’m not ready to hear in front of all the patrons in the busy café.

  “How are the twins?” I ask, changing the subject. “Still double trouble?”

  “He said Alex army crawls now. Anna cries when he does it because she can’t do it too.” He laughs, shaking his head. “Just imagine when they both can crawl.”

  “Hell on earth,” I mutter in agreement.

  “They really fucked up.” His eyes darken as he pins me with a glare.

  “The twins?”

  “No.” His jaw clenches. “Mom and Dad.”

  I start to defend them because it’s second nature, but he’s right. They drove Maxton away when they gave him an ultimatum with Kimmy. Hayden chose his brother over his parents, following after him. Then they pretty much shoved their youngest boy out the door. It’s like, when we all grew into teenagers, our parents were so hell-bent on controlling us and manipulating us into the adults they wanted us to be that they forgot we were their children.

  “They weren’t always like this,” I remind him.

  “No, but it’s hard to remember those times when they’ve been absolute assholes for the past decade.”

  When our waitress, Betty, brings our ticket, Zak snatches it up before I can take it.

  “Breakfast is on me,” I tell him, my eyes narrowing.

  “No, rent is on you.” He smirks. “I may not make a ton of money at the bowling alley, but it’s enough that I can buy breakfast here and there and contribute to the groceries.”

  “You need to focus on school.”

  “It’s just a part-time job, Jax. Chill.”

  Before I can argue, he’s out of the booth and sauntering over to the register. My mind drifts to last night. God, it felt so good to be inside of Dante. I wanted to do it again tonight, but I had a missed text from last night from Cato.

  Tonight is the “lumber party.”

  The last thing I want to do is whatever weird shit Cato has planned, but he is my best friend and I’ve been a dick lately. It’ll be good to spend some time with him. I just hate that I’ll miss seeing Dante again.

  A buzz from my pocket has me smiling. Dante is easy to flirt with. Our texts this morning felt easy and normal. Like I could get used to regularly talking to him that way.

  I can’t, though.

  I won’t.

  Dante deserves a lot more than I can offer him.

  Dante: Can you come by the B&B after breakfast?

  Me: Miss me already?

  Dante: Someone sprayed homophobic shit on my building. I need to report a crime.

  The breath is sucked out of me at his message. Then, rage burns through me. What the fuck is wrong with people?

  Me: I’ll be right there. Sit tight and don’t touch anything.

  “We have to go to Dante’s,” I bark out at Zak when he returns. “Police business.”

  His eyes widen in fear. “Is he okay?”

  “I think so. Let’s go.”

  I pull up to the B&B, disgust making my breakfast sour in my gut. Unbelievable. Who the hell does this shit?

  “That’s fucked up,” Zak growls.

  “Stay here,” I order, climbing out of the car.

  My brother ignores me and hops out. I take a few pictures of the words written on the side. Brigs Fairy Gay. I’m just pocketing my phone to look for anything the vandal might have left behind when Callan walks out.

  “Hey,” he says to Zak. “How’s it going?”

  Zak storms over to him. “Who did this? Are you okay?”

  Callan nods. “It was just some coward who was too afraid to say this shit to my brother’s face.”

  The image of a homophobic dickhead spouting off ugly words to Dante has me seeing red. I’m going to find out who did this and arrest them. There’s no way in hell they’re getting away with this.

  “Sheriff Bell,” Dante says, stepping outside. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  His voice is playful, but I don’t miss the sharp edge to his words or the slight pinch between his brows. He’s changed from his suit into jeans and dons a thick coat, black gloves, and a beanie. I’m craving to pull him to me to comfort him, but I know I can’t. Instead, I drink in my fill before turning to look at the message again.

  “Who could have done this?” I demand, scowling at the hateful words. “I need a list.”

  “Come on,” Callan says to Zak. “I’ll show you my room and the stuff I’ve been working on for your apartment.”

  Once they’re gone, Dante walks over to me. He stands close enough I can smell a fresh, soapy scent and his expensive cologne I’d love to spritz all over my pillows. His hand brushes against mine. Since no one is around, I grab it, squeezing it.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, my voice husky.

  “Pissed.” He sighs, his hot breath clouding the cold air in front of him. “I want to ruin the fucker who did this.”

  “I’ll find out who it is,” I vow. “Who dislikes you enough to do something like this?”

  “Could be anyone,” he grumbles. “Based on the Chamber meeting, Ned isn’t a fan.”

  “He’s an ass
hole,” I agree. “I’ll question him. Anyone else?”

  “Dean and I didn’t exactly have a friendly conversation Thursday. And then Zak and Callan got into it.” His eyes meet mine. “What do you think?”

  “My dad?”

  He starts to release my hand, but I don’t want to let him go if I don’t have to.

  “I’m not saying it couldn’t be him,” I rush out. “It’s just he’s too damn lazy to do something like that. Dad would try and get at you in a big way, not this.”

  “There’s always Kian,” Dante bites out, not looking at me.

  “That’s your jealousy talking.” I step in front of him and take his other hand. “Plus, if he hated you, he wouldn’t write a homophobic slur. He’d be more likely to accidently spill a drink into your lap or something or start a rumor that you like pineapple on your pizza.”

  “I do like pineapple on my pizza,” Dante says with a teasing grin. “Should I be worried about a mob coming after me?”

  I glance around to make sure no one’s nearby before stealing a chaste kiss. “You’re fucking the sheriff. I’ll protect you.”

  He smirks. “Technically, the sheriff is fucking me.”

  “Semantics.” I chuckle before reluctantly letting go of his hands. “What about Callan?”

  “Callan is troubled, but he wouldn’t do this—”

  “Not to you. What if this was done to him? Could be the same kid who wrote the note.”

  His features grow stormy. “I didn’t think about that.”

  “Since he thought it was Zak from before, hence the fight, I think it’s safe to assume he has no idea who could have done this.” It’s crazy how we go from no crime to a shit ton of vandalisms in the past few weeks. “The Rainbow Vigilante, perhaps?”

  “I considered it, but Callan reminded me the Rainbow Vigilante seems to be brightening up the place, with rainbows no less. Doesn’t seem like the same person.”

  “Want to ride up to the station with me to fill out an official report?”

  His eyes darken and his lips curl into the villainous smile that gets my dick really, really hard. “Is that what we’re calling it? We’ve moved on from official Chamber business?”