He nodded solemnly.
She reached out her other hand, pulling his face towards hers. “But it can also be the most freeing thing you could ever do.”
“How do you know all this?” he asked.
Her lips turned up in a sad smile. “I learned the hard way. Went through it all so that I wouldn’t make the same mistakes as my mother. I wanted better for TJ and myself.”
“You’re really brave—you know that?” He glanced down to her lips.
The tension in the room thickened, making it hard to fill her lungs.
“Bravery is not about not being afraid. It’s doing what scares you in spite of the fear.” Her words came out in a whisper.
He leaned in, searching her eyes.
Every cell in her body screamed to kiss him. But what if that finished this friendship between them? She liked Bently—a lot. She didn’t want that to end just yet for only one night that was sure to be incredible.
She released his face and reached for her empty coffee cup. “You can live your own life now, Bently. White picket fence and all.” She hoped to lighten the mood.
He released her hand and stared at his empty plate. His body turned rigid once again.
“What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “Didn’t you read my file?”
She searched her brain for what he could mean, but came up short.
“I had testicular cancer. Between that and the chemo, I’m . . . a family isn’t an option for me anymore.”
He’s sterile. “There are many other ways to make a family, if you want one.”
“What kind of woman would want a man who shoots blanks? It’s in your DNA to want to reproduce and nurture life.”
She straightened her shoulders. “That’s a pretty ignorant opinion. Not all of us want to carry a baby for nine months and then take care of it for the rest of our lives. Just because it’s society’s expectation, doesn’t mean it’s ours. I’ve been in the mother role since I was seven years old. I’ve never known anything but. I love my brother, but I’m ready to have some freedom—not have to worry about if he’s eaten enough vegetables, or make his doctor appointments.”
He turned to her. “You don’t want biological children?”
She shook her head. “Maybe someday in the future, after I’ve had time to do everything I’ve put off, I’d consider foster care and eventually adoption.”
He leaned in, a small smile quirking up the side of his mouth. “So, what you’re saying is, we’d be perfect for each other.”
She chuckled. “That’s what you got out of all of that?”
“Nah, I hear what you’re saying. Not all women want or are meant to be mothers, whatever their reasons, and that’s okay.”
“Exactly.”
“What do you want to do for yourself?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Like, my bucket list?”
“Sure.”
“I want to sleep under the stars and have s’mores.” She smiled.
“You’ve never gone camping?” he asked, surprised.
She shook her head. “I want to travel, and see some of the world.”
“What else?”
“A picnic.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “We had a picnic on the mountain, didn’t we?”
She laughed. “I mean a real, checkered blanket, basket-full-of-goodies kind.”
“Tell me more.” Bently leaned in, as if captivated by her words.
Something deep inside fell into place as Belle listed off all the things she’d tucked away in the treasure box of “someday.” She felt connected to Bently. He’d bared his deepest hurts, and listened to her advice like he respected what she had to say. Now he was asking her about her dreams—things she’d held inside for so long, waiting until she could make herself the priority for the first time in her life.
She was falling. But would he be there to catch her? Or was this just temporary?
Chapter 24
Bently
Shuffling the papers on his desk, Bently looked through the stack of messages Betsy had left while he was out on medical leave.
“Evans, you’re back.” Vargas walked in, taking a seat across from him.
“Miss me?”
“I won’t miss the desk duty I had to do in your place.” She laughed.
“Any leads?”
“On your attack? No. Cameras caught the dark figure with the bat. Mason didn’t see anything identifiable when he rushed over. But he said the assailant was definitely a teenager or smaller-built man.”
“He should have chased the fucker down,” Bently grumbled.
Vargas tipped her head to the side. “He was more worried about you. There was a lot of blood and you were unconscious. Mason did the right thing.”
“Who would be targeting me, and why?”
“That’s what I want to know.” She studied him.
“As sheriff, I’m bound to piss someone off. It’s part of the job description. But I really have no idea who would want me dead.”
“You think this is related to your truck windshield?” she asked.
“Could be.”
“Watch your six, Evans.” Vargas stood.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, we got DNA evidence back from Charli’s evaluation. Perp is unknown, but it’s not the first time someone has reported this guy. I got six matches from the whole East Coast.”
Bently shook his head and clenched his fists. “Any hits on the sketch?”
“Not yet.”
“Keep me updated,” he said.
“Will do.”
Bently got to work on the mountain of paperwork Vargas had left for him to check over. He glanced at the clock. It was going to be a long day.
Chapter 25
Belle
A bouquet of deep red roses was nestled in the corner of Belle’s front door. She set down the bags of groceries and reached out to inspect it closer. No one had ever gotten her flowers before. Who would . . .
Bently.
Butterflies tumbled in her belly. A flash of yellow caught her eye on the front of the gray ceramic vase. She peeled the note paper off to inspect the masculine writing.
Meet me at Green Park at noon. -B
She smiled and inhaled the fresh floral scent of the bouquet. This felt an awful lot like dating. Was it? Or was that wishful thinking? Bently would say so if he was ready
