Justice for Boone: Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes, Book 6 (5 page)

“As you shouldn’t. It’s your job. It’s what you do.”

“I’d do it even if it wasn’t my job, Boone.”

“Hayden, I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make here,” Boone said seriously, putting his hand on her shoulder lightly and looking down at her. “If I was a cop, I’d probably think the way you do as well. But I’m not. I’m just me. A cattle farmer trying to keep my dad’s business up and running. It’s a different world for me, Hayden. If I hit Dana back, I
will
go to jail, just as she wanted last week. I think she’ll eventually get the point and leave me alone. I just have to deal with it until she does. Am I pissed you’d defend yourself? No. Will I defend myself against another man? Hell yes. But against a woman? No.”

Boone wasn’t sure he was getting his point across very well, but when Hayden nodded once, he let out a relieved sigh. He squeezed her shoulder and let go. “Okay. Did you get all the pictures you needed?”

He watched as Hayden got herself together, and then nodded again. “Yeah, I think so. I just need to get a few more of the house from out here in the yard, then I’ll get out of your hair. I know you have a lot to do.”

“Don’t you need to talk to the employees who were here last night?”

“Yeah, but you can have them call me. Will that work?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, I’ll get out of the way and let you do your thing then.”

“You’re not in my way, Hayden.”

She didn’t agree or disagree. “Boone, you really do need to file that restraining order. I expect to see a copy at the sheriff’s department today or tomorrow. Got it?”

Boone smiled. She really was adorable…like a little chipmunk chattering away at a dog from its safe perch high in a tree.

She narrowed her eyes at him as if she could hear what he was thinking. “Don’t blow me off. Seriously. Who’s the cop here?”

“All right. I still don’t think it’s necessary, but I’ll do it.”

“Good. And I know you think Dana will back off, but I’m not sure you’re right. I
hope
you are, but I just don’t see it happening. I’ve seen this time and time again. Besides, you’re too much of a catch. You’re obviously doing well for yourself, you’re single, gallant; I’m assuming she thinks you’re good in bed—”

Boone couldn’t help it, he had to interrupt her. He put his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans and smirked as he said, “I
am
good in bed.”

Hayden smiled widely and shook her head in amusement, then continued as if he hadn’t interrupted her. “You’re conceited, but have enough charm it could be overlooked.” Her grin faded and she looked him in the eye again. “You’re everything a woman could ever want, Boone. She’s not going to give you up.”

Boone didn’t know what to say. If he wasn’t mistaken, he saw longing in the pretty deputy’s eyes before she turned back into the professional law enforcement officer she was. She’d said he was everything
a
woman could want…but was she including herself in that statement? He didn’t have to say anything as Hayden continued.

“Okay, I’ll just take a few more pictures, then I’ll be in touch with the report so you can get your insurance company a copy. This is going to cost a pretty penny to clean up. If anything else happens before you can file that restraining order, just call the station. Be careful, Boone. This isn’t something to take lightly.”

Boone took the hint, but filed in the back of his mind the intense and yearning look in her eyes when she’d said he was the kind of man any woman would want. “I’ve already increased security and I’ve doubled the staff that’s on duty. The last thing I want is her escalating to trying to hurt the cattle.”

Hayden nodded. “Good. I hope you have a better day, Mr. Hatcher.”

“Thanks. It started off not so great, but in the last half an hour or so, it’s gotten better. I appreciate your assistance today, Deputy Yates.”

Boone watched as Hayden nodded at him, then strolled away. She took a few more pictures then climbed into her car and headed down his driveway. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the cloud of dust disappear as she pulled back onto Hildebrandt Road.

There was something about Hayden that made him want to pull her into his arms and hold on tight.

She didn’t exude any vibes that she needed or wanted to be protected, but somehow he saw down to her core…to the woman that longed for someone to lean on. How he knew that, Boone wasn’t sure, but she was intriguing, and it had been a long time since he’d wanted to dig deeper and see what was beneath a woman’s surface. He was crazy to even be
thinking
about maybe seeing if he could start something with the pretty deputy when Dana couldn’t get it in her head that they were over, but he couldn’t let it go…let
her
go.

He’d visit with his attorney, make sure all went well with the restraining order documents, and then visit the sheriff’s department to get copies of the reports Hayden had made about the vandalism to his property and Dana’s shenanigans from the other day. He’d need those to submit with the restraining order…it was a great reason to stop by…and, if he was lucky, catch a glimpse of Hayden in the process.

H
ayden was finishing
up a report from earlier that day, a traffic accident that luckily didn’t result in any deaths, when Jimmy called out from across the room, “Yo! Yates! That domestic guy from the other week is here to see you.”

Hayden tried to tamp down the excitement she felt at hearing Boone was there. He probably just wanted a copy of the report regarding the damage to his property. “Tell him I’ll be right there!” she yelled back.

Hayden took the time to save the report she’d been working on. She had just a few more things to do on it, but she’d already worked thirty minutes over her quitting time, which wasn’t exactly atypical. She ran a hand over her hair, trying to make sure it was all still secure inside the bun at the back of her head. Feeling silly for even engaging in that small vanity, Hayden got up, grabbed her Stetson and the small purse she usually kept in her desk drawer, and headed to the front of the building.

She walked into the lobby and saw Boone talking with the secretary at the front desk. She stopped to admire him for just a moment. He was wearing worn jeans that fit him like a glove. His old brown cowboy boots were peeking out from the bottom of the frayed hems and his maroon button-down, long-sleeved shirt made the fit of his jeans look downright loose. She could see the muscles in his biceps flex as he moved. He held his black cowboy hat with his left hand and his right hand rested in the front pocket of his jeans. If
Vanity Fair
or
Texas Monthly
Magazine
was there, they’d sign him as a model on the spot.

Boone looked up and spotted her, and if Hayden was the swooning type of woman, she probably would’ve fallen at his feet. As it was, she forced herself to nonchalantly walk toward him.

“Hey, Boone. How are you?”

“Good. I came by to get copies of the reports so I can turn them into the court for the restraining order.”

“So you’re doing it, huh?”

“Yeah, I thought about everything you said yesterday, and after what Dana did to my house, I figured it was the smart thing to do.”

“It is. But remember, it doesn’t mean she’ll actually honor it.”

“I know. I’ve seen enough news clips of assholes ignoring them to understand that.”

Hayden nodded. She didn’t need to go over all the things that could happen. She figured Boone understood. “Great. She’ll probably be notified of the restraining order within a few days of you submitting it. I would suggest, if you haven’t already thought about it, you get some cameras set up to watch your property.”

“Already ordered. Actually, I’d been thinking about doing it before all this happened anyway. Some of the bulls and heifers on the property are worth quite a bit. Having cameras will actually help lower some of my insurance premiums.”

Hayden nodded, feeling awkward now for some reason. “Okay, well, great. If you fill out a form there with the receptionist, she can get the copies for you. I wish you the best of luck. As bad as this sounds, I hope we don’t meet again anytime soon.” She thought she sounded flippant, but serious enough as she said the words. Truth be told, she wanted to get to know Boone better, but wasn’t sure how to go about it. She’d had a few boyfriends in her life, but they’d always started out friends first. She couldn’t even remember how they’d started going out, just that they’d be hanging out as friends, then somehow they were sleeping together. It was pathetic, when she thought about it.

“Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go out for a coffee or lunch or something? I don’t know when you have time off…”

The words came out of Hayden’s mouth before she thought about them. “I just got off now, believe it or not. I worked the late shift last night for one of the other deputies. Usually I work during the day, but we switched.” She shut her mouth, knowing she was babbling.

“Great. So? Do you want to grab a bite to eat with me? Are you hungry?”

She wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to. “I need to change.”

“No problem. Do you need to go home?”

“No, I’ve got clothes here.” She stood there staring at Boone, neither of them saying anything for a moment.

Boone smiled in amusement. “Okay. Do you need help?”

Hayden shook her head ruefully. “No, sorry. I’ll just…I’ll just go and change and meet you back here?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

Hayden turned and went back into the main station. She smacked herself in the forehead as soon as the door shut behind her, forgetting the admin area had a glass front and Boone could most certainly see her. She was such a dork. Standing there staring at the man after he’d asked her out.

She stopped suddenly. Oh crap. She didn’t have anything she felt comfortable wearing out…even if it was just for coffee. She’d worn her usual tank top to work, knowing it was the most comfortable thing under her vest and uniform. She had about three extras in her locker, along with a pair of jean shorts, and that was about it. Shit.

Well, she’d vowed to be herself in the next relationship she got into, no matter what. And while she had no idea if Boone wanted a relationship, or just wanted to take her out for coffee to thank her, she would be herself. And that would be her in a tank top and shorts, darn it.

Hayden quickly changed out of her uniform and stuffed it in her gym bag to put in her car and take home. She took her hair out of the bun she always kept it in for work and ran a brush through it haphazardly. Her hair was thick, and it annoyed her most days. She liked the color but sometimes it almost felt as if it would be easier to chop it all off than deal with it day in and day out. She threw it up in a quick ponytail, rolling her eyes at how it curled up at the end since it’d been confined in a bun all night. A femme fatale, she’d never be.

She rushed out of the locker room, only to run right into another deputy named Brandon.

“Yo, Yates, where’s the fire?”

“I’m off shift, headed out.”

“With that cowboy in the front?”

“If you must know, yes.”

“You look like a high school cheerleader.”

Hayden rolled her eyes. So much for being sexy. “Whatever, Brandon. Don’t you have any bad guys to process or anything?”

He laughed. “As a matter of fact, yes. Hey, the guys are going out tomorrow night. Wanna come?”

Hayden didn’t take offense at being considered one of the guys. She loved hanging out with the other deputies when they were off duty. “Sure. Same place as usual?”

“Yup. See you then!”

“See ya!”

Hayden strode down the hall and back up to the front. She hoped she hadn’t taken too long. What if Boone had left? What if he’d thought twice about asking her for coffee?

She opened the door and stepped into the lobby, relieved to see Boone still there. He’d stepped to the side of the reception desk, and was holding a large envelope, which probably held the reports he’d come to the station to get in the first place, and there were now two men talking to the secretary at the front. One of the men whistled as she came into the room.

“Well, well, well. You just get let out of the tank? Maybe you want to party with me and my friend here?”

It took a second for Hayden to realize just what the man was implying, but before she could put him in his place, Boone was in his face.

“I’m guessing you want to rethink your words. I do believe you just called a sheriff’s deputy a prostitute. Besides being a dumbass thing to say to anyone inside a police station, or out, it was simply rude. I think you should apologize.”

The man looked from Boone’s unyielding pissed-off face, to Hayden, to the young secretary sitting behind the glass. She pointed up at a camera in the corner, smirking.

“Oh shit. Yeah. Uh, sorry. I was just kidding, but it was out of line. I didn’t mean anything by it. Really.”

Hayden rolled her eyes. God, had she ever been as young and dumb as this guy? She truly hoped not. She decided to ignore them.

“You ready to go, Boone?”

Boone hadn’t moved from his position next to the younger man. He stood at least three or four inches taller than him, and was probably a good fifty pounds heavier as well. Hayden walked over to him and put her hand on his arm. “Boone. Come on.”

He allowed Hayden to guide him away from the man, but said as he shifted sideways, “You’re lucky you aren’t in cuffs right now for solicitation. Think before you talk, man. And stop disrespecting women. It isn’t cool.”

Boone put his arm around Hayden’s upper back and they walked out into the parking lot. He stopped outside the door and dropped his arm. “Sorry about that. God, what a dumbass.”

Hayden giggled. Actually giggled. She couldn’t believe it. She looked up at him. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Actually it was. I mean, you look amazing. Even in shorts and a tank, anyone could tell you’re way too classy to be a prostitute.”

“Uh, thank you?” Hayden decided to take his words as a compliment, even if they were a bit backward.

Boone scrubbed his hand over his face. “Damn. I screwed that up. Sorry. What I meant was, you look beautiful. That guy probably couldn’t understand what someone as pretty as you was doing inside the sheriff’s department. I know
I’ve
never seen a deputy who looks like you do.”

“Uh…thanks again?”

Boone laughed at himself. “Shit. Okay, I’ll stop before I dig myself into a hole I can’t get out of. Sorry. Where do you want to go? Just coffee? Or do you want to eat something?”

“I could eat.”

“Great. There’s a small family-owned Mexican restaurant I know. They have a kick-ass lunch menu. Wanna chance it?”

“Sure, but…this place isn’t fancy is it? This is all I’ve got here to wear.”

“You’re fine. Damn, you’re more than fine, Hayden. Seriously. I wouldn’t embarrass you by taking you to a restaurant you weren’t dressed appropriately for. Trust me.”

Hayden nodded. “Okay then. Sounds good. Give me the address so I can meet you there?”

“You don’t want to drive together?”

Hayden took a deep breath, knowing she could piss him off with her words, but going forth anyway. “No. I’ll meet you there.”

Boone eyed her, then simply nodded. “Okay. No problem.”

He rattled off the address. Hayden recognized the general area. “I’ll follow you, if that’s okay.”

“Sure. I’ll make sure not to lose you.”

Hayden smiled at that. “Uh, Boone. I
am
a deputy you know…I’m sure I can manage to stay behind you without any issues.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry.”

“Just don’t break any laws…I might be off duty but if you run any stoplights, I won’t be able to look the other way.”

He chuckled. “I won’t. I’m a law-abiding driver. Promise.”

“Good. See you there!” She walked off toward her car, knowing Boone watched her the whole way.

Boone kept his eyes on Hayden as she walked toward a small gray Honda Civic.

Holy mother of God, he’d thought she was built under the uniform she wore, but he wasn’t prepared to see her smooth, creamy skin in all its glory. He’d almost whistled when he’d seen her walk into the reception area, just as the stupid man in the waiting area had.

The black tank top she was wearing highlighted her small waist and her muscular arms. She was buff. Boone thought she might be able to out push-up even him. It was obvious she worked out. It looked good on her. She wasn’t so buff that she looked manly or freakish, but her arms were cut. While he admired her arms, her chest was nothing to sneeze at either. She wasn’t hugely endowed, but she was probably an average B cup. Boone had no idea how she kept those beauties hidden under her uniform. It had to be uncomfortable. But in that tank top of hers? Wow.

When he’d been able to take his eyes off of her upper half, her lower had him reciting statistics of his bulls to keep his cock from going hard and embarrassing himself. Hayden’s legs seemed to go on for miles, and if he wasn’t mistaken, she had freckles all over, not just on her cheeks. She wasn’t wearing heels, but her calf muscles were prominent and her legs were as cut as her arms. He could easily imagine how it would feel to have her thighs squeezing his hips as he thrust into her. Crude, but so true. She literally had the kind of body women would kill to have…and the amazing part was that it was obvious she had no clue.

She had no idea whatsoever how gorgeous she was. She acted as tomboyish as anyone he’d ever seen, but her innate sensuality shone through loud and clear. Boone could just picture her lying back on his bed, her auburn hair spread out across his pillow as he kneeled over her.

As soon as his thoughts veered toward seeing her dark auburn hair against his white sheets, he cut them off. He shouldn’t go there. He was taking her out for lunch. That was it. He had enough on his plate with Dana and his farm…but the thought of Hayden writhing in ecstasy under him as they made love, wouldn’t leave his brain.

Boone got into his truck and waited until he saw Hayden behind him before pulling out to head to the restaurant. He wanted more than anything to get to know her—as a woman, not as a deputy responding to an incident at his farm. He had no idea if she wanted the same thing though, but he was going to do whatever he could to see if he could convince her to give him a shot.