Nobody Loves a Bigfoot Like a Bigfoot Babe (14 page)

BACK AT ABE'S, WILLIS looked up from his watch and pointed to the entrance, knowing what was about to happen. He smirked at Merlot's look of astonishment as the door to Abe's rowdy establishment opened on Willis' count of "one."

Sheriff Lou and her four deputies entered meaning business with their guns at the ready. They had a job to do and they were looking tough. The fight continued.

Willis wanted to laugh, but maintained his serious pose, as Deputy Dwight was shoved to the floor by two brawling females. The deputy slithered on his back as both women rolled across his wobbling girth.

Lou saw the singing duo on the stage. They had stopped their performance and were looking in her direction. She smiled as she aimed her pistol up at the ceiling and fired.

The fracas suddenly stopped. All attention focused on the sheriff and her deputies and most of all on the massive Magnum .44 still smoking in Lou's hand.

The excited Japanese continued to click-click away with their cameras.

Lou scanned the room with her gun still at the ready. "Okay boys . . . round 'em up."

Abe walked up to her and checked his watch, "On the nose, as usual, Lou."

"I aim to serve," she said, swaggering up to the bar. She was engulfed in flashing lights from the Japanese cameras.

One of the brawlers staggered over to Sheriff Lou. Brad was in his mid-thirties, a good-looking dude—except his eyebrows had been burnt off. Brad held out his hands to be cuffed. He swayed from side to side as he tried to give the sheriff a peck on the cheek. He suddenly grabbed her and planted a passionate one smack on her lips.

"Marry me, Lou," Brad loudly declared just as the whole place went silent.

Willis heard Brad's declaration and scowled.
So that's it
, he thought. It was Brad who wanted to marry Lou. Whoever had written the letter, and that must've been Duane, was right about Brad.
Fuck
, it would have to be the old sawmill owner's son and second richest guy in town who had taken Lou's heart. At that moment he felt just about as miserable as he could get.

LOU REARED HER HEAD away from Brad's drunken advances, but not before she got a whiff of his intoxicated breath and strong aftershave.

"Hey Lou, you can cuff me any time you like now," he slurred.

Lou smiled and replaced her gun into her holster. With a nod of her head she signaled Deputy Heidi to put the cuffs on the amorous fool.

Lou didn't wait for Deputy Heidi to cuff Brad. With her hand on the butt of her gun and looking tough she sauntered into the carnage left by the brawling patrons of Abe's Bar and Grill.

Upturned chairs and tables littered the floor amid broken drinking glasses and bottles of alcohol.

She soon caught sight of the FBI agents seated at a table. They were looking in her direction. In particular, she focused her attention on Willis. She could well imagine what he'd put in his regulation report to his regulation superiors, and didn't give a regulation fuck.

As she made her way over to their table, she had to step over several bruised and bloody, drunken Beaverites floundering in her path. It was good to let off steam, she mused. Besides, the tourists, especially the Japanese, loved a good knock-down-drag-out barroom brawl. It was good for business.

A few paces away from the FBI agents' table, she called out, "Hope you enjoyed our little show."

A bemused Merlot looked more than a bit incredulous as she blurted out, "The show! You mean all that wasn't for real?" She pointed to the devastation.

Lou stopped at their table and put her hands on her hips. She grinned. "Sure, some of the punches were genuine, that can't be helped, but the tourists love to see a good, old-fashioned knock-down-drag-out." She pulled out her pistol and waved it about. "Just blanks." She glanced at Willis and gave a faint smile. "Don't need real ammo here."

"Thought as much," Willis said with a hint of a smirk.

Lou put her pistol back in her holster and sat down on a chair next to Merlot. Her attention focused on her old flame.

He was looking directly at her. His expression was thoughtful, even on the soft side. Could he be thinking of her? She hoped so.

Merlot glanced all around her with a look of disbelief. She turned to the sheriff. "I'm in the Twilight Zone."

Lou smiled at the Japanese cameras aimed at Deputy Heidi man-handling a horny Brad trying to plant a wet kiss on her lips. "This is more like The Outer Limits."

"You going to lock anyone up?" Merlot asked.

Lou laughed, "I'll keep the drunkards in jail overnight to sober up, but the rest can go free."

Merlot continued to look confused. She looked at her partner for further explanation, "Please explain."

"I remember your father doing exactly the same thing. Nothing much has changed around here," Willis commented.

Lou didn't reply straight away. Her eyes wandered over his chiseled, handsome face. Her heart skipped a beat. Shit! It hit her like a bullet, right there and then that she still loved the heartless bastard. Really loved him!

Their eyes met. Lou could feel how warm her cheeks had become. She sensed he was still attracted to her. Was there more to his gaze than just mere attraction? Did he still love her too? Her heart skipped another beat.

Lou gave a gentle little cough and glanced over to the stage to see Duane and MB being cuffed by Deputy Dwight. She looked back at Willis. Their eyes locked. She quickly avoided eye contact with him and inwardly cursed herself-
you idiot-he was the one that left, not you.

"I like our town just the way it is. We don't get much crime. I know some people might say Big Beaver's a bit backward compared to life in a place like Sacramento . . . but that's the way we Beaverites like it."

"Not all Beaverites," Willis said dryly.

"Is that why you left, because nothing much happened in Big Beaver?" Lou gave him a hard look. "Or was there another reason?"

Willis' gaze lingered on Lou's face, "Maybe."

Merlot was uncharacteristically silent as she eavesdropped on the sheriff and her partner's conversation.

Lou sensed Merlot's watchful gaze and directed her attention towards the female agent. "You don't have to be FBI to guess we were once an item, Agent Merlot."

"Before we arrived I thought it was Annie tugging at Willis' heartstrings," Merlot admitted.

Willis gave Merlot a deranged glare, "Annie!"

Merlot giggled, "Okay, I was off track a little." She looked at her partner and smiled. "So what went wrong? Why didn't you two settle down?"

Willis stiffened in his chair. He gave his partner a withering look, "None of your business."

As Willis spoke, Deputy Dwight approached with the infamous singing duo cuffed together and looking very pleased about it.

Lou turned her attention to her deputy and his charges.

"What should I do with these two?" Dwight asked.

Duane chuckled, "Nice timing, Lou."

It was a shame she couldn't arrest them, but the jail was going to be full tonight. She shrugged.

"How much have you two had to drink?" Lou cringed at Duane's pungent aroma.

"You know . . . the usual," MB said with a boyish grin. "Old Indian legend tells us that a man who drinks too much falls flat on his face."

Merlot chuckled at MB's remark, "You know what, Mocking Bird . . . you're full of it."

MB smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

"Okay, Dwight . . . let 'em go," Lou said with a sigh.

Deputy Dwight hesitated. "A little bird told me Duane-o mooned the audience again." The deputy looked pleased with himself. "You gotta arrest him for that."

Lou tilted her head and looked disparagingly at the lame brain. "Is that true?"

With a certain amount of pride in his voice, Duane replied, "Sure is, Sheriff. I confess."

"Damn it to hell, you know I should charge you with indecent exposure."

The no-brainer solemnly nodded his head and smiled apologetically with that disarming smile of his.

Yet another warning would have to do
, Lou mused. She sighed. "This is absolutely the last time I let you off. Got that?" Knowing full well he'll do it again.

Duane leaned forward and slapped a big, wet kiss on her full red lips.

Lou was a sucker for that sweet smile of Duane's. She allowed him to kiss her as she knew it would make Willis mad. She was gratified to see the jealous glare from her first love. It worked! Unfortunately for Lou, the powerful Duane odor hit her full on. She wanted to gag right there. She reared away from Duane's lips.

Dwight pouted. "But, Sheriff, you said the next time Duane pulled down his duds . . ."

Lou raised her hand to silence her deputy's objections. "Un-cuff 'em, Dwight." As she spoke her gaze was drawn back towards Willis. They looked into each other's eyes.

All present could see that the sheriff and Willis had certain feelings for one another.

MB commented, "Old Indian legend tells us that man who never gets tired of his woman's face, even when she's old and wrinkled, is really in love."

Duane sighed heavily. "That's so romantic . . . it gets you right here." He put a hand to his heart.

Dwight sniffed back a tear. "That's a beautiful thing to say. It makes me want to cry."

MB consoled a teary-eyed Dwight with an arm around his shoulder.

Merlot focused her attention on the sheriff and Willis.

MB nudged Dwight and indicated Lou and Willis were in love with a pucker of his lips and fluttering eyelids. He smirked as Dwight wobbled all over as he cried.

Lou was unaware that all attention was focused on her and Willis. She was all a-tingle with emotion: a hot kind of tingle that meant only one thing-she wanted Willis to do her.

SHERIFF LOU ENTERED Grace Hotel a little after one in the morning. She was wearing a very sexy black number, slutty, bright red lip gloss and gelled spiky hair. She swayed with intoxication as she walked across the pine-walled lobby covered with stuffed animals. She nodded to the desk clerk and sauntered to the stairs.

Earlier that day, after returning from Little Beaver, the FBI agents had returned to their booked rooms at the Grace Hotel. They had been given single rooms with an adjoining bathroom. Like the hotel, the rooms were clean, neat and rustic. And as befitting a town with such a strong hunting tradition, stuffed animal heads hung on the walls of all the rooms and stuffed fish in the bathrooms.

Lou stood outside Agent Willis Johnson's bedroom, staring nervously at the closed door. She hesitated to give the door a knock, knowing that when she did she would be at his mercy, and that she would no longer be in control of the situation.

He would either tell her to go away or invite her in. If he invited her in, one of two things would happen—they would talk and nothing sexual would happen between them or they would end up tearing each other's clothes off and go at it all night. Whether sex provided the basis for a more lasting relationship, Lou didn't know. She only knew that she wanted some real sex, and Willis was it.

She glanced down at her boobs poking out from the low-cut dress. She thought perhaps she was looking a tad too slutty. Was she wearing too much make-up?

She was unsure if Willis liked his women to dress up sexy and wear make-up. She was unsure about so many things concerning Willis. For one thing—and it was a niggling question—was there someone else in his life? If so, then all this would be a complete waste of her time. Lou prided herself on being the type of woman who would never split up couples.

She took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. She clenched her hands into fists. For one brief moment, Lou hesitated before she knocked at his door, thus perhaps sealing her fate with one gentle tap.

Was she doing the right thing by throwing herself at him? The voice inside her told her yes.
Yes! You still love him.
But did Willis love her? Something, women's intuition or even Lou's trusty gut feeling, told her that he did love her. She hoped she was right.

But first things first, she wanted him between her legs, and it didn't have to be meaningful. She told herself, first sex with Willis then if things went well she could pledge her undying love for the heartless bastard who had left her without even saying goodbye.

The hurt was still there. Would it ever go away? There was only one way to find out. But could she forgive him?

MERLOT WAS IN THE bathroom when she heard the gentle tap on the door of the neighboring room. She was almost ready for bed, wearing a skimpy, black baby doll and shimmering gold panties. She gave her reflection a big smile in the bathroom mirror. She tilted her ear and wondered who was calling on Willis at this time of night?

She skipped over to the interconnecting door of the bathroom and put her ear to the door. And listened . . .

THERE WAS ANOTHER GENTLE TAP on the door. Willis was tucked up in bed reading a crime novel. He gave the door an irritated look.

"Who the fuck is that?" he muttered under his breath.

He guessed it had to be Duane. If that dumbass tried to give him another kiss he knew he'd have no choice but to punch his lights out.

With a scowl on his face, Willis got out of bed. He was wearing regulation white boxer shorts and a regulation white t-shirt that showed off his lean physique. He picked his dressing gown up off a nearby armchair and put it on. He wrapped the belt of the dressing gown tightly around his waist as he walked towards the door.

On opening the door, Willis was met by the sheriff standing in the hallway looking like she wanted to get laid. He looked surprised at seeing Lou looking horny as hell. Willis ran an appreciative eye over Lou's revealing dress.

As Lou brushed past him into the room without saying a word, he got a strong whiff of her heady, intoxicating perfume, an overdose of pheromones and alcohol.

He couldn't help but notice how unsteady she was on her feet. He surmised her perfume wasn't the only thing that was intoxicating. Willis hesitated for a few moments before he quietly closed the door, not wanting to wake that nosy partner of his.

Lou surveyed the bedclothes tossed back and swung around to give Willis a wanton look. She swayed slightly.

Willis stared at her, poker-faced and without saying a word. Though beneath the regulation serious façade, he was getting more turned on by the minute. He ached for her, but couldn't let her see that.

"Oops . . . naughty me, I've been drinking," she hiccupped.

Yeah, I can see that
, thought Willis.

She looked from Willis' stern face back at the bed and sashayed over to it. She fell backwards with sexual abandonment, stretching out fully, resting her head on the pillow. She licked her full lips seductively as she looked up at him.

"I want you, right now."

Willis could feel his pulse rate go up several more notches. His light blue eyes looked at her with wanton desire. But he didn't make a move in her direction. He stood as motionless as a rock. His expression was serious. He wondered if his boner was showing. He slowly approached the bed.

Lou smiled seductively at him as she fondled her breasts and writhed with wanton abandon.

A voice inside him told Willis not to go any further. For one thing, it would complicate the investigation-those damned pesky regulations again. And there was also the fact that Lou had had too much to drink. He didn't want to take advantage of her, for that too would complicate things. He felt sure that if they had sex right now, when she'd sobered up in the morning, she'd really regret what she'd done. And hate him even more for taking advantage of her while she was drunk, even though she was the instigator. What a dilemma!

Willis sighed heavily and reached out for her hand. "Come on Lou, enough's enough."

But as he reached out to her, Lou completely caught him off-guard. She grabbed his hand and gave a forceful tug, pulling him onto the bed next to her. She ran her fingertips through his hair.

He tried to get off the bed but she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. He could feel her slender body rubbing against his. He sighed as she quickly found his erection.

Lou giggled, "That's my Willis . . . hard as a rock." She pulled him to her and kissed him hard on the lips.

The rush was just like that first kiss, all those years ago. Willis couldn't help it as her tongue found his, but then those regulations kicked in. He desperately tried to pull away.

Lou loosened her hold of him, by removing one hand which slipped down his body into Willis' boxer shorts. She hiccupped.

Willis didn't want to make a break for it but knew it was for the best. He yanked himself free of her embrace and got up quickly from the bed.

"Damn it, Willis," she pouted. "Now I really hate you." Lou lunged at him.

Willis jumped back as Lou slumped to the floor. He picked her up and dropped her back on the bed. He wondered if she behaved like this with Brad or that dumbass, Duane.

Lou's eyes widened at the sight of his twitching erection inside his boxer shorts.

Willis tugged on his robe to cover his rampant manhood. "I think you'd better leave."

Lou sat up on the bed and looked petulantly at him.

She begged in a girlish voice with a finger to her lips, "Please don't send me away, Mister FBI man." She licked her fingers provocatively.

Willis so wanted to make mad, passionate love to her. But the timing just didn't seem right. He was on a case, and having sex with the sheriff would surely complicate the investigation, not to mention that Merlot would pick up on the situation and blab her big mouth off.

Willis took Lou by the arm and heaved her off the bed. He started to lead her towards the door but Lou dug her heels in and refused to move further.

She swung around to face him and pressed her body against his. Lou tried once more to kiss Willis on the lips but he avoided her by rearing his head slightly backwards.

Don't succumb whatever you do, and no matter how tempted
, he urged himself. His eyes wandered over the beautiful contours of her face. Did he still love her? He didn't have to ask that question.

"Come on, Lou, it's been a long day," he urged in a tender voice.

"You really want me to go?" she asked with a pout on her lips and a hurt look in her eyes.

Willis hesitated as he looked at her inviting, full red lips. "Yes. Now go!"

The hurt look in Lou's eyes deepened. Her lower lip trembled as if she was about cry.

"You miserable, heartless bastard," she said with all her raging emotions in full view. She let go of Willis and swayed over to the door with sagging shoulders.

Willis followed her and with every step he took he regretted sending her away. His heart yearned for her lips again, but those damned regulations kept getting in the way.

Lou swung the bedroom door open and turned round to face the heartless bastard. She couldn't hide the hurt and anger in her condemning eyes.

"So that's it then?"

Willis opened his mouth to speak-to say stay-but no words came out. He watched her hesitating to leave as if waiting for him to say that all-important something. He drew his lips together and sealed them tight.

A few lovelorn moments passed before Lou finally stepped out into the hallway. She staggered as if on the deck of a boat in a storm.

Willis poked his head out into the hallway and looked left and right. He was grateful to be alone with Lou. He knew that in a town like Big Beaver people loved to gossip.

Lou glanced back over her shoulder to look at him. Tears filled her eyes.

"You bastard . . . you know you want me." She wiped tears from her eyes. "I don't do this for just anyone, you know."

Willis remained silent.
Do you do this for Brad
, he wondered? His expression was serious, but inwardly his emotions were in turmoil over his desire for Lou.

"That's it then." Lou shrugged her shoulders and began to walk down the hallway, leaning against the wall for support.

Willis wanted to call out to her to come back, but his rock-hard inner-self forced him to remain silent. With a miserable sigh, he stepped back into his room and quietly closed the door.

Had he made the right choice sending the woman he loved away? Willis heaved a woeful sigh of regret. She loves you, you stupid jerk, and you still love her. That's another round to Doctor Fernandez.

LOU STIFLED HER TEARS as she walked away from Willis' bedroom. She didn't want anyone seeing her in a slinky black dress balling her eyes out. She knew what some people would say—they mostly being men—that a woman had no place being a sheriff if she allowed her emotions to get out of hand and to go about the place in such a drunken state.

And so, with this in mind, Lou pushed back the tears, knowing she would save them for later when she was home and where no one would see her crying-for no one ever came to see Lou at her home.

She consoled herself with the thought that he still wanted her. That much was evident with his erection, but did he still love her? His hard on was not proof of that, just a man wanting sex. So, why did Willis throw her out and why was she walking away from his room without so much as having a quickie? She didn't know what to think anymore.

Lou slipped out of the hotel lobby and into the cool night air. The thought that Willis didn't hold the same feelings for her made Lou's eyes fill up with tears once more. Don't cry, don't you dare.
Don't give up yet
, she told herself.
He might be playing hard to get, something you should be doing, you slut.
Then the full force of the alcohol hit Lou. She rushed into an alley and threw up.

A GRINNING MERLOT stepped away from the interconnecting door.
Well, what do you know
, she mused.
Won't Doctor Ramón
love to hear this?
This trip was certainly turning out to be a revealing one at that. She wondered what more did Big Beaver have to offer. She giggled at the thought of defiling the town welcome sign.