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Beau placed his hat on his head and turned toward the door.
“That makes it easier. Let’s hope the thieves are going to try to sell the bull at an auction house. I’ll be in touch. Keep warm,” Beau said with a grin.
“You too. Thank you,” Hargrove said as Beau walked out.
As he climbed into his truck, his phone vibrated from his inside coat pocket. He got into the truck, closed the door, and removed his phone. He grinned when he saw a text from Brenna.
Are you staying warm?
No, my balls are freezing. He chuckled as he sent it back.
Too much information, McCallister. She answered with a laughing emoji.
Is there anything wrong?
No. Just wanted to check on you. Are you out in this?
I just got back into my truck. Now I’ll head to the office.
You are crazy to be out in this.
It’s my job.
I know but it’s so cold out there, but they’re your family jewels, not mine.
Beau liked her a lot. Taking a deep breath, he sent another text.
I wish it was Saturday. I want to see you. He waited for her response and hoped he hadn’t scared her away.
Same here. Let’s hope the weather clears up.
He grinned.
I know I am. I’ll talk to you soon. Stay warm.
You too. Bye!
Beau drove his truck back toward Clifton, taking care to navigate through the slick roads that were now blanketed in a thick layer of snow. His hands gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled intensity as the truck slid on a patch of ice, causing him to let out a string of curses.
Copper Ridge was treacherous under any circumstances, but during winter it became even more hazardous. Too many lives had been lost on its unforgiving turns and steep cliffs, including some of Beau’s own friends.
Finally, he arrived back at the office, grateful to have made it in one piece. As he entered the building and made his way to his desk, he noticed Creed take a seat in the chair opposite him.
“It wasn’t the horse you were after, Beau. Sorry,” Creed said apologetically.
“Damn. Okay, well thanks anyway, Creed. I’ll keep looking.”
“Maybe it’s just some kids again. Like when Eli had to deal with Callaway’s son,” Creed suggested.
“You could be right. I’ll look into that. You know, the last thing we need is a bunch of reckless kids thinking it’s okay to do something like this just because they think Joey Callaway got away with it. But they also need to realize that without Eli’s help in getting him a job with Chelsea at Cotton Boarding Stables, things would have turned out much worse for Callaway. These kids think that all they have to do is a little community service and everything will be fine.” Beau shook his head in frustration.
“It wouldn’t surprise me. They follow along.” Creed got up from his chair, walked over to his desk, and sat down.
Beau knew Creed had a point. Whenever one kid did something bad, it seemed like others wanted to follow suit. He made a mental note to check the social media of local kids; they could never seem to keep their mouths shut about their actions. They liked bragging, even though it often got them into trouble.
Joey Callaway and some friends had stolen horses from the Palmer ranch and were sentenced to community service. Being sixteen years old, juvenile detention was an option, and sometimes that was the best way to deal with them, but most of the time they were given community service. Beau smirked; they thought it would be easy, but quickly learned it was hard work no matter what kind.
Joey lucked out by working with horses and ended up loving it so much that he stayed on at the ranch after his debt was paid. The other boys involved weren’t as lucky; they had to pick up trash along the roads. That wasn’t too bad, but the judge made them wear shirts with “I’m a rustler and I like to steal your livestock” printed on the front and back, so every rancher, farmer, and livestock agent, along with everyone else, saw it when they drove by. The boys tried to stay far back from the road, but their boss made them work closer so they couldn’t avoid being seen.
