Chapter 13 #2
“What did you want to talk about, sir?” I ask, breaking the momentary silence.
Sheriff Matterson clears his throat, straightening in his chair. “You have something you want to tell me, son?”
He calls all the deputies “son,” but right now that makes being reprimanded even more uncomfortable. Like I’m back in high school, being lectured by my dad for cow tipping in the middle of the night.
“I’m dating your daughter,” I say, refusing to let my nerves show.
I figure it’s better to rip off the Band-Aid and get this over with, proving I have nothing to hide—even if his impending reaction makes me uneasy.
He strokes his jaw as he studies me. “Is that so? What gives you the right to sneak around with my daughter behind my back?”
I shift in my seat, resting my hand on my knee. “With all due respect sir, Birdie’s an adult.” He sends me a glare, but I press on. “She wanted to take things slow and wait before we told anyone, and I honored her request.”
“Even if it meant pissing me off? Your boss,” he retorts.
“Birdie comes first. Always.” I say it with my full chest.
He leans forward, his brow tightening as he watches me. “Is that why you destroyed the video footage of Birdie at the county fair—to protect her?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Mason claims he had proof she snuck onto the fairgrounds and stole that donkey and cow last summer—and somehow the evidence disappeared after you clocked in the morning after he brought her in.” His jaw tightens when he mentions Birdie, no doubt picturing her in a jail cell.
“Like I told Mason, I’ve been a deputy here for six years and have never once given you a reason to doubt me.
If you’d rather take the word of a man who made your only kid spend a night in lockup, be my guest.” I lean back in my chair, arms draped over the armrests.
“Far as I’m concerned, he never had proof to begin with—he just saw an opportunity to revive a year-old case and score some brownie points. ”
I’ll take the truth to my grave. Protecting Birdie was the right call, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Wherever those animals are now, they’re far better off than being auctioned at that fair, which makes it easy to sleep at night.
Sheriff Matterson doesn’t respond right away. He reaches for the pen on his desk and rolls it slowly between his fingers. Every few seconds his gaze flickers to his pistol and back to me. It’s intimidating as fuck, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me rattled.
When he finally does speak, his voice is measured and calm. “I guess thanks are in order.”
I tilt my head, frowning. “Sir?”
“You looked after Birdie in my absence, and I owe you for that. If not for you, Mason probably would have sent her to county without even speaking with me first.”
My grip tightens on the armrests as images of what could’ve happened flash through my mind. “He’s damn lucky he didn’t.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll have a word with him,” Sheriff Matterson informs me.
“Good,” I reply. “So… does this mean I’m off the hook for dating Birdie?” I ask.
His expression hardens, making me instantly wish I’d kept my mouth shut. “What do you think, Halstead? You might be a good deputy, but that doesn’t make you good enough for my daughter.”
“Never said it did. Believe me I know I’m damn lucky she’s interested in me at all.”
Sheriff Matterson sets his pen aside. “I’ve learned the hard way that telling Birdie what to do is like pushing a boulder uphill and expecting it to listen.
She’s chosen you, and whether I like it or not, that’s something I’ll have to accept.
” He leans forward, finger stabbing the air between us.
“So you take care of my little girl. Because if you don’t, you’ll have to answer to me—and I won’t be nearly as understanding the second time around. Are we clear?”
I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing that sooner or later Birdie will end our arrangement, and I’ll be back in this chair, facing Sheriff Matterson—painted as the villain.
In reality, I’ll probably be the one left with a broken heart, forced to watch Birdie move on to someone she actually wants, after I’ve helped her build her confidence and shown her what she deserves in a partner.
Despite knowing what the future holds, I plaster on a mask of confidence. “I’d never hurt Birdie. Not intentionally. Not ever.” I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.
Sheriff Matterson’s eyes soften just a fraction. “Good. You’d better hang on to that certainty.”
“I will,” I vow.
He clears his throat and stands, holstering his gun, signaling that our conversation is officially over. “I have some business to handle at town hall before they close, so you’re dismissed.”
Sheriff Matterson doesn’t have to tell me twice. I put my hat back on and stand. I’m halfway out the door when his voice stops me.
“That other thing you’ve been helping me with—I expect it to stay between us. It’s not something I want Birdie to worry about right now. She’s already got so much going on without adding more stress,” Sheriff Matterson says.
I nod. “Understood.”
As much as I hate keeping things from Birdie, I agree with her dad. If she finds out, she’ll want to get involved and end up taking on more than she can handle.