Unexpected Inheritance

7

Miranda sighed, shaking her head as he made his way to the door. "Just keep your cool, Ben."

He smirked, half-joking, half serious. "I got a lotta cool in me, I'll be fine."

With that, he was out the door, his truck roaring to life as he sped off to the Blue Moon. Miranda stood in the doorway for a moment, watching him go, hoping this wouldn't turn into anything worse than it needed to be.

When he arrived Ben spotted Rosalind immediately. She was standing by the bar, arms crossed, her expression set in irritation. And next to her, some man—mid-forties, a little too drunk, leaning way too close.

Ben clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay calm as he walked up.

"Roz," he said, voice even but firm. "Time to go."

She turned at the sound of his voice, relief flashing in her eyes. The man beside her, however, looked him up and down and smirked. "This your boyfriend, sweetheart?"

Ben ignored him. "Roz."

She grabbed her purse. "Yeah, I'm ready."

But the man stepped forward, placing a hand on the bar as if to block her way. "Now, hold on a second—"

Ben took one slow step forward, voice dropping. "Move your hand."

The man glanced at him, smirk faltering. "I was just talkin' to the lady."

Ben stared him down, his voice deadly calm. "And now you're done."

Roz exhaled and nudged Ben toward the exit. "Come on, before you do something Miranda will yell at you for."

Ben was halfway to the door when the man slurred something about Roz, a crude comment that made Ben's blood boil. Even though he'd promised Miranda he'd keep it cool, he couldn't help himself.

He turned and swung, his fist colliding with the man's jaw, sending him staggering backward. The bar erupted into chaos. The man recovered and threw a wild punch, but Ben ducked it, grabbing him by the collar and driving him into the floor.

That's when a gun hit the ground.

It must have fallen from the other man's waistband, because Ben didn't have his, clattering across the wooden floorboards. For a brief second, everyone froze.

Two deputies from the sheriff's department, enjoying a drink at the bar, sprang into action. They yanked Ben off the guy, forcing them apart.

"Enough" one of the deputies yelled.

Roz ran a hand down her face. "Damn it, Ben."

The other deputy sighed, looking between the two men. "You're both spending the night at the station."

At the sheriff's station, Ben sat on a bench, arms crossed.

"You just couldn't walk away, could you?" Rosalind muttered.

Ben scoffed. "Did you hear what he said about you?"

"Yeah, and? You can't fight every idiot in town, Ben."

Before he could respond, the sheriff walked over, looking between them. "Y'all are lucky we were there. That could've gone real bad, real fast." He turned to Ben. "You're spending the night, just to cool off."

Ben exhaled sharply, nodding. "Yeah, I figured."

"I'll call Miranda."

Ben groaned. "Great. Just what I need."

"You scared of your woman?" The deputy laughed 

Ben leaned his head back against the wall. "Damn right I am."

Miranda arrived at the sheriff's station with a determined look on her face. She walked into the holding area where Ben sat on a cold metal bench.

Miranda's tone was firm as she addressed the scene. "I'm here to take Rosalind home," she announced. " Since you seem to have gotten yourself thrown in the slammer instead."

Ben shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting toward Rosalind before settling on Miranda. "Miranda, I—" he began, voice low and apologetic, clearly wanting to explain himself.

"Save it, Ben," Miranda interrupted, not in the mood for excuses. "I know you lost your cool. I know that man said something stupid about Roz, and you reacted like you always do—protective and way too hot-headed" She sighed "Maybe you should cool off... in jail."

Ben tried to offer a sheepish smile, his gaze dropping in remorse. "I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Miranda folded her arms, her expression a mix of exasperation and concern. "I know you care, Ben. But you have to learn when to keep your temper in check. Now, let's get Rosalind home safely. We can talk about your apologies—and your behavior—when you're out."