Branded by the Sheriff. Delores Fossen

      Faith groaned, unlocked the door and opened it. It was Beck all right. Wearing jeans, a blue button-up and a walnut-colored, leather rodeo jacket. The jacket wasn’t a fashion statement, though on him it could have been. It was as well-worn as his jeans and cowboy boots.

      “My deputy needed a break,” Beck explained. He didn’t move closer until Aubrey came walking his way.

      “’i,” Aubrey said, grinning from ear to ear. It was adorable. But in Faith’s opinion that cuteness was aimed at the wrong person.

      Beck, however, obviously wasn’t able to resist that grin either because he smiled and stepped around Faith to come inside the suite.

      “Is she ever in a bad mood?” he asked, keeping his focus on Aubrey.

      “Wait ’til nap time,” Marita volunteered. Unlike Aubrey’s cheerfulness, Marita’s voice had an unfriendly edge to it.

      When Aubrey began to babble and show Beck the armadillo, he knelt down so that he’d be at her eye level. “That’s a great-looking toy you got there.”

      “Dee-o,” Aubrey explained, giving him her best attempt to say “armadillo.” She put the toy right in Beck’s face and didn’t pull it back until he’d kissed it.

      Aubrey giggled and threw her arms around Beck’s neck as if she’d known him her entire life. The hug was brief, mere seconds, before she pulled back and pointed to the silver badge he had clipped to his belt.