A Cowboy Like You

by Donna Grant

  “Is that so? And what might that be?” the sheriff asked, sarcasm in his voice.

  Skylar contemplated turning over the ignition and getting the hell out of Dodge while she could, but that wouldn’t put her in a favorable light with the sheriff. And no doubt there were deputies on the way.

  “That’s between me and her,” Matt said, jerking his head in her direction.

  The sheriff didn’t look her way. Thankfully, he also didn’t ask her to step from the vehicle. She wasn’t sure her legs would hold her at this point. Fear and relief mixed together inside of her, and the potent mix made her nauseous.

  “Put your hands on the hood of the car,” the sheriff ordered Matt.

  Skylar’s heart hammered wildly against her ribs as her hand slid into her purse once more. The fear that had gripped her when she spotted the headlights following her was diminishing slowly, thanks to the arrival of the sheriff. Not that she believed the nightmare was over. It was far from it, but at least now, she had a chance of getting away. Could possibly even get a protective order against Matt.

  Not that she believed a restraining order would keep someone like him away. She understood now why someone as handsome and successful as Matt had been single.

  “I’m not going to repeat myself.”

  Her fingers tightened on the butt of her pistol at the sheriff’s words. She knew Matt. He didn’t like authority of any kind, especially cops. The only thing keeping him from lashing out was the weapon pointed at him.

  Matt slowly turned and leaned over, placing his hands on the hood of her car. His blue eyes locked on her as he mouthed, “You’ve made a big mistake, honey.”

  Skylar was thinking of all the ways Matt could retaliate, but then she heard the sirens of approaching cruisers. The slight grin Matt directed at her slipped as he looked at the red and blue lights as two police cars raced into the rest area. One parked behind her, and the other pulled in behind Matt’s vehicle.

  In a blink, the deputies were out of the cars and approaching with guns drawn. One tossed the sheriff a set of handcuffs.

  Skylar had to bite back a smile when they pushed Matt down onto his chest on the hood of her car as the sheriff read him his Miranda rights. Then Matt was put into one of the deputy’s cars and driven away.

  She hadn’t said anything to anyone yet. Just watched as the sheriff spoke to the remaining deputy, pointing to Matt’s car. Skylar still couldn’t see the sheriff’s face. She wanted to thank him for helping and being so calm, but she wasn’t sure her voice would work, so she remained inside her car.

  She released her hold on her pistol and covered her face with her hands. After a few minutes, she took a deep breath and lowered her arms. Her gaze darted to the left, and she saw the sheriff staring at her.

  He’d given her all the time he could. Now, it was her turn to talk. Skylar wished she could make the entire situation with Matt go away as if it had never happened, but that wasn’t how life worked.

  She opened the door and got out of the car into the cold. “Thank you, sheriff. I appreciate the assistance. I also want to let you know that I have a pistol in my purse, along with a concealed carry permit.”

  There was a beat of silence as the sheriff stared at her. She stood beneath one of the many lights. The glow illuminated her, even while he was still cloaked in shadow. She licked her lips nervously. Skylar wrapped her arms around herself, wishing that she’d grabbed a coat before she left Matt’s, but then again, she hadn’t been thinking about her things. She’d been more concerned with escaping with her life.

  “Skylar?”

  She frowned at the question in the sheriff’s voice. Matt had said her name. Surely, he’d heard it. “Yes,” she replied. “I’m Skylar Long.”

  He took a step toward her and removed his hat. “It’s been a long time.”

  For an instant, she couldn’t move. She knew those hazel eyes and that dark brown hair. It had been years since she’d last seen Danny, but he’d always been one to come to someone’s rescue. His shoulders had widened, his cheekbones were sharper, the jaw more defined, but he still looked as fit as he had in high school—which was the last time she’d seen him.

  “Danny,” she said. To her horror, her face crumpled as relief surged through her. Because she knew that if anyone could protect her, it was Danny Oldman.

  She turned her head away while trying to regain her composure. She wasn’t the type to cry easily, but the emotions that welled up inside her when she realized it was Danny who had saved her were too much.

  “Here,” he said as he draped something across her shoulders.

  She realized that it was his coat, and she gratefully slipped her arms into the sleeves. “Thank you.”

  They stared at each other for several seconds. He didn’t seem fazed by the cold temperature, but then again, Danny had always been a stoic one. He made friends easily because everyone liked him, but he was very selective in who he allowed close.

  Unfortunately, Skylar hadn’t been in that select circle. Few were, actually. But she’d had friends who were close to Danny, and they always spoke highly of him. Danny had been nice to everyone. They’d shared many classes together in school, and there wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t give her a smile and speak to her.

  “Sheriff,” the deputy said as he walked up.

  Skylar moved back a step as the two men drew close to speak. She could still feel the warmth of Danny’s body from his jacket as she huddled inside it. For the first time in months, her thoughts weren’t on how she could get through a day without angering Matt. She was finally free. She lifted her face to the night sky and closed her eyes.

  The sound of a car door drew her attention. She saw the deputy drive away, and then Danny walked to her. He wasn’t exactly frowning, but he wasn’t smiling either.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Matt has been arrested for domestic assault.”

  Skylar pulled the coat tighter around her. “What does that mean?”

  “Well, it depends. Has he been arrested before?”

  She shrugged. “Not that I’m aware.”

  Danny pressed his lips together. “If he has no prior convictions, he could get off with just a fine.”

  Skylar nodded, the brief taste of freedom she had felt slipping away and dissipating into the night sky like smoke.

  “Is this the first time he’s been physical with you?”

  It was hard to hold eye contact with Danny. Skylar felt like a fool for being in such a relationship. But she was trying to get away and start her life fresh. “No.”

  “Did you report it?”

  She closed her eyes in shame and shook her head.

  “Many don’t,” he said after a beat of silence. “It doesn’t change anything. I saw what happened here tonight, and there are also CCTV cameras. They recorded everything.”

  Her eyes opened to meet Danny’s. “That’s good.” She paused, swallowing. “I should have reported it. I always swore if anything like that happened to me, I would. I used to talk about how I didn’t understand women who stayed in such relationships. I used to say that all they had to do was get away. I was so damn naïve.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, how long has this been going on?”

  “Three months. This is my third time trying to leave.”

  “You’ve tried. That’s something.”

  Leave it to Danny to make her feel better. She shot him a grateful smile. “The first time, I made the mistake of telling him I was leaving. That was just three weeks after moving in with him. We dated for nine months, and he’d never exhibited any kind of violence with his fists or his words before that.”

  “I gather you didn’t get far the first time.”

  “He hit me once and swore it was a one-time thing. That was the second week we lived together. Then it happened again because I brought home the wrong brand of beer. I picked myself up off the floor and stepped over the smashed six-pack of bottles. I was angry an
d told him that he’d never lay a hand on me again, that it was over. I got my purse and headed to the door. Except I never made it. I woke up in the hospital.”

  Skylar saw Danny’s lips part, and she shook her head. “No, I didn’t tell anyone what really happened. He doted on me, and with the pain in my head and the medication they had me on, he convinced me that I’d slipped on the beer and fallen and hit my head. It wasn’t until I was back home, and the pain meds wore off that I remembered what’d happened. I packed a bag and got to my car. He followed me, crying and telling me that he’d made a mistake, that the nine months before was who he really was.”

  “He asked for another chance,” Danny guessed.

  Skylar nodded. “And I stupidly gave it to him.”

  “You weren’t stupid. You wanted to believe him.”

  “He’d already hit me twice. I should’ve realized.”

  Danny gave her a reassuring grin. “It’s okay to forgive yourself, you know. We aren’t perfect, and you had a good relationship before. You had every right to think that those two incidents were out of the norm.”

  “Perhaps. But after that, he became obsessive and possessive, wanting to know where I was at any given moment.”

  “He was worried you’d try to leave.”

  “That was another red flag that I ignored. I’d had obsessive boyfriends before. I thought I could handle him, reassure him that I was his. I was wrong. We got through nearly two weeks before he hit me again.”

  Danny folded his arms over his chest. “What was it this time?”

  “My boss called me. Matt immediately believed that we were having an affair.”

  Chapter 3

  Of all the people Danny had thought he might run into, he’d never in a million years expected to see Skylar Long again. If he believed in destiny, he’d almost accept that his thinking of her earlier had brought her straight to him.

  One of the things he remembered about her was how she’d wanted to get out of their town and move to a big city. Her sights had been set on Houston or even Dallas. She had wanted to get lost in all the people.

  Many of his classmates had spoken about leaving their little town, but few did. And many who left eventually returned. Not Skylar. She’d gotten out, and he’d figured she would stay gone forever. After all, her parents had moved about ten years ago, which meant there was no reason for her to return.

  Yet, here she was. And more stunning than ever.

  She had been Danny’s crush from the time they were in grade school. Skylar had always been a free spirit. She had confidence that most girls her age lacked. It wasn’t arrogance, simply a belief in herself that came through in everything she did.

  While beautiful, she had been a little reserved. She had run with the popular crowd, but she didn’t wield that social level to degrade anyone or use it to her benefit like others had. She had been kind, and she wore her heart on her sleeve.

  He and Skylar had been able to talk about anything. She was always open and engaging, but Danny had never pursued her as his girlfriend. He’d never thought he was good enough for her, not when so many of his other friends had wooed her.

  Danny looked at her. The harsh light of the streetlamp above them couldn’t diminish her beauty. Her golden blond hair was pulled up haphazardly with strands falling around her face and neck. But her large, azure eyes still held more shock and fear than he liked.

  She was on the petite side with curves in all the right places. Her lips were full, pouty even, and they made his blood heat just looking at them. Her skin had the dewy glow of a healthy lifestyle that made him want to reach out and run the pads of his fingers down her cheek to see if her skin was as velvety as it appeared.

  Hearing her story earlier made him want to go find Matt and punch him a few times. Danny had never been so happy to be in the right place at the right time. He gave himself an inward shake to get back to the matter at hand.

  “And what happened tonight?” Danny asked to get the final piece of the puzzle.

  Skylar shrugged. “It was Matt’s night out with friends. I made sure to keep to my same schedule, not doing anything that would alert him that I planned to leave. I waited an hour after he left before I grabbed an overnight bag and threw a few things in. I just wanted to get out. I didn’t care about the rest of my stuff. I figured I could get it back later or replace it.”

  “It was a good decision. Things can be replaced. Your life can’t. So, how did he figure out that you left?”

  “I honestly don’t know.” Concern clouded her face. “He was gone, I know it. I even drove by the bar to make sure his car was there. Then I headed straight out of town.”

  This wasn’t the first time Danny had dealt with a domestic situation like this, but he didn’t like that he knew one of the parties involved. Mainly because he knew the odds of how such circumstances turned out.

  Danny ran a hand down his face, his gut churning. “If he was gone from the house and at the bar, then he had to know you left somehow. Are there cameras in the residence?”

  Her eyes widened, and her lips parted in shock. “I … I don’t know. There could be. It sounds like something he’d do. He was adamant about me moving into his place. It was bigger than mine, even though mine was in a better location, so I agreed.”

  “What about tracking your car?”

  She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders at the same time. “I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

  “Does he always know what’s going on in your life? People you’ve talked to, places you’ve been?”

  “Yes.”

  “What about phone calls and texts? Does he ask you specifics about them?”

  She frowned as she thought about his question. “He used to, but not anymore.”

  Danny figured as much.

  Skylar’s gaze sharpened on him. “Why? Do you think he installed some kind of spyware on my phone? Oh, God. He installed spyware on my phone.”

  “We’ll get you a new one, and I’ll have my guys look over your car to see if there’s any kind of device.”

  Her eyes filled with tears that she hastily blinked away. “How did I get into such a situation?”

  “It doesn’t matter. What counts is that you’re getting out of it. If that’s what you want.”

  Her head bobbed up and down rapidly. “Yes. I knew I was getting away from him tonight, one way or another.”

  Danny recalled that she had said she had a handgun in her car. Not that he could blame her for having it, but he was happy she hadn’t had to use it. “I’m glad you pulled in here.”

  “I wasn’t going to. As soon as I thought the headlights were from a car like his, I thought it was just my imagination, that I was just scared and seeing things. Then something told me to pull in here and see if the vehicle followed. As soon as it did, I knew it was Matt. Why were you here?”

  Danny lifted one shoulder and twisted his lips. “Eating dinner.”

  She blinked and looked around. “At a rest stop?”

  “Yeah. Where were you headed?” he asked to change the subject. He didn’t want to discuss his lack of a life, not when her situation was more important.

  Skylar blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I just got on the road and drove. I didn’t even realize I was here until I saw the county sign five miles back.”

  “Is there anyone in town you can stay with?”

  Her gaze dropped to the ground. “I didn’t keep up with anyone here. I can stay at a hotel.”

  “That’s the first place Matt will look for you when he gets out of jail. I could post a deputy to keep watch, but that’s a temporary fix.”

  “I understand.” Her gaze lifted to his, and she forced a smile that didn’t reach her blue eyes. “You’ve been a great help tonight, but you’ve done enough. I’ll figure something out.”

  Danny took a step toward her. “If you think I’m going to walk away, then you don’t remember me at all.”

  “Oh, I remember you,” she said. T
his time, the smile was the one he remembered from years earlier.

  “Then let me help.”

  Worry crossed her face once more. “Matt is the kind that won’t give up, isn’t he?”

  “Let’s just say that I don’t want to take any chances with him. I know the perfect place you can stay. It’s a fortress unto itself. There’s no way Matt can get anywhere near you there.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Her relief was so great that her shoulders drooped with it. “I can follow you there.”

  “Your car is staying here. I’ll have it towed to the station to be looked over. Get whatever you need. I’ll drive you.”

  She clearly didn’t need to be told twice. Skylar immediately opened the door and got her purse before popping the trunk and taking out an overnight bag. Danny took the bag from her and walked her to the passenger side of his truck, where he opened the door for her.

  Once she was inside, he stowed her bag in the seat behind her and then walked around and got behind the wheel. That’s when he realized that she was holding his dinner.

  “Sorry about that,” he said and tried to take it.

  She pulled it out of his grasp, a smile on her face. “I think I can manage to hold this fine, sheriff.”

  He laughed and relented before starting the engine. He backed out, still unable to believe that the events of the night had led him to Skylar. If he hadn’t believed in Fate before, he certainly did now. Especially since he had been thinking about her a lot these past few months.

  “How long have you been sheriff?” she asked.

  He glanced over to see her gaze on him. “About seven years.”

  “It suits you.”

  “Does it?” he asked with a chuckle.

  She nodded. “Definitely. You were forever helping others. Did you always know you wanted to be a cop?”

  “Actually, no. I kinda fell into it, but once I went through the academy, I knew this was where I belonged.”

  “And sheriff? Did you always want to be in this position?”

  He scratched his chin and considered her question. “I knew it was something I’d eventually try for, but I didn’t expect it so soon. Again, I fell into it. I didn’t anticipate winning. I don’t think anyone was as surprised as I was when the results came in.”