A Cowboy Like You

by Donna Grant

  “It’s about Matt Gaudet.”

  Danny’s stomach tightened at the mere mention of the man. “What is it?”

  “His lawyer is demanding we charge him or release him.”

  “I’ve got a few hours left before we have to do anything.”

  Glen’s lips twisted, and his brown eyes looked away. “They’re claiming the arrest was unwarranted.”

  Danny’s eyes narrowed on Glen. “Is that so? On what grounds?”

  “That Miss Long and you, having been friends back in the day, set up the entire encounter so you could have some reason to arrest him.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” Danny should’ve seen this coming. “Have them check Miss Long’s phone records and mine. They’ll find we’ve never communicated. I didn’t know it was her in that car, and she had no idea I was there.”

  Wilson shifted his feet. He was young, but a good deputy that could one day be sheriff. “Why were you there, sheriff?”

  “I was eating dinner. I go there often because I like the view.”

  “Oh,” the deputy said with a nod.

  Danny moved a half-step closer. “How did Matt and his attorney learn that Skylar and I went to school together?”

  Wilson shrugged, frowning. “I’m not sure.”

  “His attorney got here from Houston quick.”

  Glen nodded, his brows raised. “He flew in.”

  “Flew in?”

  “A helicopter. He’s been in with Mr. Gaudet since he arrived.”

  Danny looked at the clock on the wall that read seven in the morning. “And when did he arrive?”

  “Two hours ago.”

  “Thanks, deputy.”

  Wilson hesitated. “I’m guessing you want me to wait until the last possible moment to charge Mr. Gaudet with domestic assault.”

  “I sure do.”

  The deputy blew out a breath. “These kinds of circumstances are never good, sir.”

  “No, they really aren’t. I was in the right place at the right time last night. Things could’ve gone a lot differently.”

  Wilson looked down at the report in his hands and said, “Miss Long claims that he’s beat her multiple times. Did she file any reports?”

  “No, but we both know that isn’t out of the ordinary. What she did do was take pictures after each occurrence.”

  Wilson’s young face split into a wide grin. “That’s good.”

  “It’ll help. We just need a judge who will be compassionate and understanding of such scenarios. Luckily, Judge Harmon is just that. But first, we need Matt charged, and I also need you to get a statement from Miss Long as to what happened. I’ll submit my report within the hour.”

  Whatever joy Danny had, evaporated at the wince on Wilson’s face.

  “Spit out whatever it is that has puckered your lips,” Danny ordered.

  The deputy lowered his voice and said, “I overheard the attorney talking to Matt. He mentioned Matt’s family knowing Judge Harmon. Says their families go way back. I don’t think it’s going to be a slam dunk for Miss Long, sheriff.”

  No, it wasn’t. Fuck! Why couldn’t things be easy? After everything Skylar had endured, now this.

  “Wilson, I want to know everything about Matt Gaudet. I’m also putting you in charge of this investigation. Since Matt claimed that I colluded with Skylar, it’ll be better to hand this off to you from the start.”

  The deputy bobbed his head. “Yes, sir. I’ll get it to you ASAP.”

  Danny continued on to his office in the back of the building. He shut the door and blew out a breath. Then he walked to his desk and tried to sort through the mound of paperwork he had, but his thoughts kept returning to the new information he had about Matt.

  Finally, Danny gave in and called Clayton.

  “Skylar is still sleeping,” Clayton said in lieu of hello.

  Danny glanced at his door and the closed blinds, verifying that no one could see into his office. “Good. She needs the rest, though she will have to give a statement later today. Deputy Wilson will come out to her.”

  “All right. Though it sounds like you need some rest, too.”

  “Sleep isn’t always a friend for a cop.”

  Clayton grunted. “I can hear something in your voice. What’s going on?”

  “I had an ace up my sleeve.”

  “Yeah. Judge Harmon. She’s hard on criminals, which is perfect for us. Abby and I spoke about it last night after Skylar went to bed. Has something changed?”

  Danny ran a hand down his face. “It seems that Matt’s family is close friends with the judge.”

  “Damn. That is a hiccup.”

  “Don’t tell Skylar anything.”

  Clayton immediately said, “That’s not a good idea. Trust me. Keep her in the loop. This is her life, and she’s going to want to know everything.”

  “I don’t want her to worry.”

  “Right,” Clayton said with a short bark of laughter. “As if that’s going to happen. Everyone is concerned, Danny. That’s the nature of this particular beast.”

  Danny squeezed his eyes shut. “You didn’t see the violence in his face last night, Clayton. He would’ve killed her. Because she was going to fight back. I saw it in her eyes.”

  “Then tell the judge that.”

  “That’s the other wrinkle. Matt’s attorney, who arrived by helicopter two hours ago, is claiming that Skylar and I colluded and set the whole thing up so I could arrest Matt.”

  “That’s ludicrous.”

  “It certainly is. And while I jump through hoops to prove that, I’m waiting until the last minute to officially charge him.”

  It was Clayton’s turn to sigh. “I’d do the same.”

  “His lawyer is going to keep fighting anything we do. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

  “What do you think about not charging him and letting him out?”

  Danny’s eyes flew open. “Have you lost your mind?”

  “Jace and Cooper are already in place. The girls and Brice left an hour and a half ago for Houston. We both know that Matt isn’t going anywhere. He’s going to remain right here for a few days. It allows you to keep an eye on him while also proving your innocence.”

  Which was so fucked-up. Danny wasn’t the one in the wrong, but as he’d told Skylar the night before, there wasn’t much about life that was fair.

  “Everything has to be by the book on this one,” Danny said. “I don’t want Matt getting off on some technicality, and I’m definitely charging his ass. I want this on his record.”

  “Skylar deserves to live a life without fear. Abby and I have already decided that we’ll do whatever is needed to keep her here for however long this takes. No one needs to know where she is.”

  Danny leaned back in his chair and considered Clayton’s words. “The attorney will try and find out where she is. That means that Skylar can’t leave the ranch. No one can see her out in town.”

  “Agreed. I had a talk with the kids on the way to school. They won’t mention her name or anything that happened.”

  “Good.”

  “You’re great at your job, Danny. Remember that. Use the resources you have.”

  Danny scratched the back of his neck. “I’ve dealt with some high-profile lawyers from Dallas, but hearing from my deputy makes me think this one is even bigger.”

  “Who is Matt, anyway?”

  “His last name’s Gaudet.”

  “Oh, fuck.”

  Danny dropped his head back on the chair. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

  “Sorry. Yeah, this attorney is going to be the best in the state. You need to prepare. He’s going to come at you with everything.”

  “Who is this guy?”

  “The attorney? I don’t know. Get me the name. As for Matt? Well, his family is loaded. They’re in oil.”

  Just what Danny needed. “So they’re swimming in money.”

  “Exactly. No doubt the lawyer is going to claim that
Skylar went after Matt for his money.”

  “She never said anything about that when we spoke.”

  Clayton made a sound in the back of his throat. “Damn. Just when I thought this might be solved quickly. You’re going to have your hands full. Don’t worry about Skylar. We’ll take care of her. Get here when you can, because I know she’s going to want to talk to you. Besides, she needs to hear all of this from you anyway.”

  “Yeah.” Danny sat up and rubbed his eyes. “It won’t be until tonight.”

  “Dinner?”

  “Sure. And make sure Skylar’s phone remains off. I’ve got deputies searching her car for trackers, but I’ve got a suspicion that Matt cloned her phone without her knowledge.”

  “That’s how he found her when she left,” Clayton said.

  “Matt Gaudet is crafty. No matter what precautions we take, he’ll find her.”

  Clayton laughed, the sound anything but humorous. “Let the bastard try to come onto my land.”

  “Thanks, Clayton.”

  “Don’t thank me. You’ve helped me, Abby, Brice, and Caleb more times than I can count. We owe you. Just tell us how we can help.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  “That’s what friends do, right?”

  Danny smiled when he heard the grin in Clayton’s voice. “That’s what we do.”

  They disconnected. Danny then rose and walked out of his office and through the building to the garage that was set up to search vehicles.

  He made his way to Skylar’s red sports car and the three men looking it over. “Any news?” he asked them.

  Bobby, the lead technician, jerked his head to the table where two different tracking devices were laid out.

  “Two?” Danny asked in shock.

  Bobby lowered the clipboard. “That was our thought, as well.”

  “Did you find anything else?”

  “Nope.”

  Danny rubbed the back of his neck. Two tracking devices. “Can you tell if both were installed at the same time?”

  “One was in the car beneath the driver’s seat. The other was under the car. From the looks of it, I’d say the same person installed them.”

  “You can tell that from wires?”

  Bobby nodded. “Every installer has a certain method. Same was used on both. I don’t know if they were done at the same time, but it was done by the same person.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  But Danny knew if Matt had gone to these lengths, then there was no telling what was on Skylar’s phone. They had to get it as far from the East Ranch as possible.

  Chapter 6

  December 4th

  The relief that had filled her earlier disappeared during the night, and Skylar couldn’t figure out why. She should feel less of a weight on her shoulders. Yet she felt anything but.

  She was shocked to discover that she’d slept until one in the afternoon. Then again, she hadn’t really slept in months. The fact that she knew Matt couldn’t get to her because he was still in jail allowed her to get the rest she so desperately needed.

  After she’d readied for the day, she walked down the stairs, her gaze immediately going to the various windows situated throughout the massive house that showcased the beauty of the East Ranch. There was a reason everyone wanted a glimpse of the ranch, and especially inside the grand house.

  When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Skylar simply stood and looked out at the various barns, stables, and paddocks, taking in the horses grazing nearby. In the distance, she could see herds of cattle in the pastures.

  “I’m pretty sure I wore that same expression my first time here,” Abby said.

  Skylar turned her head to find Abby standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen. “I used to wonder what this place looked like. I imagined all sorts of things, but it’s more beautiful than I could have dreamed. And you get to see it every day.”

  “I know. I’m pretty lucky.” Abby pushed away from the wall. “Hungry?”

  “Starving, actually.”

  Abby chuckled. “I’ve got plenty. Come see if anything suits you. If not, I can run to the store or fix something else.”

  “Oh, I’m not picky. I’ll eat whatever,” Skylar said as she followed Abby into the kitchen.

  “Between my kids, Clayton, my brothers, and Jace and Cooper, I have just about anything you could want. I swear my pantry and fridge is a mini-grocery store.”

  Skylar smiled, thinking that Abby was exaggerating until she looked inside the pantry.

  “I told you,” Abby said as she leaned close before walking to put a dirty cup in the dishwasher. “There’s some leftover brisket from last night if you’d like that. I usually make sandwiches with it if I’m lucky enough to actually have leftovers.”

  That sounded amazing. Skylar got out what she needed and put together a brisket sandwich while Abby chased her youngest around, trying to get Hope to pick up her toys.

  Skylar found the everyday life she was witnessing calming after everything she’d been through. Hope was nearly four and quite a handful by the looks of it. But Abby easily corralled her and got the child to do as she wanted. Then again, Abby had raised her brothers and two other children, so she was a pro at parenting.

  Once Abby had Hope in her booster seat at the bar with a snack, she let out a long sigh, blowing a strand of brunette hair from her face. “She keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure.”

  “She’s beautiful. All your children are.”

  Abby brushed Hope’s brown locks from her face while the toddler’s green eyes focused on Skylar. “Thank you. I’m a little biased since I think they’re absolutely perfect. Sometimes, I’m amazed that Clayton and I were able to make such amazing little humans.”

  Skylar took a bite of the sandwich and nearly sighed at the delicious taste of it. She’d eaten some last night, but she’d been so shaken up that she hadn’t really tasted anything.

  “Have you ever thought of having kids?” Abby asked.

  Skylar shrugged as she swallowed. “I always thought I would one day. That’s what I always said. One day. I’m running out of days.”

  “You’ve still got plenty of time. There’s no rush.”

  “It’s kinda hard to think about a family when my life is so messed up.”

  Abby’s lips twisted. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  “No, it’s fine. Really. I guess if it’s meant to happen, it will. If not, then it wasn’t.” She took another bite of the sandwich.

  Abby put more Goldfish on the bar for Hope before “swimming” one of the snacks toward her daughter’s mouth. Once Hope had gobbled the yellow-orange cracker, Abby turned her head to Skylar. “Clayton and I want you to know that you can stay here as long as you need.”

  “I appreciate all you’ve done, but my momma always told me to never overstay my welcome.”

  “You couldn’t do that. I promise. Besides, this is more than just a friendly visit.”

  Skylar shifted her feet at the seriousness that filled Abby’s blue eyes. “I’m a planner. I always have been, but I don’t know what to do next. I keep sorting through my options without being able to decide on anything. That isn’t like me at all.”

  “Why not give yourself a few days to just relax? You’ve had a lot going on, and recharging your mind while allowing your soul to find some peace might help. Can you take some time off work?”

  “You might be onto something. Taking time off won’t be a problem. Especially when I tell my boss what happened. He never liked Matt.”

  Abby grinned. “Good. Then you don’t have to make a decision about anything but what to eat and what places around the ranch you want to see. You can stay here because there is plenty to fill your time. Do you like to horseback ride?”

  “I’ve never been,” she admitted.

  “If you want, that can be remedied.”

  Skylar knew Abby was being helpful, but she also wasn’t a fool. “Danny told you to keep me here, di
dn’t he?”

  Abby wrinkled her nose, grimacing. “Yes. Was I that obvious?”

  “It just makes sense. And it’s exactly something Danny would do. I know Matt is getting charged, but I don’t know what the next steps are, or if he’ll get out anytime soon.”

  “Danny will be here later,” Abby said. “He wants to fill you in on everything, and he can give you all the details on what will happen next.”

  Skylar finished another bite. “I was hoping he would come by, but I didn’t expect it.”

  “He’s very worried about you.”

  Skylar smiled as she thought about how kind Danny had always been. “I’ve been gone a long time, but he hasn’t changed much. He was always helping others, even back in high school.”

  “Yep. That’s Danny. He was there for me when I needed him.”

  “Is he married?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Skylar wished she could take them back.

  Especially when Abby’s smile filled with excitement. “As a matter of fact, he isn’t. Nor is he dating anyone.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t asking because I was interested,” Skylar quickly said, though she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to go on a date with him. Danny was handsome and a true gentleman.

  “Yeah,” Abby said with a knowing grin. “Of course, you weren’t. It’s okay, you know? Danny is a good guy, and you’re single.”

  “He essentially saved me last night. That’s … well, huge. I don’t know if I’m transferring my gratitude for what happened onto that and making it into something else or what.”

  Abby wiped Hope’s face and fingers after she’d finished with the snack and helped her down before the child ran off to play. “I say don’t think about it too hard. It’s not like you just met Danny. Maybe you’re feeling things because of last night. Or perhaps it’s something altogether different. Why not just set that aside for now?”

  Abby was right, Skylar knew it. With Matt and everything going on there, Danny should be the last thing she was thinking about. She didn’t want to get something started with him, only to realize that it was nothing more than gratitude she felt.

  Skylar was left alone to finish her meal, but her thoughts returned to Danny. She should be thinking about Matt and what to do next, but it was the sheriff who filled her mind. The thoughts were a welcome reprieve from the turmoil she’d waded through the last few months.