by Donna Grant
All his training and instincts told him to keep watching for anyone who appeared to be following Skylar, or might harass her, Leslie, or anyone from the ranch. Not that Danny was worried about the men. Each of them had served in the military and were weapons unto themselves.
If someone was stupid enough to tangle with Clayton, Caleb, Brice, Jace, or Cooper, then that was their problem.
But Danny’s heart told him to get inside the courtroom and be there for moral support for Skylar. He wanted to be there, and not just to hear what the judge might say. He also knew men like Matt. They were vindictive.
Danny’s phone vibrated in the cupholder. He picked it up and recognized the sheriff’s number. “Hello?”
“Sheriff, I wanted to let you know that you don’t have to keep watch. I’m here.”
“Where?” he asked Deputy Wilson.
“I’m in my fiancée’s Wrangler. I’m also out of uniform.”
Danny grinned when he spotted the navy Jeep situated in the back of the parking lot. “You have a good view?”
“Yes, sir.”
“There is a black Suburban that followed Skylar and Leslie here.”
There was a beat of silence. “I take that to mean you have others watching Miss Long?”
“Don’t take it personally, Wilson. This is nothing against you.”
“No, sir. I understand. The Gaudets’ reach is long, and your job is to keep Miss Long safe.”
Danny was glad the young deputy understood. “Matt Gaudet’s lawyer is here.”
“I saw him. You should probably get in there before it starts. I’ve got things covered out here.”
Danny wished he had ten more deputies just like Wilson. “Let me know if anything comes up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Danny ended the call and adjusted his hat atop his head before he stepped out of his SUV. He shut and locked the door as he walked away without looking toward the Jeep. The moment Danny was inside the building, his gaze searched the faces for Matt’s as he made his way to the courtroom.
The door didn’t make a sound as it swung open. Danny took a seat, his eyes landing on Rodney first. The lawyer’s gaze met his before he quickly looked away while typing furiously on his phone. Danny then swung his eyes toward Leslie and Skylar.
Both women looked confident as they sat with their heads leaning toward each other, talking in low tones. Danny wished Skylar would look his way, but he was glad she didn’t. With Rodney watching her like a hawk, any little slip-up might send Matt into a rage.
Although, if Rodney were as good of an attorney as he was supposed to be, he would keep such things from his client in order to keep Matt under control.
Danny stretched out his legs and crossed his arms over his chest. If Matt did have another public display of anger, that could work in their favor. It could ensure that he never got near Skylar again.
Then Danny recalled how many times people disregarded orders of protection.
His stomach knotted at the thought. He didn’t care if he had to watch over Skylar for the rest of her life, he’d do it. If she remained in town. If she returned to Houston …
He didn’t even want to think about that.
“All rise,” boomed a voice at the front of the court.
Danny and the others stood as Judge Harmon walked in and took a seat. She was a tiny thing, not even five feet tall. Her salt and pepper hair was slicked back in a bun, and she wore her customary pearl studs.
Dressed in black robes, she sank into the chair and looked out over the courtroom. “Ms. Ross, let’s get started,” she declared in a booming voice that seemed so at odds with the petite body it was housed in.
After everyone had been seated, Leslie rose again, and for the next twenty minutes, described, in detail, the timeline of Skylar and Matt’s relationship. The pictures of Skylar bruised and battered were displayed on a large screen.
It didn’t matter how many times Danny saw them, it turned his stomach. He never understood people’s need to hurt others or animals. It was the aspect of his job that he hated the most. Although bringing an abuser to justice was very satisfying.
When Leslie got to the part of Matt’s arrest, the judge flipped through the papers before her and nodded when she found the report from the sheriff’s department. Both Danny and Wilson had filed reports. Danny because he was first on scene and had called it in, and Wilson because he was the one who’d cuffed and booked Matt.
“Ms. Long,” the judge addressed Skylar. “Do you feel as if your life is in danger?”
Skylar got to her feet. “I do, Your Honor.”
“Then I will grant an emergency protective order, effective immediately,” she said.
Danny didn’t smile, though inside, he cheered. He’d had a feeling the judge would give Skylar the order of protection, but freakier things had happened, especially since the judge was friends with the Gaudet family.
Matt’s attorney didn’t seem at all shocked by the outcome. Rodney didn’t look up from his phone even after the judge had left, and Skylar and Leslie quietly celebrated. Danny remained seated, even when the women walked past. He gave them a nod.
A few minutes later, when the room was setting up for another hearing, Rodney finally gathered his briefcase and put away his phone. Danny rose and stepped out into the aisle just as the lawyer approached.
“Morning,” Danny said.
Rodney bowed his head. “Sheriff. What can I do for you?”
“I hope you’ll tell your client that the sheriff’s department will be enforcing the protective order to the fullest.”
“My client isn’t so foolish as to go against a court order like this,” Rodney stated testily.
Danny heard the words and the firm voice, but he saw the uncertainty in the attorney’s face. Not even Rodney was sure that Matt would adhere to the restraining order, and that meant more work for Danny and his deputies.
It was a good thing that Skylar was staying at the East Ranch. As long as she was there, Matt couldn’t harm her. But that couldn’t last forever.
“You remember that you can’t arrest my client simply because you want to.”
Danny smiled. “If I arrested everyone who irked me, you’d be in jail. Since that hasn’t happened, I don’t believe your client has anything to worry about. I follow the law. You should make sure he does, as well.”
“He will.”
“Do you have a sister? Daughter?” Danny asked when Rodney started to walk away.
The attorney halted and turned to face him. “Both. Why?”
“What would you do if a man hurt your sister or your daughter like what happened to Miss Long? What would you do?”
Rodney held Danny’s gaze for a long minute. Then he took a deep breath and said, “Sheriff, I’m Texan, born and raised. I learned to shoot and ride when I was just a little thing. And I’m an excellent shot. I think that sums up exactly what I’d do.”
“Yet you’re representing a man who has hurt a woman. Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”
Rodney took a step closer so their already whispered words went softer. “You have to do things in your job you don’t like, I imagine.”
“All the time.”
“That’s the same for anyone.”
Danny looked into Rodney’s dark eyes and nodded. He hadn’t wanted to like the man, but it was turning out that he did. “It’s too bad we’re on opposite sides.”
The lawyer flashed a small smile before he turned on his heel and left. Danny followed a few seconds later. When he got out to the parking lot, Leslie’s car was gone, as were Rodney’s and Wilson’s vehicles.
Danny walked to his SUV. As he approached, he frowned when he saw something sticking out of his tire. He noticed that it was a knife as he got closer. Then he saw that his other tire was flat, as well. A quick look proved that all four tires had been slashed.
He pulled out his phone and called the station while looking around him. While he waited for someone to c
ome and replace the tires, he walked back into the courtroom and the surveillance room so he could check the cameras. They were all over the place. One of them had to have caught the person responsible for such an act. And Danny really hoped it was Matt Gaudet.
Except when he found the footage, he was shocked to discover that it was a woman who had stabbed his tires.
Chapter 15
“It went just as I thought it would,” Leslie said as she pulled out of the parking lot.
Skylar released a long breath. “This is one step in getting Matt to hopefully leave me alone, but we both know it won’t stop him.”
“You’re right. It’s a piece of paper, regardless that it’s a legal document. Many stalkers and abusers completely disregard it. But it does help. Matt has been arrested, his abuse witnessed by the sheriff. Now you have the emergency protective order. If he comes within fifty feet of you, continues to threaten you, or does anything to make you feel as if your life is in danger, you can call the police.”
Skylar didn’t bother mentioning that it would take time for the police to arrive. It wasn’t as if she had a security detail following her around all the time. If Matt came to her home, she might not even have time to call 911.
“Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat this,” Leslie continued. “My cousin’s friend got a restraining order, and unfortunately, it didn’t help her. She died. But she also didn’t take the advice given to her by the police or my cousin.”
Skylar looked at her attorney. “And what advice was that?”
“Don’t be alone.”
“Alone?” Skylar asked with a frown.
Leslie nodded and turned on her blinker as she moved over into a turning lane on her way back to the East Ranch. “I know it’s not optimal, but when your life is literally on the line, set aside comfort for a minute. There aren’t many places in a two-hundred-mile radius as well-guarded and protected as the East Ranch. Stay there as long as you can. Because the minute you return to Houston, the very minute you’re alone, Matt will come after you.”
“Maybe.”
Leslie snorted loudly as she turned the car. “There’s no maybe about it. He will. I saw the look in his eyes.”
“When did you see him?”
“It’s not hard to find a new arrival in this town. Especially one that’s being talked about like Matt Gaudet.”
Skylar shrugged, knowing Leslie was right. “What did you think of him?”
“I think he’s handsome, and he knows it. It’s obvious by the way he dresses and acts that he’s used to wealth.”
That made Skylar frown. “What do you mean? I didn’t notice anything like that with him.”
“Because he was hiding it from you. He didn’t want you to know who he really was.”
Skylar shook her head. “It’s exhausting to keep up such lies. Why would anyone do that?”
“Because they can. He manipulates. Not to mention, he’s a narcissist.”
Just great. Boy, she really knew how to pick them. “So, what did you see in his eyes?”
“He feels wronged that you left him. Add in his arrest and this protective order, and he’ll want revenge. I, personally, think he’ll have a hard time deciding if he just wants payback or if he wants you back.”
Now that shocked Skylar. She gave Leslie a look of doubt. “He doesn’t want me anymore.”
“Contrary to what you may think, he wants you more than ever. I’m not a psychiatrist or anything, but I’ve seen enough cases like this. He likely feels offended that you chose to end things. In his mind, he believes he’s the one in control, and you took that away from him. He could very well want you back long enough to end things himself.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Leslie chuckled. “You aren’t wrong.”
She pulled up to the ranch gates and punched a button to wait for Abby or someone to let them in. Skylar looked across the huge expanse of pasture to the house and thought about Danny.
The moment she’d seen him enter the courtroom out of the corner of her eye, she’d been elated. It had taken great willpower not to turn and look at him. Even walking out, she had only given him a brief glance.
But the moment his hazel eyes met hers, it felt as if the sun were bathing her in light.
“I normally take my clients to lunch after a win,” Leslie said as the gate opened and they drove forward. “But I don’t think it’d be wise to test things out so quickly.”
“Actually, it probably would have been the best time. Matt is likely with his attorney.”
Leslie braked, halting the car as she looked at Skylar. “You’re right. Want to go back out?”
“Thanks, but we’re already here. And, really, it should be me taking you out after jumping into this so quickly and getting to work.”
Leslie rolled her brown eyes and continued driving. “This was nothing. A few forms entered in and showing up in front of the judge. I’d like to think this is over, but that’s far from the case. The Gaudets will consider this a loss, and families like theirs don’t take defeat sitting down.”
Skylar waited until the car had stopped once more in front of the house before she eyed Leslie. “You aren’t coming in?”
“I’m going to stay one step ahead of things for you.”
“What do you think the Gaudets will do?”
Leslie shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t know exactly. I’d stay away from any sort of social media and news for the next week. The family could come after you.”
“For what? I’m not the one who did anything.”
“The thing you need to remember is that nothing about this is fair. You aren’t on equal footing with them, and even though you’re the one who was abused, they could make you out to be the bad guy. All I’m saying is prepare yourself.”
“I guess I’d better call my parents, then.”
Leslie’s lips twisted as she wrinkled her nose. “That might be wise. Do they know what’s going on?”
“I wanted to keep them out of it so they wouldn’t worry. I’m really glad they no longer live here.”
“You still better warn them.”
Skylar grabbed her purse and smiled. “Thank you. I’m glad I have you on my side.”
“Everything is going to be all right. You not only have me, you have Danny, and I can’t remember this county ever having such a great sheriff. Then there are the Easts and Harpers and their friends. Honey, you have a strong ring of allies around you that Matt will never get through.”
By the time Skylar made her way to the door of the house, she felt really good. She turned and waved to Leslie. The woman honked while driving away. When Skylar turned back around, Abby stood with the door open, a bright smile on her face.
“Congratulations,” she said.
Skylar laughed. “You already heard the news, then?”
“Danny texted us as soon as he left the courthouse, but I’m not surprised by the outcome. With the evidence, Matt’s arrest, and the details of the night in question, the restraining order was a pretty sure deal.”
Skylar followed Abby into the kitchen and set her purse down as she took off her coat. “I wasn’t sure about any of it. Matt’s family has connections everywhere, even with the judge.”
“That may be true, but she ruled in your favor.”
Everyone was so excited, and Skylar felt she needed to be, as well. After all, the restraining order was a big deal. Why then didn’t she feel protected?
Because she knew if Matt really wanted to get to her, he wouldn’t let a piece of paper stop him.
“I know you’re still worried,” Abby said. “I would be, as well. Anyone would.”
Skylar hopped onto a barstool and propped her elbows on the island counter. “Leslie said the key is for me to stay away from Matt for a little while.”
“It’s good advice. Matter of fact, Danny said the same thing over text. And I don’t need to tell you that you’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.”
“I don’t want to wear out my welcome.”
Abby gave her a flat look. “That’s not going to happen. Like I told you the first night, this house is big enough that you don’t even have to see us if you don’t want to.”
Skylar chuckled because the house really was that huge. “The point is that I shouldn’t have to hide.”
“When you come up against men like Matt, you do what you have to in order to stay safe.”
That was true. Besides, Skylar wanted a future. She wasn’t ready to die or live her life in a constant state of fear. “I took a week of vacation, but I can’t take more than that.”
“You might get paid more in Houston, but I bet you could find something here. If you want to stay, that is.”
Skylar knew Abby was not so subtly reminding her of their talk about Danny earlier. Not that she needed that prod. She couldn’t stop thinking about him.
“I thought I’d feel different if I ever came back here,” Skylar said. “But when I’m riding around, it all looks the same. There are changes, of course. New buildings, renovations, and city improvements, but it still feels the same. Like I never left.”
“You haven’t come back at all since graduation?”
Skylar shrugged one shoulder. “A few times for holidays, but I didn’t go see anyone. Just my parents, and then I headed back to Houston. The last time I was here was about ten years ago when I helped my parents move.”
“Wow,” Abby said, her eyes wide and her brows raised. “Do you still feel the need to get out?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. It could be because of Matt.”
“True. You might be connecting him to Houston, so now the city is tainted in your mind. Or,” Abby said, drawing out the word, “you might have discovered that you belong here.”
“I asked Danny last night why we didn’t date in school. He said it hadn’t been our time.”
Abby nodded and crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned back against the counter. “You each had living to do.”
“Growing up, you mean,” Skylar said with a chuckle.
Abby grinned. “Well, that too, but I’m talking about dating other people, discovering who you are, what you like, and all of that. It’s not something you can do when you’re tied to someone else because you inadvertently take on their traits. Are you considering moving here?”