Cowboy's Vow to Protect

by Carla Cassidy

  He’d mentally considered all the options. His brain was half-exhausted, and on top of that physically it had been a tough pain day.

  Cassie answered the door on the first knock and ushered him into the kitchen where the two of them sat at the table. “I wanted to ask you if I could take some vacation time,” he said.

  She raised a blond eyebrow. “Maddy?”

  He nodded. “She’s really afraid right now and I want to be there for her until everything is resolved one way or another. She’s been through a lot.”

  “You know you have lots of vacation time coming to you, so there’s no problem there. I want you to do what you need to do for that poor woman.”

  “So you believe her?” Flint asked.

  “I know Maddy and she would never make up a story like that.” Cassie’s blue eyes darkened. “I never liked that smooth-talking, glad-handing Brad. I always felt like something was off with him.”

  “I only hope Dillon finds some evidence that supports Madison. And thanks for giving me time off.” He rose from the table.

  “I’m not giving you anything,” she said with a smile. “You’ve earned what you’re taking.” She walked him to the door. “Go ahead and take off now. Just tell Sawyer what’s going on so he can take you off the chores list.”

  “Thanks, Cassie.” They said their goodbyes and as he walked away from the house he knew that sooner rather than later he was going to have to tell Cassie that he was quitting his job for good as one of her cowboys.

  A wave of depression swept over him. If not a cowboy, then what would he be? His whole identity was tied to being a cowboy. When he stopped that, then who would he become?

  He shoved these thoughts away. He couldn’t think about his own future right now. All he wanted to focus on was assuring that Madison had a bright and happy future and he’d figure out his own later.

  At least he could tell her that Cassie believed her claims. That would go a long way in making Madison think she’d done the right thing in coming forward.

  He went around to the lunchroom and looked for Sawyer. He spied him sitting at a table across the room, laughing with several of the other men.

  “Sawyer, can I speak to you for a minute?”

  “Sure.” Sawyer immediately got up from the table and stepped away from the other men and then gave Flint his sole attention. “What’s up?” he asked.

  Flint explained to him about taking some time off and that he was leaving the ranch immediately. Sawyer assured him it was no problem and within minutes Flint was in his room and packing two large duffel bags.

  Unfortunately, the first thing he needed to do was have a serious talk with Madison. He needed to make sure she understood that what happened last night between them could never happen again.

  It was as much for his own good as for hers. Last night had brought out feelings in him that he’d never felt before for any woman. It was already going to be difficult for him to say goodbye to her. If they shared more of that kind of intimacy it would only make it all even more difficult.

  He also didn’t want her spinning any fantasies where he was concerned. Yes, he’d given her a place to live, and yes, he had and would continue to support her through the darkness of this thing that was Brad, but he wasn’t, and could never be, anything permanent in her life.

  Finished with his packing, he then threw the duffel bags into the back of his pickup and headed for the cabin. There was no question he was dreading the talk he was going to have with Madison, but he had to make sure that they were both on the same page, especially since he intended to now be at the cabin full-time.

  She deserved far better than a broke-down man who didn’t even know who he would be or what he might do in the future. He had to make it clear to her that eventually they would be going their own separate ways.

  Chapter 8

  It had been wonderful waking up in Flint’s bed with the scent of him remaining in the sheets. Madison had lingered there after waking, reliving each and every moment of their lovemaking. It had been wonderful...magical even. It would be nice to have the memory of a man’s hands touching her gently...tenderly, instead of the brutality of Brad’s attack.

  Even though she and Flint had been together intimately last night, already she wanted to repeat it. She wanted to explore his body all over again. She couldn’t wait to make love with him again.

  She finally got out of bed and showered and dressed in one of her summer dresses. It was a good thing when she’d believed she’d be leaving Bitterroot, she’d shoved as many clothes as possible into her suitcase. Her baby bump was definitely showing now, and she was grateful that the morning sickness issue apparently was long gone.

  Once dressed, she wandered the living room restlessly. She was getting a bad case of cabin fever. She missed seeing people and talking to them. She loved her evenings with Flint, but she missed going to the café, and being in the grocery store. She missed walking the streets of the small town and stopping to chat with people she knew and liked.

  Sustaining the level of fear she felt toward Brad was utterly exhausting. There was no way she could endure it for any real length of time. And she didn’t want to stay in this cabin without seeing other people for days or weeks to come.

  She’d already spent far too long holed up in her trailer, afraid to venture out except for her trips to the library, for fear of running into Brad. At least the library had been less than a block away from the trailer park and definitely not Brad’s stomping grounds...at least during the daytime.

  It was just after noon when she heard a truck approaching. She ran to the front window and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Flint’s vehicle.

  What was he doing here so early? He never came here during work hours. Delighted to see him, she opened the door to greet him. “Hey, cowboy, what are you doing back here so early in the day?”

  “I decided to knock off early today,” he replied. He grabbed a couple of bags out of the bed of his truck.

  “What are you doing? Moving in?” she asked as he dropped the bags inside the door.

  “Something like that.”

  Her stomach suddenly dropped as she looked at him worriedly. “Has something bad happened?”

  “No, nothing like that,” he assured her. “I’ve just decided to take a little time off from the ranch.”

  “Are you sure nothing bad has happened?”

  “I’m positive.”

  “Then why are you moving in here?” She couldn’t help the simmering alarm that sizzled through her veins.

  “Madison, there is nothing wrong. I just decided to take a few weeks off and stay here full-time. To be honest, I wanted a break from the ranch.”

  She decided she had to believe him. Surely he would tell her if something had happened concerning Brad. “You want a cup of coffee?” she asked and moved to the counter with the pod machine.

  “Sure, that sounds good.” He slowly eased down at the table and she didn’t miss the slight wince that crossed his features.

  “Are you having some sort of pain, Flint?”

  He hesitated and then nodded his head. “Old broken bones are talking to me a little bit lately.”

  “What do you do for it? Do you take pain pills?”

  “Nah, nothing like that. I usually don’t do much of anything.”

  She put the pod to work in the coffee machine and then turned back to face him. “Is it your back? I could give you a massage if you think it might help.”

  “No, it will be fine, but we do need to talk.”

  He looked so serious and her heart dipped into the pit of her stomach. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what he might want to talk about. She had tried to shush him the night before, but she could tell by the firm look on his face that she wasn’t going to be able to shush him right now.

  They were sil
ent until she placed his coffee cup in front of him and sat opposite him. “Please don’t tell me you regret what happened last night,” she said before he had a chance to say anything.

  He frowned and stared down into his cup for a long moment.

  When he finally looked up at her, her heart settled back where it belonged. She wasn’t exactly sure what she read in those beautiful green eyes of his, but remorse didn’t seem to be there.

  “How can I regret what happened between us? It was awesome and you were amazing, but Madison, it really can’t happen again.”

  Her heart swelled. At least he thought she was amazing. But his words both soothed her and confused her at the same time. “Why can’t it happen again?”

  He released a deep sigh and wrapped his big hands around his coffee cup. “Because it would be like repeating false promises to each other each time we’d make love. I intend to live the rest of my life alone, and once you get through your issues, you’ll go back to living your own best life without me in it.”

  Her heart once again dipped downward. His words sounded so stark, so final. Even though she’d known that eventually...hopefully, she would probably be able to return to her trailer and resume normal life, she hadn’t really thought about what the future would look like without Flint being in it. It was true; after last night she’d hoped he’d be in her future for a very long time.

  She wanted to make love with him again and again, and she definitely didn’t want to think about her future without him. She somehow hoped...her brain froze in confusion. She didn’t know what she really hoped for in the future. But she had to assure him that last night hadn’t been a mistake and if they wound up in bed together again it wouldn’t be another mistake.

  “Flint, I didn’t take last night as any kind of a promise of anything. I’m not some silly teenage girl who had sex with a boy for the first time and now believes we’re going to be together forever.”

  He offered her a small smile. “I can’t imagine you ever being a silly teenage girl.”

  “I didn’t have time to be silly when I was a teenager,” she replied, grateful to see his smile. “On another note, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this morning. I’ve been hiding out here because of my fear of Brad, but I’m kind of tired of hiding out.”

  He raised an eyebrow as she continued. “I would still like to keep the fact that I’m staying here a secret, but I have to confess I’m going a little stir-crazy.”

  “I’m not even sure what that means.” A wrinkle of confusion danced across his forehead.

  She worked up the courage she’d been grappling to claim all morning and drew a deep breath. “It means I’d like to go into town and have dinner at the café this evening.”

  He looked at her in obvious surprise. “Really?”

  She hesitated a moment and then nodded firmly. “Really. People are probably talking about it and I want them to know I’m not ashamed. I want to walk into the café with my head held high.”

  “According to Mac and Jerod, people are starting to talk about it,” Flint admitted.

  Her blue eyes blazed. “Brad stole something from me, but I’ve decided he’s not going to steal my ability to go out to dinner or to see other people or anything else from me. He’s taken enough.”

  Flint’s gaze warmed as it lingered on her. “Madison, your strength utterly amazes me.”

  She released an unsteady laugh. “Don’t praise me too much. I’m still scared to death of Brad. I know more than anyone what he’s capable of.” A shiver threatened to work up her spine as she remembered the way his fists had pummeled her before he took his sick pleasure.

  “When I spoke to Cassie earlier she told me that she believed your accusations against Brad.”

  A flutter of relief swept through her. “So maybe there will be other people in town who also believe me. I hope not everyone has turned against me over this.”

  “I’m sure there will be plenty of people on your side,” he replied and then frowned once again. “If you’re serious about going this evening, then I can arrange for a couple of the cowboys to meet us at the café so Brad doesn’t know specifically that you’re with me. I’m sure Mac and Jerod would be up for a meal out.”

  It was her turn to frown. “I don’t want you to have to put somebody else out for me.”

  “Trust me. It will be fine. At least for this first time with you getting out of the house I’ll make sure we have some of my friends with us. Just let me get unpacked and then I’ll make a few phone calls.”

  Madison remained seated at the table as Flint disappeared into his bedroom. There was no question the idea of going into town scared the hell out of her. But everything she’d told Flint was the truth.

  It was time for her to claim back some of her freedom. She didn’t want Brad to take anything else from her and hiding out here day after day felt like a win for him.

  She finally got up from the table, washed out Flint’s cup and then moved to the sofa to wait for him to come out of his room.

  She didn’t want to dwell on the things he’d said to her about their lovemaking and their futures. If she thought about it too much she’d become depressed. Besides, nobody knew what the future held. All they had was the present, and in the present, in this moment, she was falling head over heels in love with a cowboy named Flint.

  * * *

  At five-thirty that evening Flint led Madison to his truck in the driveway. “Beautiful evening,” he said once they were in the truck.

  “Yes, it is,” she agreed. “It doesn’t feel quite as hot as it has been.”

  “Won’t be long until fall will be here.”

  “That’s my favorite time of year.”

  She started babbling about the smell of apples and sitting in front of a warm fire. As she continued talking about the yearly fall celebration in town Flint realized much of her chatter came from nerves.

  She finally fell silent as he turned into the Holiday Ranch driveway where Mac and Jerod waited for them. He turned to Madison. “Changed your mind yet?”

  “No.” She raised her chin a notch. “Although I hate that you had to involve your friends.”

  “Trust me. It’s no bother for them. They’re always up for dinner at the café.”

  The two men got into the backseat of the king-cab and the four of them were on their way. As Mac and Jerod talked with Madison about the weather and things on the ranch, Flint shot surreptitious looks at her.

  She looked prettier than he’d ever seen her. The lightweight royal blue sweater she wore over a blue-flowered dress matched perfectly the color of her eyes and made her dark hair look rich and shiny. The sweater also hid the slight bulge of her belly, which he knew had been her goal. Although sooner or later people were going to know she was pregnant.

  He found a parking space in front of the café and the four of them got out. Flint fought against a natural instinct to wrap his arm around Madison’s shoulder and pull her close to him as they walked into the café.

  On this first trip out he didn’t want anyone to be able to identify that Madison was specifically with him, although he knew eventually the word would get out. Hopefully, even if somebody did realize Flint was the one helping her, the location of his cabin would remain a secret.

  The minute they all walked in, an unnatural silence fell among the diners. Flint shot a glance at Madison, who raised her stubborn chin and led the way to a booth for the four of them.

  The quiet only lasted for a couple of seconds and then the buzz of whispers filled the air. There was no question that Madison was the subject of furtive glances and gossip.

  Carlee, a young woman who had served them a hundred times before, greeted them all with a smile. “Hey, Maddy, it’s nice to see you,” she added.

  “Thanks, Carlee,” Madison replied warmly. Flint knew she was pleased with Carlee’s friendly gree
ting.

  “As you probably know the special tonight is chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and sweet corn,” Carlee told them.

  “Ah, the all-carb choice,” Madison replied. “I’ll take that.”

  The others agreed to the same thing and Carlee left with their orders. “How are you doing?” Flint asked Madison.

  “I know people are talking and staring, but I’m doing okay.” She smiled. With the warmth of that gesture and her sweet scent eddying around in his head, Flint was momentarily tongue-tied.

  Thankfully, Mac started in, talking about the various offerings on the menu and then he and Jerod began to argue about what made the best burger.

  “Bacon,” Jerod said. “The best burger has bacon on it.”

  “Nah, it’s got to have sweet onions on it,” Mac replied.

  Flint absently listened to them, his thoughts consumed with Madison. She was getting deep under his skin. Flint had never dreamed there would be a woman like Madison, a woman he felt so comfortable with, one he wanted to spend time with and continue to get to know. He’d never thought there would be a woman whose future he cared about so deeply.

  And what would her future be? Even if Brad was sent to prison and she returned to her trailer, she was still going to be a single mother struggling to survive alone and on a salary as a grocery store checker.

  Who was going to rock her baby in big, sturdy arms? Who was going to be a strong male role model? Flint knew what it was like to grow up without a father and he worried for her and the innocent baby she carried.

  He would hope she’d eventually find that cowboy who could be a father to her child and love Madison to distraction. But how difficult was it going to be for her to even date?

  She’d have a baby and a job and if that wasn’t enough she had the specter of Brad hanging over her. Was it possible the young men in town would believe she made up the accusations against Brad? Would they then be afraid to date her?