A Cowboy Like You

by Donna Grant

  Cooper shook his head. “Last I heard, I could look anywhere I wanted. If you don’t want people to look your way, perhaps you shouldn’t be so loud.”

  Matt started to get to his feet when his lawyer hastily reached out an arm and stopped him. Cooper relaxed, a grin now in place as the waitress brought over another beer.

  For his part, Matt jerked his arm from his attorney’s grip and stormed out, leaving over half his steak uneaten. Rodney sighed and waved over the waitress. He pulled cash from his wallet and shoved several bills at her before following Matt out of the restaurant.

  It would be too obvious now for Jace and Cooper to get up and follow Matt. They had anticipated just such a situation. Jace dialed Brice and simply said, “Handing off.”

  “I got ’em,” Brice replied before the phone went dead.

  Cooper caught Jace’s gaze and said, “This isn’t going to go away easily.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Jace agreed.

  “He’s done this before. I know it.”

  “So does Danny. It’s proving it that’s going to be difficult.”

  Cooper just smiled.

  Jace stared at his oldest friend. “What did you do?”

  “When Abby mentioned that Danny suspected that Matt had done this before and they should find old girlfriends, I decided not to wait. I called Cash.”

  Jace thought about that a moment and nodded. “With Danny having to hand over the investigation and also clearing his name, and Skylar working on getting the restraining order, no one thought about that.”

  “They would have eventually. I just saved us a day or so.” Cooper grinned as he chewed another fry.

  Unable to help it, Jace laughed. “I gather that Cash was eager to take the job.”

  “You know it. He finished up the case he was on in San Antonio, then headed straight to Houston. Even before the military, he had a vast network of people. After his discharge from the Air Force, he used the skills he learned to help out his brother. That’s how he got into the private investigating business.”

  Jace had only met Cash a handful of times, but he liked the guy. He was quiet, a loner. The exact opposite of Cooper, which made it odd that they’d developed such a tight friendship. Jace knew firsthand that combat could bring the unlikeliest of people together.

  “If anyone can dig up dirt on Matt, it’ll be Cash,” Cooper said.

  Jace knew very little about the private investigating business, but Cash always seemed to have clients who wanted and needed information. Jace had no idea if it was mostly people wanting to know if their spouse or significant other was cheating or not. The fact that Cash was in high demand spoke of how good a job he did.

  “Did Cash say how long it would take?”

  Cooper shook his head. “Each job is different. I’ve heard that line from Cash too many times to forget it. He knows we’re on a time crunch, and he knows who we’re up against. He’ll work as fast as he can.”

  “I agree with Danny. There are other women out there,” Jace said, drumming his fingers on the table. “They’ve probably been paid off so they won’t ever talk.

  Cooper grunted. “That would certainly be an issue.”

  “It seems like a legitimate one. There has never been any type of abuse story involving Matt and a woman in the papers or on social media. That either means that it’s never happened before, or they were paid to keep quiet.”

  “That won’t stop Cash. He’ll get what we need.”

  Jace looked down at his empty plate. He was tempted to order dessert, but then he remembered Abby’s peanut butter cookies she’d been baking earlier.

  Ten minutes later, they had paid and were on the way back to Cooper’s truck when he said, “So, what do you think of Danny and Skylar?”

  “This again?”

  “You admitted to seeing how he looked at her.”

  Jace shrugged. “They knew each other in school. What’s the big deal?”

  They reached the vehicle, each on their own side. Cooper rested his arm on the edge of the bed of the truck. “It’s Danny, Jace. You know. Danny?”

  “Yeah. I get that it’s Danny.” Then it hit him. “Ohhhhh. You mean because he rarely looks at women like that.”

  Cooper rolled his eyes. “Took you long enough.”

  “Maybe the timing was off in school. Could be that something happens now.”

  “It won’t.”

  Jace frowned as he got into the truck and waited for Cooper to get behind the wheel before he asked, “Why do you say that?”

  “It’s Danny. He won’t do anything that might mess up Skylar’s case, especially if it gets as big as everyone thinks it will.”

  “Oh, it will.”

  Cooper shot him a look that said exactly! “When it’s all over, regardless of the outcome, Danny will then make a move.”

  “And you think it’ll be too late by then,” Jace guessed.

  “It usually is. Danny is married to his job. Granted, he’s a damn good sheriff, but he was eating alone at a rest stop.”

  Jace nodded slowly as he looked out the windshield. “Skylar was looking at Danny, too. There’s something between them, that’s for sure.”

  “I hope Danny doesn’t let her go.”

  “It’s not always up to the guy,” Jace said, trying not to think of his own past.

  Cooper cleared his throat. “Right,” he said hastily and started the engine.

  Chapter 10

  It was everything Danny could do to stay away from Skylar when he finally called it a day. He’d been in contact with Clayton and Abby to ask about her, but it wasn’t the same as talking to her himself.

  Danny told himself it was for the best. Matt Gaudet and his lawyer had already tried to link him and Skylar together, and Danny wasn’t just going to hand them something they could twist and turn in an ugly way, simply because Danny was trying to be a friend.

  He snorted as he reached for the bottle of bourbon. A friend. That was a load of the deepest bullshit he’d ever tried to feed himself. He wanted more from Skylar. Hell, he always had.

  The sad part was that he’d honestly believed she’d just been a high school crush. Right up until he saw her face again the other night. He’d immediately known that what he felt was much more than a crush.

  “I’m so fucked,” he murmured to himself.

  He downed the alcohol in one swallow and set the empty glass on the counter without even attempting to look for something to eat.

  How was it that the one woman who could grab hold of his heart in such a way was not available? Again. Sure, she might be single, but she wasn’t free. Her future hinged on proving that Matt was abusive, which seemed simple enough.

  But Danny knew more than most that nothing was that simple. Matt had the Gaudet fortune and connections at his disposal, as well as others willing to do whatever it took to keep the family name unblemished. That didn’t bode well for Skylar.

  Danny was just reaching for the bourbon again when his doorbell rang. He rarely had visitors, so he was immediately on edge. He cautiously walked to the front door and peered outside to see a red truck in the drive. He opened the door to Caleb Harper.

  “Danny,” Caleb said.

  “Caleb.”

  “You going to let me in?” the youngest Harper sibling asked.

  Danny stepped aside to allow him entry. Once Caleb had passed, Danny shut the door and locked it out of habit. “What brings you here?”

  “Just thought I’d drop by and see how you’re doing.”

  Danny wasn’t buying that, not in the least. He quirked a brow. “Try again, son.”

  Caleb chuckled. “I told Clayton that shit wouldn’t work on you.”

  “Clayton. Of course,” Danny mumbled to himself. He should’ve known his friend would go to such lengths. “What’s Clayton worried about now?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? You.”

  Danny ran a hand down his face. “It’s been a long day. I told Clayton that. Every day until
this entire Matt Gaudet thing is finished will be a long one.”

  Caleb walked into the kitchen and poured himself a shot of bourbon. He sniffed it before taking a sip. “This isn’t bad.”

  “There’s better.”

  “And worse,” Caleb said after taking another drink. “Danny, you’ve been a family friend for as long as I remember. You’ve helped Abby, Clayton, Brice, Naomi, me, and Audrey. You’ve always been there for whatever we need.”

  Danny crossed his arms over his chest while looking into Caleb’s brown eyes. “And you don’t think I’m accepting your aid now? Because I have.”

  “That’s not it at all.” Caleb shook his head and set aside the unfinished drink. “I came to tell you two things.”

  “Okay. And they are?”

  “We got Skylar’s things. Your suggestion to have a police officer there to watch over things was one I never would’ve thought of. Two showed up to stand guard and observe. And Audrey recorded everything from the time we pulled up until we left. So everything is documented from our end as well as the Houston police’s.”

  Danny let out a breath. “That’s good. Where are Skylar’s things?”

  “On the way back. Abby called her to see if there was somewhere Skylar wanted us to bring everything. Skylar asked if we could find a storage facility and put everything but her clothes there.”

  “She must have a reason for that,” Danny said, though he was unsure what it could be.

  “I’m just doing what she wanted. The storage place is about forty minutes away. Skylar asked that I keep the keys.”

  Danny nodded, waiting for the second thing Caleb had come to talk about.

  Caleb looked around the kitchen before he met Danny’s gaze once more. “Skylar is holding up well, but she needs a friend.”

  “She has all of you.”

  “She needs you,” Caleb insisted. “She’s not said it because she knows you’re in a difficult position, but you’re the only one she really knows. We’re poor substitutes.”

  Danny shook his head. “It’s better like this.”

  “Because you’re attracted to her?”

  Danny blinked, his lips parting in surprise.

  Caleb rolled his eyes. “Did you really think none of us noticed? Give us some credit. Look, I get it. You probably took her out in school or something. Y’all had a little fling. Those kinds of emotions will last until you face them.”

  Danny didn’t bother to correct Caleb. It was better if he thought things just as he did.

  “She’s surrounded by strangers, and she’s terrified that her life is over,” Caleb continued. “In the thirty minutes I was with her, I saw her type a text six different times and erase it. And do you know who those texts were to?”

  “Who?” Danny asked, but in his heart, he was screaming, Let it be me!

  Caleb stared at him a beat. “You.”

  Elation erupted inside Danny, but just as swiftly, it diminished when he realized that her actions only meant that she was lonely and wanted a familiar face.

  “Go see her,” Caleb urged. “Or, at the very least, call her. She needs you.”

  Danny rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve got Matt and his attorney followed. For all I know, someone could be trailing me.”

  “And all they’ll see is the sheriff going to see a friend that he visits all the time.”

  That was true. Though Danny also realized that once Matt locked in on Skylar’s location, he would hound her continually. Until the protective order went into effect.

  “All right,” Danny relented.

  Caleb grinned and slapped him on the back. “Great. Now, get cleaned up, because, dude, you look like hell. Did you sleep at all last night?”

  Danny didn’t bother answering. He changed clothes and clipped his weapon on his belt. He put on his hat and coat when he noticed Caleb frowning in his living room.

  “What’s wrong now?” Danny asked.

  Caleb raised his brows. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were the Grinch. Or Scrooge. Do you not like Christmas?”

  “Not going to do this,” Danny said as he grabbed his keys and stalked from the house.

  Caleb was right on his heels. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to your house during the holidays. Do you never put up decorations?”

  “You’re used to your sister. Not everyone likes to make their house look as if they’ve thrown up Christmas.”

  The laughter that fell from Caleb’s lips grew louder and longer as the seconds ticked by. When he got into his truck and drove off, he was still laughing.

  Danny shook his head and hurried into his vehicle to start the engine and turn on the heat. He really hoped he wasn’t making a bad decision going to Skylar, but then again, he didn’t care. He wanted to see her. Just one more time. There was nothing wrong with that.

  He kept telling himself that, even when he pulled up to the entrance of the ranch and entered the code to open the gate. He had his own code. The gate shut behind him, but his attention was on the house—and Skylar.

  His gaze skimmed the windows, pondering which room she had chosen. He wondered if her hair would be up or down, and if she was content at the ranch.

  Danny parked and got out of the truck. His steps were slow on the way to the door. Then, through the many windows, he caught sight of Skylar walking from the living area to the kitchen with a mug in her hand.

  She rinsed out the cup and set it aside when she glanced his way. She did a double-take, her body freezing when she spotted him. Then her face broke out into a wide smile, and Danny felt himself relax.

  He hadn’t realized that he was tense, waiting to see her reaction. Because no matter what Caleb said, he hadn’t been certain that Skylar wanted to see him.

  She opened the door and just stood there, waiting for him. “Hi.”

  His steps were long, quickly eating up the ground as he went to her. “Hi.”

  “Come inside,” she said and grabbed his hand, pulling him through the doorway.

  He immediately set his hat on the hook near the door and removed his coat, his gaze never leaving her. She looked so damn beautiful. Her blond hair was pulled over one shoulder in a loose braid. She had on a soft pink sweatshirt, white sweatpants, and fuzzy, pink socks.

  “I’m making some tea. Would you like some?” she asked.

  “I’m not much of a tea drinker.” Then he found himself saying, “But I’ll give it a try.”

  She beamed at him. “We can doctor it until you like it.”

  He’d try anything if she smiled at him like that. Danny had never thought himself the type to be smitten, but that’s exactly what he was with Skylar. Perhaps he always had been.

  “Did you have a good day?” she asked as if she weren’t in the middle of a crisis.

  He shrugged and settled on a stool at the island. He knew he should go talk to Clayton and Abby, but he wanted a few more quiet moments with Skylar. “It was long. As most of my days are.”

  “You ate something, right?”

  She was moving about the kitchen, getting teabags, spoons, and another cup. He liked watching her so at ease—it did something to him. Or rather she did something. She eased him. The tightness within him that had always been there receded.

  “Danny?” she called. “You didn’t eat dinner, did you?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t get around to it.”

  “There’s plenty of leftovers here if you’d like something.”

  Danny was about to refuse when he saw Clayton in the doorway. His friend smiled and grabbed Abby, who was about to walk into the kitchen. The two backed away, leaving Danny alone with Skylar.

  “Sure,” Danny answered as he looked back at Skylar.

  He rose and went to the fridge to look through the containers until he found pork chops and mashed potatoes and gravy. He fixed a plate and heated it in the microwave then returned to his seat.

  “You skip a lot of meals, don’t you?” Skylar asked as she leaned o
ver the island opposite him.

  He stirred the potatoes and gravy to mix them. “More times than not. I don’t like cooking, and cooking for one is difficult. I get tired of eating out, and while Abby and Clayton have opened their home to me, I don’t want to be here more than once a week to eat. It just looks sad.”

  “I ate more cereal and avocado toast for dinners when I was single than I should probably admit. Lunch is different,” she said. “You’re at work, people are either ordering food or going somewhere together. But dinners, you’re by yourself.”

  “Exactly,” he said around a bite of food.

  She lowered her gaze before looking at him, her blue eyes trapping his. “I’m so very glad you came by tonight.”

  Without thinking, he reached over and covered her hand with his as if it were something he’d always done.

  Chapter 11

  It didn’t matter what Skylar tried to tell herself, her heart had actually leapt when she spotted Danny outside earlier. The happiness that swept through her had been strong, causing her knees to go weak.

  Danny’s hazel gaze lowered to his plate, but he didn’t pull his hand away. Skylar had the feeling that while he wanted to be there, he also wasn’t sure about it. And, sadly, she understood why.

  Matt.

  It all came back to Matt.

  Why had she ever gotten involved with him? And how in the world had she missed the signs that would’ve told her who he really was? Had he been that good of a liar?

  Obviously. She hadn’t doubted for a moment that his parents were dead. Even his younger brother had gone along with it. Then there was his elder brother, Michael, who was in politics. Now that she knew that Matt was connected to him, she saw the resemblance, but it was something she should’ve realized from the beginning.

  She was just too damn trusting.

  And look where it had gotten her.

  “I know it’s tricky for you to be here,” she told Danny.

  He finished the last bite and pushed his plate to the side before looking into her eyes. “I’m here because I want to be.”

  “Do you really? Or do you feel as if you have to be because the others think I need you.”