by Donna Grant
“If you’re going to say something, then speak. Otherwise, get the hell out of my way,” she told him, trying not to let him see that her hands were shaking from anger and more than a little fear.
Danny was out of sight, but she knew all she had to do was scream his name, and he would come running. But that wasn’t the point. She had foolishly believed that Matt’s departure meant that he was done with her.
The man glared at her, then with a sinister smile, he stepped around her. Skylar turned to watch him as he walked from the restaurant. Then she hastily looked around to see if anyone had witnessed it, but no one had their gazes turned to her.
She took a deep breath and returned to the table to see that the waiter had delivered their food. It gave her another moment to compose herself, but it didn’t matter. Danny noticed. His smile was replaced by a frown.
The moment they were alone, he asked, “What happened?”
Skylar didn’t want to tell him and ruin their night, but she knew that was stupid. Matt was still a problem for her, and Danny needed to know.
“Skylar, you’re scaring me.”
She took a drink of her wine to fortify her, then she recounted the quick encounter for him, detailing as much of the man’s face, attire, and actions as she could.
“Stay here,” Danny ordered her as he rose and hurried out of the restaurant.
Skylar looked at the delicious steak, but her appetite was gone. Matt had ruined something again—and he wasn’t even near. Was this how it would always be?
No. She wouldn’t let it. She wouldn’t shut herself off from everything and everyone because she was afraid. That’s what Matt wanted. She’d lived in fear for months, worrying about every word that came out of her mouth, or that he might not like some outfit she wore.
Enough was enough. She’d made a stand when she came here. She wouldn’t falter now.
But the false hope she’d when he left was like a rug being yanked from beneath her. She didn’t like the feeling at all.
“He’s gone,” Danny said as he resumed his seat. “You’re sure it was someone involved with Matt?”
Skylar took another drink of wine. “Who else would give me such a look? He was menacing and threatening. There was no doubt in my mind that he wanted to hurt me.”
“I’m not saying you didn’t experience any of that. I’m just making sure. Do you want to leave?”
She did, but she wasn’t going to. “Our dinner is here, and we’re out for our first official date. I don’t want to go anywhere until I’ve finished my steak.”
“That’s my girl.”
He was cutting into his steak when she said, “You called deputies here, didn’t you?”
“Damn straight, I did,” he said before putting a bite into his mouth and smiling.
Skylar laughed. “Life with you will always be entertaining.”
“I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind? I love it.”
Danny swallowed the bite and set down his utensils. “Are you sure about us? Is it too soon? Do you need time? I should’ve asked all of that before, but I was thinking how much I wanted to be with you.”
She also set aside her fork and knife. “No, it isn’t too soon. If I believed that, I never would have gotten involved with you. I meant what I said the other day. As soon as I saw you, it was like everything fell into place. For the first time in my life, I knew where I belonged, and it’s right here. Do I like that I had to go through abuse to find my way here? Not at all. But it was part of my path, and I’ll accept that.”
Danny blew out a breath. “Thank God, because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep my hands off you.”
“You better not. And just so you know, I like a lot of affection,” she said with a wink.
His smile was slow and sexy. “Then we’re going to get along really well.”
They laughed and went back to their meal. Between bites, Danny asked about her plans for the house. Skylar loved decorating, so she pulled out her phone and showed him some of the furniture she was thinking of purchasing.
“I like the leather couch. I wouldn’t have thought of black, though,” he said. “But with the colors you’ve picked out, it’ll look good.”
She shrugged. “I’ve never been into florals or pink. You know, the typical feminine look. I’ve always been partial to richer, darker colors.”
“I like them. Quite a lot, actually.”
“What does your house look like?”
He winced. “Um … it’s … plain.”
She laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“When I bought it, it had been freshly painted. I didn’t particularly care for the colors used, but I didn’t have the time to paint it again, and I didn’t want anyone in my house, so I decided to wait.”
“How long ago was that?” Skylar asked.
He shrugged as he looked into her eyes. “Twelve years.”
“No way,” she said with a laugh.
He nodded, joining in her laughter. “I’m not joking. It needs help, but I’m only there to sleep, so I’ve not really paid much attention to it. I do the minimum amount of maintenance, which is sad, really. I think I just needed someone to come home to in order to change that.”
She put her arm on the table and opened her hand, waiting for him to take it. “Then come home to me.”
“I plan on it.”
Chapter 27
December 14th
Danny never imagined that his life could be turned around on a dime, but that’s exactly what had happened. He’d wanted to spend another night with Skylar, but as he was headed back to the ranch, Ryan Wells, the police chief, notified him of a big narcotics bust that the local PD was about to undertake. Danny and some of his deputies were asked to participate, especially since Danny had given the police the tip several months ago.
He dropped Skylar off with a lingering kiss, then headed straight to meet Ryan and get geared up. The bust went flawlessly with more than ten people arrested and multiple drugs confiscated. It was one of the biggest busts in the area in three years.
The fact that it had fallen under the police’s jurisdiction didn’t bother Danny at all. What he cared about was getting the streets clean.
He slept well that night, despite not having Skylar in his arms, and woke refreshed once more. By the time he entered his office, he was already planning the next two days off with Skylar. He didn’t particularly like shopping, but if she needed to buy furniture for her new house, he’d gladly walk the stores with her. Because it was about being with her.
Plus, it would give him time to look over the security systems she was looking at, as well as put in a way for her to contact him immediately should she find herself in danger.
He sighed as he thought about Matt Gaudet. It was good that the bastard had left town, but Danny knew Matt wasn’t finished with Skylar yet. That meant Danny—and Skylar—needed to stay alert and not let their guards down.
After meetings with his detectives, Danny spent the morning writing his report on his involvement with the drug bust the night before. He was about to send a text to Skylar to see if she wanted to meet for lunch when he recalled the man in the restaurant.
No matter how hard his deputies had searched, they hadn’t found anything. Not that he expected they would. He had no idea what the make or model was of the vehicle that the man had left in—if he had left at all.
But it made him wary about Skylar getting on the road by herself. Danny didn’t want to ask Abby or Clayton to drive her. His friends were already doing so much. Brice, Caleb, Jace, and Cooper had taken days off from their jobs to help him, so he wasn’t going to turn to them either.
Which meant that he would need to get Skylar himself. The only problem was that it wouldn’t leave any time to come back into town to eat.
Danny wanted to spend every minute he had with her, but he realized that wasn’t going to be possible quite yet. They didn’t have to steal moments anymore, but tho
se moments weren’t going to be as often as he liked either. At least, for now.
He ended up going to lunch with Ryan Wells. They worked well together, and that hadn’t always been the case between the previous chiefs and sheriffs. Danny knew how essential it was for everyone to get along and work cohesively. During his first year in office, he’d gone out of his way to mend the fences his predecessor had destroyed with Chief Wells.
It wasn’t until his second year that the chief had actually been receptive to him. From then on, the two met at least once a week over lunch to keep their working relationship going. Danny went so far as to call Ryan a friend.
Both were young for their offices, but Ryan was one of the best cops Danny knew. If Ryan hadn’t already been snapped up by the police department, Danny would’ve recruited him. The fact that Ryan had risen through the ranks so quickly was a testament to his skill. And his men were as loyal to him as they came.
“I heard you’ve had your eye on a certain family that’s come into the area recently,” Ryan said as he began eating his grilled fish and veggies.
Ryan was a health nut. Their long hours, little sleep, and vast amounts of coffee weren’t exactly good for the body. With Ryan’s prodding, Danny had actually started eating healthier four years ago. It was now a habit, though every now and again, he’d get his favorites—a hamburger with bacon, cheese, and jalapeños along with a mound of curly fries.
Danny shrugged as he finished chewing. “I knew you were focused on the drug bust. I didn’t want to take any men off that.”
“You should’ve called.”
Danny looked into Ryan’s green eyes and nodded. “I should have. I would’ve expected you to.”
“Exactly. So, want to fill me in? I heard you were part of Matt Gaudet’s arrest.”
For the next fifteen minutes, Danny told Ryan everything—even about him and Skylar seeing each other.
Ryan finished his last bite and pushed the plate away as he crossed his arms on the table. “Damn.”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“And you say a man approached Skylar last night while the two of you were out?”
Danny nodded. “I never saw him. I couldn’t see the bathroom area from our table. I thought all of that was done.”
“I would’ve believed the same. You took precautions, Danny. It’s not on you.”
“It is if she gets hurt.”
“That’s not going to happen. I’d feel the same myself. I’ve already told my men to keep a lookout for anyone fitting Matt’s description. If he shows back up, we’ll know. He won’t get within a mile of Skylar.”
Danny grinned, once more thankful for the friends he had in his life. “I figured out of the two of us, you’d find someone first.”
Ryan snorted loudly before sitting back in his chair. “I always knew it’d be you.”
“Actually, I thought we’d be single forever,” Danny confessed.
Ryan threw back his head and laughed loudly. “Me, too.”
Danny noticed the many women in the restaurant looking at Ryan with interest. He was a prime catch, but he’d gone through a nasty divorce seven years earlier and had buried himself in his work. He hadn’t looked up since, but Danny knew all it would take was the right woman.
He should know. It had just happened to him.
The smile was gone from Ryan’s face. “What about the rest of the Gaudet family? Do you think they pose a threat to Skylar? And what about Clayton and his family?”
“You’ve not been able to spend too much time with Clayton, or you’d know he’s the last one I’m concerned about. Anyone stupid enough to break onto that ranch gets whatever Clayton and his men dole out.”
Ryan smiled, nodding. “My cousin was a SEAL and had a chance to work with Clayton once. He said Clayton is one of the most badass people he’s ever met.”
“It’s true. And Clayton passed that onto his brothers-in-law, Caleb and Brice.”
“Don’t leave out Cooper and Jace.”
Danny chuckled. The seven of them would have a poker night every few months, though it had been a while.
“But I don’t think the Gaudet family will physically harm Skylar,” Danny said, getting back to Ryan’s question. “They went the direction of a smear campaign to call her word into question.”
“People like that will resort to anything. Their main focus is their eldest son, you can’t forget that.”
Danny would never forget such a thing. “Skylar just bought a house.”
“I heard. The old Taylor home.”
“She wants to move in soon. I’ve convinced her to stay a couple more days with Clayton and Abby, but I don’t know how much longer she’ll do that.”
Ryan rubbed a hand over his jaw. “You can’t watch her every second of every day. Can she defend herself?”
“She carries a handgun and has her concealed carry permit, but I don’t know about defending herself without the weapon.”
“You should talk to her. Hell, even Clayton could show her a few things.”
“I will. I know Clayton is helping her out with a security system, and she doesn’t intend to move in until that’s installed, which alleviates some of my worry. I’m going to make sure there’s a way for her to get ahold of me at any time if she feels threatened by anything.”
“Your concern is valid, Danny. Don’t think it isn’t.”
He nodded, swallowing. “I could go on all day about this. So we better change the subject. How are things in your department?”
“Pretty good. The new recruit that came up from Beaumont is working well, but the one from Waco isn’t meshing with the rest. I’m going to have to do something about that soon.”
“Unfortunately, you will. You’ve got a great group over there, but one officer can disrupt everything.”
“As I’m learning.” Ryan sighed loudly. “Sometimes, I envy the fact that your position is elected. You can’t get fired.”
“Oh, I certainly can.”
Ryan twisted his lips and grunted. “Not as easily as I can. The mayor sure is eyeing everything I do, and election year is coming up. I’m not looking forward to that.”
“Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’re an amazing chief.”
Ryan looked around and leaned closer. “I had a visit from a Texas Ranger last week.”
Danny’s brows shot up. “No kidding? That’s great. You interested in joining them?”
“I’ve always wanted to be a Ranger. Always. But … I don’t know. I’m happy where I am.”
“But you can’t go any further.”
Ryan shrugged. “True. I have another meeting with them in a couple of weeks. We’ll see how it goes.”
With their lunch winding down, they paid and made their way outside to their vehicles. After another few minutes of small talk, they parted ways.
Before Danny drove off, he checked his phone for texts. He was a little disappointed that he hadn’t heard from Skylar, so he sent her a text to let her know that he was thinking about her.
He waited a few minutes to see if she’d respond, but she didn’t. Thinking she was busy, Danny started the SUV and drove back to the office. His mind went over what Ryan had said about the Gaudet family. He turned his vehicle around and drove to the next town over where the Gaudets were staying.
A brand new white Cadillac Escalade was in the parking lot, and Michelle Gaudet was putting her luggage in. No rental car for this family. They’d just gone out and bought a new one. He shook his head as he pulled into the parking lot and drove up to the Escalade.
“Ma’am,” he said when she looked at him.
Michelle’s eyes narrowed on him. “Come to gloat?”
“I came to see how you were faring.”
“That’s a lie. You wanted to see if we had left.”
He shrugged. “That, too.” No use lying.
She rolled her eyes. “We might be going home, but we’re not done with Skylar Long.”
�
��As I told your husband, ma’am, I’ll be happy to show you the video footage of Matt assaulting Skylar. Maybe then you’ll stop thinking of your son as the victim.”
She folded her arms over her chest as she faced him. “People who don’t have money don’t realize the cockroaches that come out of the woodwork to get their grubby little hands on anything they can. Matt told us what happened. When he told Skylar they wouldn’t be marrying and she wouldn’t get any money, she got angry and retaliated. He followed her here, hoping to win her back.”
“I really think you should see the footage, Mrs. Gaudet. You can see for yourself who is doing the lying here, and it isn’t Miss Long.”
She smiled, a cat-who-got-in-the-cream type of grin. “Oh, sheriff, I know exactly whose side you’re on. I heard about you and Skylar at dinner last night. You can have her. I say, good riddance.”
“Mrs. Gaudet, don’t you think it strange that your son dated a woman for a year and had her move in with him, but you didn’t know about her?”
“My family is none of your concern,” she replied.
But Danny could tell that he’d hit a nerve. He bowed his head. “Have a safe trip home, Mrs. Gaudet.”
He drove off, rolling up his window as he did. Things would get much better once the family was gone, but he knew their attacks on Skylar weren’t nearly over. He’d be with her through it all, no matter how tough it got.
His phone dinged, alerting him to a text. He pulled over to read it, hoping it was from Skylar. He smiled when he saw her name, but it melted away as he read her text, his stomach knotting in apprehension.
DANNY, I HAD A GOOD TIME LAST NIGHT, AND I REALLY WANTED THIS TO WORK. BUT I NEED MORE TIME. SO MUCH IS UP IN THE AIR, AND I NEED TO MAKE SURE MY FEET ARE SQUARELY ON THE GROUND BEFORE I CAN COMMIT TO ANYTHING. I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND.
He blinked, hoping he was dreaming. But Danny knew it was all too real. Things had developed quickly between him and Skylar. Really quickly. But when he knew, he knew. Why take things slow if she agreed?
But, obviously, she didn’t agree now. What did the text mean, though? Was it over between them before it had even gotten started? Or was this just the pressing of a pause button?
