Page 69 of Cowboy Wolf's Secret Baby

“I couldn’t sell him. He’s my best friend. That horse is going to be living the best days of his life running around in the wide-open pastures of a ranch I’m going to build.”

“He’ll love that. He deserves that. Are you sticking around Wyoming or heading home to New Mexico?”

“I haven’t decided yet, but either way, you’ve got my number. Keep in touch.”

“I will do that,” Gideon said. The two men shook hands and Gideon headed out.

Conner had almost fallen to sleep when the foul odor of too much flowery perfume choked him.

He opened his eyes and groaned. “Matilda.”

“I’ve heard that you are doing a lot better,” she said.

“No thanks to you,” Conner replied.

“You think I did that?” Matilda asked, in mock innocence.

“I’m pretty sure that you did,” Conner replied.

“Okay, fine, I did. I told you to get away from Beth and Taryn and leave town. I have plans for them both, especially Beth.”

“She’ll never be manipulated by you. She is a good woman with a good heart. To be honest, I have no idea how you are her mother.”

Matilda cackled. “I have my ways. It’ll take some time, but I know I can get Beth to see the light.”

Then, she laughed at her own joke because they both knew that Matilda wanted Beth to go down the dark path of evil magic and not the light.

A dark look came over Matilda’s face and the amulet she wore seemed to glow when she snarled at Conner.

“Make no mistake. With you out of the picture, Beth is weaker. I can show her that she will be much happier if she joins my coven. I have a plan for us, where magic will rule the land, and everyone else will be mere servants.”

“Beth will never let that happen.”

“You are wrong. She will let it happen. She will embrace it,” Matilda said. “You are not part of that plan. You got off easy this time because Taryn stopped the bull from killing you. They can bring you back from the brink of death, but they can’t bring you back from the dead.”

“I’m done with the rodeo,” Conner said.

“That’s fine. Your truck might blow up or someone else’s might get out of control and hit you. Some person might become crazed and stab you to death in the middle of the street. There are a million different ways to die, and you’ll never know which one it’ll be for you.”

The blood-red crystal glowed, and Matilda left his room, laughing maniacally.

“She’s gone plum crazy,” Conner muttered under his breath. “And I don’t doubt for a second that she meant every word of it. I’m a little surprised she didn’t try something here.”

As promised, Dr. Jean released him the next day.

“Thank you. You are the absolute best,” he told her, hugging her.

“Try not to need my services again.” The doctor laughed.

“I’ll do my best.”

Beth and Taryn picked him up and took him to get his truck. Then, they went back to her place for lunch. Taryn was chattering away at all the shifting, horseback riding, and other fun stuff that they could do.

He felt the weight of the rings in his pocket. He could ask Beth to marry him, but he didn’t want her to feel obligated to leave her home. If she wanted to come to New Mexico, it had to be of her own free will.

Taryn noticed that he was quiet. She put her hand on his arm and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Conner’s heart broke, but he had to be honest with them.

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