Page 22 of Cowboy Wolf's Secret Baby

“It wouldn’t work,” Matilda said. “I can unlock it with just a wave of my hand.”

“You need to have some respect and wait for me to ask you to come in,” Beth said.

Matilda grinned wickedly. “Nope. I would end up standing outside for hours.”

Beth wasn’t about to lie and tell her mother anything different.

“I saw you at the restaurant with Conner last night.”

It figures. The one night that I go out, Mother happens to be there, too.

“And?” Beth asked.

“You need to stay away from that man. He is bad news. Conner is a rodeo man and is just going to hurt you again.”

“He didn’t hurt me the first time. You did. You were the one who put a forget spell on him. He was going to propose and we were going to make a life together.”

“I did it for your own good,” Matilda insisted. “You need to be careful. If he finds out about Taryn, he’ll take her away from you. His brother is the alpha of the Nightshade Wolf Shifter Pack and is very powerful. Although, now that I think about it, that might not be a bad thing. She is a wolf shifter and belongs to the pack.”

Beth ignored the last part of the comment. “Conner would never do that.”

“It’s been eleven years since you have been with him. People change.”

“He’s a good man and that will never change. And it is your fault that we have been separated for so long.”

“Why do you keep saying that like it’s a bad thing? I put that spell on him to protect you, and I would do it again. Keep that in mind, Beth.” Then, she turned and left, slamming the door behind her.

Beth sank down into the chair and ran her fingers through her hair. She buried her face in her hands and heaved a deep sigh.

She jumped when Taryn put her hand on Beth’s shoulder. “Mom. What were you and Grandmother talking about?”

“Nothing important,” Beth said.

“She said that Conner would hurt you again. What did she mean by that? And why did you say that he was going to propose to you?”

Beth’s mind raced. She tried to figure a way out of this conversation. However, without lying to Taryn, she couldn’t think of a single thing.

“Sit down,” Beth said.

Taryn sat, folded her hands in front of her on the table, and waited.

“Eleven years ago, Conner was here with the rodeo. He was trampled by the bull and was brought here because Dr. Jean couldn’t help him. I healed him. During that time, we fell in love.”

Taryn didn’t say anything. She simply looked at her mother and waited for her to continue her story.

“Conner was going to ask me to marry him. Mother headed him off at the jewelry store. She cast a forget spell on him. He forgot about me. Not too long after that I found out that, I was pregnant with you.”

Taryn’s eyes opened wide in surprise. Her mouth opened and she looked like she stopped breathing.

“Taryn?”

“He’s my father,” she gasped.

“Yes.

“That makes sense. I thought that he looked familiar. It’s because he looks like me. He’s a wolf shifter.”

Beth nodded.

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