Page 65 of The Cowboy’s Intriguing Love

“Yeah.” Ty’s heart was pounding. The thought of someone following her around … of what could happen to her … He ran his hand through his hair. If he’d wanted to take her home with him before, the urge was even stronger now.

He watched as she tapped out a reply.

ShayinCA: Who is this?

She looked up at him. “He might not answer.”

“Let’s give it a few minutes. I reckon he’ll be waiting and watching for a reply.”

He was right – the three little dots bounced up and down, indicating that whoeverShay’sGuywas, he was typing.

Ty scowled to himself. He’d come to see himself as Shay’s guy, and he hated some sick fuck calling himself that. Shayna tensed beside him.

“Are you mad at me?”

“Jesus, no! I’m not mad at you, sweetheart. I’ll admit that I wondered for a second if you were … but I should have known better, and I’m sorry. If I look mad right now, I am. Not at you.” He glared at her phone. “Whoever this fucker is, I want to rip his head off. I …” He stopped when the little red bubble appeared, indicating that Shayna had a new message.

She clicked on it and they both read.

Shay’sGuy: I’m your future. I know you’ve been lonely, but you won’t be anymore. Where are you? I didn’t give you permission to leave town. Or are you in that apartment? I don’t like you living there. I can’t get in. It’s almost time for you to come home with me.

Shayna trembled all over, and Ty glared at the screen, even while he tightened his arm around her. He didn’t know what to say, and he didn’t trust himself not to frighten her more if he voiced his anger.

Shayna’s voice was no more than a whisper when she asked, “Do you think that means he could get into my old place?”

Ty nodded slowly. “It sure as hell sounds that way.”

“What do I do?” she whispered.

He was tempted to say that she should come home with him. He’d be able to keep her safe. He and his family had had to keep every single one of their women safe in one way or another. He knew that wasn’t the solution, even though he wanted it to be. They couldn’t let some sick freak chase her out of her life. If she was going to come to Montana to be with him, it’d have to be her choice – because it was what she wanted. Not because it wasn’t safe for her to stay where she was.

“I think we should talk to your family before you get home, and I think I should see if I can get myself a ticket. I want to come with you.”

“But what about work, what about your brother and the lodge and …?”

“I’ll call Wade and explain.” He checked his watch. “It’ll be ten-thirty in California now – is that too late for you to call your people?”

“No. You think I should?”

“I do, and I’d like to talk to them as well, if they’re open to it.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s talk to them first. I can call Wade afterward.”

Chapter Fifteen

When they arrived at the airport the next morning, Shayna clung to Ty’s hand as they walked through the parking garage toward the terminal.

“I’ll still come if you want me there.”

She shook her head slowly. “I think it’s for the best if you go home. Don’t you?”

He still looked pissed, and she totally understood why. When they talked to Davin and Alexis last night, things hadn’t gone as she’d expected.

Of course, they were all about tracking down whoever the creep was and making him stop. She wasn’t as worried as she had been – they’d told her that when she got home, she could stay in the house with them. It made sense, she knew it did, but it also made less sense for Ty to go with her. There’d been a weird undercurrent during the whole conversation. All four of them had talked on speaker, and Davin and Alexis had thanked Ty, but they definitely seemed like they were trying to edge him out – telling him that he needed to get back home to his job and basically that the two of them could take care of her. She had no doubt that they could but …

She looked up at Ty when they reached the crosswalk.

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