Page 41 of For the Love of the Bull Rider

Matt wasn’t looking forward to his second meeting with Colonel Robert Stanford. As Matt remembered, the man was Army all the way, and Matt was the jackass who’d knocked up his daughter.

He knew the Colonel wasn’t exactly fond of Mona or Bertie, but they were still his family. It remained to be seen what he’d think of Matt being gay and the dilemma he was facing with Mona’s demand to have custody of Ryan.

When the plane touched down, the bull rider retrieved his cell phone, a relatively new thing for him, and checked it to see a text from his Timmy.

We’re at the mall. It’s like being in hell, really. Any ideas for your parents for Christmas? I miss you and you’re not getting out of shopping, Matty. Be safe. Xoxo

Matt grinned as he read it twice, happy his guys were safe and having a day out together because he really had no idea how big the threat might be for Ryan to be taken from them.

Mona had contacted Bertie, and the two of them had joined forces to take Ryan away. Matt and his attorney had concluded it was because of the amount of money they believed Matt was earning with the advances he’d implemented at the ranch.

Both women had lived in Holloway at one time or another, and Mona had friends in town she’d kept in touch with. Everyone in town knew the Circle C was becoming more successful everybreeding season, so he wasn’t surprised they’d come at him for money—yet again.

Matt wasn’t poor. He’d hidden most of his PBR winnings with his parents before the couple married because he didn’t entirely trust Bertie after they were suddenly faced with an unexpected pregnancy. After the divorce, he’d invested some of the money in the ranch to make it as successful as possible, but there was the money he’d given Bertie to bring Ryan back to him.

If he’d had any sense about him early on, he should have figured it out in the beginning. Bertie was only after money. Unfortunately, Matt had the tendency to be gullible back then and believed Bertie would keep her word. It was something that wouldn’t happen again.

I’ll think about the gifts. I miss you guys. Love you both. Matt

He sent the text as the plane finally stopped at the gate. After he collected his bag from the overhead bin, he headed to the rental car desk. He’d reserved a small car because he only planned to stay for a couple of days, and he was pretty sure he could find a cheap motel.

Folding his six-foot-five frame into a Toyota Corolla wasn’t easy, but the car was thirty bucks a day, so he took it. He put the address the Colonel had given him into the GPS, and he followed directions. When he pulled up to the gate at Fort Bliss, he rolled down the window to speak with the soldier on duty.

“How can I help you today, sir?” the young man asked with a fairly blank, all-business, expression.

“I’m here to see Colonel Stanford. He’s expectin’ me.” Matt presented his driver’s license as the Colonel had instructed.

The young man looked at it and reviewed a list, finally giving Matt a firm nod after another soldier leading a very intimidating German shepherd nodded once the dog finished sniffing aroundthe car. “Sir, just follow this route.” The young man presented a photocopied map and traced out the route with a yellow highlighter.

With a thanks to the soldier, Matt drove away. He wasn’t sure what to expect at the Colonel’s home, but he needed the man’s help.

Matt was pretty sure he was on shaky ground when it came to retaining custody of Ryan if the Stanford women found out he was gay, so he was going to appeal to the Colonel’s sense of honor. Based on the things Bertie had told him, he didn’t believe the Colonel had a lot of love for his family.

The man had a grandson he’d never met as far as Matt knew, and he was very interested in giving Ryan another strong role model. Matt prayed things fell his way, but he knew he might be walking into another lawsuit if Robert Stanford was a homophobe. However, Matt was willing to take the chance for the sake of his son.

He parked the car on the street in front of the two-story, brick federalist-style house with a well-manicured lawn. The weather was warmer in Texas than in Holloway, and things were still somewhat green with some still-flowering bushes.

Matt straightened his shirt and the blue sports coat he’d pulled out of his bag, praying it wasn’t too wrinkled. He double-checked the front of his white shirt to see he hadn’t spilled coffee on it as he tried to beef up his courage to make the walk to the front door.

Swiping the tops of his boots on the back of each denim-covered leg to clean off any dust, Matt buttoned the jacket as he started up the paved driveway. A few kids were outside riding bikes and playing basketball, and for a moment, Matt wondered if he was doing Ryan an injustice by not living in a similar neighborhood.

His son was relatively secluded at the ranch, but maybe if Matt discussed things with Tim, they could invite friends of Ryan’s out to ride horses or maybe to play sports. Matt could have a slab poured and make a sports court next to the house, and they had his parents’ place, just up the hill, where kids could swim and have a good time. It was something to discuss when he returned home.

Once Matt arrived at the front door, he cleared his throat to collect his nerves and rang the bell, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans to hide the shaking. The door was opened by a boy of about twelve with a short haircut—as if he were a new recruit.

The boy’s face resembled pictures Matt had seen of Bertie as a young girl before her parents divorced. “May I help ya, sir?” the boy asked him, snapping Matt out his reverie.

“Uh, yeah… yes. Is the Colonel… I mean, is Colonel Stanford here? I believe he’s expectin’ me. I’m Matthew Collins.” Matt extended his hand to the boy who just stared at it.

“Pop!”

Out of nowhere, a beautiful woman with flaming red hair appeared in a skirt and blouse with a bright smile on her made-up face. She looked like a beauty queen.

She had the same coloring as the boy when the sun shined on her in the doorway. “Mr. Collins, please come in. Robert is on the phone with Command, but he’ll be right with you.”

She extended her hand to invite him in. “I’m DeAnne Stanford, and this is our son, Robby. I think Savannah’s around here somewhere. Please, come in.”

Obviously, the man had remarried and found the right woman for him and his Army lifestyle. DeAnne appeared to be the epitome of a career officer’s wife. In that moment, Matt could see how Robert and Mona’s marriage could have never survived.

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