Page 60 of For the Love of the Bull Rider

Tim quickly turned back to the desk, checking the screen for the last tower Mona’s cell phone had pinged. It was in the small town of Christiansburg, Virginia, not more than forty miles from Holloway.

“She’s off 460 in town. It’s only four minutes from Virginia Tech, so it’s on the Blacksburg side.” Tim pointed to the cell towers where the phone was continuing to hit.

There were a handful of hotels and motels in the area, but they needed to narrow it down because there were too many tosearch every one of them. “How do we find an exact location?” the Colonel asked.

“Give me a minute.” Tim went to work, hammering on the keys without glancing up. The three men were talking behind him, but Tim wasn’t listening.

He picked up the location finder app on Mona’s phone and hacked it, finding her exact location. “Got it. She’s at the Hampton Inn. It’s on Arbor Drive. Shall we?” Tim jumped up and followed the other three men running down the hallway, ignoring the others in the house.

They all grabbed coats and headed out the front door. Tim had his cell in his hands, having honed his signal to Mona’s so he could guide them to where the woman was located. Of course, they had no way to know if she had Ryan with her, but it was the best lead they had so it was worth a try.

They hopped into a big Lincoln Navigator, Tim in the front seat next to DB while the Colonel and Matt were in the back seat. Tim gave DB directions from the GPS on his phone, and when they pulled up to the hotel half an hour later, they all looked at each other.

“So, how do we get in without her knowing it?” Matt was vibrating with nerves.

Rob cleared his throat. “I’ll go in. I have my military ID, and if she registered under her married name, that’s so much the better. I’ll just say I’m here to meet her and our daughter. Tim, give me your cell number, and I’ll text you the room number after I get the key. Meet me there.”

The three of them nodded in agreement before the Colonel exited the vehicle and casually strolled inside. Tim happened to see movement out of the corner of his eye, so he turned his head to see Ryan with a woman he didn’t recognize. The little cowboy was walking a small dog on a leash, and the woman was on a cell phone.

He pecked DB’s forearm that was resting on the console, directing the man’s attention toward the passenger window. “That’s our son. Is that Bertie?” Tim glanced at his lover in the back seat.

“That fuckin bitch!” Matt swore as he reached for the door handle. Suddenly the door locks clicked, keeping Tim and Matt inside.

DB turned to look at Matt, brooking no patience for an argument. “Look, cowboy, we don’t wanna go to jail. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander as they say. You’ve got joint custody, right?”

“Yeah, but…” Matt’s voice was shaky.

DB cut him off. “I’m gonna go get your boy and the dog. Get the Colonel outta that place immediately so we can haul ass because we don’t want to worry about cops comin’ into this shit. Let ‘em come to the ranch after us.” DB opened his door and hopped out.

The man adjusted his hat and looked at Tim. “How I look?” DB gave time a wink and a toothy smile.

“Quite handsome.” Tim returned the grin.

“Hey, you’re already spoken for.” Matt reached over Tim’s seat and tapped his man on the shoulder. Tim climbed over the console to sit with his cowboy as they watched DB stroll to where Bertie was standing with the boy and the dog.

Tim quickly sent a text to the Colonel to return to base, and when the man walked out of the hotel lobby, Tim saw him observing the area as he guessed a military man would do before his eyes set on his daughter and DB in an argument, which became the direction the Colonel headed.

DB had Ryan and the dog within reach, both of whom were struggling to get away. Matt reached over the seat to unlock the doors of the SUV, and they hopped out to run to Ryan, happy tears streaming down their faces.

“Daddy!” Ryan gasped as Matt picked him up, apparently much to Bertie’s surprise, based on the look on her face. She’d been arguing with DB, not paying attention to her surroundings, but when she saw Ryan in Matt’s arms, she cursed.

Matt hugged his son before handing him off to Tim, who clutched the little cowboy tightly, vowing to never let him out of sight again. Tim ignored everything around him, feeling the tears continue to rush down his face. He wasn’t at a place of gratitude yet, but it was coming soon.

Ryan pulled away from Tim, smiling at him as his own tears fell. “I’m sorry she took me, but she said we was goin’ to the ranch because her and Daddy had decided to share me. She told me she was movin’ to Holloway with Nana Mona, and she had a dog for me. She said Daddy told her it was okay for me to have a dog. I wanted it to be true, Timmy.” Ryan continued to dry the tears on Tim’s face.

“I know, little man. We all want our wishes to come true, and when they do, it’s hard to see beyond them. It’s okay, now. We’ve got you back.” Tim continued to hold the boy tightly.

“Who the fuck is that asshole holding my son? Give me my son, goddammit.”

The woman’s voice carried her complaints on the breeze.

Ryan squirmed out of his arms. When Tim put him on the ground, the puppy wiggled over to Ryan, shaking all over with happiness.

“This is Corky. He’s a—”

Suddenly, Matt was yelling. “I’ll fuckin’ kill ya, you hear me? He’s my son, and you left him behind for the money the first time, Bertie. Leave us alone.”

Tim saw Ryan turning his head, and he couldn’t have the boy hearing how ugly things had gotten between his parents. The Colonel and DB were minding Matt, so Tim was going to mind Ryan. “What kind of dog is he?”

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