Page 61 of Caught By A Cowboy

He’s listened to me talk on Sunday afternoons about my future, and what I want for my kids andourranch. I’ve let him get close, and all this time he knew.

The one person I can’t blame is my father, he did the right thing and raised me, and I’m confident that he loved me despite how I came to be. I can’t begrudge him not leaving everything his family worked for to some bastard kid.

When I get to my uncle's house, I bang my fist at his door so loud the whole house rattles. His car ain’t in the drive, and there’s no sign of him here, but I need to find him. I need answers and I need to make him pay for what he did to my mom.

My phone starts vibrating and when I see Eli Kelley’s name flashing on my screen, I quickly answer it.

“Not now, Eli, I got shit to deal with.” I bark at him, making my way around the side of the house so I can check the back door.

“So you’ve heard? Is Madison okay? Isabel’s been real worried.”

“Wait, worried about what? What do you mean, is Madison okay?” Suddenly that red-hot anger inside me turns bitter cold.

“Eli?” I shout down the phone when he doesn’t answer fast enough.

“The girls were talking on the phone, and Isabel said someone came to the door. Madison answered it, she screamed and then…”

“And then what?” I lose my patience when he goes quiet on me.

“And then the phone went dead. Isabel tried calling back but there was no answer. I don’t know if you have a number for her folks, that’s where Isabel thinks she is…” His voice fades out as I grip my hair and take everything in. I hang up and immediately call Maddison, and when it rings straight through to voicemail, I feel panic starting to take over as I try again and again.

“Fuck” I punch my fist into my uncle’s door and rush back to Grayson’s truck.

I haven’t got time to deal with my uncle or worry about the sordid secrets of my past right now. There's every chance my girl’s in trouble, and there's a four fuckin’ hour drive between us.

MADDISON

“What are you doing?” I touch my fingers to the back of my head, where the painful throb comes from as I look up at the man pacing the floor in front of me.

“Paul, what are you doing here?” My lips tremble as I rest my hand on my stomach protectively and try to focus, my vision is still a little blurry and there's a ringing in my ears that won’t go away.

“I’m taking matters in hand. Your parents have been far too lenient with you.” He stops pacing to look at me, and I can tell from the way he’s shaking too that he’s become unhinged.

“Paul, shall we call Clarissa, or maybe Adam?” I suggest, slowly attempting to drag myself up on my feet.

“Stay there, don’t move!” I gasp when he holds a gun up in front of him, and clutch my stomach a little tighter.

“Paul, please put the gun down. I know you don’t want to hurt me.” I manage to smile at him through my fear.

“Hurt you…? I want to kill you, you selfish, little bitch,” he half-laughs, and half-cries as he takes a seat on the stairs beside me, keeping the gun in his hand and resting his arms over his knees.

I remind myself to breathe and stay calm, panicking right now, isn’t going to help.

“My son would have loved you, he would have treated you right. All you had to do was marry him.” He shakes his head in disappointment, and despite the situation I’m in, I feel a huge relief when a hard kick comes from inside me and lets me know the baby’s okay. Now I just need to get us out of this.

“I’m sorry, Paul, I really am.” I talk as calmly as I can. “I never meant to hurt him.”

“You never meant to hurt him?” He laughs at me bitterly. “You think this was about love? You're even more stupid than I thought.”

I have no idea what's happening here but what I do know is, that I’m alone. Mom knew I was coming, why isn’t she here?

“Where is my family?” I ask him, hoping he hasn’t hurt them. For all I know they could be locked in the basement, or worse. I look at the gun in his hands and blow out another nervous breath. My ass is numb and my back still aches, so I shift myself into a better position.

“They’re in Asia, Mary asked Clarissa to stop by and take care of the plants,” he explains.

“No, they don’t leave until tomorrow. I’ve been texting Mom. She knows I’m visiting today; she could be here any second.” I cling on to that hope until he takes my mom’s cell out of his pocket and tosses it on the floor in front of me.

“Your mom’s therapist told her she needed to completely switch off.” He smiles to himself. “She told Clarissa she was leaving her phone at home.” He sighs looking worn out and disgruntled.

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