Page 3 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

He put his phone back in his pocket, his mind whirling furiously with what he’d just learned. Determined to find out the details of Taylor’s predicament and even more determined to help her, he put in a call to Steve Cameron, the local sheriff based in Guthrie. When the man answered, Colt explained that Taylor was his neighbor and he wanted to help her.

“Steve, she seemed afraid when I approached her in the grocery store. Can you find out more about the trial? Did the man go to prison? Who is he? Also, can you let me know if there’s anything we need to worry about right now?”

“Colt, I’ll call Joe Turner, the sheriff up in Motley County, and see what he has to say about the situation. I’ll give you a call back when I know something.”

“Thanks, Steve.”

Ten minutes later, Colt’s phone rang. “Steve? What did you find out?”

“Taylor accused a man named Abe Shelton of raping her, and she won her case. Joe described the family as a bunch of lowlifes, and he said that on the day of the sentencing you could feel the hatred in the room. He felt that Taylor did the right thing by moving out of the county.”

“Damn, that doesn’t sound good. No wonder she was worried when I asked her all those questions. Thanks, Steve. I appreciate your help.”

There was no doubt about it now. He was heading over to the old Ardent homestead. Taylor needed help, and he was damn sure going to give it.

***

Taylor’s swollen feetwere throbbing when she got home from the grocery store. She grimaced as she kicked off her shoes at the front door, her arms laden with bags of food.

“Here, give me those,” her aunt said as she slipped the bags off Taylor’s arms. “You go on in and lie down, honey.”

“Thanks, Auntie.” How in the hell would she make it through work tomorrow if an hour at the grocery store did her feet in? She bit back a groan as she rubbed the ball of her foot.

When she’d first come to town, the only work she’d been able to find was cleaning rooms at the Lazy Days Motel. The place was old but had been well cared for, so the job wasn’t so bad. However, cleaning bathrooms after strangers had to be her least favorite part. And tipping the maid? That never happened at the Lazy Days.

She headed for her bedroom, feeling herself waddling like a duck. Lord, her belly was huge. She still had four weeks to go. And this was the time when babies really packed on the weight. She moaned as she leaned back on her pillows, swinging her legs up with considerable trouble. She’d never dreamed that being pregnant would make her this awkward.

After getting comfortable, she called Lauren, her best friend back in Matador. “Hey, I’m missing you, girlfriend.”

“Well, I’m missing you too. How’s that baby bump coming along?”

Taylor felt herself relaxing at the sound of her friend’s cheerful voice. “Oh, Lauren, I’m massive now. You wouldn’t believe how I look.” Her hand unconsciously moved over her protruding belly.

Her friend laughed. “Well, you’ve got what—three, four weeks to go? Of course you’re big. And don’t you go telling me that you think you’re fat. Honey, you’ve never had an ounce of fat on that gorgeous body of yours, and I’m sure that’s still the truth.”

Taylor smiled. Lauren always did know how to make her feel good. “I hope it’s all baby and not fat because I’m going back to work right after I deliver. I need the money.”

“Oh honey, can’t you at least take two weeks off?”

“I wish I could, but this old house has a lot of problems, and I need to do my share to fix them.” She dreaded the thought of going right back to work. She was utterly exhausted—and besides, she wanted time to get to know her little one.

“I’m going to be praying that you get to take time off after your baby is born. And hey, that’s something else. Have you decided on a name yet?”

“I still can’t make up my mind. Every time I think I have one picked out, I decide it’s not right and keep looking.” She knew how important a name was, and she wanted her little guy to have the best name of all.

Lauren groaned. “Man, Taylor, don’t you think you’re cutting this kind of close? What if you go into labor early?”

“What? I’ve still got a month.”

“Maybeyou have a month. That’s if everything goes perfectly. I swear,I’llpick a name for you if you don’t hurry up,” she said.

Taylor laughed. “OK, I’ll decide. Just give me a little more time.”

She ended the call and turned on her side. Her friend always made her feel better and now, hopefully, she could take a nap.

But when she closed her eyes, a vision of Colt, the cowboy she’d met in the grocery store, appeared before her. Why hadn’t she talked to Lauren about him? Her friend always had a good head on her shoulders when it came to men. Maybe Lauren could have told her whether Taylor had anything to worry about from the cowboy, or if he was harmless.

She blew out a frustrated breath and punched her pillow into shape. She’d have to call her friend back when she had time because the man hadn’t said, “Goodbye”; he’d said, “See you soon”.

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