Page 31 of Protective Cowboy

“All settled and out like a light,” Dad announced a few minutes later as he and the others returned to the dining room.

He ruffled Jayden’s hair as he passed by. “Daisy’s been pining for you all day, little man. Why don’t you go say hi and maybe give her and the other goats some carrots for their dessert?”

Jayden’s face lit up, and Autumn silently blessed her father for offering her son the perfect distraction. “Okay, Grandpa!”

“We wanna go, too!” chorused Abby and April.

“Sure,” Mom told them. “We’ll call you in when it’s time for dessert. Auntie Summer and Uncle Brock brought the fixings for strawberry shortcakes.”

The kids cheered and raced out of the house, toward the goat barn.

While Summer and Brock assembled the desserts in the kitchen, Spring and Dad cleared the dinner plates and serving dishes from the dining room.

Autumn sat silently next to Matt while her mom and sisters discussed their plans for canning the upcoming plum, pear, and apple harvests.

Her thoughts churned as she considered his ridiculous proposal. Seeing Phillip just now had shattered any hopes of him just going away.

She chewed on her lower lip as she tried to come up with an alternate solution to the one Matt was offering her.

But pretending they were a couple was perfect—and totally believable to everyone, given their history.

But what if helping me stirs up trouble for him?

She didn’t want to drag Matt into this mess. Her mess. She was an adult. It was her responsibility to pull up her big-girl panties and deal with her ex.

As if reading her mind, Matt turned and surveyed her with empathy. “You know Phillip’s not gonna to let this go,” he told her in a low voice. “Let me help you. We’re still friends, right?”

She nodded. “I’m thinking hard about your offer,” she admitted reluctantly.

“Yeah? Good.” He paused. “Would it sway your decision that I stock Jenna’s Java dark roast in my kitchen? And that I have an espresso maker?”

“Maybe.” She surrendered. “And I think you’re right. I have to convince Phillip that he doesn’t have a chance in hell to win me back. And I don’t want to upset Jayden with any more scenes like the one just now. So, I’ll just invoke the power of the patriarchy—”

Matt’s hazel eyes glinted with amusement. “Damn that patriarchy. Bunch of jerks, I tell ya,” he said solemnly.

Autumn returned his smile. “You got it!” It was an old joke between them. “Anyhow, he’ll back off if he thinks I’m now the property of some other man.” She grimaced. “I hate he won’t take no for an answer, but… it’s Phillip.”

Now that she’d decided, relief washed over her, calming her.

“All right,” Matt said, suddenly all business. “Here’s how it’s gonna work. I want you and Jayden to move into my place tonight. Before Phillip wakes up and starts bugging you again.”

He’s moving fast. Autumn swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “Okay. But I have some conditions for our arrangement.”

“Of course.” Matt nodded, his gaze serious. “What are they?”

“First, my family knows this is all fake, but we can’t tell anyone else. You know how people talk. If we’re going to do this, we can’t risk Phillip finding out the truth.”

“Yup,” he agreed.

“Second,” she continued, her eyes searching his. “I know we’re going to have to, um, kiss. And hold hands. And all that stuff.” Damn it, why am I blushing? I’m a grown-up, she thought. A mom. “But only in public or when we have to convince someone that we’re crazy about each other.”

“Sure. That makes sense.”

“And, uh, I can’t believe I have to say this—” She glanced over at Mom and her sisters, and lowered her voice to the barest whisper. “Absolutely no sex.”

She hated the heat rushing to her face.

The old Matt would’ve teased her mercilessly about that. The new Matt was all business. “Understood.”

---