Page 41 of Protective Cowboy

“You look tired,” he said, mostly to break the uncomfortable silence between them. “Didn’t sleep well?”

She sighed. “I spent a lot of time thinking last night,” she said. “About the restraining order and, um, other things. I—I just don’t know if it’s going to work.”

Alarmed, Matt sat up straight. “You mean the restraining order?” he demanded.

She nodded, her eyes firmly downcast.

“Autumn, you need it,” he insisted. “Phillip’s a fucking menace. You saw and heard him yesterday.”

“Yes, but what if the judge thinks…” she began, then interrupted herself. “I mean, Phillip hasn’t hit me. Or done anything, really, except yell at me and send me a bunch of text messages. What if the judge doesn’t think that’s enough for a restraining order?”

Matt’s chest ached to see her normal confidence dissolve into timid uncertainty.

What the fuck did Phillip do to her? It wasn’t the first time he’d had asked himself that question.

He leaned forward, cupping her hands with his. He forgot about playacting the part of an infatuated boyfriend. All he could think about was protecting her from that asshole she’d married.

Her fingers felt cold despite the heat of the coffee mug she still held.

“Look, emotional and psychological abuse is serious, and any judge worth his or her salt knows that. And stalking is even more serious. And believe me, what Phillip’s doing right now is textbook stalking.”

She sighed, her shoulders slumping under an invisible weight. “Are you sure they’re not just going to laugh me out of the courthouse?”

“I’m positive.” Matt tried to imbue his voice with every ounce of his conviction. “I have to go to court pretty often, and I’ve gotten to know Judge Arran pretty well. She won’t give you a hard time. I promise.”

Autumn nodded. “Okay.”

“So, you’re going to head over to the courthouse in Livingston first thing on Monday and file the petition for a temporary Order of Protection?” Matt asked. “You can download the form from the court’s website and fill it out today or tomorrow. Make sure you list everything Phillip’s done since you asked him not to contact you anymore. Judge Arran will definitely want to hear about his visit to the ranch yesterday, not to mention his repeated threats to interfere with your custody of Jayden.”

She took a deep breath. “Yes. I’ll do that.” Then she lifted her mug. Matt reluctantly released her so that she could take a sip. “So, once I fill out that form, what happens next?”

“You sign the petition and hand it to the court clerk.” He reached out again and captured her cold left hand in his. “They’ll give it to the judge, who might want to chat with you.”

Autumn’s eyes widened in alarm. “Chat?”

“Just if she has questions about anything you wrote,” Matt assured her. “Judge Arran’s not going to interrogate you like a criminal. She just needs to understand what’s going on. She’ll probably grant you a temporary order right away, and set a hearing date for a permanent Order of Protection.”

Autumn bowed her head. “If I get the order, how do I let Phillip know? Do I have to see him? Call him?” Matt saw her shudder.

“Nope,” he assured her. “The police—that would be me or Gabe—will handle that part.”

Matt hoped he got to serve Phillip with the paperwork. He wondered how the other man would react to the news that he was now banned from contacting Autumn and her son.

“Oh, thank God.” He could see and feel the tension draining from her. Good.

Matt squeezed her hand, trying to lend her some of his strength. “I know going to court isn’t fun, but remember, this is about keeping you and Jayden safe.”

She looked up, and he saw gratitude in her blue eyes. “Thank you, Matt. I didn’t know what to expect.”

“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “Whatever you need, I’ll be there for you.”

He leaned forward and gave her a quick, reassuring kiss.

Too late, he realized this wasn’t part of his act for Donna and the others.

Dammit. The lines between faking it and reality were already getting too blurry for comfort.

How the hell was he going to survive the next week or two with this kind of temptation just across the hall from his bedroom?

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