Page 51 of Protective Cowboy

“You’ve got a deal,” Matt said without hesitating.

“I can do chores, too!” Jayden declared stoutly.

“Sure thing,” Matt said. “I need a good dish dryer.”

They were still splitting up the chores when the waitress delivered their lunches—cheese enchiladas for Jayden, a chimichanga filled with carnitas for Matt, and shrimp tacos for Autumn.

Once they were alone again, Autumn smiled at Matt. “Thank you. For everything. You have no idea how much your support means to me.”

She couldn’t believe he was so willing to split the chores.

Since Matt had offered her such a good deal on rent, she’d been expecting to take on all the housework in return. Phillip had expected her to do all the cleaning, cooking, and grocery shopping.

“Do you need help moving the rest of your stuff from the ranch?” Matt asked. His tone was casual, but she caught the hint of eagerness in his tone.

“Sure, if it’s not too much trouble,” she replied. “We don’t have much, mostly clothes and Jayden’s toys. I have some furniture, but I know Dad won’t mind me storing it in his tractor barn for a while longer.”

∞∞∞

After lunch, they parted ways.

Autumn and Jayden wanted to head to her parents’ranch to pack up their remaining belongings. And Matt had a promise to keep.

He watched Autumn and Jayden drive off.

She’d agreed to live with him! He wanted to dance a jig of happiness.

He’d spent years dreaming of having a family with Autumn, of building a life together in their hometown. Now here was his chance.

You’d better not screw it up, he told himself.

He climbed into his pickup and headed over to the outskirts of town where Phillip was staying in an Airbnb. Matt had worn his sheriff’s uniform to the courthouse, hoping to run this errand afterward.

The house came into view. It was a nondescript brown bungalow that blended into the neighborhood. He parked at the curb and walked up the front path, scanning the windows for any signs of movement.

He rang the doorbell and waited. He heard someone was moving around inside and rang the doorbell again.

When Phillip finally opened the door, Matt had to fight back a curl of disgust. Unshaven, bleary-eyed, and unwashed, Autumn’s ex looked like he’d spent the last twenty-four hours on a bender.

“Oh, it’s you. What the hell do you want?” Phillip demanded.

Matt held out the rolled papers. “I’m serving you with an Order of Protection on behalf of Autumn Snowberry and Jayden Snowberry-Garthe.”

“A restraining order? What the fuck?” Phillip’s face contorted with shock, quickly followed by rage. “You can’t do this! She’s my wife.”

“Ex-wife,” Matt corrected. “And if you come within fifty feet of her or Jayden, I’ll arrest your ass. Don’t contact her by any means—text, email, phone call, anything. And don’t try to recruit someone else to contact her on your behalf. You do any of those things, Mr. Garthe, and you’ll violate the Order of Protection.”

Phillip snatched the papers and crumpled them in his fist. “She has no right to keep me from my son!”

“Autumn has full legal custody. Stay away from them both.” Matt met Phillip’s furious gaze. “I mean it. One wrong move and you’ll regret the day you ever came to Snowberry Springs.”

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” Phillip blustered. “I’m not going to just sit back and let you steal my family!”

“Your family wants nothing to do with you. And the judge agrees with them,” Matt said calmly. “If you take Autumn back to family court, the whole town will rally behind her. We’ll hold a fundraiser to hire the best damned lawyer in the state to fight you.” He leaned forward and got into Phillip’s face. “You see, Mr. Garthe, the people in Snowberry Springs love Autumn and respect all the hard work she’s done for our town. And they think you’re an asshole for threatening to take her boy away.”

Phillip’s face turned purple with rage. His mouth worked, but nothing came out.

Matt added in a growl, “If I see you anywhere near Autumn or Jayden, you’ll regret the day you ever came to Montana.”

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