Page 52 of Protective Cowboy

He turned on his heel and strode to his truck, pulse pounding. Part of him hoped Phillip would violate the order just so he could throw the asshole in jail.

He’s not worth the trouble, Matt told himself. As long as he keeps his distance from Autumn, that’s enough.

∞∞∞

Feeling a grim sense of satisfaction, Matt drove back to Snowberry Springs. He’d stood up to bullies before, and Phillip was no different.

Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over. Men like Phillip didn’t give up so easily.

Then I’ll just deal with whatever he does next, Matt told himself.

When he pulled up in front of his house, Autumn and Jayden were hauling boxes and suitcases up the front steps. Jayden waved at him, a wide grin on his face.

Autumn dropped her box onto the porch and hurried down the stairs.

The tension in her expression melted into relief when Matt gave her a thumbs-up.

“How’d it go? Did he give you any trouble?” she asked eagerly as he stepped out of his truck.

“He was pretty mad, but nothing I couldn’t handle.” He put his hands on her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze. “I made it very clear I’ll throw his ass in jail if he comes anywhere near you or Jayden.”

But Autumn still looked worried. “You know what he’s like. He doesn’t care about the law or anyone else’s feelings. All he cares about is control.”

“Mommy!” Jayden called, interrupting the tense moment. “Where should I put my PlayStation?”

“In your bedroom for now!” Autumn turned away from Matt. “I should get back to work. I still have another carload or two of stuff waiting at Mom and Dad’s.”

“Do you want help moving the rest of your things?” Matt asked.

She shook her head. “No, Jayden and I can handle it. You’ve done more than enough for us already.”

“I don’t mind. And my truck is a lot bigger than your car. It’ll save you an extra trip out to the ranch.”

She smiled up at him. “Well, if you insist, I’d really appreciate the help.”

∞∞∞

That evening, Autumn curled up on the porch sofa, watching the sunset. She felt exhausted from her long day of court and then moving.

Her emotions were a tangled mess, joy and fear and relief twisting into a knot in her stomach.

She was free. The Order of Protection meant Phillip couldn’t legally come near her or Jayden. And she had a room of her own again. She should be happy.

But Philip’s threats still echoed in her mind. If he fought her for custody, he could drag her into a long legal battle she couldn’t afford.

The front door opened, and Matt appeared, holding two bottles of beer.

He offered her one beer, and she took it. Then he sat beside her. “You okay?”

She shook her head, took a long drink, and blurted out her deepest fear. “What if Phillip convinces a judge to give him custody of Jayden? He can afford the best lawyers.”

As she’d discovered during their divorce. He’d gotten nearly everything he wanted, including the house in Bozeman.

“That won’t happen.” Matt sounded confident. “Now that you have an Order of Protection against Phillip, any judge he tries to petition for custody will see his actions for what they are—harassment.”

Sudden tears of relief stung her eyes and spilled over. Matt brushed the wetness away with his thumb. “Hey, everything’s going to be all right.”

“Promise?” she whispered.

---