Page 57 of Protective Cowboy

He ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re welcome. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes.” She beamed up at him. “Our date awaits!”

He chuckled and offered his arm. “Then let’s not keep it waiting any longer.”

She set the jar with the roses on her chest of drawers, bent to take one last sniff, then came over to take his arm.

Arm in arm, they walked together on the sidewalk, heading for the town square.

As expected, he’d made dinner reservations for them at The Yummy Cowboy Diner.

Autumn had texted her sister a heads-up this afternoon, after Matt had wistfully mentioned he hoped the bison meatloaf with onion gravy and mashed potatoes would be the diner’s Friday Night Special.

Great! Summer had texted back. We just got a shipment of bison from Dad. Meatloaf it is!

Maybe she and Matt were moving fast, but being with him felt so right. Like coming home had after her years in Bozeman.

Autumn turned to study his profile. She adored the firm line of his jaw, the little furrow between his brows, and the soft smile that curled his lips when he glanced back at her.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

She smiled. “You.”

A blush crept up his neck. “Oh. Well, I was thinking about how beautiful you look tonight.”

The compliment warmed her. “You’re such a sweet talker,” she teased. “You hoping to get laid tonight or something?”

He squeezed her hand. “You figure a guy like me has a chance with a girl like you?”

“You’d be surprised. I mean, not every girl gets to date Deputy McHunky.”

Matt’s embarrassed groan made her laugh out loud. “Please, don’t ever let Gabe hear you call me that,” he begged. “He’ll never let me live it down.”

When they arrived at the diner, he gallantly opened the door for her.

As she stepped inside, she glimpsed a familiar couple. Donna and Chris Frederickson were sitting at the table next to the diner’s front windows, where they could see everyone passing by.

“Autumn! Matt!” Donna trilled, waving to them. “Well, isn’t this a lovely surprise?”

She rose and came over to hug Autumn. Then she said in a stage whisper, “It’s about time Matt took you out to dinner instead of keeping you all to himself at home!”

“Um,” Autumn stammered. Matt’s hand came to rest against the small of her back in a silent show of support.

He offered Donna a polite smile. “We couldn’t resist the bison meatloaf special.”

“I always knew you two were meant to be,” Donna declared. “I remember when you were high school sweethearts! You just seemed so right for each other!”

Matt chuckled. “I thought so, too.” His tone was wry but affectionate.

Like most of the town, he and Autumn had known Donna their whole lives. She was the biggest in gossip in the county, but she didn’t have a mean bone in her body.

“Well, you know what they say about second chances.” Donna patted his arm. “Now you two go on and enjoy your date. I’ll be waiting for a wedding invitation!” She winked at them and turned to go. Then, as if remembering something, she stopped and added, “And don’t you worry, Autumn-dear. We don’t believe a word of that article. I know everything Philip said in that interview was a lie.”

Autumn was taken aback by Donna’s words. “What interview?” she asked, her stomach clenching in sudden dread.

“Your ex-husband gave an interview to some gossip website,” Donna explained, her voice filled with disdain. “It got picked up by national news because your sister’s show is so popular right now, and it’s currently trending all over the Internet. You were so right to divorce him. He sounds like a miserable excuse for a human being.” She gave Autumn a sympathetic look before walking away to rejoin her husband.

As soon as Donna was out of earshot, Autumn reached into her purse.

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