Page 70 of Protective Cowboy

The boy looked as shell-shocked as Matt felt. “Goodnight,” he mumbled.

As he left to follow his mother down the hall, Matt heard him say, “But I don’t want to leave here!”

Me, too, kid. Matt watched her retreating figure, his heart heavy with the realization that he might lose her for good.

“Fuck,” he whispered into the empty dining room.

In his mind, he spoke the words he’d desperately want to say to her: Stay, Autumn. Stay here with me. Please don’t go.

But who was he to ask her to sacrifice the job opportunity of a lifetime?

He loved her. Hell, he’d never stopped loving her. There had never been room for any other woman in his heart.

And because he loved her, he had to let her go follow her dream.

It sucked, though.

Chapter Seventeen

Fight Fire with Fire

Wednesday, August 26

The next morning, Matt sat alone in his quiet living room. The house felt empty, though Autumn hadn’t left Snowberry Springs yet.

Autumn had spent last night in her own room, and Matt had missed having her in his bed. Sex with her was fantastic, but he loved the afterwards part, too, when she cuddled with him and they talked and kissed and fooled around a little more.

She’d left for work just after dawn. The show was planning to film the arrival and installation of an antique weathervane on the roof of Nick and Winnie’s Craftsman house, and Autumn had to be there to take what she called “teasers” for the event on an upcoming episode. She’d taken a sleepy Jayden with her, planning to drop him off with her parents at the Snowberry Springs Ranch before she continued on to her next task.

With a sigh, Matt opened his laptop. As he scrolled through the morning national news, an article in the Entertainment section caught his eye.

More lies from Autumn’s ex-husband, Matt thought in disgust as he read Phillip’s complaints about being a loving husband who only wanted his family back.

“Loving husband, my ass,” Matt muttered under his breath. He knew the truth now—Phillip had emotionally abused Autumn for years, crushing her spirit bit by bit.

And now he thought he could trash her reputation with his bald-faced lies. Over my dead body.

It was time to fight back. But how?

There had to be something Matt could do to help her. How could he prove to the world that Phillip was the one who was the liar and hypocrite, and Autumn his innocent victim?

He started searching online, hoping to find clues that would lead him to Phillip’s mistress.

Everyone in town knew that Autumn had divorced her husband when she found out about his baby with his so-called fiancée in New Jersey. But as far as he knew, she’d never discussed the details with anyone.

His search for Phillip Garthe’s information brought up some unexpected results.

“Well, would you look at that?” he murmured. Warmth spread through him as he read comment after comment on various gossip sites supporting Autumn.

Her sisters and friends had taken to the Internet like a pack of loyal wolves, defending her fiercely and refuting Phillip’s claims. “Seems like Snowberry Springs won’t let you get away with your garbage lies, Garthe.”

His heart swelled with pride. This was a town that looked out for its own, and they were rallying around Autumn in her time of need.

A knock on the door startled him.

He went to answer it.

Standing on his porch was his sister, Lily. She’d twisted her long brown hair into a messy bun and she wore an old Snowberry Springs High t-shirt over her jeans.

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