The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret (18 page)

“Okay, I guess.” José looked down. “My head hurts.”

“What’d the doctor say?”

“No major damage. I had a concussion.” Shaking his head, José grimaced. “I wonder how long they’re going to keep me here.”

“You’re in luck,” a nurse said, strolling into the room. “The doctor has signed your discharge papers. All I need is your signature and you can go home.”

When he’d finished and handed the clipboard back to her, she gave him his copies and pulled the curtain closed around his bed so he could get dressed.

“You know the Feds are going to want to talk to you,” Matt said.

Slowly, José nodded. “Am I under arrest?”

“Nope. They’d love to have something concrete to pin on both of us, but they don’t.”

José nodded.

Matt handed his friend the bag of clothes he’d brought and went outside of the curtain to wait.

Finally, José emerged. Side by side, they walked outside to the pickup.

“Do you want to go to your house or the ranch?” Matt asked as they settled in their seats.

“Is it okay if I come to the ranch and stay for a few days?”

“Sure.” Cuffing José lightly on the shoulder, Matt smiled. “You know you’re always welcome.”

José sniffed. “Thanks for believing in me. When those guys grabbed me, I really thought I could be strong and not tell them anything.”

“Did you ever see Diego Rodriguez?”

“No.” Frowning, José scratched his head. “Did he say I did?”

“Yep. He also wanted to trade you for Skylar.”

“What?” Sitting up straight, José winced. “What the hell?”

“It was a diversion.”

“Yeah, I guess. Matt, I’m sorry I told them about where the ammo was. They tied me to a chair and poured water down my throat until I nearly drowned. They did it over and over until I told them what they wanted to know.”

“It’s all right. Everything worked out in the end.” He thought of something then. “What about the helicopter?” he asked. “We saw you waving.”

Grimacing, José looked downcast, as though ashamed. “They had me doped up really good. One of the guys shoved me toward the window and lifted up my arm to make it look like I was along for the ride.”

So far, Matt had accepted everything José told him at face value. But there was still one thing that needed to be explained.

Reaching the house, Matt parked the truck and helped José get out. His friend still seemed a bit unsteady on his feet.

They headed into the kitchen. Apparently, José was still in a confessing mood. “Right before all this, I told La Familia about Diego, too,” he said. “That guy is lucky he’s still alive. The cartel don’t play. That’s why they decided to make their own grab for the ammo, so they could get to it before Diego did.”

“He’s still alive,” Matt told him quietly. “He’ll eventually be extradited back to Mexico.”

“Where he’s a dead man,” José said.

“Exactly.”

“Do you regret that you didn’t get to kill him?”

This question, Matt considered seriously. “No.”

“But you would have if you’d have gotten the chance?”

“No. I gave Skylar my word that I wouldn’t. I promised her I’d let him be brought to justice.”

José shook his head. “But I bet you hoped someone would get a bullet into him and do the job for you.”

“Maybe. I’m not going to lie. I did want him dead.”

“He will be soon enough.” José swayed on his feet, reminding Matt that he needed to sit down.

“Level with me, bro,” Matt said, pulling out a chair for José before taking his own seat at the kitchen table across from him. “The fifty thousand in your account? Where’d it come from? You were pretty pissed when I asked you that before.”

Sitting heavily, José looked down, twisting his hands. “How’d you find out about that?”

“The ATF. Where’d you get it?”

José’s olive complexion reddened, though he met Matt’s gaze. “Chantal,” he said. “She makes a lot of money modeling. She knew I wanted to buy land out on the other side of town, so she gave it to me.”

“Fifty thousand won’t even buy a residential lot,” Matt pointed out. Never mind that the Chantal he’d dated had been so self-absorbed she wouldn’t have willingly parted with even a fraction of that amount. Unless she had some sort of ulterior motive.

“It was enough for the down payment.” A flash of pride lit up José’s brown eyes. “I’ve already applied for a loan. I’m going to build a house there. And a barn. For a ranch of my own.”

“Why didn’t you ask me?” Matt asked quietly. “Money is the one thing I have plenty of. You know I’d do anything to help you.”

Pushing back the chair violently, José stood. “I know and I appreciate it, but you do enough. Too much. Sometimes a man’s gotta stand on his own two feet.”

“True. But it bothers me that you’d rather accept help from someone like Chantal than me.”

Instantly, José shot him a warning look. “Careful what you say, amigo. Chantal is going to be my wife.”

Incredulous, Matt gaped at his friend, then belatedly shut his mouth and tried to look pleased. He didn’t think he quite pulled it off. “I...I don’t know what to say.”

“
Congratulations
would be nice,” José drawled.

“Of course. I’m happy for you. If this is what you really want.”

“I do.” For the first time since Chantal’s name had come up, José looked uncertain. “As long as you have no problems with it. You don’t still have...feelings for Chantal, do you?”

“No. Hell no.” Realizing he had to be careful, Matt tried to tone down his vehemence. “I don’t. Not at all.”

“That’s what I thought.” Satisfaction colored his friend’s voice. “After all, you have Skylar now.”

Skylar. Even the mention of her name made Matt ache.

“You do have Skylar, don’t you?” José eyed him, his brow wrinkled in confusion at Matt’s silence.

“Not yet,” Matt finally admitted. “There are a few things we have to clear up, if I can ever get her to talk to me.”

“Uh-oh. What’d you do?

“Do you want a running list?” Matt shook his head and sighed. “First off, she got a lot of heat from ATF after the whole showdown. They wanted so badly to be able to justify their involvement, I think they were going to try to railroad me into a conviction, even without any evidence.”

José grinned. “And Skylar wouldn’t let them, would she?”

“Nope.” Matt grinned back. “That’s when they put her on mandatory leave. My private investigator found all this out for me.”

“What? When was the last time you talked to her?”

Matt had to clear his throat in order to be able to speak past the lump. “The day all this went down.”

José whistled. “Damn. So did the ATF drop all their charges?”

“They had to. Their case was flimsy at best. It’s hard to levy a charge of selling ammunition illegally without proof.”

“Yeah, I’ll say. What the hell did you do with the ammo?”

“I took your advice and moved it.” Pushing to his feet, Matt crossed to the fridge and grabbed a couple of sodas. Handing one to José, he popped the top of his and took a long swallow.

“Thanks.” After a moment, José did the same. “What are you going to do with all those bullets?”

“I’ve already started the process to find law-enforcement organizations that need them. I’ll be donating it to them.”

“All of it?”

“Yep.”

José looked impressed. “Does Skylar know any of this?”

“No. At least, I haven’t been able to tell her.”

“Oh, yeah.” José took a swallow of cola. “You were telling me all the reasons the two of you haven’t connected. There was her job and the fact that she hasn’t called you—”

“Oh, she called. I was still barred from entering my own house. I don’t know who talked to her or what she said, but her number shows on the caller ID.”

Crossing his arms, José grimaced. “I’m guessing you tried to call her back.”

“Of course.” He grimaced. “I didn’t leave a message, but I called several times.”

“And she never called again? Any idea why?”

“Well, it might be because of the lawsuit.” Matt tried not to wince as he told his friend what the law firm he’d hired had done. The only good thing they’d accomplished was getting him back the ability to return to his home.

By the time Matt had finished, José was shaking his head, looking dazed.

“That woman’s got to think you hate her,” he said.

“Probably. She’s disappeared off the face of the earth.” Matt gave a sheepish grin. “I paid a private detective to find her house, but she’s not there. I don’t know where she’s disappeared to. No one at the ATF will tell me—I think they’re actually worried I’m after revenge or something.”

“Call her again.”

“I’ve tried, believe me. Several times, actually, but she never answers. I went by her house, but her neighbor said she’d been gone over a week. I don’t know where she’s gone, and I don’t have her cell-phone number. I hope she’s all right.” Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t keep the worry and the longing out of his voice.

Eyeing him, José took a long drink of his cola before replying. “You got it bad, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Matt admitted. “I do. Have a seat again, please. I really need you to help me figure out a way to get Skylar back.”

Looking out the kitchen window, José grinned. “Looks like I won’t have to. She’s here.”

Chapter 17

N
ot having a job to go to felt strange
enough. But being without Matt filled Skylar with an emptiness and a sense of
loss she hadn’t felt since Robbie’s and Bryan’s deaths.

A hollow shell of herself, she drifted around her house like a
ghost. The only thing that kept her grounded was Talia, who seemed to sense that
her mistress was unhappy and went out of her way to be amusing in a doggy sort
of way.

Finally, Skylar realized she’d had enough. It was time for a
massive life change. Her time in law enforcement was over. She was ready to move
on to the next big thing.

Since her mandatory leave was paid, she didn’t hand in her
resignation, not yet. David had called her two days after she’d been
unceremoniously escorted from the office to tell her that Matt had dropped the
lawsuit.

She supposed she should have been happy. Instead, she just felt
numb. She felt nothing, not even when David told her Matt had removed the
restraining order, as well. Hanging up the phone, she told herself she didn’t
care. That part of her life had been brief and powerful, and damn near perfect,
but clearly it was finished.

Unsurprised, she noted that David hadn’t said a word about her
coming back to work. She wouldn’t actually be too shocked if he tried to pin the
entire embarrassing fiasco on her. Once, she would have fought, but now she no
longer had the energy.

Each day seemed to drag on longer than the last. Finally, even
she’d had enough. Fed up with herself, she decided to make yet another change.
Instead of allowing herself to wallow in self-pity, she used the time off to
take a well-deserved vacation.

An online search, her credit card number and she was all
set.

Packing Talia and a suitcase in her car, she drove to the
Florida Keys. She’d rented a beachfront cabin for a week. There, she planned to
try to relax and work on what she’d discovered she really loved—
photography.

Before she left, she’d submitted the article she’d written
along with the photographs she’d taken of Matt’s Arabian horse-breeding
operation to
Today’s Arabian Horse
magazine. Since
Matt was a well-respected breeder, part of the ATF’s agreement with them had
been, in addition to allowing her to use them as cover, that they’d actually
consider publication if her stuff was worthy.

She truly believed it was. Time would tell, but she’d bet she’d
see her first byline soon—and hopefully, deposit her first check.

In the meantime, she took photographs of everything else. Dogs
romping on the sandy beach, chasing waves, a fisherman silhouetted against the
water and the setting sun. Talia loved the place and accompanied Skylar wherever
she went. Skylar realized she was as close as she’d been in a long time—at least
since she’d realized she’d loved Matt—to being happy. But while she found a deep
satisfaction and a tentative sense of serene peace, she constantly ached for
him. Despite everything. More proof she was a fool.

The days slipped by, and finally it was time to pack up and
head back home. The ATF still had made no move to call her back to work, but as
soon as they did, she had her resignation all typed up and ready to hand in. The
life-insurance money from Robbie’s policy had sat in her bank account untouched,
and this would be what she’d use to live on while she tried to establish her new
career.

And then there was Matt. Finally, she realized he was
unfinished business. If she wanted to forget about him, she had to face him and
hear from his own lips why he didn’t want her.

He hadn’t called—but then, she hadn’t given him her cell-phone
number and sure as hell no one at the ATF offices would give it out. He couldn’t
get in touch with her online because her presence in social media was all under
other names. An undercover ATF agent didn’t have the luxury of becoming a public
figure.

He wouldn’t come to her; therefore, she’d go to him.

If she wanted any sense of closure, apparently she’d have to
initiate it herself. Which, she decided during the long drive back to Texas, she
would do as soon as she got home.

Before she could take the first steps to her new life, she had
to return to Matt’s ranch and settle things with him. He might be able to go on
with things unfinished, but she sure as hell couldn’t.

* * *

Back at her house, she was surprised to see several
calls on her caller ID from Matt’s number. He hadn’t left a message, but at
least he’d tried to contact her. This gave her heart.

But she didn’t want to hear him tell her goodbye over the
phone. No, she wanted to look into his blue eyes one last time and hear his
husky voice say the words that she’d know would be a lie.

Decision made, she didn’t even unpack. In fact, she left her
suitcase in the backseat of the car. It was three o’clock in the afternoon.
She’d go now. Too much time had passed without her knowing the truth.

Whistling for Talia, she got into her vehicle. She needed her
dog along for moral support—after all, Talia had been there with her through
everything.

The drive went slower than she’d anticipated since she had to
travel across Dallas, then southeast. Her dashboard clock showed it was nearly
5:00 p.m. when she turned down the long road toward his ranch. The gate was
still open, which seemed odd, but she was glad since that meant she didn’t have
to push the call box and ask for permission to enter.

Pulling up in front of the house, heart pounding, she gripped
the steering wheel. As before, the red-tiled roof gleamed softly in the
afternoon sun, perfectly complementing the creamy stucco walls. As she had
previously, she felt a sense of longing, a feeling of finally coming home. This
time, she knew home was more than a place—people made a house a home. Corny, but
true. This house felt like home because of Matt.

More proof she was forever destined to be a fool.

Though her legs felt as if they wouldn’t support her, she made
herself climb out of the car and clip on Talia’s leash. Then, with her dog
panting happily at her side, she started for the house.

At first, she headed toward the front. Then, realizing she’d
never gone there, she reversed direction and walked toward the patio. She jumped
as the back door opened and José came out.

“About time you got here,” he said, winking as he brushed past
her, though he paused long enough to pet Talia. Skylar stared. Winking?

Stunned, she made herself take another step forward, then
nearly stumbled as Talia surged ahead toward the door, her tail wagging in
delight.

Matt. Crouching down, he greeted her dog first, then raised his
chiseled, beautiful face to hers.

Even the mere sight of him made her knees go weak.

She opened her mouth to speak, and her cell phone rang. Damn.
“It’s the ATF,” she told Matt. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to take this call.”

“I’ll be here when you’ve finished,” he said and stepped back
inside the house, Talia at his side, to give her privacy.

It was David, sounding jovial. His fake cheer grated on her
nerves.

“How are you holding up?” he asked with pseudo concern.

She didn’t bother with false pleasantries. “Fine. What do you
want, David?”

He chuckled, no doubt to show her he didn’t take her curtness
personally. “I’m calling to let you know you can come back to work on Monday.
Internal Affairs has cleared you of any wrongdoing.”

“I had no doubt they would.”

Clearing his throat, he made a sound that could have been
either agreement or dissent. “Anyway, I’ll see you on Monday?”

“Of course,” she said smartly. “And I’ll be there with bells on
to give you my resignation.”

“Resignation? But—”

Then, before he could say anything, she ended the call.

Surprised at herself, she realized she didn’t even feel a
single flutter of panic. She’d just quit her job. One roadblock on her path to
happiness had been removed. Now she needed to talk to Matt and remove the
other.

* * *

Watching Skylar pace as she talked on her phone, Matt
felt a rush of love so strong he nearly staggered. While he wasn’t sure she felt
the same way, the fact that she’d come here counted for something.

It had to. He couldn’t imagine life without her. Or, he
thought, hands buried in Talia’s fur, her dog.

Belatedly he realized he could use this opportunity to rehearse
what he should say. He’d never been good with words—hell, most guys weren’t—but
if there had ever been a more important time for him to get them right, he
didn’t know of one.

Obviously finished with the call, she turned to make her way
back to the house. Heart pounding, he stepped out onto the porch, meeting her
halfway.

“I’ve missed you,” he said. As far as openings went, it wasn’t
the best, but it was definitely the truth.

Skylar, however, appeared unimpressed. She crossed her arms and
glared at him. “Did you? Then what was the deal with the restraining order? As
if I’m some sort of psycho, stalking and threatening you.”

“My lawyer did that. I didn’t even know until he told me. As
soon as I found out, I had it removed.”

Gazing beyond him, as if it hurt her too much to look at him,
she nodded. “I knew it was gone. I wouldn’t have come out here otherwise.”

He told her what the lawyers had done and how he’d fired them.
Then, with his words running out and trailing off into silence, he said the one
thing that was in his heart.

“Stay.” His voice broke, but he continued, “Skylar, please
don’t leave me again.”

At his words, she froze, going utterly still like a wild horse
about to bolt. Swallowing hard, she raised her head and finally met his gaze,
hers direct. He tried to throttle the dizzying rush of desire that ran through
his blood.

“I need a reason, Matt. Give me a reason to stay.” The
combination of hope and sorrow in her beautiful green eyes felt like a dagger
straight to his heart.

He pulled her close. Bent his head. Kissed her lips. Softly. So
softly, moving his mouth over hers slowly, savoring her taste. “Is this not
enough motivation?”

Though desire had darkened her eyes from emerald to sea-storm,
she shook her head. “That’s part of it, of course,” she whispered. She stood so
straight, so still, she might have been a glass statue, about to shatter into a
hundred thousand pieces with the wrong touch.

He’d have to be careful to do this right. Nothing had ever been
as important to him as this moment, this woman.

“You need more reason than this?” he asked, kissing her again,
a slow stroking of his mouth across hers, deepening the slant, his tongue, and
trying to convey his emotions—or at least some of them—with his kiss.

She sighed with her entire body, swaying against him. When he
finally released her mouth, she held on to him as though her legs were too
unsteady to stand, burrowing her face in his shoulder.

Overwhelmed, he held her close, breathing in the scent of her
hair. He knew he never wanted to let her go.

“You’re going to have to say it,” she said, moving her mouth
over the pulse that beat, steady and strong, at the base of his neck.

Say it? For a moment, he froze. All of him, from his breath to
his vocal cords. And then, because he knew she was right, he nodded.

“I’m no poet,” he began, cupping his hand under her chin and
raising her face to his before releasing her. “But I’ll try. You are everything
to me—you’re my sun and moon, as lovely to me as the most beautiful Arabian
horse racing across the pasture.”

As he tried to think of other words, she lowered her head and
her shoulders began shaking. Was she crying? Horrified, he stopped, about to ask
her if she was okay.

And then she snorted. Snorted? And then, and then, she began to
laugh.

Startled, he watched her, a reluctant grin curving his
mouth.

“I’m sorry,” she managed between guffaws. “But I’ve never been
compared to an Arabian horse before.”

Hearing his own words, he couldn’t help but smile. His smile
widened into a grin as he realized what he’d said and then he joined her in
laughing out loud.

“Try again, why don’t you?” she suggested, wiping at her eyes
and giving him what he guessed was an encouraging smile.

He winced. “No flowery words this time, okay?”

“No flowery words.”

“All right, then.” Eyeing her, her beautiful complexion
porcelain and pink, her green eyes sparkling with happiness, he suddenly knew
what he needed to say. He felt it, bubbling up from inside him, from his heart,
from his soul, from his core.

“I love you, Skylar McLain. I want to spend the rest of my life
with you and have children with you and grow old with you. Is that plain enough
for you?”

Expression full of love, she nodded, moving toward him to
embrace him. But he stopped her, holding up his hand.

“Wait,” he said. “I’m not finished.” Then, even though he had
no ring, he got down on one knee and took her hand. “Will you do me the honor of
becoming my wife?”

She gasped, her eyes widening. For one utterly horrifying,
terrifying moment, he thought she might say no.

“I don’t have a ring,” he continued desperately, aware he was
babbling again but unable to help himself. “But I thought we could choose one
together. New York is nice this time of the year, or we could head to L.A. if
you—”

She kissed him, effectively silencing him, for which he was
grateful.

“Of course I’ll marry you, Matt,” she told him when they
finally came up for air. “And now it’s my turn to tell you how I feel.”

Though he wanted to hear the words, he knew he’d have the rest
of his life to hear her say them. He’d always been a man of action, rather than
words, and right now, he wanted something else more.

“Sweetheart,” he murmured, right before he claimed her lips
with his, “why don’t you show me instead?”