Page 37 of Lucky Cowboy

To reward him, she arranged Maybelline so that she was in line with the stallion but facing the opposite direction. Then, she leaned backwards, hanging off Maybelline’s side like a handle. Once there, she cinched up the chambray shirt Mark wore and gave him a lip lock that she hoped he’d never forget.

She never would, that was for sure.

Then, she sprang back into place in her saddle, but not before stealing his hat and plopping it on her own head. He smiled so widely that it stretched from ear to ear. And if she’d had any doubts about loving him more than ever, they instantly dissolved.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

The problemwith having a life-altering week with the woman he loved meant that returning to the status quo—the one where she was no longer there—sliced into him twice as deep. After that fantastic time they had together, driving away from her had been one of the most difficult actions he’d ever had to take, and that included arresting dangerous criminals.

It felt like he was turning his back on her, and since that was the last thing he’d ever want to do, it made him physically hurt to do it. He’d never experienced something like this, where emotional pain translated into something physical. Except for maybe when his dad died. But this situation of knowing she was alive and well but just unavailable to him rankled more.

Why did their lives have to insist on always getting in their way?

Prior to that week, he might’ve had the random thought that maybe she wasn’t as invested in being with him as he was with her. Now that he had the proof that she was, leaving her behind—especially since he knew she’d be staying near Billings due to her dad returning home—felt like a punch to the gut.

With his typical obligations to meet, Mark went back to work. He also shared another family dinner with his mom and Blair. But both meandered by without making much of a dent on his memory. It was like he was stuck in the doldrums at sea. He couldn’t prevent how rapidly his mood descended into the bottomless pit, and once there, climbing out again seemed like too much effort.

He’d been merely going through the motions without feeling anything but the stinging emptiness left by Val not being there. Worse, now that he had memories of her at different locations around town, each time he caught a glimpse of those places brought back first a glimmer of happiness at remembering, then loss that only expanded at the comparison.

“And then…” There was a feminine and familiar huff. “Hello? Earth to Mark…”

Mark peeked up to see his sister frowning at him so strongly that furrows lined either side of her mouth.

“What?”

“Are you listening to me? I was telling you about my part-time job with the county. How it’ll provide me with such great experience as I finish up my final semester this fall.”

Final semester of Blair getting her master’s in social work. Right. He felt proud of her. He really did. He just couldn’t seem to drum up the emotion and spread across his face like he needed to.

“Oh, yeah. Sure. Congrats.”

“Congrats,” Blair mimicked his lifeless tone of voice, turning to their mother. “That was about as enthusiastic as a limp fish.”

“I made cake for dessert,” their mom sidestepped his sister’s remarks. “Coconut with pineapple.”

It was his favorite. Always had been. Yet he couldn’t summon up any spirit for it, either. Still, in order to be polite, he did his best to hitch a pleasanter expression onto his face. “Thanks, Mom. I appreciate that. And Blair, I’m sure you’ll knock ‘em dead over at your new position.”

He must’ve pulled off his ruse because his immediate family continued their conversation without him after that.

What was bothering him tonight was knowing that Val had gone to her first rodeo after two weeks of remaining at home with Fred. She’d traveled to Great Falls, a rodeo venue less than an hour and a half away from here. But with him on duty, of course, it might as well be the moon.

Over and over, he found himself staring out in that direction. He might be able to catch a live video of the action, if he decided to seek it out on YouTube. Mark was considering doing just that when his phone chimed with a designated alert. He glanced at it, his spine going rigid.

Mark had set it up to be instantly notified when someone with the description of Ulysses Biggs appeared anywhere, and as he read over the message, he saw that not only had Val’s ex made an appearance, he’d done it at the Great Falls Fairgrounds.

Could it be a bogus report? Had someone been mistaken as Biggs instead? Val had an active protective order against the man, and him appearing at those same rodeo grounds most definitely violated it.

Running down a list available online, he contacted his local law enforcement contact there, discovering that the security guard onsite had collected an image of the man in question.

“Would you send it to me at this number, please?” Mark asked, and the department dispatcher instantly complied. It took a few seconds for the picture to populate, then he had it. And wouldn’t it just figure that Biggs’ ugly mug filled his screen.

Immediately, he sprang into action. “Please be notified that this man had an active order of protection against him involving Valentine Bernard, one of your star trick rider’s tonight. I have reason to believe that he has ill intent toward her. I need the law enforcement to be sent to her side. ASAP.”

“Copy that. They’re en route, Sheriff Talbot.”

“Thank you.”

For a couple of seconds, he sat there still at his mother’s dinner table, frozen. Technically, Cascade County wasn’t his jurisdiction. He’d also already called for the local authorities to hurry to the scene. One of his people was on duty until six the next morning, but then Mark himself would go back on. He couldn’t abandon his post.

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