In The Cowboy's Arms

He shouldered his way through what felt like a mob, but was only five or six reporters, and sprinted toward the nearest bus stop. Three years of running all over town auditioning for commercials had forced him to memorize the public transportation system. There was a bus stop a couple of blocks from here. Thanks to a rigorous training schedule, he was in shape.

He outran the paparazzi and caught the bus right before it pulled away from the curb. After paying the fare he sank gratefully into a seat. Adrenaline plus the blast of A/C made him shiver as he ran through his options.

Going back to his apartment wouldn’t work. Even if he made it inside without being accosted, he’d be a virtual prisoner in there until this thing died down. He believed it would. That was what he’d expected Geena to say.

She was a super-smart lady. A little nerdy, but he liked that about her. Tall and slender, she dressed in conservative suits and wore her brown hair up in an arrangement on top of her head. She had a sexy librarian thing going on that had fascinated him from the get-go.

When she was thinking real hard she took off her glasses and stuck them in her hairdo. He’d envisioned her thinking hard about this mess and coming up with a plan that included hustling him out the back entrance of the building. Then she’d hire a car to spirit him away to some remote cabin in the mountains for a week or so.

He’d even fantasized that she’d take time off and go with him. They could strategize how to deal with this and...yeah, get cozy in the cabin. He’d allowed his brain to come up with an intimate scenario that would never happen, but it had been fun to think about.

Instead, she wanted him to publicly apologize for something he hadn’t done and then become proactive by supporting animal rescue. He loved helping a good cause, and animal rescue was dear to his heart. His foster father had devoted his life to a well-respected practice as a large-animal vet.

But Matt balked at using homeless animals as a publicity stunt to prove he was a nice guy. Her plan sucked, but that wasn’t the worst part. The real kicker was realizing that Geena believed he’d done what Briana had accused him of.

He felt like ending the relationship with her PR company ASAP, but that was a knee-jerk reaction. He’d give himself time to think about it before doing anything drastic. Aside from being attracted to her, he also liked her and admired that she’d built the company herself. She looked too young to be the head of the firm, and once he’d asked her how old she was. Turned out she was twenty-seven, same as him.

Being near her gave him a buzz, no question, and he’d caught her giving him the eye, too.

He’d debated asking her to dinner to see what might happen. He’d come close to doing it once, but he wasn’t sure if asking his PR rep for a date would be an unprofessional move. Making that call wasn’t easy in an industry where the lines seemed to blur, but in the end he’d decided to err on the side of caution.

When it came to Briana Danvers, though, his thoughts had been crystal clear. During the filming of Preston’s Revenge she’d kissed him like she meant it, but he’d never for one second contemplated making a move in private, let alone in a public setting. If Geena thought he had, then she’d seriously misjudged him.

Being blamed for something he didn’t do was a hot button. His mom used to do it all the time. Thanks to some counseling, now he could handle the issue if he didn’t respect the person doing the judging. But he respected Geena and it bothered him that she thought he could have made a move on Cliff Wallace’s wife.

So much for his fantasy of spending a few days in a cabin with her. If she wouldn’t help him get the hell out of Dodge, he’d take care of it himself. When he’d told her he was going home, he’d meant Thunder Mountain Ranch where his foster parents lived. They’d saved his bacon when his mom had left him years ago, and ever since then he’d considered them his true family along with his foster brothers.

Rosie and Herb Padgett had been a godsend for many boys caught between a rock and a hard place. But these days, instead of taking in foster kids, they’d opened a residential equine academy for older teens. Much as he wanted to go home, showing up when classes were in session was inconsiderate, especially now that he was a hot item in the scandal sheets.

He used to wonder if he’d ever be famous enough to appear on the cover of the magazines in racks at the grocery store. Thanks to Briana, now he was. They’d plastered that picture everywhere, and one tabloid had dredged up a stock photo of Cliff looking outraged. It’d implied that had been Cliff’s reaction. Probably had been, and Matt hated that.

If he could hide out at the ranch for a few days, he wouldn’t have to keep seeing those tabloids. A quick check of the Thunder Mountain Academy site on his phone brought good news. The spring session had ended two days ago and summer classes wouldn’t start for another week. That meant everyone would be busy preparing the cabins and the rec hall for the next batch of kids.

He could help with that, but first he had to get on a plane. He hadn’t paid attention to what bus he’d used to escape the reporters, but this one wouldn’t take him to the airport. A few transfers would confuse his pursuers if he still had any, and he could make plane reservations on the way.

His tickets, one to Denver and a separate one on a commuter to the Sheridan County Airport, cost a ridiculous amount. Then again, he was making a ridiculous amount, enough for first class on the LA to Denver leg. He’d considered that briefly, because he didn’t fit comfortably in coach, but flying up front would only draw more attention.

Besides, he hated spending money on something so transitory as a bigger seat on the plane. He preferred investing in more permanent pleasures. He’d sunk a good portion of his earnings into a fixer-upper ranch not far from Thunder Mountain. He’d bought it sight unseen as a sanctuary from the craziness of LA, not knowing just how crazy things could get.

Rosie and Herb had checked out the place before he’d signed the papers and they’d assured him it would be beautiful once he gave it some TLC. Although he wouldn’t have much time to do that on this trip, he couldn’t wait to see it.

Too bad he had to be back in LA so soon, but some publicity gigs for Preston’s Revenge were scheduled next week, and after that he’d start shooting the new movie. He hoped to God Briana had settled down by the time they had to make a joint appearance. If not, those events would be awkward as hell.

After the relative tranquility of the bus ride, he stepped into the chaos of LAX with trepidation. He scanned the crowd for reporters and then decided he was being paranoid. He wasn’t a big enough deal for them to stake out the airport. No one paid attention to him until he had to hand over his driver’s license going through security.

The woman’s eyes widened. “Aren’t you—”

“Yes, ma’am. Please don’t react.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, honey.” She gave him a smile and stamped his boarding pass.

Okay, so maybe not everyone in the world thought he was a scumbag who’d tried to steal Cliff Wallace’s wife. In the gate area he spotted several people reading the tabloid that had caused the most commotion because the headline screamed HOME WRECKER in large type. He kept his head down and hoped for the best. A couple of teenage girls snapped some pictures, but he could certainly live with that. Even if they posted them online, the paparazzi couldn’t get to him here.

He checked his phone and saw several texts from Geena, although she hadn’t tried to call him. He appreciated that. He texted back that he was on his way to Sheridan and would be out of touch for a week or so.

Then it occurred to him he should let Rosie know he was coming. In all the chaos he’d forgotten to do that. She was somewhat psychic, but figuring out he was flying home today might be beyond her powers. He sought out an area that was slightly less noisy and called her.

She answered immediately. “You’ve been on my mind all morning. How are you, son?”

Her caring voice almost made him lose it. No scolding, no exclamations of horror, no tears. She only wanted to know that he was okay. “I’m fine, Mom. I’m coming home for a few days, if that’s okay.”

“Of course it’s okay! When will you be here?”

He checked his arrival time. “I have a long layover in Denver so I won’t make it for dinner. Looks like I’ll land about nine or so tonight.”

“Cade and Lexi will pick you up.”

“Great. Can’t wait to see them.” His foster brother Cade Gallagher had moved back from Colorado two years ago and reunited with his high school sweetheart, Lexi Simmons. They’d both worked hard to make Thunder Mountain Academy a reality.

“The truck’s new, so look for the academy logo on the door. Oh, Matt, I’m so glad you’re coming home. I feel the need to see you.”

“I feel the need to see you, too.” He swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. “Gotta go. We’re about to load.”

He disconnected and stared at the floor while he pulled himself together. Six months ago he’d called Rosie with the life-changing news that he’d been given the male lead in his first big-budget film. She’d whooped and hollered for a good five minutes before she’d been able to speak rationally.

What a beautiful moment that had been. He’d cherished the idea that she could brag to her friends about her son the movie star. He’d loved giving her something special to celebrate after all she and Herb had done for him. And now that shiny moment had been tarnished.

At least his folks were in Wyoming, far from the ugliness. He never wanted it to touch them. Their privacy meant everything to him and he’d protect it at all costs.

Chapter Two (#ud7f60eb8-2b0d-5adc-b6fa-66e5313c7bb4)

Matt had no trouble spotting the ranch truck as he stood in the cool night air outside the Sheridan airport waiting for his ride. Cade drove up in a tan, four-door long bed with the Thunder Mountain Academy logo on the door. Lexi wasn’t with him, after all, so Matt climbed into the front seat and grasped Cade’s outstretched hand.

“Hey, Matt.” A straw cowboy hat shadowed Cade’s face, but his subdued greeting telegraphed his concern. “No luggage?”

“Nope.” Matt closed the door and fastened his seat belt.

“At least you stayed ahead of the peasants with the pitchforks.” Cade put the truck in gear and pulled out.

“Barely. Nice truck.”

“Mom likes me to drive it whenever I come to town. She thinks it’s good for the academy’s image.”

Matt leaned back against the seat. “Yeah, until some derelict gets in.”

“Now that you mention it, you do look a little rough around the edges, bro. Is the scruff for your next role?”

“The scruff is for lack of a razor, although I figured it also might keep people from recognizing me.”