I pull it out to find Maddox calling me.
“I’m just heading to the barn,” I say, putting it to my ear, thinking that’s the reason he’s calling.
“We’ve got a problem at the front gate,” he states. Even through the phone, I can hear the anger in his voice. “You need to get down here.”
“I’m on my way,” I tell him and disconnect the call. He’ll know that I’m back on the ranch when I came through the gates. He gets a notification anytime the gate opens.
I rush down the steps and to my truck. I climb in behind the wheel, shoving the key in the ignition. My mind goes through all the scenarios of what could be going on while I head down the lane and park behind Maddox’s truck.
I find him standing at the gate facing off with . . . my step falters at the sight of the woman on the other side.
“What the hell are you doing here, Megan?” I demand, shaking off the surprise and stalking toward the gate.
“She refuses to leave without speaking to you,” Maddox grunts, stepping back.
“Tyler,” she breathes my name, her eyes lighting with glee.
“What do you want?” I want nothing to do with this woman. I don’t want her here or anywhere near where my son lives. It’s a good thing she can’t get past the gate and that Dash is at school. Not that he would know who she is if he saw her.
“I wanted to see you. Let you know that I’m back in town,” she says, batting her lashes at me. “I’ve missed you and Dash so much.”
“I don’t want to hear that shit from you. You need to get off this property and not come back. You’re not welcome here.”
"It's like beating a dead horse," Maddox grunts. "I told her to leave six fucking times. I'm too much of a gentleman to put my hands on a woman, even one as vile as her, but I don't have an issue calling the sheriff down here."
I nod, not taking my eyes off the woman. He’s willing to do it, which I appreciate, but it’s my responsibility to report it.
“I just want to talk.” She pouts.
“And you have nothing I want to hear,” I snap, clenching my fists at my side.
“You’re my husband, Tyler. I want to come home.” Cue the tears, as if those will work on me.
“I’m yourex-husband, Megan. You don’t have a home here. Dash and I aren’t anything to you. You aren’t allowed anywhere near us, not with the protective order in place. I will call the sheriff’s office, they will see that you are taken back to prison. You don’t want that, do you?”
I would love nothing more than to see her thrown back in prison. I hate the bitch for what she did to Dash.
Megan’s eyes clear of any tears, and she narrows her them. “You won’t keep me away. I always get what I want, and you know it.”
“Not this time you won’t,” I inform her, done with this conversation. I pull my phone back out of my pocket and make the call to the sheriff’s department. After asking them to send a deputy out to Fallen Meadows Ranch, I hang up and look at Maddox.
“They're sending someone out,” I tell him.
Maddox nods, "Good. Why don't you head back to your place? I'll stay here until one of the deputies arrives, and show him the footage from the cameras here at the gate. If he has any questions for you, I'll send him over."
“I’m sure he’ll have questions. I appreciate you waiting for them.” I don’t want to be around Megan any longer than I have to.
"Not a problem." He pauses for a beat. "You should take the day. I got the ranch. You just worry about how you're going to handle this mess."
I couldn’t agree more.
It’s a good thing Maddox isn’t just my boss, but my best friend. I’ve not once taken him for granted, and I never would. I might call him out on his shit when it’s needed, but I’ve always respected Maddox as the boss. Before he took the reins, I did the same with his granddaddy.
I nod and move back to my truck. I need to get back to my house and gather the paperwork for the deputy. They’ll be able to look up whatever documents they need, but it’s always good to have the physical copies on hand to show.
Reversing my truck just enough to turn around, I head back to the house, glancing in the rearview mirror, seeing Megan hightailing it for her little beater of a car. Guess she isn’t going to wait around for the deputy to show. Pity. I wouldn’t have minded. She’d have made it that much easier for them to take her back where she belongs.
Within minutes, I pull back up in front of the house, park my truck, turn the key switching the engine off, and head back inside.
