Page 26 of August’s Cowboy Braxton

Her face went pale. "How did they get your new number?"

"I don't know."

But I did know. It had to be someone inside our trusted circle, someone who knew Braxton and I had fought, someone who knew he'd walked away, and someone who had access to my new contact information.

I looked at Evie's concerned face. Her protective posture. Her gentle voice telling me I didn't need Braxton's control. And I felt the ground shift underneath me.

"I need to go."

"Addison—"

"I need to go. Now." I grabbed my phone and didn’t look back.

CHAPTER 7

BRAXTON

I caught her halfway down Evie's driveway. She spun toward the sound of the truck, her hand on her chest, her eyes wide.

“Hey, slow down.”

She turned. “How did you know I was here?"

"Tracked your phone." I stepped out into the rain. "I didn't leave. I was in the parking lot outside the community center the whole time."

“So you followed me?"

"I stayed close enough to respond if something happened."

"That's not the same thing as being there."

"No. It's not." I moved toward her. "Can we get out of the rain? I need to tell you something."

She looked back at Evie's house. At the warm light glowing behind lace curtains. Then at me. “Let’s go back to the ranch."

The drive back felt longer than it should have. Addison sat pressed against the passenger door, phone clutched in her hand.

"You got another message."

"Yes."

"On the number only a few people have."

Nodding, she stared out the window.

"Can I see it?"

She handed me the phone at the next stop sign.

He'll leave. Men like him always do.

I read it twice before handing it back. "I did leave."

"You came back."

"Because I was wrong." I turned onto the ranch access road. "Not about the danger. About how I handled it."

She didn't respond.