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“Neither one of the girls was this active during my pregnancies,” her friend said as they made their way across the parking lot. “So Silas is convinced this one’s a boy.”
“I love that you’re keeping it a surprise though.” Lyric made sure to walk close by her friend in case she needed some support. There was still over an hour before the bronc riding competition was set to start, but crowds were already streaming into the arena’s stands.
After they’d gotten through the gate, Lyric steered Tess down the corridor to the right. “We should head to the staging area.” The riders usually gathered there.
“Lead the way,” Tess said dramatically, linking their arms together. At the entrance, they ran into Kyra, Natalie, Aiden, and Silas.
“Where is this guy?” Silas had that dangerous SEAL look in his eyes.
Aiden nudged Lyric. “You just point him out, and we’ll take care of the rest.”
“No, you won’t.” Kyra marched to her husband. “This is about what Lyric needs to say to him. You two will only get involved if he gets out of hand.”
“We’ll get involved if he even takes one step toward you,” Aiden confirmed.
“I’ve got my cuffs too,” Natalie added, patting her hip. “So there’ll be no need for assault and battery today. Not on my watch.”
“Thank you.” Lyric gave each of them a hug. “I appreciate you all being here. And yes, I want to handle this myself.”
Natalie nodded. “Just know you have backup if you need it.”
“A lotof backup,” Kyra added.
Lyric looked around them, hoping to see Thatch.
“We haven’t found him yet,” Silas said. “But we’ll keep looking.”
“Okay.” She steeled herself with a deep inhale. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
The group of them all moved together through the gates to the staging area where the riders milled around between livestock trailers. Lyric employed her yogabreathing technique, which helped settle her. She scanned the cowboys they walked past, and then she saw his name plastered on the side of a truck.
“There.” She pointed to where Luke stood near the tailgate talking to another man.
“You’ve got this.” Tess side-hugged her.
“We’re right here.” Kyra squeezed her hand.
Lyric left them standing there and went straight up to him, a strange calm coming over her. “Luke.”
He turned, eyeing her coolly for a second before his jaw dropped. “Lyric?”
“Why do you look so surprised? You know this is where I’m from, where I live.” He’d visited Star Valley with her a few times when they were married. “And yet you still had the audacity to come here. To my hometown.”
Her friends—and her friendly neighborhood police officer—gathered behind her, and the other man he’d been talking to started to back away.
Luke glared at them all, taking on a defensive stance. “What the hell is this?”
“This is my chance to call you what you are in front of everyone.” Lyric made sure she spoke loudly enough that those who happened to be standing around them could hear. “A man who victimizes women.”
Shock registered on his face, and he swiveled his head, looking around them. “What the hell are you doing? Shut up.” He took two steps toward her.
“I think you’d better stop right there and let her finish,” Natalie called somewhere behind her.
Oh, yes. She would finish this. “For two years, you preyed on me, pushing me around, hitting me, and I covered up everything. I hid behind that secret.” Somehow,she felt taller standing there facing off with him. Taller and stronger than she ever had. “Well, I’m not hiding anymore. I’m going to make sure everyone in this world knows what you are.” Plenty of people standing around them had already heard. This was a small community, these riders and cowboys. Word would spread. Hopefully, his reputation would precede him, and she would prevent another woman from enduring what he’d put her through.
“I never touched you.”
She recognized that angry tone, but it wouldn’t silence her anymore. She was free. She didn’t have to walk around on eggshells. “You broke my arm when you pushed me down six years ago.” She wouldn’t let him deny that. “You gave me countless bruises before that. And you know what?”Shestepped closer tohim. “For a long time, I thought that mistreatment was my fault. But the truth is, you have a major anger problem. And now everyone knows it.” She turned away from him, lighter and freer. Full of a shining new energy.
