The Cowboy’s Runaway Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 1) by Jenn Roseton Page A

you'll lose everything.” “I’ll always love you.” “I just want you to be happy.”
    Well, there was no way in hell he could be happy without her in his life. And to run off like that, without even finding out if what Carol had said about his financial situation was true!
    Striding to the garage, he noticed the open door. She’d taken the car he’d bought for her. “I’ll park the car at the airport and arrange for it to be returned to you as soon as I arrive in Portland.”
    Garrett pulled out his cell phone and stabbed the buttons.  It was time to bring home his runaway bride.
    Drumming his fingers on the garage wall, he waited for his brother to pick up. As soon as he heard Alex’s voice, he said tersely, “I need the helicopter, now .”
    “Something wrong?” His older brother enquired.
    “You could say that.” He gripped the phone.
    “Anything I can help you with?” Alex sounded interested.
    Garrett barked mirthlessly. “Woman trouble.”
    His brother chuckled ruefully. “I’ve got some of that myself. When you find the solution, let me know.”
    Looking at his watch, Garrett answered. “Will do. Just send the ‘copter to the south pasture.”
    “It’s already on its way,” his brother replied.
    Shaking his head at his brother’s usual efficiency, Garrett ended the call. He just hoped he could catch up with Maddie before she reached the airport. If she got on that plane...
    His jaw tightened. It meant it would take him a little longer to track her down. But track her down he would. And when he did...
    Just as he heard the helicopter approaching, the doorbell rang. What now? Yanking open the door, he met the face of a surprised deliveryman. “Package for Garrett Trask.” The short, balding man held up a clipboard, a brown box under his arm.
    “About time.” Garrett scrawled his signature. Grabbing the box, he threw a tip to the startled delivery guy. “I’ve got a chopper to catch.”
    ###
    M addie drove steadily, aware of the miles flashing by. In a few hours she’d land in Portland, and her life would return to her old routine. A life without Garrett.
    She’d done the right thing. She knew she had. So why was a little voice inside her head screaming at her to turn around the car and go back?
    As she approached a junction, she hesitated. Should she return? Maybe the situation wasn’t quite so dire as Carol had made out. If she got the job at the library in Elk View Corner, perhaps she and Garrett could live frugally but happily on the ranch.
    The junction loomed ahead. Just as she’d made her decision, the whirring blades of a helicopter filled her ears. Maddie peered through the windscreen. A helicopter hovered above her, keeping pace with her.
    “What?” She bit her lip, trying to concentrate on her driving. Luckily, there wasn’t much traffic on either side of the highway. The helicopter moved ahead of her, a man’s arm emerging out of the door and waving at her. Maddie stopped breathing for an instant when she saw Garrett’s face appear.
    She slowed down, veering onto the shoulder of the road, her heart hammering. With trembling hands she turned off the ignition. What was going on? Garrett didn’t have a helicopter.
    The ‘copter landed in front of her. Maddie watched, hypnotized, as the blades slowly whirled to a stop. The door opened and Garrett dashed toward her.
    She opened her door and got out, leaning against the red metal of the car for support.
    “Maddie!” Garrett crushed her in his arms. “Thank God I found you.”
    “Garrett.” Her voice was muffled against his hard chest. “What—”
    “Shh.” He held her tightly, as if he would never let her go. Stroking her hair, he finally pulled away from her slightly to look into her face. “What did you think you were doing?”
    It felt so good to be in his arms once more. Once she'd explained, how could she find the strength to leave him again?
    “It’s in my note,” she said helplessly, staring up at him,