Colton Cowboy Jeopardy

by Regan Black

  She rubbed her nose to Silas’s and then faced her phone. What could she tell her dad that would appease him and not be a lie? She quickly let him know that the first offer was lower than his bare minimum. As in zero at the moment. She followed that with a query about why he was in such a hurry to liquidate the property.

  Countless happy memories with her parents and later friends had been made at that house. After Regina’s intrusive entrance into her life, the country home and the surrounding property remained the site of fond moments with her dad, hosting clients and family friends.

  She couldn’t imagine a reason—other than a wife who loved to shop and redecorate—why her father would need a quick influx of cash. Her hands went cold. This must be Regina’s doing. She could easily picture her stepmother hovering over his shoulder and pestering him to push her. Just to flush her out of hiding.

  Would the woman never be satisfied? Of course not. Regina thrived on control, from the suits and ties her father wore to the office, to the amount he spent on his weekend golf trips, all the way down to Christmas gifts.

  His reply came back that his only concern was for her and the baby. Well, that made two of them. The somewhat comforting message was trumped by the next.

  You can’t be in business if you aren’t doing business.

  She couldn’t argue with that, so she didn’t reply.

  Come on back, Mia. We’ll have lunch at the club and talk things out in person.

  If only she could be sure Regina wouldn’t be there, ready to poison her salad or snatch Silas. She turned off her phone and kept walking.

  Her father had been an integral part of her life. Being separated from him and keeping her son away made her heart ache. Norton, who managed fortunes during the day, had helped her with homework and even coached her youth soccer teams when she was young.

  Until Regina had changed everything.

  “Maybe I didn’t want to share,” she admitted to her drowsy son. “Maybe your grandpa could’ve listened to my concerns or done a better job of protecting our relationship.” And maybe they were both human. Her father, her hero, had put more stock in the sniping observations of his new wife than the daughter he supposedly treasured. Mia, frustrated, had only made things worse.

  “I won’t be perfect,” she murmured, “Obviously,” she added, her gaze drifting to the mountain range in the distance. A perfect mother would surely know how to get out of this mess. “I do promise to listen, to consider what’s best for you in every decision we face.” She hoped she could keep that promise.

  “It takes two people to wreck a good relationship,” she told Silas. Looking into his sweet face now, it was impossible to think of a day when they would argue, when hurtful words might fly fast and mean, undermining trust.

  She wondered if the lunch invitation was worth the risk. If she went, she could talk with her dad about the house and the baby. They could walk the office space he’d recommended to her last month. They could cover everything except his wife’s cheating. The temptation to accept filled her and she was doubly grateful she’d turned off the phone.

  She finished her walk with Silas, passing Jarvis’s truck. Inexplicably antsy, it was all she could do to settle the baby in his seat for the rest of his morning nap, rather than drive out to where she expected Jarvis to be searching today.

  He hadn’t seemed to mind when she’d met up a time or two before, but Mia really needed to exert some force on her future. She sat down at the table and opened her laptop. Her dad made a good point. She wouldn’t have a business if she didn’t conduct business. She did have connections with people familiar with the country house. An additional advantage was her knowledge of the people most likely to have the interest as well as the means to invest in the property.

  She drafted an email with one target in mind, adding a few pictures she knew would entice. If she brokered a private sale, it would give the lies she’d told her father credence. Not only that, but the commission would be a financial cushion she could use to relocate.

  Roderick had joked about buying the country house on his very first visit. More than once, while they dated, she’d been sure he stayed with her simply for the long weekends they spent out there.

  Once she’d hit Send, detailing the ideal offer, she fixed herself a cup of tea. She should’ve done this first. If she had, she never would’ve found Regina with another man. Instead she’d been determined to prove she had skills, not just connections; that she was beautiful, but had a brain, too. Of course, she hadn’t been eager to speak with her ex about anything. Now she was desperate.

  Weary of her own problems, she turned her attention back to Jarvis’s search and refused to watch the clock. With the names from the land deeds, she continued to wade through history, pleased to discover more records about when various parcels of the current ranch were purchased from the government or landowners who’d given up on taming the territory.

  * * *

  Jarvis worked his way through his daily assignments, not looking forward to going to Selina’s house again. He knew Asher passed those calls to him, hoping the woman would open up more about the leverage she had on Payne. He wanted to help his cousin, but Jarvis couldn’t bring himself to flirt with the woman anymore. One night playing the role of sexy accessory had been more than enough.

  After spending time with Mia, Selina’s presence felt even more cloying. According to Asher, Selina had a problem with the lighting on her patio. He hoped it was something simple as he cantered across the ranch from the stables to her house on Duke.

  “Jarvis!” Selina called as he looped the reins over the fence rail edging her patio. “You always know just how to dress. Can I get you a drink, cowboy?”

  It was the opening Asher would expect him to sidle right through. He gave her his best smile and tipped his hat. “Better if we wait until I know what the trouble is,” he said.

  “The trouble is you won’t drink with me.” She winked and then gave him what he assumed was supposed to be a sexy pout. She touched him as if she had the right, her glossy, hot-pink fingernails tracking the line of his forearm. Her eyes were clear, despite the drink in her hand. Too bad. If she was drunk, it might be easier to distract her away from him.

  He turned his thoughts to Mia, but that only made it worse. He’d rather be with her than anywhere else and he was stuck in the female equivalent of a tar pit.

  “What do you need, Selina?” He didn’t have much time before he was supposed to meet Spencer at the police station and he didn’t want to be late. Mia needed him to have that meeting so she could get back to her life. “Asher mentioned something about a lighting issue?”

  “Did someone put a burr under your saddle, cowboy?” She walked around him and made a humming noise as she eyed his backside. “Nothing obvious. Want me to take a closer look?”

  He moved out of reach before she sank those hot-pink claws into his backside.

  “You’re no fun today.”

  “Lots of work on the schedule.” He hoped to get through it all before his meeting in town so he’d still have some time to poke around a new site for Herman’s box.

  Selina sipped whatever was in her glass and arched a perfect eyebrow. What had Payne ever seen in her? From one moment to the next, her entire body language changed. The overblown flirt was gone and a sensible woman in her place.

  “It is the lighting.” She flipped the switch near the outdoor kitchen. “That section in the middle is broken or whatever.” She gestured with her glass.

  Why did people want to ruin a gorgeous view of a starry sky with strands of white lights? “I’ll take care of it. Do you have a ladder?”

  “I thought you came fully equipped,” she said.

  He laughed, despite himself. “Stepladder, Selina.” They kept basic tools here for times just like this one.

  She made a moody noise and cocked a hip. He didn’t
take the bait. With a shake of her head, she set her glass on the nearest table and sauntered toward the storage closet cleverly built into one of the stone pillars that framed the outdoor kitchen.

  “You’re seeing someone new?” she asked, opening the door and holding it for him.

  The question set his teeth on edge. “I’ve been working too hard to see much of anyone,” he replied.

  “Oh, that’s not what I’ve heard at all.”

  He ignored her, more than happy to use the stepladder as a shield between them.

  “I heard some new cowgirl has you wrapped around her little finger.” She crooked her own pinkie and wiggled it at him.

  Cowgirl, no. Mia was more like a big-league hitter. He grinned, thinking of Mia and the stick she’d been all too willing to employ.

  Her lips formed a surprised O. “It’s true.” She lifted her glass. “Cheers and congratulations to the happy couple.”

  Jarvis climbed the stepladder to look over the wiring for this section of the string lights. “You don’t sound all that sincere,” he commented absently.

  “I’d be less disappointed if you tell me it’s a nonexclusive kind of thing.”

  It wasn’t. Well, technically it wasn’t anything. But if it became something, he wouldn’t be sharing Mia with anyone. He just shook his head.

  “Come on, Jarvis,” she cajoled. “I could use a little romantic excitement, even if it is vicarious.”

  He tested each bulb within reach, pausing to look down at her. She was staring at his crotch. Ew. “Are you running low on gossip fuel?” He climbed down, moved the ladder and climbed up again.

  “Knowledge is power,” she said, examining her nails now. “I shared my secrets with you.”

  “Did you?”

  “Didn’t I?” She swirled the golden liquid in her glass.

  So that was the reason she’d called. She was worried she’d said too much after the party. Being Selina, she would assume that he’d do what she’d done and use any secrets to her advantage. Or maybe she really was more worried about sharing juicy gossip with her friends at the next Sunday brunch.

  He moved the ladder again and waited until she met his gaze. “You didn’t.”

  What might have been relief flashed across her flawless features. “Tell me your secret, anyway.” She leaned in on the other side of the ladder. “I know you can’t possibly be serious about this cowboy nonsense.”

  He gave her an innocent smile. “A real man doesn’t joke about boots and belt buckles. Besides, being a cowboy means helpin’ purdy ladies like you.” He laid it on thick, hamming it up and earning her spiky laughter.

  He found the problem at last. Where the nonfunctioning section connected to the previous strand, the plug had been loosened just enough to break the connection. He made the fix and verified everything worked properly again. He supposed he’d let her get away with the fake call, but it put him on edge.

  “All better.” He folded the ladder, keeping it between them. “Anything else, Selina?”

  Color flared on her cheeks and her gaze roamed over his face. “You know how to make a woman feel special,” she said. “I enjoyed our evening at Norton and Regina’s party.”

  Just hearing Regina’s name made him angry. He smothered the reaction, not willing to give Selina any reason to ask more questions. Crossing his wrists over the top of the folded stepladder, he just waited for her to spell out what she wanted. She watched his hands and licked her lips. The woman was an operator who believed he would just fall in line for the chance to land in her bed.

  Asher, knowing nothing about his feeling for Mia, would want Jarvis to dive in. Although he admired his boss man, respected him and sympathized with him, he couldn’t even pretend it was an option. No matter what kind of blight she was to the family, there were lines Jarvis wouldn’t cross. “There is someone,” he said. “Just met her last weekend.”

  She stroked one perfectly manicured fingertip over his banged-up knuckles. “Then it’s not serious.”

  Jarvis chuckled at the blatant invitation. “Serious enough.” He eased just out of her reach. “Any other maintenance concerns?”

  Her lips curved into what might be the first genuine smile he’d seen. “Not today. Thank you, Jarvis.”

  “You’re welcome.” He stowed the stepladder and headed out with a tip of his hat.

  “Whoever she is, she’s a lucky woman,” Selina called after him. She strolled over, shading her eyes as she looked up at him sitting in the saddle.

  He winked. “I’ll tell her you said so.” He cantered away, grateful for the wind on his face and the raw power of the horse under him.

  Selina was treacherous with a hefty streak of pathetic. He supposed if he found something that negated the deed of sale, he could make Asher’s day by ousting the woman. Somehow, he didn’t think it was exactly the solution his boss was hoping for.

  When the house was well out of sight, he slowed his horse and took the time to update the task schedule. A couple of items had been added to his list, including another pass over the fence near the warming hut where Mia had first hidden. He made a note to handle that task.

  Thinking about the timing and knowing his brother, he looped Duke’s reins around the nearest paddock fence while he went into his room to call Spencer.

  “Catch any criminals today?” he asked when Spencer picked up.

  “Better than wrangling steaks in progress,” his brother replied.

  Jarvis opened his laptop and then accessed the cloud file Mia had prepared. “The cattle are far more personable than your criminals.”

  “Probably true. You calling to bail on our meeting?”

  “Sort of.” Jarvis sighed. “There’s a lot going on out here today. I’m sending you some information. If you want me to come in after you read it, I will.”

  “You’re making me nervous.”

  “Not intentionally.” He was nervous as a cat after bumping into Regina in town. “I’d rather not come to the station. Read what I’m sending and then give me a call about how you want to handle it.”

  “What kind of trouble are you in?”

  The worst kind, he thought. He was in over his head over a woman, ready to do anything to make sure Mia and Silas came out of this on top. “Read the info. I’ve gotta get back to work.”

  Outside, he scratched Duke behind the ears and gave him a carrot before swinging up into the saddle. They headed out to the fence line on the to-do list, passing the various pastures and buildings. Other than the Colton mansion near the front gate and the necessary updates, he didn’t think the ranch had changed much since Herman was burying the box that was probably long gone.

  The voices of his siblings echoed in his head, scolding him for taking such a wild detour from his business career. He couldn’t explain his faith in Isaiah’s tales to himself; how was he supposed to explain it to them?

  Besides, he expected them to accept and understand him, especially during times like this one, when he didn’t fully understand himself. That was the perk of sharing a womb. Or it should’ve been. Had been in the past. Since losing their parents, the triplets had dealt with life as a team, supporting each other always and reflecting insights back at one another when needed.

  He was probably overdue for a sounding board or reflection session. But it would only help if he bothered to listen. They’d tried to corner him on his motives when he’d taken the Triple R job. He’d dumped his original career to become a cowboy, dealing with animals, sunburn, cuts and calluses, and Selina, just for a chance to prove their granddad was more than an aging, confused drunk.

  Maybe Spencer and Bella didn’t remember Isaiah the same way Jarvis did. His siblings had been aggravated when they’d been moved abruptly from Isaiah’s house to Aunt Amelia’s place in town. Deep down, it had been easy to keep Isaiah’s secret when he knew his siblings wou
ldn’t give any credence to the tales. Arguably, the man had done his best and come up short. Even back then, as a kid, Jarvis had understood that they needed something their grandfather couldn’t give, especially not while grieving his son and daughter-in-law. Not that Amelia had managed much better, but the court had seen her as the stable option.

  Admittedly, his case of hero worship for their granddad had only intensified with his work on the ranch. Not so much due to the search as the work itself. Was it weird to hit his thirties before having the epiphany that he was born to be a cowboy?

  Weird or not, it was his life. Checking the app for the precise location, he found it was not far from Mia’s current hideout, and it took serious willpower to veer away from the bunkhouse. He would visit later, hopefully after following up with Spencer. Just the thought of seeing her sent a surge of happiness through his veins. He really needed to get this infatuation under control.

  Turning, his gaze caught on something out of place closer to the road. Most likely a trick of the light, but he knew every inch of this ranch and, from visiting Mia every day, this section specifically. He walked the horse over to where the dirt had been kicked up and rutted out around the scrubby growth between the ranch and the road.

  The herds hadn’t been in this area. Good news was if they’d been pushed up this way, the fence was still intact. He slid down from the saddle and walked Duke forward slowly. Even from several paces away, he could see snapped twigs and the brush pressed back, not unlike the damage he’d seen when Mia had hidden her car near the warming hut.

  His blood went cold when he spotted a clear boot print in the soil. The tread was thick cut, more like a military or tactical boot than the gear worn by the crew. He held his foot near the mark and judged it of a similar size. He followed the trail of those distinct footprints where they joined the tire tracks.