Colton Cowboy Jeopardy

by Regan Black

  Needs and temptation aside, it wasn’t fair to push him when she didn’t know where she would end up. But it would’ve been amazing. Would be amazing, she reminded herself. She just had to be patient because Jarvis would keep his word about being all hers when this was over.

  Mia looked at the calendar displayed on her computer screen and wondered exactly when “over” would get here.

  Regina was still out there, still pushing and working the rumor mill to undermine Mia’s credibility and her relationship with her dad. Nearly a month had passed and nothing outside of this bunkhouse felt safe.

  It was an illusion. Temporary. Just because she didn’t know what would crop up next, didn’t mean she could keep leaning on Jarvis’s kindness and kisses. When she’d divorced, she expected it would take years to find a man worthy of her affection and her son’s trust. Finding them, Jarvis had changed everything from her relationship time line to uncovering a well of desire she’d never known before.

  She shook off the wayward thoughts. There were far more important things to think about than the day she would finally get intimate with Jarvis.

  Aggravated and restless, Mia opened the front door of the bunkhouse, making sure the sunlight wouldn’t disrupt Silas’s nap. The fresh air and open country should feel full of promise. This rugged land was beautiful, but it was time to make a move. She had a son to raise, a career to launch. It was impractical to think she could move out of town and stay safe. At some point, someone would recognize her and Regina would start her threats all over again.

  Jarvis had asked her to give Spencer time. And why not? It wasn’t like she had anywhere to be. Maybe once he verified the information in the file, he’d have a suggestion about how she should proceed.

  Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she checked the alert on her screen. It was a text from her father. At least from his number, she thought grimly.

  Mia, I need to see you.

  What’s wrong, Dad?

  I’m afraid Regina has done something unforgivable.

  Mia’s heart soared with hope, even as logic insisted it was most likely another one of Regina’s traps.

  Are you in town?

  She hesitated, wishing she could be sure it was really her father sending these messages.

  Yes. Call me.

  I can’t. I’m so sick my throat’s raw. I think Regina put something in my breakfast.

  What? Her heart slammed against her rib cage. Another text came through before she could ask any questions or suggest he call an ambulance.

  Honey, have you been hiding from my wife?

  Could her dad have finally figured out he’d married a crocodile in designer clothing?

  Please meet me at the house. Regina will be away for another hour. Bring the baby and let’s talk this out. If you have evidence against Regina bring that, too.

  That last line gave her a moment’s pause. But if Spencer had reached out about the college fund, it made sense. This was an opportunity to gain an advantage.

  Dad, where did we spend my eighth birthday?

  In Disneyland. You went nuts for the princess parade. Hurry, honey. I need you.

  OMW

  Mia closed her laptop, her latest search unfinished. She shoved supplies into the diaper bag and called Jarvis. He didn’t answer. She’d try again from the car and apologize when she got back. She couldn’t not go to her father.

  Moving as quickly as possible, she buckled Silas in to the car seat. Looping the diaper bag and her purse over her arm, she headed for the truck. Mia drove toward the house as fast as she dared, eyeing the clock. He hadn’t given her much time. She’d known Regina was bad news from day one and finally—finally—her father’s eyes had been opened to his wife’s true nature. Using the hands-free option, she called Jarvis again and left a message this time.

  “We’ll take Grandpa to the hospital,” she told Silas. She would insist on a full blood workup, an analysis of what had made him sick and a plan to flush it out of his system. The police could meet them there and take his statement. Jarvis’s brother could smooth the way for that solution.

  Oh, the idea of reclaiming her stable, loving relationship with her dad put a smile on her face as she parked the truck in the driveway. With Silas in his car seat, her purse and diaper bag over her shoulder, she rushed to the front door. Her father had left it unlocked; she didn’t even need to use her code. That shouldn’t have been such a high point, but it was. She and her father had been at odds for so long.

  “Regina,” she said, stopping short in the foyer. “How nice to see you.”

  “Is it?” She sneered. The woman who’d been a thorn in Mia’s side for too many years, who’d effectively wedged her out of her father’s life, aimed a gun at her. “Welcome home.”

  Dread flared along her spine, turned her palms damp with nervous sweat. “What are you doing?” She tucked the carrier behind her back to shelter Silas. “Where’s Dad?”

  “Upstairs, asleep. He’s not as young as he used to be.”

  “He called me,” she began. Her voice faltered when Regina laughed. “No, my dear, he sent you a text message.” Keeping the gun steady in one hand, she held up a device and wagged it side to side. “Look familiar?”

  Mia’s stomach cramped. Both the phone and the gun her father kept in a lockbox in the bedroom were familiar. She’d known better and made a serious miscalculation, anyway. “What have you done?”

  “Only what’s necessary to protect my husband and his interests.”

  “Your interests, more like.”

  She shrugged one shoulder. “Your father and I are more frequently on the same page when it comes to you.” She leaned a bit to the side. “And your brat.”

  “How did you answer the Disney question so well?” She had to keep Regina talking. She had to buy time for Jarvis to see that she’d called or for the housekeeper to come home or another miracle. Any miracle that would prevent Regina from killing her and Silas.

  “Since you had the baby, your father will not shut up about your childhood. He pores over those scrapbooks every night.” Her heart pounded in her chest. She absolutely believed Regina would pull that trigger. And she’d get away with it because Mia had walked right into the trap with her son. So many violent, furious thoughts ran through her head that she was tongue-tied.

  “You were invited here for one purpose, Mia.” Regina stared at her over the barrel of the gun. “Give me that damned video and anything else you think you’ve got on me.”

  “I don’t have the video.”

  Regina rolled her eyes. “Cooperation is your only play,” Regina snapped. “You’ve lost. You’ll hand over your phone and give me all the links to where you’ve stashed copies. Do it now and I’ll spare your son.”

  “No. I don’t believe you.” It wouldn’t be that easy. “You’ve threatened him too often already.”

  Regina’s eyes went wide and she gave a little scream but the gun remained on Mia. “All the more reason to cooperate. You have no power here. Give me all of your supposed evidence and your father won’t die today.”

  Mia forced herself to speak her worst fear. “You’ve killed him already.”

  “Oh, Mia. You’ve thought the worst of me from the start. I love him. I’d never hurt him.”

  “Save it,” Mia snapped. “You’re an evil, manipulative excuse for a human being.”

  Regina lowered the gun slightly, her mouth agape. “I can’t decide if you’re too stupid or too brave. If I’m so terrible, you should damn well cooperate with me.”

  “Never.” Mia held her ground. “You’ve done enough damage to this family.”

  “You selfish tramp!” Regina screamed. Her lips twisted into a grotesque snarl. “After everything I’ve put up with since marrying Norton. You have no power here. No room to negotiate.”

  She stalked across th
e room, the gun a very real threat between them. “You always do everything Daddy says. I know you brought that video with you. Along with anything else you think will turn him against me.”

  Mia took brief comfort in Regina’s use of present tense when speaking about Norton. Maybe he was still alive.

  Her comfort shifted to alarm as Regina stalked closer and, using the threat of the gun, forced her out of the foyer toward the front room, shoving her to the floor. The car seat landed with a thump and Mia sheltered Silas as best she could.

  Grabbing Mia’s purse, Regina stepped back, dumping out the contents. “Why do people hail mothers as saints?” she muttered. “This is a mess.” She snatched Mia’s phone and then glared into Mia’s face. “You are a mess. What is the code?”

  Mia gave it to her. She’d used a new phone, one strictly for business when she’d caught Regina with another man at the country house. And, just as Regina assumed, she’d stored the incriminating video on the cloud. Two separate servers, in fact, with one copy in the hands of the police. She was tempted to tell Regina all of that, but she’d made enough mistakes today.

  Regina swore when she didn’t find the video. “Where is it?”

  “You have the wrong phone,” Mia said calmly.

  Regina’s face contorted with rage. “I’ve always hated you. You’re nothing but a leech.”

  Mia ignored the familiar rant, her mind on how to escape without jeopardizing Silas. “Give me that video and I’ll make sure Norton doesn’t mix up his medications again.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Mia said. “I’m not handing anything over to you until I see my father.”

  Regina cursed a blue streak. “Fine. I’ll indulge you one more time.” She gestured with the barrel of the gun. “The last time,” she added. “Go on upstairs and see him for yourself.”

  Mia moved as slowly as she dared, not wanting to aggravate Regina any more than necessary, yet buying as much time as possible.

  Surely, Jarvis had seen her text by now or picked up her message. Yes, he’d be furious that she’d fallen for Regina’s trap, but when she didn’t call, he’d follow up. He’d find her.

  She had to believe in him. That faith was the only thing keeping her heart beating in her chest. Fear for Silas was a beast, clawing at her gut. She had to find a way to prove she wasn’t merely a spoiled brat and that Regina was the monster.

  * * *

  Jarvis’s shovel sliced into the earth and metal clanged hard against metal. The vibration ringing up his arms froze him in place. His breath stalled, trapped in his chest, until it exploded on an exhale.

  “I’ll be damned.” Mia was right.

  Of course she was. She’d thrown herself into his search, pulling strings and piecing together leads that he hadn’t considered. Maybe she should give up real estate for treasure hunting.

  Dropping the shovel, he fell to his knees and scraped dirt away from the top of an old metal box. He eased the box from its resting place and stared at it as shock and potential rippled through his system. Pulling a bandanna from his back pocket, he poured water on the fabric and rubbed the top of the box clean. His heart pounded as the H.C. scratched into the surface was revealed. “Just like Isaiah said.”

  His grandfather’s story flitted through his mind. “You weren’t crazy, Granddad.” And by default, Jarvis wasn’t, either.

  Herman Colton had dug into this earth generations ago, and buried this box for his sons and their sons. Could there really be evidence inside that this massive, thriving enterprise belonged to Jarvis and his siblings now?

  A chill ran through him and Jarvis sat down hard, suddenly afraid to open it. This could change everything. Or nothing. His sister and brother weren’t into the Triple R. Jarvis was currently the only cowboy in the immediate family.

  He tried to imagine Asher’s face, hearing that Jarvis was the new owner. Jarvis didn’t want to be the boss. He couldn’t work this place any better than Asher. Hell, he wasn’t ready to take sole responsibility of an operation this size. He scrubbed at his face as hope and fear zinged through him in equal measure.

  The contents, assuming they confirmed Isaiah’s story, would put the long-ignored Colton triplets on the map. A complete reversal of fortune. Their parents would have flipped out.

  It was dumb to sit here wondering after investing so much time in the search. The answers were at his fingertips now. His hands shook as he reached for the lock and he pulled back. Mia should see this. She’d suggested this place, and finding the box was as much her victory as his.

  If there were documents inside, it was probably better to open this in the presence of a lawyer. And somewhere other than outside under the bright sunshine, where the breeze might carry off something important.

  Carefully setting aside the box, he picked up the shovel and filled in the hole. With the location marked on the app, just in case someone challenged his claim, he secured the box behind his saddle and rode for the bunkhouse.

  “Mia!” he called as he pulled Duke to a stop. He tempered his excitement and lowered his voice, worried about waking Silas from a nap. It was such a “honey, I’m home” kind of moment, but he didn’t care. Didn’t even feel awkward about it.

  “Mia, you were right,” he said softly as he opened the door. He stopped and stared around the space. She wasn’t here. The baby wasn’t here. The blanket where he napped was near the bed. Her computer was on the table, closed.

  His blood ran cold. Had Regina found her? He tore around to the back. The truck was gone. That didn’t necessarily mean she’d left on her own. Maybe she’d gone for a drive so Silas would sleep. She might even be scoping out another likely search site.

  That worried him. He saw a missed call from her number, but no voice mail. Sometimes those alerts were slow out here. He sent her a text that he’d found the box. With luck, that would bring her back sooner rather than later.

  Unable to stand it any longer, he broke the lock and opened the box. There were letters and some old, grainy photographs and a Bible. The writing had faded with time, but most of it was still legible. His hands trembled when he realized he held the original deed for a chunk of Triple R land.

  He read a letter from Herman and could almost smell the liquor on his ancestor’s breath. It rambled on and on, not bothering to be tactful at all or hide his contempt for Eugene’s poor character. Herman alleged that not only had Eugene reneged on the plan to reclaim property lost in the card game, he had also forged Herman’s signature on a second sale of land to T. Ainsley. It was a slice of his family history, possibly true, but not likely to hold up in court against the documentation Mia had found on file.

  The surge of relief startled him.

  Jarvis carefully opened the old Bible, mindful of the cracked leather cover. He squinted at the births and deaths listed on the fragile front pages. Tucked inside was a piece of paper. Unfolding it, he smiled at a Colton family tree.

  Herman and Eugene weren’t brothers at all. The men had been cousins, he noted, tracking the names and marriages, the children that followed. The revelations in the collection of letters, the names and important dates of people he’d never known left ripples across his soul, changing his mind about the kind of family he came from.

  He tucked everything back into the box. He wasn’t comfortable leaving it out here unattended. Where were Mia and Silas? She hadn’t replied to his text and he was getting restless. Had the baby gotten sick?

  He tried to call her and got a service error. Better to stow the box in his room until he figured out what had happened to Mia. He and Duke weren’t far from the main stable when his phone chirped from his shirt pocket. A voice-mail alert showed up from Mia’s number. He scrambled to listen to the message.

  “Hi. Dad thinks Regina poisoned him. Had to go. I’ll call when I know more.”

  Jarvis swore, urging Duke into a gallop, his heart thunder
ing with the worst-case scenarios. Regina was behind this. Had to be. Every minute gave that witch an advantage, but he couldn’t ride hard and talk on the phone at the same time.

  Reaching the stable, he handed off Duke to Jimmy with his apologies. Box under his arm, he called Spencer as he ran for the old ranch truck. “I think Mia’s in trouble,” he said without preamble. “Can you meet me at Norton Graves’s place?”

  “What kind of trouble?” his brother queried.

  “You’ve been through the file I sent? You saw the threats her stepmom made?”

  “Yes. In fact, I called Regina this morning and asked her to come in and talk.”

  Jarvis swore. That was the catalyst. “Supposedly, Mia’s dad asked her to come over with the baby. I don’t have evidence yet of a crime in progress, but it smells like a setup.” Would that be enough for Spencer?

  “On my way.”

  “Thanks.”

  At his truck, Jarvis placed Herman’s box under the dash on the passenger side and tossed a towel over it. Then he drove as fast as the old engine would go to Norton’s house, using his speakerphone option to call Mia. She didn’t pick up, so he called again. And again. As dread pooled in his gut, he kept trying her phone, praying the next time she’d answer.

  Every minute felt like an hour. Though he tried to put his churning emotions into context, he knew he wouldn’t calm down until he saw Mia and Silas healthy and whole.

  * * *

  “See. I told you he was fine,” Regina said.

  Mia watched her father’s chest rise and fall. “What did you give him?”

  “Nothing fatal.” Regina’s smile could curdle milk. “This time.”

  “How do you expect to get away with this?” Mia demanded. If she could keep her talking she could find an opening. Where was Jarvis?

  “You’ve been gone, out of sight, no contact for weeks. Your poor father has nearly worried himself to death.” She cackled. “He’ll be so disappointed to hear you relocated and refused to visit. Don’t worry, I’ll be here to soothe him through your heartless betrayal.”