Colton's Twin Secrets

by Justine Davis

  He gave her a wry tilt of his head and a half shrug. “I didn’t want to put it like that. But yes. It might not have gone so well if I’d had to worry about you and the twins, too.”

  “I trust you, Dante. And I trusted you to take care of yourself so that I could take care of the girls.”

  “And that,” he said, “is what I’m really thanking you for. Trusting me.”

  “And you trusted me, with them.” She glanced over to make sure the girls were still secure in their car seats. She’d had to make a quick decision and had driven away with them belted into the front seat until she was three blocks away, then she’d stopped and put them into their car seats.

  All the while she’d been playing back in her head the single shot she’d heard. Dante shooting? Or being shot at?

  Stay away until I call you...

  She had spent a shaky few minutes wondering what she’d do if that call never came. Wondering if she was tough enough to deal with what Dante faced every day. Tough enough to kiss him goodbye every morning, never knowing for sure that he’d come back.

  For an instant Dev flashed through her mind. His life had been easy, and now that she could see him more honestly, she knew he was more than a bit spoiled, too used to getting everything he wanted and having things his own way. She knew that because she could see an uncomfortable amount of that in herself, in her own life, and she didn’t ever want to end up like Dev, smug and entitled.

  Dante will see to that. He’ll never let you end up like that. Just the life you’ll live with him will make sure you never do.

  She had never realized before how much she had always counted on being in control of her life. She would marry whom she wanted, have kids when she wanted, all of it on her terms. Part of this was probably, she admitted, in response to Layla’s situation, which she herself would find intolerable.

  And yet...here she was, loving the chaos of life with Dante and the girls. She thought of that night when she’d come out of the kitchen after clearing away the dinner debris—her turn, since he had cooked—wondering where he was. She’d found him on the living room floor, Zita asleep on his chest and Lucia cuddled up beside him, also asleep, and he’d given her that rueful, crooked grin that never failed to kick her pulse into overdrive. She’d pulled her phone out and snapped a photo, knowing as she did it that she’d keep that one forever.

  She hadn’t planned it. But here she was, with two kids and the man she loved, a package deal, as Dante had said. And she realized that while in her life she had almost always gotten what she wanted, what she wanted had changed. And it was right here in front of her.

  “You know,” she said after they’d gotten the stroller—after a discussion about whether it was evidence—loaded up and were sitting in the car, “you really may have to rethink your approach.”

  He went very still. “Approach...to what?”

  “Life in general and your job specifically.”

  He looked at her then. “For instance?” His voice was a little tight.

  “I only meant you might need to rethink, because it’s not like when it was only you. You have to take care of yourself. You have a family now.” He blinked. She smiled and went on softly. “A family that will be everything yours wasn’t. Loving, supportive—” she grinned then “—honest.”

  She saw the flicker of a smile. “Now there’s a concept.”

  “And we would be lost without you. So I’m just saying, err on the side of caution now.”

  He was silent for a long moment before he said softly, “We?”

  “Of course we. Oh, and if you can hurry your fellow cops along on that Groom Killer—who is not Demi, by the way—that would be good, too.”

  “Sounds like you have...plans.”

  “I do. And I tend to get what I want.” His mouth twitched. “Of course,” she went on in that airy tone that almost always made him smile, “once I was confused about what that was. I’m not anymore.”

  “I was never confused,” he said quietly. “I just never thought I could have what I wanted.”

  “Well, I’m glad we got that resolved, then,” she said briskly. She looked over her shoulder at the twins, who were being oddly quiet. “And you two are going to grow up with your uncle’s values, not your parents’.”

  Before she could turn back, Dante’s hands were cupping her face, and an instant later he was kissing her. Deeply, fiercely. And then it changed, to something sweet and gentle and promising forever.

  She wasn’t sure which of the girls made the crowing sound, but it was Zita who started her little singsong again. Dante broke the kiss to look at his nieces.

  “Get used to it,” he growled at them.

  They both giggled, not in the least intimidated. Gemma laughed. Dante gave her that crooked grin she adored.

  A family again, they headed home.

  * * *

  It was a couple of days later when Dante arrived home a bit late. She hadn’t been particularly worried—she knew he was entangled in a ton of reports and paperwork—but something about his expression when he’d come in had her looking at him curiously.

  He got Flash, who was no longer limping despite his unexpected run, settled in, kissed the girls hello, then straightened to face her. And pulled a box about four inches square, tied with a big gold bow, out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her.

  “It’ll have to do for now,” he said softly.

  Gemma tugged on the ribbon. Lifted the lid. Burst into joyous laughter and threw her arms around the man she loved.

  It was a teething ring.

  * * * * *

  Look out for

  the next installment of the

  Coltons of Red Ridge miniseries,

  The Pregnant Colton Witness by Geri Krotow,

  available in October 2018!

  And don’t miss the previous

  Coltons of Red Ridge stories,

  all available now from Harlequin Romantic Suspense!

  His Forgotten Colton Fiancée by Bonnie Vanak

  Colton’s Cinderella Bride by Lisa Childs

  The Colton Cowboy by Carla Cassidy

  Colton and the Single Mom by Jane Godman

  Colton K-9 Bodyguard by Lara Lacombe

  Colton’s Deadly Engagement by Addison Fox

  Colton Baby Rescue by Marie Ferrarella

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Conard County Watch by Rachel Lee.

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  Conard County Watch
>
  by Rachel Lee

  Chapter 1

  The rosy, early-morning sunlight struck the cliff face in Wyoming at an angle, heightening shadows and shapes. The mystical moment between night and day, when secrets revealed themselves to eyes trained to see.

  The cracks and lines in the rock face were mostly sharp, barely weathered in the year since Thunder Mountain had shaken to open up this fresh cleft in its lower slope. Rock had been exposed for the first time in millennia, and with it treasures untold.

  Paleontologist Renee Dubois stood somewhat precariously on broken and tumbled rocks at the base of the cliff. The cleft was narrow, one side a thirty-foot-high rock face, the other what she thought of as the tooth, shorter and thinner. The part that had broken away. The narrow space between them gave just enough room in which to work.

  With her digital camera, she took photos every fifteen seconds or so, but her eyes were far busier than her camera. Watching the shadows shift as the sun rose revealed an ever-changing view that brought out some shapes as others faded slowly into the background, and filled her with constantly freshening amazement.

  Excitement fluttered in the pit of her stomach. When Gray Cloud, an old family friend, had brought her out here last fall to see what the mountain had revealed, she had known in her gut that this was wondrous. Now she looked forward to a whole summer to work on it with the tribe’s permission as long as she took care to observe that this ground was sacred, and as long as she promised to return any human bones to the tribe.

  Sixty-five million years at least, she thought, staring at the lower layers that yielded only bits of their secrets. Secrets that may well allow her to prove her pet theory...or that might dash it by the end of the summer. Either way, the outcome would be important. Either way she would learn. Either way she would make some marvelous discoveries with her team.

  She shifted a bit on the unsteady stones and balanced herself again, taking photos from a slightly different angle. The light was still changing, but only at times like this could human eyes begin to appreciate just how fast this planet was spinning. In no time at all, full daylight would be born, the shadows would reveal so much less, and the mystery would retreat behind the ordinary.

  When Denise arrived, Renee would have her come out here at dawn and sketch this all onto a grid, then match it to the photos. Only when the search area was perfectly documented could they begin to brush away rock and loose dirt.

  But something caught her attention, and even though she knew better, she let the camera dangle from its neck strap and pulled a three-inch paintbrush from the rear pocket of her jeans. The bristles were a bit stiff, not too soft to accomplish anything, and she stepped toward the cliff. That little group of straight lines might be an accident, but to her it looked like more.

  Brushing gently at them, removing a light layer of grit to bring them into the foreground, she had to force herself to stop as excitement caused her heart to pound. An egg? A cracked one with the fetal tissue showing? My God.

  She shoved the paintbrush back into her pocket and took quick photographs, hoping to get a few before the daylight washed it out.

  Her hands trembled just a little with her exhilaration and she had to tamp down her eagerness. Every step of this must be done just right or it would all become meaningless. Restraint. She had practiced a lot of it in her career, but for some reason this site endangered her patience.

  Hardly noticed, some small rocks tumbled down from above. She wasn’t surprised. This cleft probably still had some settling to do, but she was glad of her hard hat.

  She drew a couple of deep breaths, reminding herself of the importance of method and methodology. Man, she’d been doing this work long enough that it kind of surprised her that she wanted to get ahead of herself. Giving in to her urge could simply ruin it all.

  The light had begun to turn flatter as the sun rose higher. The minutes of magic had passed. Looking at her feet, she stepped to a firmer perch, ready to resume her study of the revelations.

  Gray Cloud was an elder of the local tribe, but he was also known as the Guardian of Thunder Mountain among his people. This was all sacred space to them, and even though her second cousin was married to the man, she had been astonished by the invitation to investigate. This was not a place the local tribe wanted too many outsiders to visit.

  Just then, a shadow fell across her and the rock face in front of her. Turning quickly, she saw Gray Cloud. The years and the weather had worn his striking face to a dignified set of lines that emphasized his heritage. The years hadn’t diminished his powerful frame, however. Right now he wore a blue Western shirt with his blue jeans and heavy work boots. His long hair was caught in a tie at the base of his skull.

  “Hey,” she said.

  He smiled. “Excited still?”

  “Beyond words. It’s all I can do to keep my hands to myself.”

  “We’re as excited as you are,” he told her. “This history predates our people by millions of years but we’re fascinated, too. That which comes before is a guide to what will come after.”

  An interesting perspective, Renee thought, turning her gaze to the rock cliff again. Usually her work didn’t give her the opportunity to indulge in such thoughts. She had to be focused on details, because details added up to the big picture. But this big picture had been followed by a massive extinction event that no one yet fully comprehended. Some had survived. Others had not. Why the differences?

  Maybe this site would lend some answers to that. “I’m just so thrilled you showed me this and asked me to work on it. Was that a fight for you?” She understood all the good reasons the tribal elders were reluctant to grant access to sacred areas. Perhaps most importantly, non-natives had a way of disrespecting them. Surely the invitation Gray Cloud had extended to her hadn’t come without some disagreement.

  “You are the cousin of my wife,” he said. “I trust you. I know you understand and will make everyone else understand the respect this place requires.”

  She nodded and looked at him once again. “Most of my team will be students in training for this. We’re all taught to be respectful of local culture, and I’ll remind them again if necessary. We don’t want to cause you or your people any upset.”

  He nodded, then looked up toward the top of the mountain. It was, of course, pretty much concealed by trees, but Renee could have sworn she felt it like a brooding presence.

  Her cousin Mercy had warned her. All those years ago she had come to this area to study the returning wolf pack. Here she’d met Gray Cloud. Anyway, Mercy had felt the mountain’s brooding presence, and had spoken of it more than once. Just before Renee came out here, Mercy had called to remind her again. “I swear that mountain is alive.”

  Renee wasn’t ready to go that far, but standing here in its shadow beside Gray Cloud, she found it easier to believe. Too bad Mercy was on a field trip in Mexico, because she’d have loved to have her older cousin here.

  “You know,” said Gray Cloud, his voice reminding her that she wasn’t alone with the mountain, “understanding is often a matter of perspective. The mountain shook and opened its slope to reveal secrets. You can believe that was a mere accident or you can believe there was purpose. My people believe there was purpose. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my wife is your cousin, either. How convenient to have a paleontologist in the family.”

  She let a small laugh escape. “Very convenient. I’m not going to argue with you, Gray Cloud. As a scientist, I subscribe to a different set of beliefs.”

  “I know, but to some extent they’re still beliefs. This cleft wasn’t part of an earthquake. It just split open.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Make of that what you will. It’s going to be an exciting journey of discovery regardless of what either of us believes about the cause of the cleft.”

  She couldn’t disagree with that. Nor did she want to be disrespectful. Gray Cloud
had shown her an extraordinary amount of trust by bringing her here and giving her permission to pull together a team and start peeling back the layers in that rock face. Her fellow professionals dreamed of such opportunities.

  “Did you notice anything yet?” he asked.

  Her excitement level rose again as she pointed. “That looks like an egg with the fetus still in it. When we work it out, we’ll know.”

  “It could help prove your theory.”

  “That these saurians actually lived in family groups? It could. Either way we’re going to learn an awful lot.” She raised her gaze, scanning the rock yet again. “There’s so much here, Gray Cloud. I’ll have to figure out what happened here long ago to leave so many fossils behind.”

  “Maybe the mountain swallowed them.”

  Her gaze snapped toward him and she saw that he was smiling, but behind that smile were worlds of possibilities she didn’t accept. Before she came to paleontology, as an undergrad she’d studied quite a bit of anthropology. She had some grasp of how important mysticism was to the human race. She wasn’t going to question his. Still, the mysteries those dark eyes seemed to offer made her aware that there might be some things missing in her logic-oriented life.

  Then, almost abruptly, she realized she’d been missing an important part of the morning. Closing her eyes, she listened to the breeze ruffle the treetops so far above, and to a chorus of birdsong that sounded happy to be alive.

  Excited as she was to be here, the natural world reminded her that it still existed and that it was beautiful.

  “Renee?”

  A distant cry floated up the side of the mountain. She recognized the voice. “Up here, Cope. Do you need me to come down?”

  “Nah, I can find you.”

  Carter Copeland was a college professor of history who’d been a friend of hers since he left the Marine Corps behind over a year before. They’d met at a conference and had kept in touch with irregular emails. The instant she told him about this project, he volunteered. Not exactly a paleontologist, but he said he learned fast, and he was willing to do the most menial of jobs. Better yet, he’d told her with a laugh, he was free so she could apply her grant money to more important matters. Considering how small most grants were, she felt no urge to look a gift horse in the mouth. Anyway, most of her interns would need to learn a lot, too.