by Regan Black
“You’ll figure it out,” Jarvis assured him. “You always do.”
* * *
All day long Mia had ridden the high of that kiss, reliving the feel and taste of Jarvis’s mouth. Her dreams had been delightful, if a bit unsatisfying. It was a shock how one intense embrace could give her this renewed sense of self as a woman apart from motherhood.
She’d gone out to offer him breakfast and found the truck empty. But the text message that came through informing her he’d picked up her car reassured her that he hadn’t walked all the way back to the ranch.
The second text message he’d sent was no comfort at all.
Custody hearing was a trap. Your car has been towed due to a flat tire. More later.
She’d thanked him by text and spent the next hour stewing over what to do about Regina before taking Silas out for a long walk to clear her head.
As much as she enjoyed the ranch, she couldn’t stay out here indefinitely. She was basically squatting on Colton property—not a great look for an aspiring real-estate agent. More than that, she was already too fond of Jarvis.
Fond. What a flimsy word for all the things he made her feel.
He’d taken care of her without undermining or minimizing her concerns. He’d given her a peaceful sense of safety and security she hadn’t experienced in years. She’d always seen herself as the bold one, going out and striving for her goals. She’d never realized how much she enjoyed solitude or how much she missed it after Regina had stormed into her life.
Self-assessment could be a pain.
She rubbed Silas’s back as she walked along, her stride parallel with the mountain range in the distance. Emotionally, in her heart, she’d been a mother the moment the pregnancy test showed positive. Roderick had asked her to end the pregnancy. Ending the marriage had been the only solution.
Divorce had meant facing more disappointment in her father’s eyes, but once she started to show, his excitement over being a grandfather had eclipsed everything else. Silas’s arrival had rebuilt a bridge that Regina had nearly destroyed with her manipulative nature. Mia had never expected to be in this position a second time, isolated from family and a trustworthy support network. Of course, with Regina around, anything was possible.
Once more, Mia debated putting the video out there. Sending it directly to her father would cut him to the core. If he even saw it. Mia had no doubt Regina was screening Norton’s email. Through the years, several emails and text messages to her father had gone missing before he’d read them, causing all sorts of communication issues that made Mia look like a problem child.
The family court email only proved Regina must have had skills or expert help to twist Mia’s next attempt at making contact into whatever form suited her stepmother. Silas was safe in her arms, but her father was not. Until she was sure her father could be protected, she couldn’t expose Regina’s infidelity to the world. They were still at an impasse.
Returning to the bunkhouse, Mia tucked her sleeping son into his car seat and then opened her laptop. She started a file, writing down everything she recalled from her conversation with Jarvis, eager to explore how she might help him. She found it sweet and a bit curious that he believed so strongly in the validity of his grandfather’s stories. If she could help him sort out his search, it would make her feel like the scales were closer to even.
She started with the easy stuff, details he probably already had, locating online birth records for Jarvis and his siblings. From there, she easily traced his family tree to Isaiah. The further back she went, the closer to Isaiah’s grandfather, Herman Colton, the murkier the official documentation got. Fortunately, the publications in and around Mustang Valley had been scanned and enhanced online. In those websites, she searched for family notes and random articles about the people of the era. Some mentioned Herman’s brother Eugene; others called the two men cousins.
Which was it? Jarvis would need to know. A tighter family relationship might give him a better chance to make a claim to the ranch, no matter what evidence Herman had buried out here. Her real-estate classes covered a bit about inheriting and selling properties, but he would definitely need an attorney if he planned to go up against Payne and his family.
After the next predictable interruption from Silas, she started to backtrack through the land sale records. She worked her way from the most current tax records until she reached older documents that had been scanned into the system. It would be nice to see these in person, but she did her best to decipher the increasingly faded handwriting and drawings of the land parcels involved on each deed.
She came across a registered deed of sale between Herman Colton and a T. Ainsley. Payne’s first wife had been Tessa Ainsley. It was entirely possible the Ainsley on the deed was one of her ancestors. Wouldn’t that be something, for Payne to have married a descendant of the family who’d had ownership of the property generations ago?
The sale covered more than half of Herman’s acreage and all of his livestock at the time. Maybe dementia ran in the family and Herman had forgotten or been confused. That didn’t explain the poker game or the deal between Herman and Eugene. Maybe Eugene had forged Herman’s signature. She pressed her fingers to her temples. Anything was possible while this part of the country was being settled and developed.
Mia took a screenshot to share with Jarvis later and leaned back in her chair. Without knowing which year the poker game occurred, she couldn’t be sure if this information validated Isaiah’s story or affirmed Payne’s ownership of the land. Assuming the registered sale was legitimate, she might have just eliminated any reason for Jarvis to keep looking for confirmation of his grandfather’s story. Would he give up?
She didn’t think so. His dark eyes had been bright with curiosity and intent as he told her the story. She’d been honored that he shared it with her. Jarvis didn’t seem the type to open up with just anyone.
“And who would I tell anyway?” she said to Silas, brushing her nose to his.
She kept digging. Eugene and Herman had started with parcels that had shared a border, each man expanding as successful seasons allowed. It would be interesting if she could track down the livestock records, as well.
With the original property borders in mind, and the information Jarvis had shared, she shifted her focus one more time to try to narrow down his search parameters. Naturally, he’d been working off Isaiah’s story, supposedly passed down from Herman himself. She thought that was odd, in and of itself.
By the time Jarvis sent a text that he was on his way over with dinner, she had what she thought were two excellent target areas.
Surely, a possible treasure hunt was why she was so excited when she heard a truck approaching. Yeah, right. Why did she even try to lie to herself? Jarvis was the reason butterflies were performing complicated aerial maneuvers in her stomach.
“How’s it going?” he asked, striding up to the bunkhouse, a big smile on his face.
She’d known her car had been the only casualty at the courthouse, and still a rush of relief poured through her that Regina hadn’t hurt him. His presence filled her with a beautiful happiness. His scent wound around her, mingling with something savory in the bag he carried. Even Silas kicked his legs happily, his face turning toward Jarvis’s voice.
“We’ve been productive,” she said.
“No nasty texts or emails?”
“All clear on that front.”
“That’s good.” He paused and she wished he’d kiss her. “If a little surprising,” he said as he unpacked the food.
She agreed. After Jarvis foiled Regina’s plans at the courthouse, she’d expected a barrage of threats, either directly from Regina or from her fake family court template.
“Where’d you get the truck?” she asked.
“It’s a loaner from the ranch.”
“But you said—”
Jarvis smi
led and tickled Silas’s bare foot. “This one is so low-tech no one cares where it is. It was never GPS tagged.” His eyes met hers. “I triple-checked.”
She peered past him through the open doorway. The truck was in rough shape, with a dent behind the passenger door and spots of rust around the wheel wells. “You’ll leave me that one?” she asked.
“No. Keep my truck for now. There will be fewer questions if I’m using the old model.” At the table he unpacked the meal. “The garage called to let me know the tire was replaced today, but they can hold on to the car for you. I wish we could’ve taken it to the police station for evidence collection.”
“You brought enough food for an army,” she observed. There was no sense repeating herself about why they shouldn’t involve the police yet. Until she had something more substantial than the classic bitter-stepdaughter story, she would keep the threats under wraps.
Jarvis pegged his hat on a hook by the door. “I wanted to eat with you tonight. Unless you need me on sway duty.”
It took her a second to register the meaning, and then she laughed. “We’re all set here. He just ate.”
Jarvis’s warm gaze drifted over her and a slow smile curled his sinfully sexy mouth. “Then we should catch up.”
He’d brought barbecue and corn bread, along with fresh salad and steamed veggies. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I loaded up a bit of everything.”
“It’s perfect. Now stop stalling and tell me all about what happened at the courthouse.”
His brow furrowed. “I’m glad you didn’t go.” He shoved his fork into the pile of shredded meat but didn’t lift the bite to his mouth. “Whatever she had in mind, I doubt it was pleasant.” He paused long enough to gulp down a bite of the barbecue. “She was waiting for you outside the courtroom, at the window that overlooks the parking lot. Someone else was down there, keeping her informed.” He pulled his phone from his back pocket. “I think this is the guy.”
Mia wiped her fingers on a napkin and picked up the device. She enlarged the picture as far as it would go. “That looks a lot like the man she was with at the country house.”
“Thought it might be,” Jarvis muttered. “Assuming he was invited, we can’t go after him for trespassing.”
“Correct.” She poked at her salad. “You’re sure she didn’t see you?”
He spread his arms wide and grinned. “She was looking for you and the baby, not a random cowboy. She completely ignored my existence.”
She appreciated the way he made her laugh, despite the fear rattling her nerves. “This really is above and beyond the call of cowboy assistance.”
“I’m not so sure,” he said.
Seeing the kissable smirk on his lips made it tough to stay on her side of the table. When would she find her perspective? She couldn’t keep turning one errant kiss into something significant. He’d initially helped her for the sake of the ranch and now he felt obligated to see it through. It didn’t exactly make for a level playing field.
“Maybe you should bail on the party,” she suggested.
“No.” He shook his head. “I’m more curious than ever, and you want an eyes-on report about your dad.”
“If she gets suspicious, you could be in trouble. I should go and force her hand.”
“Judging by what I saw today, that woman was born calculating and mean,” he stated. “Her suspicions are the least of my worries. I promise I’ll look good enough that Selina won’t let me out of her sight and so different from a working cowboy that Regina will have no idea that she passed me in the courthouse today.”
He looked pretty damn hot right now, but she kept the observation to herself. She had to believe in him. “I added the video file to my cloud folder at my attorney’s office.” She hadn’t meant to bring that up, but someone trustworthy should know. “Along with the fake custody email that came through last night.”
“Does your attorney check that folder? Will he take action?”
“Only if I request it. I just wanted you to know so if something happens...”
“Nothing will happen.” His voice rumbled through the cabin like thunder. “At the party I’ll speak with your dad and make sure he’s feeling well and sounds like himself. If I can gather any more information, I’ll do that, too. Then we’ll make a plan to get you out of here and safely back to your life.”
She was sure he didn’t mean to hurt her feelings, but she felt as if he was pushing her away, nudging her along like a willful steer. Chances were good she was too sensitive and too lonely out here to accurately interpret what Jarvis did or didn’t mean by every other word. He’d helped her and she’d done something to help him, as well.
“Speaking of plans,” she began, pausing to snag another piece of the corn bread. “I worked my way through the land records and have some suggestions about where you might want to search.”
“Tell me you found a land survey with an X on it, signed by Herman.”
She laughed. “If it were that easy, you’d have found it without my help.” She told him her theories on the landmarks and how they might have changed through the years. As well as where the original boundary had probably been.
He drummed his fingers on the table, repeating the pattern when Silas turned toward the sound. She melted a little at the effortless way he engaged with her baby. A string of “if onlys” raced through her mind and she yanked herself back to reality. Jarvis wasn’t her Mr. Right just because he was within reach and kissed her senseless. He wasn’t going to fall in love with her because they’d traded secrets and family drama.
Determined to be as good a friend to him as he’d been to her, she told him about the registered sale between Herman and T. Ainsley.
“How can both be true?” he wondered. “If Herman sold the land, why pass on the story about it being stolen?”
“Bad blood between the brothers? Signatures were hardly verified back then the way they are now.”
“A forgery?” A frown creased his brow. “Yeah, I guess that’s possible.”
He went quiet, lost in his thoughts while she cleaned up the remnants of their dinner and bagged the trash.
“I’ll keep looking.”
She startled at the sound of his voice and they both chuckled. “I thought you’d say that. I’m glad.” She wanted to ask if he’d keep kissing her, too, but her typical bravery failed her.
“It’s always been a bit of wild-goose chase, but if I stop now I’ll have to find something else to keep my shoulders in shape.”
His shoulders looked perfect to her.
“Will you be okay out here tonight?”
“Of course.”
He studied her face, and then shocked her by reaching out and nudging her chin up. “No circles under your eyes.” She might believe it was a clinical assessment if not for the heat in his gaze. “And it looks like you got some sun today.”
She should move out of his reach, but her body refused to cooperate. “We went for a walk, not far, but fresh air helps him nap.”
“I could stay.” He released her chin. “You might need a break overnight.”
If he stayed, she’d want to spend every spare minute awake, in his arms, learning what pleased him and savoring every pleasure his sexy mouth and strong hands could create. “It sounds almost like you enjoy being with my son.”
“He’s cute.” Jarvis hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “I enjoy you more,” he said, his voice loaded with charm. “You’re beautiful, Mia.” He touched his lips to hers in a soft, fleeting kiss that left her feeling cheated.
She caught his shirt and drew him close. “Want to give that one more try?”
“I want to do more than try,” he confessed, his rasping tone scraping away any pretense. He covered her mouth with his, his tongue sliding with hers in a hot caress that shot tingles straight to her toes, hitting all points in bet
ween.
It had been years since she’d felt an all-consuming desire like this. She and Roderick had fallen into a nice and predictable pattern. Enjoyable enough. Or so she’d thought.
She let herself loose, willing to cede control to Jarvis while her knees trembled and her heart raced. This was something altogether new and exciting. She dropped her head back as his lips traced her jaw, kissing, nipping and soothing a path down her throat.
“Mia,” he whispered her name against the pulse throbbing at the base of her neck and she shivered. “You feel... I want... This is crazy.”
“The best kind,” she agreed. “Don’t stop.” Her breasts ached as desire arced through her like an electrical current. She pressed closer to the hard wall of his chest and moaned at the contact, relishing the sweet friction.
His hands molded to her hips, eased higher over her rib cage. One of his hot palms cupped her breast, stroking and teasing her through her T-shirt and bra. It was enough to bring her right to the edge.
“Please, Jarvis.” She kissed him again and worked his shirt free of his jeans. Her reward was the incomparable feel of warm skin and crisp hair over slabs of mouthwatering muscle.
He trapped her hand, his breathing ragged as he retreated. “We can’t.”
She opened her eyes to find him watching her too closely. She arched an eyebrow in query.
“We shouldn’t,” he amended. “Seriously.” He looked around, his gaze as hot and bewildered as she felt. That was a small consolation that she wasn’t in this alone, but it steadied her.
“The baby,” he said desperately.
“Is asleep,” she pointed out. She reached up and smoothed a hand over his cheek, loving the feel of his whiskers against her palm. She loved every nuance and discovery Jarvis allowed. He had so many textures and layers beneath that rough-and-ready exterior. “And he’s too young to remember anything he might see.”
She clamped her lips shut and didn’t protest when he stepped back. Pride would not allow her to beg for the connection or passion he wasn’t ready to give.
