A Colton Target (The Coltons 0f Roaring Springs Book 5)

by Beverly Long

  She didn’t say it as if Tilda was the bad guy. That, in itself, calmed him down some. “She said that Dad came to her parents’ house and threatened that both Tilda and her parents would pay if she pursued a relationship with me.”

  She sighed. “I didn’t realize that he’d threatened her parents. But...but I suspect that Tilda’s recollection is correct. Your father would have used whatever leverage was available to him.”

  “I don’t get it,” he bit out.

  “I didn’t know about the conversation until several weeks after it had happened.” She leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. After a long moment of silence, she finally looked at him again. “Your father wanted what was best for you. Unfortunately, he could only see one definition of best, and that was to join the family business, to take your rightful place in the Colton Empire.” She released a breath. “And when Decker told him that you were considering marrying Tilda Deeds, that dream was threatened. Before he could decide what to do, you had enlisted and were gone. He was furious. But he couldn’t fight the United States Army. So, he lashed out at Tilda. She paid a price for your decision.”

  In so many ways. He was just coming to understand the full consequences of what he’d thought was a decision that had only mattered to him. “Dad bullied her.”

  “Yes. But he didn’t know about the baby. I’m confident of that.”

  Maybe not, but it didn’t make what he’d done right. “He was angry at me for leaving, angry at the army for taking me. But he never thought to look at himself, to understand why I wanted to leave so badly.”

  She stared at her hands, which were clasped together and resting on her desk. “Neither your father nor I are perfect people, and we were not perfect parents or...perfect partners. And there are...situations...that I prefer not to dwell on. I’ve not forgotten, but I’ve moved on because my marriage would not survive anything less.”

  She was talking in euphemisms. But he’d been confident when he was eighteen that his mother knew about his father’s infidelity. The strain it had put on their lives had been palpable. But was that the kind of thing a child, even when that child was now a man, discussed with his mother?

  “I hated what he did,” he said, proving that he, too, was skilled at vague innuendo. “To you. To the family. I hated him.”

  “I know,” she said, looking up. “And, if it’s any consolation, I believe he knows that the choices he made had a profound impact upon his relationship with you. He won’t say it, but I think he wants to fix that. I think that’s why he was so quick to find a solution to your discharge situation.”

  “He owes Tilda an apology.”

  “Does she want that?”

  “She didn’t say that. I suspect she doesn’t. And ultimately, it doesn’t change anything. But I swear to God, if he does anything else to hurt her or scare her, he will regret it.”

  She studied him. “Things are different between the two of you.”

  “I...care about her.” He was not about to tell his mother that he loved her before he’d had the conversation with Tilda.

  “I see. I have to tell you that I’m glad to hear that, son. When we all had lunch together, both of you were trying, but there was a layer of hostility there that no one could ignore. That isn’t the best environment for my grandson to be raised in. You, of all people, know that to be true.”

  He would not make the mistakes his parents had made. And he needed to talk to his dad about this. “When will Dad be back?”

  “Early Saturday.”

  “I have to admit that I was grateful that he was out of town when I first heard this news. I’m not sure what I might have said or done,” Blaine said.

  She gave him a half smile. “You wouldn’t have done anything stupid. Even as a child, you were never impulsive. That’s why I knew that you hadn’t made a mistake when you’d joined the army. Even though everyone else was surprised, I knew that you’d thought it through, weighed the pros and the cons, and determined that it was the best option for you.”

  Best option for him. Not necessarily for everyone else. “I’d have never gone if I’d known about Josh.”

  “Of course not. But now, you can only be forward-focused. And do better than your dad and I did.”

  The one thing he’d already learned was that parenting wasn’t easy. “In the military, there’s a procedure and a process for everything, and soldiers drill constantly. It’s the backbone of the operation. But suddenly, I find myself in a situation where there’s no manual, I’ve had no training for what I’m taking on, and the consequences of me screwing up are the most significant I’ve ever faced.”

  She smiled for real now. “Welcome to parenthood.”

  He stood, feeling drained. “I’m sorry to have barged in.”

  “I’m glad we talked, Blaine. This is not an easy conversation for a parent to have with her child.”

  “I know.”

  “Are we okay?” she asked softly.

  He leaned across the desk and hugged her. No, she hadn’t been a perfect mother. But he loved her. “Of course,” he said. “I love you, Mom.”

  “And I love you,” she said, hugging him back. “Where are you headed?”

  “The Lodge. I need to talk to Decker next.”

  Chapter 19

  Penny waved Blaine in. Still, he offered up a perfunctory knock before walking in.

  “Hey, didn’t expect to see you so early,” Decker said. “Thought you might need a few hours of R&R. Everything okay?”

  “Not great.”

  “Davis James?” his brother asked.

  “No. I need to tell you something.”

  “You’ve got another kid somewhere,” Decker said dryly.

  Blaine rolled his eyes. “Thirteen years ago, I told you that I was going to marry Tilda. And you told Dad.”

  Now Decker looked uncomfortable. “That’s true,” he said. “I’m sorry that I betrayed your confidence. I just knew how furious Dad was going to be, and I thought it made sense for the two of you to have that argument before the deed was already done. But I truly regret what I did, Blaine. I wouldn’t make the same decision today.”

  Blaine knew that. Age and experience had given them both some perspective. “I’m not upset about that. You thought you were protecting me. What I’m mad about is that Dad used that info to threaten Tilda after I left. Threatened her and her parents.”

  Decker let out a sigh, much like their mother had done. “I can’t say that I’m all that surprised. But I am sorry.”

  “Nobody is responsible for Dad’s actions but Dad. I wanted you to know this because you need to understand that Tilda was afraid. She was afraid to tell me about Josh, afraid for any of the Coltons to know that I had a son. She wasn’t mean or vindictive. I know that you...had reservations about her, but they’re unfounded. I don’t want you thinking badly of her any longer.”

  Decker studied him. “You want to make sure that I don’t think badly of your girl.” He paused. “Oh, hell. You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

  “I am,” Blaine confirmed. He wouldn’t spill the beans to his mother, but Decker had always been his best friend. And it felt good to admit it out loud. “I haven’t told her yet. It’s too soon.”

  “Seems to me that you wouldn’t want to waste too much time. Been enough of that.”

  Blaine smiled. “I’ll grant you that I don’t have the killer businessman instinct to propel me forward, but I don’t intend to drag my heels.”

  It was Decker’s turn to grin. “Skye doesn’t think too much of my business ability. She called me this morning. News of the elevator issue had reached her, and she’s panicking about the film festival and a litany of other bad things that have happened. Reservations are down. Substantially.” He used finger quotes around the last word.

  “What did you tell Skye?” Their c
ousin meant well, and she busted her butt for The Chateau, taking her role as the marketing director seriously.

  “I told her to stop worrying. That everything would be fine.”

  “That sounds like a very relaxed response from my type-A brother.”

  “What can I say?” Decker shrugged. “Kendall has given me some perspective about the things that are really important in life.”

  “Good for her. And good for you,” Blaine said.

  “Never underestimate the love of a good woman.”

  Could Tilda love him? Maybe not yet, but this time around, he would earn that love. Blaine stood. “I’m going to get to work. I want to leave on time tonight. I’m assuming there’s nothing new from yesterday’s incident to report since you haven’t said anything.”

  “Nothing. Except a lot of talk among the staff. I guess the good thing is that everybody seems to think that this was way beyond a simple prank. Somebody could have been killed.”

  As in him or Tilda. “I’m grateful that Liam responded to the 9-1-1 call.”

  “Yeah. He’s a good guy. And thorough. He’s combing through camera feeds. And if it’s any consolation, we’re installing a camera in the maintenance area, as well,” Decker said. “A day late and a dollar short.”

  “Who could have anticipated something like this?” Blaine said.

  “I don’t know. But don’t worry, bro. We’re going to be on high alert here. Everybody is looking for Davis James.”

  * * *

  On Friday, she got a chance to confide in Raeann. “Blaine is staying at my house.”

  “In the spare bedroom?” Raeann asked, never one to wait to get to the punch line.

  “Not anymore,” Tilda said. And damn her, she could feel the heat rising in her face. After Josh had gone to bed on Thursday night, Blaine had once again snuck into her room.

  “OMG. You go, girl!” Raeann shrieked, giving her a high five. “I’m really happy for the two of you. What’s next?”

  “We’re sort of living in the moment,” Tilda said. “I think we’re both a little afraid to look too far ahead.”

  “I get that. How’s Josh taking it?”

  “Like it’s no big deal to have Blaine in our house. Kids really do roll with the punches. Of course, we haven’t shared how our relationship has...progressed. Not only is that not a conversation I want to have, I guess I don’t want him to get too used to it,” she admitted, not able to hide the concern that hovered at the back of her brain.

  “Don’t borrow trouble. My mother also used to say that.”

  “I think I would have liked your mother,” Tilda said.

  “She would have loved you,” Raeann answered. “Go home and have some more raucous sex. And I’ll see you tomorrow night. I really hope my dress still zips.”

  * * *

  It was later that day, almost quitting time, when Blaine’s cell phone rang. When he saw it was Liam, he snatched it up. “Hello.”

  “I’ve got good news. We picked up some activity on Davis James’s credit card. He bought a bus ticket in Denver. Not sure of his final destination, but it goes through Omaha, then Chicago, and finally, a couple stops on the East Coast. We do know that a couple hours after the bus left, he charged a meal at a rest stop along the way.”

  Blaine let out a relieved breath. “Any visual confirmation that he left town?”

  “Yeah. We’ve got him on camera at the bus depot in Denver. He was dragging a roller bag along behind him and carrying a hardcover book.”

  Something to keep him busy on a long bus ride. “I’m still confident that he could be the person who messed with the elevator at The Lodge.”

  “I know. And if we get any credible evidence that points in his direction, we’ll make sure and have a conversation with him. But it looks as if he’s going home. It will be nice to know where to find him.”

  Yeah. Davis James was making it easy for them. And that worried Blaine. “Can you keep an eye on that credit card? I’d like to know if he’s continuing to use it.”

  “Of course. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Thanks, Liam. I appreciate it.”

  He could hardly wait to tell Josh and Tilda. He’d checked in earlier with Tilda by text, just to make sure that her day was going well. And had done the same with Josh, once he was out of school.

  Now he signed out of his computer and grabbed his keys. Tilda was making tacos tonight.

  “Good news,” he said twenty minutes later, once he had his coat off.

  “Tacos and good news. What a night,” Josh quipped.

  Tilda rolled her eyes. “Ignore him,” she said.

  “Davis James is on a bus, headed east,” he said.

  “Problem solved?” Josh asked, his tone hopeful. Then, as if the light bulb had gone on, added in a much more serious tone, “Does this mean you’re leaving?”

  “It’s good news and...” He shifted his eyes to look at Tilda. “I was thinking I might stick around for a while. If that’s okay. I mean... I really like tacos.”

  “Yeah, sure,” Josh said, as if he had the deciding vote.

  “Yeah, sure,” she echoed her son, smiling at Blaine. He could feel the warmth in his body. He wanted to see that smile in his bed.

  All night long.

  “Does this mean I can go skiing this weekend?” Josh asked. “I could call Isaac.”

  Even with Davis James on a bus, he didn’t feel all that comfortable letting Josh get too far out of sight. But he also knew that this weekend would be the last for skiing. “Maybe you, your mom and I could go,” he said.

  “Like a family?” Josh asked, likely not realizing how emotionally charged those words might be.

  “Yeah. Just like that,” Blaine said easily. Which was an Emmy Award–winning performance on his part. A week ago he hadn’t been thinking marriage or children. Finding out about Josh had changed everything. He was a dad. And he’d be the best damn one he could be. But marriage? Was that in the cards?

  Would Tilda even be interested? She’d been married once and then single for the last four years. Maybe she preferred the latter?

  He told himself to relax and to breathe. There was plenty of time to sort all this out. Decisions didn’t need to be made today. Other than deciding to go skiing. “We’ll go on Sunday.”

  * * *

  On Saturday morning, Josh slept late. Blaine was working on his laptop at the kitchen table. Tilda sat next to him, drinking a cup of coffee. She was terribly relieved to hear that Davis James had headed out of town. If he’d been responsible for her slashed tires or the horrifying elevator event, as she now referred to it, she hated the idea of him getting away with it. But she hated that significantly less than the idea that he was unaccounted for.

  If Davis James got away and stayed away, fine with her.

  And since he was no longer a threat, she felt significantly better about leaving Josh tonight when she was at The Chateau. She needed to be there by five thirty, and the kids would start to arrive at six. “By the way, I’ve got some turkey and cheese that you and Josh can use for sandwiches tonight. And chips. Josh loves those. Cheesecake for dessert.”

  “Great,” he said, giving her a quick smile.

  He didn’t seem concerned. And Josh was easygoing. They would be fine. Was she fretting because she wanted Blaine to need her more? That was crazy.

  Self-sufficiency was a good thing. For everyone’s sake. Especially Josh’s. He needed to feel that both of his parents were equally confident in providing care. Equally at ease with the idea of hanging out with him.

  Isaac came over in the afternoon and the boys hung out in Josh’s room during the afternoon. Blaine sat in the living room and read a book. A couple times he picked up his smartphone and texted. He didn’t offer any explanation, and she didn’t ask. He had his life. Just because they were sleeping t
ogether, didn’t mean that she was privy to his secrets. He’d said that his relationship with Honor was over and she knew he was telling the truth. Blaine was too honorable to lie about something like that.

  At four o’clock, Isaac left, and Josh took a spot on the couch, next to Blaine. She stood up. “I’m going to go get ready.” She thought she saw a look pass between Josh and Blaine. “What?” she asked.

  They both shrugged and gave her a look that implied that she might be the crazy one. Whatever. She needed to get hot rollers in her hair.

  An hour later, she emerged from the bedroom. Josh was the only one in the living room. He barely looked up from his phone. Made no comment about her dress. Or the makeup she’d labored over. Or the hair that had been set and sprayed to hold for hours.

  It was hell living with a thirteen-year-old boy!

  “Where’s Blaine?” she asked.

  “Had to run an errand,” he said offhandedly.

  Tilda glanced at her watch. She hoped he got back soon because she needed to leave in ten minutes. Josh was old enough to stay by himself, but still, given that Blaine had been so insistent that they stick together the past couple days, it seemed kind of negligent to not be around when he knew that she had another commitment.

  She eased into a chair, being careful not to wrinkle her dress. Had barely gotten seated when there was a knock on the door. She’d given Blaine a key. “I’ll get it,” she said. Davis James was accounted for, but there was no need to be stupid.

  She glanced out the window and saw Blaine’s vehicle. Perhaps he’d forgotten his key. Still, she checked the peephole.

  What in the world...?

  She looked again. Then glanced over her shoulder at Josh, who was no longer staring at his phone but, rather, at her, his face about to split open in a grin. “New plan, sport,” he said.

  It took her a minute. “What’s going on?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe you should open the door, Mom.”

  She did. There was Blaine, in a black tux and white shirt, looking so wickedly handsome that her knees literally seemed weak. He held out the small box he was carrying. Inside was a wrist corsage of baby yellow roses with a dark blue ribbon that would look lovely with her dress.