by Geri Krotow
“It’s fine. Here.” Genevieve took the baby and handed him to Bella as she sat in the chair. “Keep his head supported, yes, like that, and just enjoy his precious little face.” The grandmother love radiated from her.
“Thank you.” Bella stared at little Reed Colton Robertson, and allowed herself the simple pleasure of holding him.
“We read your piece in the Mustang Valley Gabber.” Marlowe spoke as she readjusted her bedclothes. “It was fantastic, and what an honor to your best friend. Gio would be so proud of you, Bella.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” She’d decided to write about why she’d initially joined the pageant, her change of heart about the lack of pretentiousness, save for Selina, and why pageants that offered scholarships and ways for women to improve themselves were important. “I’ve learned a lot from volunteering at the MVED clinic. They’re always looking for volunteers, if you’re ever interested.”
“Thank you. I like how you gave all the resource links for people seeking help for eating disorders and how you explained that while Gio had suffered from an awful disease, it wasn’t possible to blame it on pageant culture per se. It was so wonderful how you presented Ms. Mustang Valley as an opportunity for every woman. You handled it so well, Bella.” Genevieve’s sincerity made the lump in her throat grow.
“It’s my job to tell the truth.” She adjusted Reed so that she could look into his sweet, tiny face. “Right, little dude? Truth and trust. It’s the only way.”
“You forgot one thing there, cuz.” Marlowe lay back on the bed, beginning to wind down.
“What’s that?” Bella handed Reed to Genevieve. It was time for her to depart. New moms needed their rest where they could get it, she’d read.
Marlowe smiled, close to drifting off. “Love.”
* * *
Later that night, Bella opened the front door to her two brothers, each wearing dress shirts and jeans.
“This is a surprise. What’s going on? Come in.” She walked back into her living room and shut off the crime series she’d been bingeing. It was too difficult to watch her favorite shows, mostly romantic comedies. The happy endings were still hard to stomach.
“We’ve been trying to reach you for the last three hours, sis.” Jarvis took the lead while Spencer tapped on his phone. Police business was never over.
“Oh, sorry. I turn my phone off when I get home. It’s the only way I can unwind from my job.” And stop obsessively checking for a text or call from Holden.
It hadn’t happened in over three weeks. It wasn’t going to. Why torture herself more?
“Do you want something to drink?” She noted that Jarvis had a cooler in hand. “Or did you bring your own?”
He smiled enigmatically. “This, dear sister, is a surprise.”
She mentally checked the date. Not their birthday, not a holiday she’d forgotten in the flurry of the previous weeks.
Spencer shoved his phone in his back pocket. “That was Katrina. She and Boris will be by in a bit.”
“Okay...” She looked down at her old T-shirt and jean shorts. “Do I need to change? Oh wait, is this about celebrating for you and Katrina?”
Spencer slowly shook his head. “Nope.”
“It’s about you and I, Bella.” The voice reached to her core and she turned toward the figure who walked up behind her brothers.
“Holden!” Confusion and a tiny flicker of something else—hope—rained on her. “What are you doing here?”
Spencer and Jarvis stepped aside to allow Holden a clear path to her. He wore a pale blue dress shirt, black jeans, cowboy boots. With one hand behind his back, he looked everything and nothing like the FBI agent she’d fallen for.
She’d fallen in love with. Tears began to spill down her cheeks and she sniffed.
“I wanted your brothers to be here, because I know how important they are to you.” Holden pulled his arm around and handed her a huge bouquet of multicolor flowers, with a single spiky creamy bloom in the center.
“Thank you.” She touched the center pale yellow flower, smiled. “An angel cactus. Just like—”
“The ones in Carr Canyon.” He looked over his shoulder at Spencer, who stepped forward and took the bouquet from her hands so that Holden could grasp them.
“Holden, I—”
“Bella, it’s my turn to talk. I’m hoping we’ll have all the time in the world to work out the details of where we’ll live, how we’ll handle two careers—congratulations on your new job, by the way, I couldn’t be prouder—but right now, I have one question to ask you.”
Holden bent down on one knee, still holding her hands. She was vaguely aware of her brothers standing behind him, giving their silent blessing to the event. But all she could see were Holden’s dark, dear eyes, looking up at her with complete trust. And the truth.
“I love you, Bella Colton. Will you marry me?”
“Yes, Holden St. Clair. I will marry you—I will!” She tugged him up, and to the applause of her brothers she met her fiancé’s mouth and let herself fall into the most delicious kiss of her life.
* * *
Don’t miss previous installments in
The Coltons of Mustang Valley miniseries:
In Colton’s Custody by Dana Nussio
Colton First Responder by Linda O. Johnston
Colton Family Bodyguard by Jennifer Morey
Colton’s Lethal Reunion by Tara Taylor Quinn
Colton Baby Conspiracy by Marie Ferrarella
Colton Manhunt by Jane Godman
And be sure to read the next volume in the series:
Colton Cowboy Jeopardy by Regan Black
Also available in April 2020!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Colton Cowboy Jeopardy by Regan Black.
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Colton Cowboy Jeopardy
by Regan Black
Chapter 1
“Pick up, pick up,” she chanted under her breath while the phone continued to ring, unanswered. Today was supposed to mark the start of her new career as Mia Graves, real-estate agent. Instead of an easy-breezy morning preparing her first listing, she’d been plunged into a nightmare. They hadn’t covered anything like this in her classes or on the state exam.
Her palms were slick on the steering wheel and she kept checking her rearview mirror as she drove back into Mustang Valley proper. She didn’t think she was being followed. At least she didn’t see any familiar vehicles back there. Yet. Her stomach cramped. This could not be happening.
The call went to voice mail and she used the hands-free option to end the call. Before she could redial, an incoming call came through. As she recognized the number, another surge of panic chilled her skin. She declined the call and tried the babysitter again.
At last Tamara picked up. “It’s Mia,” she said, unable to suppress the quake in her voice. “I’ll be there in five minutes. Please have Silas ready to go.”
Please let Silas still be there. Surely, Tamara wouldn’t have let him go home with anyone else.
“Of course. I just put him down for a nap.”
My son is safe.
“The first morning away is always the biggest hurdle,” Tamara continued in her unflappable way. “Are you okay, Mia?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine.” With Tamara’s soothing voice filling the car, she reclaimed a measure of her composure. Tamara and Mia’s mother Dalinda had been as close as sisters, and Mia had always called her Aunt Tammie. When she’d felt overwhelmed and uncertain about childcare options for her new baby boy, Tamara had volunteered to help.
&
nbsp; “Just frazzled. A friend invited me to lunch and if it goes well, I might just land a new client,” she improvised. “That brings the tally to two.”
“How exciting!”
“Yes,” Mia agreed, checking her rearview mirror once more. “My friend specifically asked me to bring the baby along.”
“Well, he’s better than a business card, isn’t he?” Tamara chuckled. “I have his things all set for you.”
“You’re a dream, Aunt Tammie. Thank you.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re more than welcome to leave that angel with me anytime. Will I get to spoil him silly tomorrow, too?”
“I’ll, ah, be working from home tomorrow,” she said. Tamara knew her well enough to see right through a blatant lie. She would work from home, just as soon as she figured out where home would be for the next several days. “See you in a minute,” she said, ending the call quickly.
Becoming an independent real-estate agent was supposed to be the ideal, no-brainer and no-limit career decision. She and her father had discussed several options before she’d started her classes. Establishing a base close to home would be better than the extensive travel demanded by her previous work as the manager of her ex-husband’s charitable foundation. Setting her own hours gave her the most flexibility as a single mother and she’d happily daydreamed about days when her son could join her on occasional appointments.
Tears stung Mia’s eyes as a foreign, desperate fear chased her to Tamara’s neighborhood. Until today, she would have summed up her eight weeks of motherhood as pure joy offset by exhaustion and sharp spikes of worry. What she’d discovered today and the potential fallout reclassified those worries as trivial.
Today had been a test run for her. Her first hours apart from Silas since giving birth should have been a bit of an emotional challenge, not a harrowing ordeal. Resentment shot through her that once again her stepmother, Regina Graves, had ruined a good thing and thrown her life into turmoil.
Mia pulled into the drive and parked the car. Although her heart raced with urgency, she flipped down the visor and checked her reflection in the mirror. If anyone thought to ask Tamara about Mia’s appearance and demeanor today, she wanted her aunt to report that she’d been calm and steady. Unfortunately, she was pale and a bit wild-eyed. Understandable after the vile threats Regina had made against her child, but it would cause Tamara worry and raise questions she couldn’t begin to answer.
Reaching into her purse for her cosmetics bag, she applied a bit of highlighter at the corners of her eyes and a fresh layer of lip gloss. Maybe Tamara would blame the obvious signs of anxiety on her first day away from her baby boy.
She stepped out of the car and walked up the path to the front door. Tamara threw open the door, and seeing that loving, vibrant face almost brought Mia to her knees. She steeled herself. Silas needed her to be strong. Stronger than the threats aimed at him. His arrival had turned the past two months into the best two months of her life. She wouldn’t relinquish that without a fight, no matter what her stepmother tried to do.
“Oh, my girl.” Tamara pulled her into a hug. “The first time out is the worst.”
“It is.” Mia let herself rest for just a moment on that sturdy shoulder, soaking up the heartfelt support. Who knew how long it would be before she’d have anyone’s support again?
Tamara beamed and released her so Mia could come inside. “At least your first client is a pleasure, right? It was so good of your father to let you list and sell his house in the country.” She studied Mia closely. “Did going there today stir up memories? Your mother loved that house.”
“She did,” Mia agreed. “All good memories,” she added because it was expected. And until an hour ago, it was true. All the memories of the country house had been wonderful, from her early childhood to weekends with girlfriends and, eventually, holiday gatherings as a married woman.
“I’d love to stay and tell you everything about this morning,” she said. “But I need to be on time for that lunch meeting.” She picked up the diaper bag Tamara had set in the foyer. “Thank you again.”
“Everything is right there,” Tamara said. “I’ll go tuck him into his car seat.”
“I’ll come along,” she murmured, gently closing the door. No sense making it easy if Regina had followed her.
Tamara smiled indulgently. “Ah, little mother. Nothing will do but to see him with your own eyes.”
She nodded, her lips clamped together too tightly to speak as she followed the older woman down the hallway.
Tamara urged her to go on into the bedroom first. There in the portable crib, her tiny son slept, a vision of contentment. She watched his chest rise and fall and silently vowed to make sure he stayed safe. She stroked his soft cheek, followed the whorl of his curly dark hair as she listened to his soft breath. Lifting him gently, she snuggled him close before she buckled him into the car seat. He stretched his legs but didn’t wake.
Mia wanted to take the portable crib, but doing so would raise more questions and concerns. She’d make do or buy a new one at some point. She picked up Silas and reached for the diaper bag, but Tamara insisted on carrying it to the car for her. Mia swallowed the protest. If Regina or anyone else had caught up with her, it would be better to have another witness to any trouble.
“Thank you again,” Mia said at the car. After securing the seat, she closed the door and gave Tamara one more hug, praying it wouldn’t be the last.
With Silas snoozing in the back seat, she had a renewed sense of calm as she drove away. From the moment the pregnancy test showed positive, her life had come into crystal clear focus. Her son was her singular priority and she wouldn’t allow anyone or anything to hurt him, no matter what changes or precautions were required. She’d divorced, moved and launched herself into a new career. During her last trimester, she’d survived the helplessness and terror of the earthquake that rocked Mustang Valley. Her commitment wouldn’t falter now.
Breathing easier as she left the neighborhood without another incident or threatening call, she turned her mind to logistics. Since she was currently staying at her father’s house, she couldn’t go home and she didn’t dare call or drop in on him. Norton Graves had a mile-wide blind spot when it came to his second wife. He would never believe that Regina had threatened violence against his daughter and grandson.
Where did that leave her? She needed clothing for her and Silas, as well as cash and baby supplies. And then she needed a place to lie low while she decided what to do with the incriminating secrets she’d uncovered today.
She reached for the radio, turning on a soothing station for the baby. A few minutes later, an incoming call interrupted the music. The caller ID announced her father’s name. Wary about what Regina might have told him, she used the button on the steering wheel to answer.
“Hi, sweetie,” he said, sounding as jovial as ever. Maybe Regina hadn’t filled his head with more lies yet. “How did it go at the house?”
“Great,” she replied brightly. “Tamara said Silas was an angel.” There, she hadn’t lied to her dad.
“I had no doubts. How are you feeling? Your mother found it hard to leave you the first few times.”
“I survived.” Another truth. “It was an experience,” she said. “Knowing he was with Tamara helped.”
Her father chortled. “Tamara was the one who watched you for us so Dalinda and I could have a nice dinner.”
“Life just keeps circling, doesn’t it?” Her father rarely spoke about her mother, and never when Regina was within earshot. This was her chance to tell him what she’d seen, even if she couldn’t show him the video yet, before her stepmother twisted the story against her.
“That it does.” He cleared his throat. “One second. Come in. Mia? Regina’s here. I’m putting you on speaker.”
“Hello, Mia! How are you and the baby?”
She wince
d at her stepmother’s overbright greeting. “Doing great, thanks.” Her window of opportunity had slammed shut.
“We’re both eager to hear when you’ll get the listing up,” her dad said.
Her father always knew how to pile on the pressure, but when it came to work, she normally thrived. He’d entrusted her with the sale of the country house—probably because Regina wanted to buy something bigger and newer—and she wouldn’t let him down. “I’m not sure when the listing will go live,” she said. Although she hated lying to him, it was the best of her options. “I might actually have a private buyer interested in the property.”
“Already?”
“Might,” she repeated. Taking a page from Regina’s book, she put a sharp sparkle into her voice. “I mentioned the property to a few friends and apparently the word is out.”
“That’s fantastic news. For both of us. All of us,” he amended quickly. “You should see the smile on my bride’s face.”
Bride, shark—when referring to her stepmother, the words were interchangeable in Mia’s mind. “Super. I’ll keep you posted,” she promised. “Love you.”
She ended the call and a rush of angry tears spilled down her cheeks. Would it ever be safe to see her father again?
* * *
Jarvis Colton adjusted the angle of his hat against the afternoon sunshine flooding the Rattlesnake Ridge Ranch. He’d been riding fence all day on the Triple R, a task that was often met with little enthusiasm.
Jarvis loved it. No one was more shocked by that revelation than him. He’d left a career as a management consultant—the suits, air-conditioned offices, deals over drinks and conference calls—to come out here and be a cowboy. A dark T-shirt, jeans, boots and his horse completed his new workplace uniform.
His brother and sister, Spencer and Isabella, still scolded him about this decision and he wished he could find the words to make them understand. If they ever joined him for moments like this, they might get it. As triplets, they were close, and when life had thrown them one challenge after another, Spencer and Bella were the only people he really trusted.