Colton Cowboy Jeopardy (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

He looked to Amelia’s headstone. “I was helping a friend with a baby the other day,” he said. “I had to look up what to do on Google.” He thought he had a better perspective now, being furious with Mia and still desperate to hold her and tell her it would all work out. “I’m sorry we were so mad at you. A friend made me realize we were all grieving. Thanks for being a safe person to be mad at.”

The admission lifted a weight from his shoulders, relieving a pressure he’d lived with for too long.

“Thank you. All of you.” He toyed with the broken latch on the box. “I should’ve said that a long time ago and a lot more often.”

With a sigh, he flipped open the lid and pulled out the old Bible. “I figured we could go through this together. I’ll fill in Spencer and Bella later. Turns out Herman Colton and Eugene Colton were cousins, not brothers. Payne can’t deny we’re all related, but we’re not as close as Isaiah thought.”

Jarvis gingerly leafed through the fragile documents in the box. “The original deed is here, in Herman’s name. He was spitting mad about Eugene being a thief, but it wasn’t true. All of that land around the Triple R changed hands as fortunes changed. I’ll show this to Asher, but it’s only a matter of curiosity. Nothing in here disputes Payne’s ownership. Which is fine. I couldn’t take on all that by myself.”

He was talking to gravestones and yet it felt right. A normal, peaceful interlude underscored by an intense sense of connection. “After Mom and Dad died, I felt cut off from everything but Spencer and Bella. This helps.” His ancestors were far from perfect, but they’d cared and they’d done their best for those who came after them. “Maybe my generation can overcome some of Payne’s nonsense.” He’d never wanted the family ties just to make a claim on Payne’s precious fortune. He’d simply been looking for roots. Now he’d found them. With questions answered, by this box and the records Mia had uncovered, the bitterness faded.

Contrary to his siblings’ concerns, he’d never felt like he’d given up anything by leaving the office for the ranch. He’d simply changed his direction to make something better happen. Something he’d hoped would change the conversation around his siblings.

The search itself, along with what he’d found in this box, had unlocked something inside him. Something fresh and hopeful that wanted to flourish.

“Thanks,” he said again to the gravestones. “I’ll come back again soon.” And next time he hoped to have his family with him. It would take a bit of planning, but it would be worth it.

* * *

Mia’s eyes were gritty from fighting bursts of tears for hours. She’d love to blame it all on hormones, but she had to accept responsibility. She was crying out all the stress of the past month. Weeks of wondering how to protect her son and her father had taken a toll. Without Jarvis... She started tearing up again.

She’d lost him and she hadn’t been prepared for that price. Here they were, both safe. Her son snoozed in her arms while her father rested under the capable observation of nurses as the heavy sedatives Regina had dosed him with wore off.

Two of the three most important men in her life, she thought wryly, swaying side to side gently to keep Silas asleep. His car seat was handy, but she wasn’t ready to let go.

She rapidly blinked away another wave of emotion. Why did she keep falling in love with men who wanted nothing to do with fatherhood? The pain cut deeply and a night without Jarvis hadn’t eased the sting of reality. If time healed all wounds, getting over him would take years.

It might be better, just her and Silas. If she’d learned anything from her time with Jarvis, it was that giving her son a solid foundation of love and being valued was essential for his future.

She could do that. Clearly, she had to do that.

“Mia? Is that you?”

She turned at the rasping sound of her father’s voice and hurried to his bedside. “Yes, Dad.” She gripped his hand. “I’m here. We’re here,” she added.

“Oh, honey.” He squeezed his eyes closed. “Honey, I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you about Regina.”

“Love does that,” she said. “And you loved her.” She loved Jarvis and a piece of her always would, whether or not they ever managed to reconcile. It was the most challenging thing to accept. The heart was stubborn.

“I love you, too. Loved you first.” He coughed. “Love blinded me to her faults.” Another cough interrupted him.

“Rest now,” she soothed. “Don’t stress about it. We’re all fine now.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said. He shifted, fiddling with the bed controls so he was sitting up. He patted her hand and beamed at Silas. “Can I hold my grandson?”

“Of course.” She could see the regrets swirling in his gaze. “He’s overdue for grandpa time.”

“Because I’m an old fool,” he crooned to the baby. “No more. Your momma is a smart woman. The sooner you learn that, the happier you’ll be.” He lifted his face to meet her gaze. “You come first, Mia. Take the country house, for as long as you need it.”

As much as she appreciated the gesture, she couldn’t erase the image of her stepmother’s infidelity. Her dad still didn’t know about that. “What if we sell it and donate the proceeds to charity?” she suggested. Single mothers, victims of crimes, an orphanage were just a few options that came to mind. There were countless places that money could make a difference and then she’d never have to step foot on the property again.

He lifted an eyebrow. “You loved that place.”

“It’s time for a change,” she hedged.

“A fresh start is a good idea for both of us.” He smiled down at the baby. “All of us. But where does that leave us? I can’t bear the idea of going back to the house where she...where she abused both of us.”

“Well, it’s technically a crime scene at the moment,” she said. “I know of a property between the Rattlesnake Ridge Ranch and town. It’s not as grand as the house in the neighborhood or even the country house. But it’s closer to your office and it could work for the three of us while we sort things out.”