Colton Cowboy Jeopardy (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

A week ago, in a dreamy, love-induced haze, she’d put in an offer, hoping to tempt Jarvis to build a life there with her. Close enough to the Triple R to keep him in the job he loved, close enough to town to make her real-estate career viable. Though Jarvis might never call it home, it was still perfect for her and Silas and her dad for as long as he wanted to stay.

A nurse walked in, all smiles. “Now, this is what I like to see.” She took Norton?

?s vital signs while he bragged on his tiny grandson. “You have a lovely family, Mr. Graves. The doctor will be around soon.”

She’d barely stepped out before a volunteer knocked on the open door. “Is there a Silas Graves here?”

Mia bristled, moving between her father’s bed and the doorway. “Silas is my son. He isn’t a patient.”

The volunteer looked down at a card he held. “We actually have deliveries for Silas Graves, Norton Graves and Mia Graves.”

Wary, Mia planted her hands on her hips. “Deliveries from whom?”

“This card doesn’t say.”

“Then we can’t...” Her voice trailed off as Jarvis filled the doorway.

“Can’t what?” he asked.

She stared, utterly dumbstruck. She hadn’t expected to face him this soon. Wasn’t she allowed some time to pull the ragged pieces of her heart together? There should be rules about this kind of thing. She should definitely be allowed a shower and fresh clothes before facing him.

“I’ll take it from here,” he said to the volunteer. “Can you please bring in the cart?”

With a nod, the volunteer stepped aside and pushed a cart into the room behind Jarvis.

“How are you feeling, sir?” he asked Norton, striding right past her to the bed.

“Grateful to be alive,” her father replied. “Thanks to you and your brother.”

“Your daughter had it under control,” Jarvis said. “We just batted cleanup.”

He caught her eye across the bed and she felt the heat in her cheeks, remembering their first meeting when she’d been nearly knocked his head off with that stick.

“She’s my pride and joy,” Norton said. “Even when I’m a fool. And she has excellent intuition.”

Mia blinked. It was the first time she’d heard that kind of compliment out of her father since before he’d married Regina.

“I agree.” Jarvis grinned. “I brought a few things, just to brighten the room until they kick you out.”

She noticed several items on the cart. Flowers, a few wrapped boxes and a portable crib on the bottom shelf. What did this mean? Hope bloomed, bright as the lilies in the floral arrangement. Tears stung her nose and she sniffed them away. Whatever he was about, she would survive this and cry about it later, when she didn’t have an audience.

“Mr. Graves, these are for you.” He set the vase of colorful flowers on the counter where Norton could see them easily.

Her father’s brow furrowed. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Jarvis turned back to the cart. “This is for the precious guy in your arms.”

“We won’t need the crib,” she snapped ungraciously. “I think they’ll discharge him today.”

But it wasn’t the crib he’d pulled from the cart, but a deep square box. “Go ahead and open it,” he said, putting the box in her arms.

Her knees were jelly and she sank into the chair before they failed her. She heard the voices, but not the words as Jarvis and her father chatted.

She opened the box and stared at the contents. A small baseball cap and the smallest baseball mitt she’d ever seen were nested in with a soft, squishy ball stitched like a baseball.

“Jarvis?”

“Just thinking ahead. If he inherits your batting stance, you should get him started early.”