AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When the sounds of the horse had faded, she cuddled Silas until he fell asleep. Confident he was safe and content, she ducked
out to the car she’d hidden in the brush to take care of herself. She shouldn’t trust Jarvis so easily, but something in his gaze put her at ease. Not when he’d looked at her as if they’d met before; they hadn’t. She would’ve remembered a man with that perfect combination of hard body and kind eyes. No, it had been the way he’d looked at her son after she’d told him about Regina’s threat.
He might be the first person to immediately take her side on the whole “wicked stepmother” situation. Not that she’d broadcast her frustrations everywhere. That would have backfired more than the occasional comments she made about Regina’s spending habits.
Even her husband had encouraged her to ignore Regina’s antics. A sickening thought occurred to her. What if Regina had seduced him, too? The highly unlikely but not impossible scenario was completely irrelevant now. She and Roderick were through and she was better for it. The divorce settlement had been generous and swift since he preferred to pay one lump sum to get rid of the child he never intended to meet and the wife who’d let him down.
She had a knack for disappointing the men she cared about most. That trend would stop now, with Silas. Nothing would keep her from being the mother he needed.
The real-estate endeavor wasn’t precisely necessary right now, but she’d hoped to put the bulk of the divorce settlement into long-term investments. And despite loving motherhood—and Silas—more each and every day, her mind had been ready for a challenge.
Well, she had it now, didn’t she?
She cleaned herself up a bit and finally changed into clean shorts and a soft tunic top that were better suited to the rustic conditions. There was a spark of hope that she’d get through this, and the only cause was Jarvis. How curious that one awkward and unsettling encounter with a handsome cowboy could make her feel a thousand times better during the lowest moment of her life.
She’d know soon enough if she’d made a mistake by trusting him, and while Silas napped, she set things up for a quick escape if it proved necessary.
* * *
Jarvis hoped like hell she’d still be there when he got back. His search for Isaiah’s proof forgotten for tonight, he rode hard back to the stables and bunkhouse where he’d been living since Asher hired him.
His mental list of the things Mia would need to make her stay easier kept growing. Although easier would only be a marginal improvement. She needed running water, a real bathroom, a refrigerator. He couldn’t make any of those things happen at the warming hut. She needed a lot more than she’d decided to settle for, he thought as the Colton mansion near the main entrance of the Rattlesnake Ridge Ranch came into view.
Her stepmother’s ugly threats trailed after him as he rode straight up to the stable. It was a cruel person who threatened to kill an infant. He just couldn’t wrap his head around how anyone could say such a thing. Not even Aunt Amelia, who’d reluctantly taken them in when their parents died, had been that cold.
No mother should have to hear that. He didn’t care for the idea of Mia dealing with the threat on her own. The idea of bunking out there with her flitted through his head and he dismissed it quickly. While being in close proximity to the beautiful woman who had fascinated him through college appealed, he worried that standing guard for her would draw unwanted attention to her location.
Normally, he would personally tend to his horse’s care after a long workday, but this evening, he handed the reins to one of the other men on duty. “He’s had a full day,” Jarvis said, scratching Duke’s ears. “If we have any apples, he’s earned it.”
“Sure thing,” Jimmy said. “Got a hot date?”
Jarvis laughed at the joke. He’d gained a reputation for being the one cowboy every girl in town wanted to flirt with when they went out. Not that he hooked up often. Usually, he danced, made a few women smile and headed back to his room alone. He’d tried to tell the others that a good sense of humor was the key, but they refused to believe him.
“Got a call for a last-minute supply run for morning. You need anything while I’m going?”
Jimmy shook his head. “Not this time around.”
“All right. I’ll be back in an hour or so.” Add another hour or so for getting the supplies into Mia’s hands, but he kept that detail to himself. “Thanks again for the assist with Duke.”
Jarvis picked up his truck and left the ranch through the service gate. He could get most of the supplies Mia needed at the feedstore that was conveniently located between the ranch and Mustang Valley. No chance he’d bump into Regina or anyone who ran in the same circles as Selina and his Colton Oil cousins there.
With a case of bottled water, a battery-operated lantern and a couple of blankets in the cart, he stopped to compare sleeping bags. He chose one that included a ground tarp and an inflatable pillow. He turned down the next aisle and decided a camouflage net might do a better job of hiding her car from view. Waiting to check out, he added a selection of meal bars. A nursing mother needed to eat more and more often. At least, that was what he’d learned from caring for the livestock on the ranch. Probably better if he didn’t tell her that was his theory.
Not perfect, but easier, he thought as he loaded the purchases into his truck. A few small comforts should help her relax and rest. Maybe then she would be thinking clearly enough to make a better long-term plan.
As he pulled out of the parking lot, he finally gave in and called his brother. “Hey, Spencer,” he said as his brother answered. “I have a hypothetical question.”
“If it’s about getting your career back on track, shoot.”
Jarvis was more than a little bit tired of the refrain. “No. I, um, well I overheard a threat,” he said. “A death threat,” he clarified. “If I gave you the details, would the police department do anything about it?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes,” Jarvis said through gritted teeth. “At what point do you investigate that kind of thing?”
He heard his brother sigh, could picture him rolling his eyes. “Hell, Jarvis. There are too many unknowns in your hypothetical.”
“Come on, Spencer.” Nervous, Jarvis adjusted the air vents to blow all the cool, air-conditioned air at him. He didn’t know Mia well, but if first impressions could be trusted, she’d be furious that he’d made this call. “What evidence or complaint would you need to take action if someone threatened to kill another person?”
