Loe raamatut: «The Coltons of Shadow Creek»

Chapter 1

Declan Sinclair was accustomed to the heat and humidity of an August night in Texas, but he was not accustomed to being this uncomfortable. If anyone other than Edith Beaulieu was getting married, Declan wouldn’t willingly be within a hundred yards of a Colton—and this place was crawling with Coltons.

Despite Declan’s reservations about Edith marrying the son of a criminal—a criminal who had escaped prison and was currently on the run—he had to admit that his foster sister looked happy. Her smile was bright and glowing and she seemed to almost dance as she walked. She held on to the arm of her fiancé, River Colton, as they circulated through the large gathering. The scene was something out of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. White candles in lanterns were hung on shepherd’s hooks surrounding the party. Long tables were covered in white linen cloths and the floral centerpieces provided bursts of color in pale purple, blue and pink.

Declan hadn’t been involved in the planning of this soiree. This was all Colton planned. The engagement party was being held at the horse rehabilitation facility of River’s sister Jade. From what Declan had been told, Jade ran the farm for off-track horses, but she also grew a few crops and had other barn animals, managing this almost by herself. The barn doors were open and lit, the glow of the light reflecting off the hay and wood, but the guests gathered outside beneath the pastel-colored paper lanterns strung together with Christmas lights. The air smelled of citronella and honeysuckle.

After Declan said hello to Edith, he could leave. Obligation fulfilled. It was a quick twenty-five-minute drive to the charming bed-and-breakfast where he was staying, where a comfortable bed awaited him. He wasn’t looking forward to having a stilted conversation with River and from the way the couple was hanging on to each other, tonight they were a package deal. Though he and River had discovered that they were half brothers, neither seemed to be able to overcome the awkwardness and tension. Competition over Edith or anger over what their parents had done? He couldn’t put his finger on it.

Neither he nor Edith had much biological family. Churned through the foster care system in Louisiana, they’d had each other and not much else. She’d recently connected with her uncle Mac and now Edith also had River, a fact that bothered Declan more than a little. He’d lose her to Shadow Creek and the Coltons. The thought burned through him. Wouldn’t be the first time a Colton had stolen from him; wouldn’t be the last.

Declan wouldn’t find another friend as loyal as Edith and may never find another assistant as capable and as intelligent as she was, but as long as she was happy, he accepted her decision.

Declan was an outsider here and he wasn’t working hard to become part of the scene. Sitting on a metal folding chair as far away from the party as possible, he was removed and his beer was rapidly growing warm. He had accepted the proffered drink from the bartender out of habit and social decorum, but he wasn’t in the mood to drink.

His mood was dark and drinking would make it darker.

If nothing else, Declan admired Hill Country Farm for the prime piece of real estate that it was. He knew a lot about land and nothing about horses. This place would turn a profit soon, if it wasn’t already. The thirty acres of pristine land, the riding ring, the stalls and the barn created the right setup for a Thoroughbred to rest and recover, and were also picturesque enough to draw donations and interest. The small touches indicated Jade took pride in her home and business: the weeded gardens, the carved wood signs with the farm’s name and the manicured lawns were a giveaway that she cared.

Or it was part of the facade. When it came to the Coltons, trust couldn’t be given too quickly or easily. Their mother, Livia, was the definition of evil and he didn’t know how much of that had rubbed off on them. Livia had engaged in an affair with Declan’s father and that affair had destroyed Declan’s, his mother’s and his father’s lives.

Livia’s escape from a maximum security prison hadn’t shocked Declan; she had connections to get what she wanted and to stay on the run indefinitely. Edith’s recent brush with her proved Livia still had courage in spades. Approaching people she had a score to settle with while the authorities hunted her was the ultimate in boldness.

Restless energy struck him and Declan rose to his feet. He walked the outer perimeter of the party. A dark car was parked across the street, the driver sitting in the shadows, his face hidden. Declan had noticed the car when driving into the party. The FBI was watching for Livia Colton. If she made the mistake of approaching her children, the FBI would be ready for her. She had slipped through their fingers too many times in the last five months. Working old contacts and lying had kept her hidden.

Declan watched the crowd and realized he was looking for Livia. He wanted her to show up today. With the dark sedan parked outside the party, he doubted she would be stupid enough to appear, but he had an ax to grind with her. Though ice water ran in her veins and she cared only for herself, he wanted her to look at Edith and see that she was safe and happy with River. Livia’s attempts to hurt her had failed. Edith, like so many times in the past, had risen above her trials and was only stronger and better for them.

Declan took a deep, cleansing breath. This evening was about Edith and he wouldn’t fixate on Livia. She had destroyed huge parts of his life and she didn’t get tonight, as well. Every moment he spent thinking about Livia, was a moment of joy he was robbed of.

His eyes fell on a woman exiting the small, red-roofed cottage located on the property. The house was surrounded by tidy gardens protected by a brown wooden fence. The riding area and stables were located on the other side. She turned toward the barn, and the party, her blue dress moving around her shapely calves, her dark hair pinned back, but pieces framing her face. She was hauling a cooler.

Declan rushed to her. “Let me give you a hand.”

Her brown eyes met his. She was young, midtwenties, and her beauty and the expressiveness of her eyes knocked the breath out of him. “Thanks. I’ve been hauling ice all evening. It’s hot tonight.”

He took the cooler from her. “I’m Declan, by the way. I’m a friend of Edith’s.”

She brushed her hair away from her face, tucking the stray strands behind her ears. “I’m Jade. I’m River’s sister. He has mentioned you.”

Jade was Livia’s youngest daughter. Though River was the product of an affair between Declan’s father, Matthew, and Livia, Declan didn’t think of him like a brother. Blood had little to do with those bonds. He considered Edith family and they weren’t related. “It’s complicated,” Declan said. Discussing it tonight wasn’t a good idea.

Declan should deliver the cooler where it needed to go and then leave the party. Interacting with any of the Coltons should repulse him. Yet, here he was, walking beside Jade Colton.

“You won’t get any judgment from me. I hope you and River can work something out and be friends, but I know that might be asking too much. Just know that my brother is a good man. He’s been through a lot with our mother. We all have. But he’ll do right by Edith.”

Her loyalty surprised him. He didn’t want to discuss Livia Colton though. His anger was buried beneath his careful control and under the circumstances, and given the stressful events of late, it was ready to come roaring out. “Where do you want this?” He nodded toward the cooler.

She pointed to a table with five galvanized party tubs filled with beer and wine coolers. “On the ground there.”

He set the cooler in the location she’d indicated.

A friend called to Jade and she waved in her direction. “Excuse me, please. And thank you, Declan. Thank you for coming. I know it means a lot to Edith.”

He nodded to her. “You’re welcome.”

She rushed off to speak to her friend and Declan took the opportunity to fade back into the shadows.

* * *

Being the hostess of the party kept Jade busy and it was a role she enjoyed. Having many tasks meant she didn’t get caught in small talk and avoided the complicated politics of her family. Her mother’s sordid history had left scars on each of her half siblings, and Jade didn’t verbally navigate problems well. Though Jade felt they had made strides recently, they were all still struggling. Until their mother was caught and returned to prison, Jade guessed it would remain the case.

Declan Sinclair, the man who had purchased her mother’s crumbling estate—Edith’s boss and River’s half brother—was a total surprise. She had looked him up online. Young real estate mogul in his midthirties, multimillionaire. No one seemed to know why he had wanted La Bonne Vie. Seeing Declan’s photo online had not prepared Jade. In person, he was almost larger than life. Dark brown hair, expensively cut, and those green, intelligent eyes. He was broad shouldered and dressed well for the occasion. Whereas she had needed her sister Claudia’s help selecting an outfit for the evening, Jade guessed Declan’s sense of style translated into every event.

Worldly. That was the word she wanted to describe him. The total opposite of her.

Jade had never traveled outside Texas. She had plans to one day, but between the chaos of growing up a Colton and then starting her business, she had no time or money to explore the world. Opening Hill Country Farm had put her deep in the red and it would be five years before she was turning a profit. Either that, or shutting down.

Declan likely had good business instincts. She could ask him about hers. Get his take on her plans. He likely didn’t know anything about Thoroughbreds, but he might offer advice to steer her. Though no one had said it directly, Jade sensed her siblings and Mac, her father figure, thought she was too young and inexperienced to have bitten off this venture alone. Proving to herself and her family she could do this meant everything to her.

Her older sister, Leonor, had recently brought her five newly retired racehorses, whom Jade had renamed Tinker, Tots, Trace, Toy and Tiny. They were amazing specimens and Jade was enjoying working with them. Rehabilitating them and selling them would be another feather in her cap and she wanted to show her family her work had value and that she was good at what she did.

She searched for an excuse to talk to Declan again and wondered how to segue into a conversation about business. Every step of the way toward opening Hill Country had been a struggle, and her inexperience networking was showing. She couldn’t ask River to help her. Declan and River’s relationship was tense and complicated by Declan’s relationship with Edith, who spoke only good things about her boss, but others seemed to believe Declan was cold and harsh. Having met him and spoken with him for a few minutes, Jade sided with Edith’s opinion.

Jade looked around for Declan. He may have left. The idea disappointed her immensely.

Taking a deep breath, Jade took in the scene around her. River and Edith were only recently engaged and they were planning to marry quickly. It hadn’t given the other Coltons much time to plan the wedding festivities. Edith looked beautiful in a blue dress. Claudia had a hand in selecting her outfit as well as the shoes she was wearing. The dress fell just above her knee and was the right amount of sweet and sexy. Jade admired her ability to pull it off.

Her brothers and sisters were there, surrounded by spouses and boyfriends or girlfriends or fiancés, and everyone seemed so happy. Jade felt a twinge of loneliness and tried to brush it away. Feeling alone while surrounded by her family and friends made no sense.

The party could go on for several more hours and the idea exhausted her. Offering to host had been her attempt to further her connection with her siblings. With the exception of her relationship with Knox, the Coltons had not been close after Livia was arrested and it was a fact Jade regretted. Since Livia had escaped prison, it had gotten better between the siblings as they united against their mother. Jade wouldn’t ask anyone to leave, but she had to get an early start in the morning. Her animals needed her and as a new business owner, she didn’t have extra funds to hire many hands for around the farm. She kept pigs, chickens and goats and, of course, her horses. With the extra noise of the party, Jade needed to check on them to be sure they weren’t riled up.

First she looked in on her barn animals. Feeling secure that they weren’t upset by the party sounds, she walked around the back of the barn, cutting behind her house and into the stables. Her path was deliberate. Though her siblings were friendly and warm toward her, while she couldn’t put her finger on it, she didn’t fit in. Trying in her own way hadn’t taken her far.

Her thoughts turned again to Declan and she swatted them away. He was trouble for her. River’s relationship with his new half brother had overarching complexities Jade didn’t fully understand. More than that, Declan was La Bonne Vie’s owner and as far as Jade could tell, that place brought nothing except problems, including becoming a hideout for their mother last month. Having lived through Livia’s lifetime of crimes, Jade wasn’t naive and sheltered, but Declan had a polish and sophistication she didn’t. Getting caught up with a man more mature and experienced would land her in trouble. Being in over her head in business was something she could handle, but not in her personal life.

Assigning blame wouldn’t help, but Jade believed her mother had a hand in her daughter’s inability to fit in. With the exception of Mac, father to Jade’s half brother Thorne and the man who had taken Jade and Claudia in after Livia’s arrest, Jade hadn’t had a guiding hand growing up. She hadn’t been close with her siblings and Jade hadn’t confided in them when she had problems at school. Same as it was now, except she didn’t make mistakes in school, it was her life and her business that took the hit.

Jade unlocked the stable door and entered. Her horses were all retired Thoroughbreds in need of rehabilitation. Most were three to five years old and had either retired from racing or had never competed because they weren’t fast enough, strong enough or had the wrong dispositions. When the horses no longer required her stable’s services, she would place them for sale. Since opening Hill Country Farm as an equine rehabilitation center two years ago, she had rehabbed, retrained and had found homes for three horses. In her long-term plans, she wanted to work with more horses at one time.

Rehabbing horses, depending on the condition in which she received them, required dedication and commitment. The horse showing the most problems was Tinker, a bay mare. She was nowhere near ready to be rehabbed or retrained. After receiving arthroscopic surgery to repair a leg fracture, Tinker had spent the last month in the pasture during the day and needed to relax and grow accustomed to the changes in her life. Lower protein, higher carbohydrate diet, easy, lazy time spent grazing.

When Jade entered the stable, she sensed the tension rolling off the mare. She spoke to Tinker quietly and calmly, same as she did every time she was near her.

Tinker had a faraway look in her eyes. Though Jade rarely received the complete history of a horse’s life, and no owner admitted to drugging or abusing the animals, she had the sense that Tinker had not been treated well. To date, she might be the most difficult horse she’d taken on, but Jade would not give up. Hill Country Farm would be a place known for sticking it out even when the times were tough.

Claudia had mentioned that some animals, as with people, were beyond repair. Jade heard her meaning, but she wouldn’t accept it. Their mother was a monster. Jade had written her off. But these horses deserved a better life.

Jade sensed someone watching her. If Livia had crept onto her farm to corner her, Jade was ready. Her adrenaline fired and her muscles were tight. Rational thought struggled against her fears. It couldn’t be Livia. Showing up tonight would be audacious, even for Livia. Jade whirled and her eyes landed on Declan.

“Excuse me, I didn’t mean to stare.”

Excitement and happiness danced inside her at the sight of him.

Tinker whinnied, as if sensing the energy in the air, and Jade reached to soothe her. Her heart thundered against her rib cage. “You surprised me. I thought I was alone.” Taking in a measured breath, she kept her cool for her animals. If she got too rattled, they would sense it and act out. Part of her therapy was teaching her horses that calm was okay. They didn’t need to be ready to perform at a moment’s notice anymore.

“You were talking to that horse in a way I’ve never seen before,” Declan said.

“You’re from Texas,” Jade said. Most of the people she knew loved horses: Mac and Thorne and her nephew, Cody, especially.

An uninterpretable emotion passed over Declan’s face. “I was born here. But I spent a good portion of my life in Louisiana.”

Jade mentally kicked herself. She had heard from Edith that Declan had been in foster care in New Orleans. Not knowing him well enough to pry, she didn’t ask how he had come to be in another state. She didn’t appreciate when people asked her invasive questions. Much of her childhood was filled with dark, twisted memories she hated recalling. “I love all my horses.” Stick to a topic she was comfortable with.

“How many do you have?” he asked, taking a couple of steps toward her.

She would give anything to have something more to do with her hands, to keep busy. “Eight. Which is max capacity for us. I just sold a horse last month.” Nine had been near impossible; only with Flint so close to finishing his rehabilitation had it been possible.

Declan tucked his hands in his pockets. He looked at the rows of stalls. “More room than for eight.”

Talking about her big plans made her nervous, almost as if admitting her pie-in-the-sky dream would get her laughed at. Her mother had laughed at her. Her teachers had expected her to fail. After her father died, only Mac had believed in her. Without him, she wouldn’t have had the courage to open Hill Country Farm. “I have room to grow, but I need additional staff to make that possible. Right now, I’m the only full-time employee. My brother, nephew and Mac pitch in from time to time, and I have a few part-time employees and volunteers, but the horses rely almost solely on me.” She was babbling. He didn’t need to know every detail of her business. Asking for his advice would be harder if he thought she was spacey.

“I’ve heard good things about this place,” Declan said.

A pleasant surprise and her pride touched up a notch. “People are talking about Hill Country?” Or maybe Edith or River had mentioned something.

“Shadow Creek is a small town. Doesn’t everyone talk about everyone else?” Declan asked.

He grinned and his smile felled her. Gorgeous and charming, he was sweeping her off her feet without lifting a finger. They had known each other a short time, yet she was drawn to him. “No one seems to know much about you,” Jade said. She regretted the implication that she had been asking around about him. She wasn’t exactly, only about La Bonne Vie. But she was curious about him now. She was hungry for more knowledge about the mysterious Declan Sinclair.

“There’s not much to know,” Declan said.

“I doubt that very much,” Jade said. In addition to his interesting real estate purchase, he was wealthy and good-looking and likely had experiences and interests to share.

“I can tell you my big secret,” Declan said.

Interest brought her a few steps closer. Confiding in her during their first real conversation, he must feel the pull too. “I’m a great secret keeper.” An understatement. Desperate to be brought into his confidence, she waited.

“I’m married to my job. My calendar is booked and I’m rarely sitting around, but it’s almost all related to work. So while I know there have been rumors about me and what I do and where I go, it’s all about my job.”

“All real estate, all the time?” she asked, not truly believing that was the whole story and wondering how La Bonne Vie fit into his plans.

He nodded. “The most interesting thing to happen to me today was meeting you and talking with you. I’ve seen you around town, but tonight you look especially beautiful. Maybe it’s how you look when you talk to your horses. There’s something so entrancing about it,” Declan said.

The reflection of her love for her horses must radiate from her every pore. She lived and breathed her work, much like he did. “Then I guess that’s something we have in common. My work is my everything too.”

But Jade did feel beautiful as Declan looked at her, and it had been a long time since she had felt this giddy with a man. She was happy she had taken the time to have her hair styled at Marie’s Salon and Spa and she had worn the dress Claudia had helped her select. Declan’s attention was flattering and the admiration she saw in his eyes as he looked at her stables made her proud.

The stables had been her design. Each stall was intended to be safe and comfortable. The wood was a lighter color, sanded and polished with materials safe for the horses. She had a place for the hay and food to be stored and prevented from rotting. Overhead, the loft held additional supplies. She had extra chaps, protective helmets and riding boots close to the hose bib for easier cleaning. Bibs and saddles, blanket bags, feeders, measuring scoops, extra water buckets and brushes had their places in an alcove of bins and hooks. Muck carts and cleaning buckets were ready; the ones she had used that morning were clean and drying across the way.

“You sound like me. All work and no play,” Declan said.

A man who looked and dressed like Declan, with those smoldering eyes and fit physique, had to date society women. He likely had his pick of companions when he wanted one. But maybe that was what he was telling her; he was only interested in brief affairs. Jade shook off the thought. She was overanalyzing, a bad habit she had picked up from trying to read her mother’s moods to know when to avoid her.

Jade kept her tone carefully casual. “Anytime you want to get away from your job and spend time here, you’re welcome. There’s plenty to do.”

Declan studied her and Jade found herself loving how he looked at her. Attention from men sometimes confused her and she wasn’t sure what they wanted from her. She wished she hadn’t had a totally manipulative psychopath as a mother. Though Livia had been great at tricking men into doing what she wanted, Jade wasn’t eager to use those methods and follow in her footsteps. She often wondered if she would unintentionally do just that, so she was careful not to coerce people. It had become almost instinct to speak what she wanted plainly and honestly.

“I may do that. This is a great place and the work you’re doing is good for the community. A positive endeavor,” Declan said.

Unlike her mother’s “endeavors,” which had been dark and twisted. “You’d have to dress differently.”

He glanced down at his suit. “You’re wearing a dress. Is a suit that much more overdressed?”

She laughed. “I don’t wear dresses most workdays.”

“You could start a new trend and look great doing it,” Declan said.

His compliment brought color to her cheeks. “If it fetched money to the cause, I’d do anything,” Jade said. Almost anything shy of illegal dealings to raise funds. Jade hadn’t meant to mention money, but it was on her mind. Working with charitable organizations to fund the horses’ care and veterinary bills were her top priority. Without it, she couldn’t keep Hill Country open. She didn’t make enough from the sale of her crops and horses to cover her costs.

“Consider it as a way to get your name out there.”

“My name is out there plenty,” Jade said with a helpless shrug.

Declan smiled. “Lead with the name of your cause. I saw a post on the table toppers in Big Jim’s for Honeysuckle Road. I had never heard of it, but while I’m not their target demographic, it got my attention. A picture of you with your horses with the cause would show people what a special place this is.”

Honeysuckle Road was Claudia’s boutique. Given his business success, Jade tucked the idea away for the future. “I’m devoted to making my farm succeed. My father was a great horseman. I inherited his love of horses.” The sadness and grief at her father’s passing never left her. It had been almost two decades since he had died and she still missed him every day. “He passed away when I was seven.”

It was something she rarely talked about with anyone, and she was surprised she mentioned it to Declan. When Jade was a child, Livia had made her feel bad for being sad about her father and had forbidden her from talking about it, even though her mother was responsible for her father’s death. Though she had gotten a few sympathetic looks from Claudia whenever it came up, the rest of her siblings had kept their heads down and their lips sealed. It was as if they knew Livia had done something wrong and they were too scared to say anything. That left Jade on her own. Growing up with a house filled with siblings, she had been utterly lonely.

Her father had been kicked by a horse, but the secret cause of his demise was one that Jade had kept for years. She had been terrified of her mother then and she was afraid of her now. Livia Colton was capable of true acts of evil. “Mac loves horses too, so I feel comfortable around them.” Better to keep the conversation light.

Jade hadn’t before had a friend who she could confide in about her family. To some extent, she could talk to her half siblings about their mother, but with varying degrees of success. Some didn’t want to speak of her; others seemed to turn a blind eye to the whole truth. Though her siblings’ feelings on their mother had changed in the last five months since Livia had escaped prison and began showing up in their lives, bringing more ugly truths to light, Jade hadn’t developed an open rapport with her family yet. But to have someone, anyone, in her life who she could speak to about Livia and about her childhood, would be therapeutic beyond measure. To open up to someone and not worry about them turning away from her would be a first.