Page 79 of Colton First Responder (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

So when the time came for Grayson to bid her good-night, she invited him into his own guestroom for a nightcap.

And more. A lot more.

* * *

What a night.

It had been enjoyable to spend time with his siblings and their significant others—and that cute little Evie.

Grayson liked kids. Did he want them someday? Yeah, quite possibly—if he ever got married.

And at the moment, after spending the night again with Savannah and having incredible, though protected, sex...

Well, marriage wasn’t out of the question. He cared for her. Probably loved her.

But he recognized that, thanks to her particularly ugly divorce and what happened after that, she probably would never want to marry again.

When he left the ranch, he dropped Savannah at his office. She’d said she intended to go talk to his first responder staff again soon. Seemed like she might actually be interested in becoming a first responder, and working for him. Being with her every day like that sounded great. And maybe being with her every night, too?

The thought had definitely crossed his mind. And not just once.

But for now, he was on his way to the hospital. Savannah had urged him, after that wonderful family dinner at which his dad couldn’t be present, to go visit Payne.

He’d promised to do so. And now, he was walking through the medical facility’s front door again.

He had noticed the Affirmation Alliance Group’s table across the street again and ignored it.

But when he ran into Selina in the lobby this time, too, he wanted to turn around and leave again. Instead, he confronted her. “Well, hello again,” he said to his former stepmother. “I hope you’re just leaving, since I’m coming in.”

“Oh, I think you’re just leaving, too,” she said with a sadistic grin and started to rail at him about being a miserable son and worse—so Grayson turned his back on her and, yes, left.

But this time he didn’t go to his car. Instead, he walked around the hospital till he reached another door. He went inside and hurried through the sparkling, crowded hallways, past nurses and doctors in their respective scrubs, to his father’s room.

It was a private room, and the door was being watched by a private security guard hired by one of Grayson’s siblings. Grayson showed his ID and was allowed in.

It was hard to look at the powerful, egocentric Payne Colton that way, lying unconscious in the hospital bed, hooked up to IVs and monitors.

“Hi, Dad,” Grayson said, then sat down carefully at the edge of the bed. His father’s skin was pale, his eyes closed, but at least he appeared to be breathing—with help. “Sorry I haven’t spent more time here, but I’ve been busy.” Which was true, though not much of an excuse. He talked for a while about the earthquake and helping a woman unjustly accused of a murder and more. Did his father hear any of it? He doubted it.

But Grayson found that the subject he talked most about was Savannah, how she had been framed and how her ex-husband had been at fault—and was actually a murderer himself, or at least an accessory.

The longer Grayson stayed there, the more he wanted his father to regain consciousness and talk to him. Advise him? Probably not, since they had never really agreed on much when Payne was well. But still—

Being in Payne’s presence this way underscored the realization that life was too short.

Better to do everything to live it well right now.

Better to do what Grayson knew he really wanted.

He had a goal when he left.

“Bye, Dad. See you again soon.”

And he meant it.

* * *

Savannah had just had another delightful time talking about First Hand First Responders with Grayson’s employees. They were going on a training mission together later that afternoon, which happened often when they weren’t on assignment, since they needed to remain fit and smart and skilled.

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