Page 52 of In Colton's Custody (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

“You’re not going to find anything. I’m clean. I’m on parole. Do you think I would do anything to go back to prison?”

“We’ll see, sir.” She stepped past him into the house.

While James guarded the home’s occupant, the others executed the search warrant, hunting for any electronics and printed materials pertaining to Colton Oil.

Kerry stepped into the pitch-dark room where Watts had been working and flipped on the light. She exchanged a look with Spencer, who grinned over his prediction about the darkened computer area. He’d been at this job for a while.

Lizzie was already working her computer magic, invaluable to the department, at the desk. They moved to other rooms to continue the search, but she quickly called them back in.

“Here it is,” she said as they crowded around her.

From Watts’s “sent” box, she produced an email from “Classified” and with the subject line “Colton Oil CEO Ace Colton is not a real Colton.”

“You think it’s the real thing?” Kerry asked Spencer.

“I don’t know, but it’s enough for an arrest and to confiscate the laptop.”

They returned to the living room to cuff Watts and read him his Miranda warning. Kerry did the honors.

“You have nothing on me,” Watts spat.

“I’m sure the judge will want to see the email from ‘Classified,’” Spencer said.

“I was hired to send that email for a friend.”

“What friend?” Spencer thought it might be worth a try to ask. “Just tell me what you know, and I’ll try to get a deal for you from DA Karly Fitzpatrick.”

“No way. I’m no snitch. You know what they do to snitches inside?”

“But you’re going to spend years in prison this time.”

Watts shrugged despite his handcuffs. “If you really have on me what you think you do, I’m going back either way. Might as well stay loyal, don’t you think?”

At the man’s smile, Spencer ground his teeth.

Despite that they’d finally made an arrest in the case after four months, no one was ready to celebrate as they put the suspect in one of the cars and headed back to the station. Spencer squeezed the steering wheel tighter than was necessary as he drove. Four months and countless hours of work, and they were back to where they’d started from. With nothing.

* * *

On Harper’s second day at Tender Years, Asher rang the bell with a good fifteen minutes to spare before closing. And just like the day before, Candace answered, while Willow appeared to be conspicuously MIA. Sure, he’d seen the center’s owner in passing during both morning drop-offs, but she’d been too busy to acknowledge him. Or unwilling.

“Well, hello, Mr. Colton.”

“Hi, Candace. Remember, I told you yesterday that I’m just Asher.”

A grin split her round, pleasant face. “Oh, right, ‘just Asher.’ Forgot that. I’ll try to remember for tomorrow.”

She probably should since she would be the one answering the door again. Guess he couldn’t blame Willow for avoiding him after the proposal that never should have been.

“Would you like to come in out of the heat while I get your little darling?”

She pulled the door wide to let him in, quickly closing it behind him. “Stay here, and I’ll be right back.”

Candace disappeared into the back of the house. She hadn’t smirked when she’d spoken to him the day before or then, but he couldn’t help wondering how much Willow had shared with her about his lame offer.

Why had he suggested it anyway? That their steamy and far-too-brief session in the hospital parking lot had muddled his brain, along with sending several of his body’s systems into overdrive, wasn’t a good enough excuse. Had some part of that proposal been about more than only convenience?

Willow had still committed to keep Harper at the center, as agreed, but she would probably try to renegotiate and get as far away from him as she could after they received the results later that week.

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