Page 11 of The Rancher's Heart

He and his brothers were still paying the price.

Nathan crossed his arms across his chest. “Like I said, it wasn’t my story to tell. I haven’t told anyone, not even Izzy. And I didn’t want either of you to feel bad about the folks or blame them for—”

“For what?” Jonas’s anger faded as quickly as it had flamed. “Being human? We all make mistakes, Nathan. We just have to decide where we’re going from here.”

Blake clapped Jonas on the back. “Exactly. You don’t have to be the one carrying this load, Nathan.”

Nathan let his arms drop. Sucking in a shaky breath, he said softly, “I’ll leave Mom’s box on the table so you can read the letters if you want to.”

“I don’t know if I will, at least not right now,” Jonas said. “I’m going to be busy working on getting Duke, the younger, DNA tested and registered with the CRHA.”

“And I’m heading back to my wife, who’s packing for our honeymoon.” Blake grinned. “We’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

Jonas frowned. “Who’s watching the kids?”

“Izzy,” Nathan said, the tension fading away. “I’m her backup.”

Blake was out the door before Jonas could blink. He should have paid closer attention to their honeymoon plans, but... well, he didn’t have a good excuse. “Where are they going?”

“A little town on the Oregon Coast. Angel Point. For five days, I think,” Nathan said as he put their half-empty drinks on the kitchen counter. “I’ve got to get going. Izzy’s making lunch.”

Sloane would be there too. Suddenly, Jonas wished he’d been invited. He immediately dropped the idea. “In case you’re thinking of butting in, I don’t have time to date. And I’m not worried at all about who Sloane dates.” Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but Nathan didn’t need to know that. His brother could get into all kinds of trouble if given the opportunity to stir the pot. “She can go out with whoever she wants.”

“Coward.” Nathan laughed as he headed for the door. “Come on. I know the hostess. I’m sure I can get you an invite to lunch.”

He shouldn’t turn down a chance to spend an afternoon with Sloane. Especially if he wanted to convince her that no matter what she thought about his current bachelor status, he was still her friend and would do whatever he could to help her achieve this dream of having a family that would stick with her through the good and bad. After all, he had experience. He’d learned a lot of how to do that from his brothers.

“After you.” Jonas shoved his hands in his pockets, not wanting his brother to know he’d just made his afternoon.

Nathan smirked. “I thought you’d be interested.”

“Why?” Jonas stared at his brother’s back.

Nathan tossed a wink over his shoulder at Jonas. “Just a good guess.”

Before he could challenge Nathan’s assumption, his brother was knocking on the cottage door.

Brothers. They were a real pain in the—

His future sister-in-law opened the door. Nathan leaned in to kiss his fiancée. A pang of envy washed over Jonas until he let it roll off his back.

Over Nathan’s and Izzy’s shoulders, Sloane stared at him. Her lips twisted, but not into a welcoming smile.

So, he was still in the doghouse. He’d better fix that quickly. His best friend abandoning their friendship was not how he wanted to start his new life in Strawberry Ridge.

Nudging the happy couple aside, he made his way to Sloane, where it looked like she was setting up a workstation at the table. Keeping his eye on Nathan and Izzy to make sure they were adequately distracted, he said softly, “I’m sorry I was rude yesterday.”

“So, you admit you were rude?” she asked, as if his determination to corner her about how she was dating was something he did every day. The starch left her shoulders as she braced her hip on the table.

Determined to do better, he simply confirmed, “Yeah, I was.”

Before he realized the happy couple was done being distracted, Izzy was beside him, Nathan’s arm draped around her shoulder.

“Please tell me you weren’t telling Sloane who she could date, Jonas Lohmen,” Izzy teased.

Jonas arched his brows at Sloane, appreciating she was having trouble keeping a smile reined in.

“He was fine.” Sloane moved to the other side of the table, putting too much space between them. She smirked. “I can handle Jonas.”

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