Page 3 of The Rancher's Heart

The only thing that was different was she seemed too quiet. When he asked her how she was doing, she would smile and wave him off, in her own way, basically telling him to focus on college and not what she was doing. So, reluctantly, he had.

Blake and Nathan were fifteen and sixteen at the time. Jonas had found out later that they hadn’t been much help. Not that, knowing his mom and how she’d reacted to his questions, she’d let any of her sons give her a hand with keeping the ranch going.

He needed to have a conversation with his brothers. Even though they’d renegotiated the bank loan on the ranch earlier that month, it had a very short repayment period. If they couldn’t pay it off in four months—three and a half now—they still ran the risk, even after all Izzy had done to pull the Triple L into the black, of having to sell off their Lohmen inheritance. None of them would let that happen.

For his part, that meant finding those lost papers and beginning the Colorado Ranger Horse Association registration process. And, if he had to, do a DNA test on their stud, Duke.

The violinist from Blake and Malorie’s engagement party began to play the wedding march. The sweet, soothing melody wound around him, finally taking Jonas’s mind off his troubles. His brothers straightened beside him as Andee and Izzy started down the aisle. At eleven, soon to be twelve, Andee looked very pretty in her finery. Her eyes were shining brightly as she walked down the aisle, her pink-and-blue princess gown ending at her ankles. Her hair hung in ringlets down her back. She wore dark blue ballerina shoes. He knew what those were because he’d helped her pick them out at the fancy dress store in Strawberry Ridge while Blake, Timmy, and Reece were trying on their wedding tuxes.

Behind Andee, her smiling gaze on Nathan, Izzy nearly stole the show in a dress similar to Andee’s. Beside him, Nathan sucked in a breath, his eyes locked on his fiancée. Yup, his brother had it bad.

When Malorie appeared, it was Blake’s turn to suck in a steadying breath. Waiting until Izzy and Andee took their places opposite Blake and Nathan, Jonas extended his arm to Malorie, and with a kiss on her temple, slowly walked her toward her groom.

“I’m honored that you asked me to give you away,” he whispered in her ear. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sloane take a seat in the back. “Are you ready for this?”

Standing under the arbor at the end of the aisle, Blake grinned from ear to ear as Jonas squired his bride-to-be.

Malorie squeezed his hand and leaned into Jonas’s shoulder. “I’m ready. There’s nothing I want more than to be your brother’s wife.”

“And there’s nothing I want more than to have you and Izzy for my sisters-in-law.” He handed her over to Blake. “You got lucky, brother.”

“Don’t I know it?” Blake looped Malorie’s arm with his.

As the minister started, Jonas took his place and stole a glance at Sloane. She met his gaze but barely smiled back. He’d known her and counted her as his best friend since the sixth grade. She was smart and talented and almost always laughed at his jokes. All good things to have in a best friend.

The minister had gotten to the“Do you take this man...”part of the service. Over the years, he and Sloane had gone to dances together, gone fishing, and occasionally tuned up his beloved Mustang on a Saturday afternoon. There was that time they’d spent a week at Disney World together. It was one of his favorite memories.

Blake kissed his bride amidst cheers from their close friends and immediate family. Jonas felt a rare stab of envy that after coming home, Blake had found a partner who was his equal in every way, but then Jonas discarded the troublesome feeling.

Offering his arm to Andee, he followed Blake and Malorie down the aisle and to the far side of the cottage, where tables and chairs had been set out for the reception.

“I want to congratulate Mom and BJ.” When Andee tugged on her hand, Jonas let her go and followed so he could offer his own congratulations.

When it was his turn, he hugged Malorie. “I don’t know what you see in this crazy brother of mine.”

“I love him,” she said simply.

Envy rattled him again until he sternly reminded himself that he wasn’t looking for love. After shaking his brother’s hand, he stepped back to give others room to congratulate the happy couple. Blake and Malorie were one of the lucky ones, that was for sure. He grabbed two cups of punch and stood off to the side until Sloane was done speaking to the newlyweds. On her way to join him, she pulled out her phone, checked a message, then put it back in the small handbag that matched her lavender dress.

He handed her one of the cups. “Nice ceremony, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was lovely.” She sipped her punch.

Curious, he glanced over the guests. “Your dad didn’t come with you?”

“He’s visiting his sister. Every year in August, they spend two weeks in Hawaii together.”

“That’s right. I remember.” Her brows rose quizzically. Jonas pushed on. “Since you have a date tonight, I’m guessing dinner at Luke’s Diner is out of the question.”

“Sorry.” She didn’t look sorry.

He frowned. Something was definitely wrong. He had to work hard to keep his voice level. “Anyone I know?” Probably not, but she hadn’t mentioned that she had a steady guy she was seeing.

“Nope.” She gave him theit’s-none-of-your-businesslook she’d perfected in high school that meant she was keeping something from him.

“Is it Evan Karlson? Didn’t he have a crush on you in the ninth grade?”

“Maybe he did. It doesn’t matter. He moved to Seattle five years ago with his wife and two boys.” Handing him her empty cup, she edged toward the cars parked along the road leading back to the main house.

---