Page 43 of The Rancher's Heart

Hoping to get her to talk, he snugged her closer under his arm. “I could live without going through this morning again.”

“Me too,” she said emphatically. “I understand what Clara was thinking, but I’m going to have nightmares about not being able to find her for a while.” She pulled him to a stop, her cheeks turning pink. “I’m glad you were there.”

“I’ll always be here for you,” he promised, in case she’d forgotten. It was time to change the subject. “Did Clara like the train ride?”

“She had a good time using my old digital camera. She took more pictures than I did.” Sloane spun around and walked backward a few steps, but he knew she couldn’t see her sister in the corral on the other side of the barn. She reminded him, “You started to ask me something, but then Nora was done talking to Clara.”

“I got my answer, so it doesn’t matter now.” On the back porch, he got the grill started.

“What answer?”

Jonas shrugged. What the heck? If his name popped up in her inbox, it wouldn’t be a secret much longer. He wouldn’t put it past his brothers to send the first message. “Blake and Nathan put my profile on Perfect Match.”

She studied him for a stretched-out minute before her confusion cleared. “You thought it was me!”

“No.” Her brows shot up in disbelief. Dear Lord, she was quick. “Not for long, anyway. You wouldn’t do that behind my back.”

Her hands balled into fists. “You’re right about that, buddy.” She sputtered for breath. “I’m notthatdesperate.” She caught her breath. “I can’t believe you thought it was me.”

“It was dumb, I know. Nathan and Blake think we’d make a good couple. They’re happy, so they want us to be happy.” No way was he about to tell her that Nathan thought she was in love with him or that he was starting to hope she was. Still—“Would it be terrible if we went on the occasional date?”

“Why?”

At least she didn’t immediately say not going to happen.

“We’ve known each other since the sixth grade. What more do we need to find out?” She slipped from beneath his arm and slid her hands into her back pockets. Except for that morning, she didn’t trust his motives anymore. He was starting to think... rightfully so.

Before he could answer, Malorie and Izzy came from inside the house, carrying paper plates, cups, napkins, and plastic silverware. They put everything on the picnic table that had already been covered with a flowery tablecloth.

On the way back into the house, they gave him matching cheeky looks. So, they were in on the Perfect Match thing too.

As he took care of cooking the meat, the table filled up with all the things that went along with hamburgers and hot dogs. Jonas tried not to appreciate how well the three women got along. Sloane fit into his family like a familiar, warm glove.

After they filled their plates, the adults sat around the fire pit while the kids occupied the table.

“What happens if we don’t have Duke’s DNA results in time to register him with the association before the rodeo starts?” Blake asked, his fork hovering over a mound of potato salad.

Given the amount of time and money they had left to keep the Triple L in the family, they’d already taken on all the side hustles they could. Restarting their dad’s breeding program with Duke as the primary stallion was not their last hope, but almost.

“Then we’ll come up with another plan.”

“Clara and I can help too,” Sloane said, giving him a look that discouraged him from excluding them.

He got the message. He’d been there for her. She had every intention of being there for him. That was not a point he would argue with her. He nodded. The truth was that he was beginning to feel like he was the desperate one. The woman was something else. How was she still single? Wondering if he could steal a kiss, he rose and walked toward Sloane with nothing but that one goal in mind.

As he reached her, someone came around the side of the house.

Jonas did a double take. Julieann? What was she doing here?

“Jonas. I thought I’d try to catch you at home and heard voices—” She stopped, taking in the family gathering.

He pulled Sloane to her feet. “I heard you were heading back to Denver.”

“Not yet. I wanted to see you first.”

He looped Sloane’s arm through his. She tried to break free without making a big show of it, but Jonas only smiled and tucked her closer. “Julieann, I believe you’ve met my fiancée.”

Julieann’s eyes narrowed briefly before she lifted her chin and smiled brightly back. “Yes, we’ve met.”

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