Page 44 of The Rancher's Heart

“What are you doing?” Sloane hissed between her teeth so only he could hear.

He leaned close and whispered in her ear. To his uninvited guest, it would look like he was taking a little nibble. “Trying to get Julieann to go away?”

“I’ve come at a bad time. Charlie has a proposal he wants me to present, so I do have to head back.” Julieann spun on her heel and disappeared the way she’d come. A moment later, he heard the sound of a car speeding away.

“Ow!” Jonas moved away from Sloane’s pinching fingers. “Why did you do that?”

“As if you don’t know, Jonas Lohmen! Ooh, I could kick you in the shins!”

“Please don’t,” he asked sincerely and then couldn’t resist grinning at the spunky woman.

She retreated to the house. When he went to follow, she held up both hands like stop signs. “I do not want to talk to you right now.”

Usually, it was a good day when a man asked a woman to marry him, except he hadn’t asked Sloane to be his wife. It probably would have been better to check in with the angry lady storming away from him before he announced to his family and the world at large that they were engaged.

He would have followed her, anyway, if Nathan hadn’t slowed him down by slapping him on the shoulder. “You had us worried for a while, big brother. Never thought you’d have the guts to ask Sloane to marry you.” Nathan leaned around him to watch the screen door bang behind Sloane. “Doesn’t look like she took it well.”

That was putting it mildly. The question was, could he convince her his strange way of asking wasn’t about making sure Julieann knew his heart was already taken, but really about realizing that he wasn’t sure he could live without having his best friend in his life every single day?

That night, after everyone was gone, the house was quiet. Nathan and Izzy had gone to the old Blue Moon Theater. For a distraction, Jonas sat at his desk, checking email and the online news.

Sloane had left without speaking to him, and before he could catch her. He was definitely in the doghouse, but he wouldn’t change a thing about pretending that Sloane was his fiancée. The shock on her face was priceless. Unplanned, it had been a long time since he’d surprised the startling woman. It gave him an idea.

He checked out Sloane’s profile on Perfect Match. Jonas didn’t know how many responses she’d gotten, but... her picture... was sweet and sassy at the same time. What man could resist?

I’m a girl who’s a mechanic. I know, right? Not normal. I love classic trucks. I live in small-town USA. I’m not interested in a short-term commitment. And I’m more of an experimental cook. If you like lengthy conversations over a surprise dinner, long walks in the mountains, and spending time with family, reach out. Let’s see if we’re a potential match.

...holy moly!

He quickly switched to his profile to see what his brothers had written.

The picture was one he didn’t remember, which meant Izzy probably took it. It didn’t make him look like the old man he’d been feeling like lately. That, at least, was something.

Rancher, horse breeder, loner, looking for a woman who wants more than to climb up the social ladder.

Loner?Was that how his brothers saw him? Good grief. He was about to edit the not-so-flattering description when he decided to leave it. He wasn’t looking for dates. He just wanted to reach out to Sloane and prove he wasn’t a dud. That a pretend engagement could perhaps lead to the real thing. That hadn’t been his plan originally, but now it was all he could think about.

He returned to her page and typed in the message box.I like lengthy conversations over dinner, long walks in the mountains, and spending time with family. Would you like to meet at Aaron Park at the food cart that sells pizza by the slice? You name the date and time, and I’ll be there ~Jonas.

There was no point in hiding that the message was from him, since she could simply look at his page and figure it out.

He sank back into his chair, uncertain that she would be intrigued enough to look past the fact that she already knew the good and bad about who he was.

She would make some lucky guy the perfect wife. The image of her holding hands with a stranger, rushing home to have dinner with the man, having babies with anyone else but him—It tied his gut in knots.

Since they were already engaged, so to speak, maybe his lifelong friend would give him a second chance if he promised to love her to the end of their days together.

Chapter Twelve

Sloane decided theywould take the next day off to get Clara ready to start school. And to ease her nerves. Jonas pretending they were engaged, on top of thinking her sister had run away, was almost too much.

All these years, she’d waited for him to notice they had something special. Something more than just being BFFs. So, what does he do? Present her to Julieann and his family as his fiancée without even asking.

What the heck was he playing at? She’d said goodbye to his brothers and their families, but not to Jonas. She needed a break from the rancher. Today was that day.

Her dad called, for a moment taking her mind off Jonas’s shenanigans. He’d gotten on the plane in Hawaii to head home as planned. He should arrive late afternoon to meet and spend some time with Clara.

Her sister was uneasy about meeting Sloane’s dad. To take her mind off her worry, Sloane took Clara with her to air out his house. Back home, she had Clara set up his favorite board game, suspecting the two would get along just fine. Her dad was one of those guys who never held a grudge—in any case, not against Tracy for breaking up their family and then ghosting them for all the years since she left. He certainly wouldn’t hold their mother’s problems against the teen.

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