Page 50 of The Rancher's Heart

Sloane had their lunch out of the bag and sat, staring at the still-wrapped burritos.

He sat across from her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” she said without looking at Jonas.

A sharp jab hit him in the chest. Now was not the time to back off. If he didn’t get her to open up, he had a sick feeling she wouldn’t give him another chance. “It doesn’t look like nothing.”

“I’m mad at you, okay? Is that what you want to hear?” She didn’t shout. Instead, she pasted a smile on her face that didn’t make him feel any better.

“I know. And I’m sorry. I acted without thinking it through or understanding how you would feel. I won’t do that again.”

“Make sure that you don’t.” She met his gaze. “So, how’s your day been so far?”

He unfolded the wrap around his burrito. “I had a breakfast meeting with my brothers—”

“You cooked?” She took a bite of her food, and after he nodded, said, “That sounds delicious.”

“I checked on Duke’s DNA test. And—”

“Any news?” she asked, putting her burrito down and leaning toward him on her elbows. She had a stain of oil down one shoulder of her coveralls. The faint smell mixed with the Mexican scent from their food and the bouquet of her flowering garden.

At least she was talking.

“The results will be mailed sometime next week.” He mirrored her posture. “And I filed the petition for your kinship guardianship of Clara.”

Finally, her beautiful dark eyes lit up as their conversation lost its strain. “That’s great. How long do we have to wait?”

“A court appointment is usually scheduled three-to-five weeks after the petition is submitted, so until sometime in late October-ish.” Along with moving him to Strawberry Ridge, bringing Sloane lunch had been his best idea in a long while. “Listen, I need some help.”

Picking up her burrito, she leaned back and took another bite. Her brows came together. If she said the words out loud, they couldn’t have been plainer. Helping him was no longer on her I’d-be-happy-to list.

He plowed ahead, anyway. “The rodeo starts in a week, and Izzy is making up flyers highlighting what the Triple L has to offer in the way of a wedding destination, horse riding lessons, and breeding opportunities for those looking for stud services. Blake and his family are going to pass out the flyers. I’m hoping you, your dad, and Clara will help too.”

“I don’t know.” Dropping her gaze to the table, she wrapped up what remained of her burrito. “I have to check with Dad and Clara to see if they don’t already have plans.”

“You’ll let me know?” He frowned. Instinct and all the years of being her friend told him there was more than his ill-advised charade going on. “Something’s wrong. What is it?”

After letting the silence drag out, she finally said, “When Julieann stopped by the garage after... you know...” She lifted her chin. “She offered her congratulations but was surprised you were engaged. She noticed I didn’t have a ring—not that I want one—and she said I wasn’t your type. She was quite clear. You go for sophisticated, on-the-fast-track women.”

“She said that?”

“I’ve got to get back to work.” Sloane walked away without looking back, not giving him a chance to dispute Julieann’s assertion. He swore under his breath. Why hadn’t Sloane told him sooner?

Chapter Fourteen

The next day,Sloane dropped Clara off at school on her way to the garage. She’d finished work on the first vehicle scheduled for the day, wondering the whole time she worked on it why it had taken her so long to tell Jonas what Julieann thought of their engagement. In the old days, they would have laughed over the socialite’s impression. It was a pretend commitment, and Sloane didn’t care what the other woman thought. That’s what she kept telling herself.

She was pathetic. But just because she didn’t want to see confirmation in his eyes that he’d known all along that she’d been crushing on him practically from the first day he’d stood up for her, that didn’t make her a weakling. It just meant she was a cautious woman when it came to pursuing the man she loved.

So, she loved Jonas. Surprise, surprise. He was everything and more that she wanted in the man she hoped to spend the rest of her life with.

You’re not his type. He likes his women sophisticated and on the fast track.

Not his type? What did that even mean? And how did a stranger see that when she couldn’t? Although she’d been his best friend long enough, she should have seen that glaring error in her thinking somewhere along the way.

If it was true that he liked a more sophisticated, fast-tracking woman more than a homegrown girl who preferred heavy metal, classic vehicles, and a garage full of tools over sitting behind an office desk, then it was true. She wasn’t Jonas Lohmen’s go-to woman.

So, why had he announced she was his fiancée in front of his family? He said it was to make Julieann go away. She had to believe him, didn’t she?

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