Chapter Two

W hat the heck?

All three men looked at her with varying degrees of embarrassment. Malorie arched her brows, waiting for the tall men on each side of her patient to explain themselves. She’d seen family drama in her days as a nurse, but the two Lohmen brothers who weren’t injured were completely out-of-bounds. Even though his records said he was bucked off a horse, the scene playing out before her made her wonder exactly how her patient had ended up in a hospital bed.

The man in the bed, Nathan, presumably, was the first to recover. His eyes lit up. “Hi, pretty lady.”

The tallest of the other two stepped toward her, hand extended. “I’m Jonas Lohmen. You must be the nurse I hired. These two idiots are my brothers, Blake, and the other one”—he gestured at the man in the bed—“as you guessed, is your patient, Nathan.”

“I did knock and called out several times,” she repeated, then frowned. “The door opened on its own, but I assume you couldn’t hear through all the yelling?”

“A difference of opinion is all,” the apparent leader of the gang said as he gently urged her back the way she’d come. “We just got Nathan home from the hospital. They gave him extra medicine for the trip, and it’s made my little brother somewhat... uncooperative.” Over his shoulder, he said, “Blake, get Nathan ready for company.”

“Get out.” Nathan’s good cheer disappeared as she watched him and the remaining brother over her shoulder. He growled, “I don’t need you to come waltzing back and taking over the ranch. I’ll rest today and be up and around and back to running things by tomorrow.”

His hand still on her arm, Jonas Lohmen contradicted his brother firmly, “It’s going to be months before you can get back on a horse. Stop bellyaching. I’ll help as much as I can, but we need Blake to handle the day-to-day operations.”

All three men faced off. Somehow, she’d landed herself in the middle of an old-fashioned Wild West gunslinger standoff. Finding herself in the center of a family feud was not what she’d signed on for, and it wasn’t what Andee and Reece needed right now.

Taking a deep breath, she pointed at the standing brothers. “You two. Out. You—” she said to her patient, who’d somehow managed to almost sit up. The lines bracketing his mouth had deepened. His pain medicine was clearly not holding. “Lay back down,” she instructed quietly after Jonas let go of her arm. “Wait, let me help you.”

At Nathan’s bedside, she eased him back, then shot Jonas a stern look. She hadn’t broken her chops learning her nursing skills on a hospital medical floor and survived a humiliating divorce for nothing. “My children are in the living room. If you don’t mind, they’ll need a snack to hold them over until I’m finished here.”

Blake brushed past Malorie. “You don’t need me here,” he said to Jonas. “If it’s okay with you, ma’am, I’ll take care of the kids and get them settled in the guesthouse.”

For the first time since walking into the dining room turned into a makeshift recovery cubical, Malorie let herself look more closely at the man. He seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place his face.

“Thank you. I appreciate that, Mr. Lohmen.”

“Blake.”

“Okay, Blake.”

She turned back to her patient. “My name’s Malorie. Let’s get you more comfortable.” It was a slow process, but with the hospital bed slightly elevated, she eventually got him to lie back. “Better?”

“Yes.” He rolled his head toward her, his eyelids at half-mast. “Thank you. You can call me Nathan.” When he winked at her, Malorie hid her smile. It wouldn’t be the first time a patient flirted with her, nor would it be the last. “You won’t have to be here long. I’ll be up and around in no time.”

“We’ll see. I’m going to take your vitals, okay?”

“Uh-huh.” His dark eyes closed completely, but he continued to mutter. “He shouldn’t be here. He doesn’t belong—”

“How did you break your pelvis?” Given the contentious circumstance she’d walked into, Malorie wanted to make sure falling off a horse was the only reason for his accident.

“Duke went one way, and I went the other,” he said, his words fading into even breathing.

Exactly as the report had said. So that made the Lohmen brothers’ dysfunctional family dynamic none of her business. She didn’t want to get mixed up in all that. She’d had enough of family drama by the time her ex had changed continents.

He snorted softly, then whispered, “Have to make Blake leave.”

“Why?” she asked, hoping the answer would get Nathan’s worries off his mind and soothe him into a deeper sleep.

“He killed Dad’s truck—”

Brows arching, she gently patted his shoulder. “Go to sleep now.”

In comparison to his brothers, Nathan’s face was thin, with sharp angles and black heavy brows. His hair was coal black. Overall, he seemed too thin. Making a mental care plan, she decided getting him to eat would be her top priority after she got his pain under better control.

By the time she finished taking his vitals, had recorded them in the file on the small table next to the bed, and checked the time and amount of his last pain meds, he was out.

She straightened his covers, turned down the lighting, and then went to find Jonas to have a serious talk. Who nearly comes to blows with their seriously injured brother?

He was in the living room, a glass of whiskey in hand, staring out a large window overlooking green pastures dotted with horses and the occasional fir and pine tree.

“I think your brother is settled for the evening, but I’ll check on him again later and sit with him through the night.”

Jonas faced her. “No need. I’ll keep an eye on him tonight. You’ve had a long trip and will need your rest. Would you like a glass of wine?”

She shook her head. “I don’t drink when I’m on duty.” Actually, she rarely drank.

“As you’ve seen, my brother won’t be the easiest patient.” Jonas indicated that she take a seat in one of the brown leather armchairs flanking the fireplace. He joined her, sitting on the matching couch. “I’m sorry you walked into a family squabble.”

“That was more than a squabble, Mr. Lohmen.”

“Jonas, please.” With a heavy sigh, he pushed long, wavy hair off his forehead. “I’m sorry to say, my brothers have trouble getting along.”

It was none of her business, but—“Because... um... Blake... killed your father’s truck?”

“Is that what Nathan said?” Jonas took a sip of his whiskey. “It happened a long time ago. And, well, there’s been a lot of water under that bridge.”

The man watching her closely didn’t elaborate, and Malorie didn’t pry. She’d made up her mind. “I’m very sorry, Jonas, but I took this job because the twins and I need a quiet place to regroup. That won’t happen in the middle of your family problems.” Before he tried to change her mind, she rushed on. “I’ll stay long enough for you to find a replacement, but then we have to leave.”

He put down his glass and went to stand in front of the window in a determined stance reminiscent of the one Blake Lohmen had adopted before leaving to help her twins settle in. “Are you sure? I promise, for the most part, it’s quiet around here.”

“I’m sure.” Malorie rose as well. She wasn’t really, but she couldn’t give her doubt room to grow.

“I’m sorry our first impression wasn’t good. I’ll see what I can do and let you know as soon as I find someone.” Jonas walked her to the door. “Blake took your kids to the guesthouse. It’s down the walkway to the left and then left again. You can’t miss it.”

“Thanks. You understand that Andee and Reece come first, no matter what I might want. They’ve had enough family drama recently to last a lifetime.”

He opened the door. “I understand. I find myself with a similar dilemma.”

Again, he didn’t elaborate. But there was a look in his eyes that had Malorie questioning what kind of quagmire she’d landed herself and the kids in. “I’ll see you in the morning, then.”

Nodding, he smiled and pointed beyond the porch to a stone path.

She followed Jonas’s directions. He was right. It wasn’t hard to find the cottage. Quaint, with what looked like a second-story attic space, the cozy little bungalow squatted in the middle of a wildflower garden. Roses and hydrangeas boxed in the riot of color. The sight took her breath away. It was too bad they couldn’t stay.

She found Andee and Reece in the kitchen, making macaroni and cheese with Blake. It perplexed her how familiar he still seemed.

Beside him, Reece cut up hot dogs to put into the mac and cheese. Of course. Who didn’t like dogs in their favorite meal? “Hey, guys.”

“Mom!” Andee scooted close for a hug. “Isn’t this the best house? Do you love the garden?”

At home, Andee always helped her in the garden. Except for pulling weeds. Malorie couldn’t blame her daughter. No one liked clearing out weeds, and like her daughter, she’d much rather be planting color. Everywhere.

“I love the garden.” She smiled as her eleven-year-old went back to the counter to resume stirring the milk and cheese into the macaroni. Malorie turned to Blake. “Thank you for taking care of the twins.”

“Not a problem. They’re fun kids.” Keeping an eye on his kitchen helpers, he walked over to stand beside Malorie. She had to look up at him, which was unusual. At five feet, eight inches, she wasn’t short.

“There are two bedrooms with a shared bath upstairs. I put Andee and Reece up there. You’ll be in the master just down the hall. We just have to bring in your things.”

She should tell him she didn’t plan to stay long enough to move in but looking into forest-green eyes rimmed in a dark, thin band, the words wouldn’t come out.

Reece pulled on her arm. “Mom. Guess what?”

“What?” She cleared her throat and looked down at her son.

Reece held up his favorite Timmy, the Superhero book. “Mr. Lohmen is B.J. Burrows. Look.” He turned the book so she could see the author’s picture on the back. “He said we could call him B.J. Isn’t that cool?”

“Very cool,” she said to her son while arching her brows at Blake Lohmen. That was why the man seemed so familiar. Her kids loved the Timmy books and she admitted there was a lot to appreciate about them. “Mr. B.J. would be better.”

“B.J. is fine. Give me your keys and I’ll bring your car around.” Blake held out his hand. “But before I do, tell me honestly how Nathan is doing. What’s his long-term prognosis?”

“The doctor should have told you—”

“I just got here myself. Besides, I trust you more. You’ve got good kids here. You can’t be a good mom and not tell the truth.”

Since she was a stranger, Malorie wasn’t sure how he’d come to that conclusion. She handed over her keys. “Okay, well. He’s sleeping and likely will be for the rest of the night. He’ll probably only wake up for pain medicines. He has a significant fracture of his pelvis bone that will keep him out of commission for a while.”

He seemed on edge. “But he’ll recover, right? Will he get back to doing the things he did before the accident?”

“According to his chart, the doctor thinks with the addition of physical therapy, he’ll make a good recovery and get back to his previous level of activity in the usual, expected amount of time.”

“Good. And thanks. I appreciate you explaining things.” He headed for the door, but with his hand on the doorknob, turned back. “I’ll leave the porch light on and the front door at the main house unlocked, in case you need to check on him during the night.”

With that, he left, leaving Malorie slightly confused. One minute he was fighting with his injured brother, the next he was sincerely inquiring about his medical status.

“Mom, can you help me put the hot dogs in the mac and cheese?”

“Absolutely.” Malorie hugged Reece. “Andee, are you done with the macaroni?” They’d been helping her with simple meals since she’d gotten divorce papers in the mail.

“Uh-huh.”

Blake returned, leaving their luggage at the bottom of the stairs before he left, a wistful smile on his handsome face at their chatter as she and the twins worked to finish making dinner.

“Bye, B.J.,” Andee and Reece said together as they waved at him when he headed out the door.

Without taking a breath, they talked excitedly about everything they’d seen since arriving on the ranch. Malorie was glad to see them yawning as they cleaned up the dishes.

She put aside the dish towel she used to dry the pot they’d cooked in. Andee and Reece weren’t the neatest cooks, but that didn’t bother her. Malorie was more than happy to go behind them.

She carried their suitcases up to the second floor. The attic bedrooms were perfect. Not too big, but just right. Each had painted wood floors—one blue, one green—and large enough windows on each end to see the wide sweep of ranch meadows in the fading light. Beds covered in colorful homemade quilts took up much of the floor space. There were desks in each room. It was a kid’s paradise. And it was unfortunate they wouldn’t be staying long. She just couldn’t put her children through staying in an unhappy situation where things weren’t as good as they first appeared. She did that with her ex, staying too long once it was clear Mark wanted out of their marriage. She’d learned her lesson and wouldn’t drag her feet like that again.

It took a while, but she got them into their pajamas and tucked into bed to finish reading their Timmy, the Superhero books. They’d read all of them, eight in all, over and over. They were on the last one now for the second time.

“I’m so glad we came.” Andee put her arms around Malorie’s neck to give her a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I wish we could stay forever. B.J. said he grew up here. He seems kind of sad.”

Malorie’s heart skipped a beat. Hoping she wasn’t going to have to play the role of bad mom, she finished tucking her daughter in. “We have our home in Ashland. You love it there, don’t you? I know I do.”

Luckily, she didn’t have to tell the kids they were leaving until Jonas found her replacement.

Andee nodded, then opened her book. “You know what, Mom?”

“What, sweetie?” Malorie straightened the blanket so that it neatly fit under her daughter’s arms.

“I think Timmy’s a real boy.”

Malorie wasn’t sure about that, but she wasn’t going to disagree with Andee’s conclusion. “Sweet dreams. I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

When she went to kiss Reece goodnight, he was already asleep. His Timmy book was locked by both arms to his chest. Malorie gently pulled it free and placed the book on the bedside table. Pulling the quilt up to his chin, she kissed his forehead.

“Sweet dreams, little man,” she whispered, then tiptoed out of the room.

Downstairs, she stepped outside and found a porch swing where she curled up with a cup of the Good Night tea she’d brought with her, and a blanket from the couch. Stars started to appear, small twinkles in the night sky. An occasional horse’s nicker came from the barn. Night settled in around Malorie.

Andee was right. She could get used to being here. But after the pandemonium they’d walked into earlier, she couldn’t take the chance. She’d accepted the job to give Andee and Reece a summer of no drama so they could come to terms with their father leaving them behind with only the vague promise of possibly spending holidays in Spain with him and his new wife.

The twins deserved a summer free of family chaos and disruption. That’s all she wanted for them. And it was fair to say, she needed a change, too, to get over her disappointment at a failed marriage and the humiliation that Mark had left because he said he needed his freedom, and then, not six months later had married another, younger woman and taken the job in Spain.

Andee and Reece were her only concern now. Maybe she’d read the situation incorrectly, but after what she’d witnessed of the brothers’ relationship earlier, it seemed there would be no peace for them on the Lohmen ranch.

The long day caught up with her. Malorie pulled the blanket closer. The Timmy, the Superhero books were mostly about Timmy solving his problems by the author’s carefully crafted problem-solving. Blake Lohmen should know he couldn’t solve his problems by arguing his way out of the situation.

It was too bad she and the twins had to leave. Her eyes closed. The ranch, if not the brothers, was exactly what she’d been hoping for. Sweet quiet wrapped around her as closely as the blanket and lulled her to sleep. Sometime later, she woke from a dream of a superhero with B.J.’s face, swooping in to save her as she fell off a long-legged, tall, chestnut-colored horse with a blanket of white across her back quarters.

Shaking her head to clear the improbable dream and after checking on both kids, she dragged herself to bed, where she stared at the ceiling. The dream didn’t mean anything. When she couldn’t get back to sleep, she threw on a robe over her pajamas and went to check on Nathan.

As Blake had promised, the porch light was on and the door unlocked. Nathan was awake when she came into the makeshift room. Laying absolutely still, his pain-filled gaze followed her progress until she stood by his bedside, then flicked to somewhere behind her back.

Glancing over her shoulder, she found Blake in an overstuffed armchair, legs stretched out in front of him, arms crossed over his chest as he watched them, a frown forming between his brows.

She turned back to Nathan, keeping her voice low. “How are you doing?”

Nathan might have been the combative one when she first arrived, but it didn’t seem like Blake and Jonas were innocent either. As long as she was on the ranch, she would keep her own counsel. Nathan wasn’t her first unruly patient.

“Hurts,” he croaked.

“We’ll fix that.” She took his vitals, recorded them using the scant light from the bedside lamp, then gave him pain medicine and a drink of water. “Go back to sleep, if you can. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

His eyes started to close. “Thank you.”

Blake hadn’t moved, but as she drew even with him, he asked lowly, “How’s he doing?”

Malorie glanced at Nathan. “He’s gone back to sleep.”

“Thanks.” Blake lowered his chin to his chest.

So, he intended to be at his brother’s bedside all night. It was surprising after the ruckus she’d witnessed.

Quietly leaving the house, and with the sparkle of stars overhead, she made her way back to the cottage. Hope sputtered, but she pushed away the thought that the Triple L might still be a place where she and the kids could begin to find their way again.

She crawled into bed. Sleep did not come easy. What had caused the rift between the brothers? She wanted to ask, but it didn’t matter what the reason was. Unless it could be resolved quickly, she would keep looking for the peaceful renewal she and the twins needed. Grief at losing a member of their family was not an easy thing to live with. Even if it wasn’t her and the kids who’d asked for the breakup. Somewhere out there was the haven she was looking for.