Chapter Eight

B lake Lohmen was not the man Malorie thought he would be when she walked into the Lohmens’ family brawl. Her first impressions weren’t often that wrong. There was the kindness he’d shown Andee and Reece by keeping them busy, helping him in the barn and teaching them how to be around the horses without getting hurt. That was something a dad would do. Not that she was looking for a dad for the twins. Being their parent was her job, not a rancher’s she’d only known for a week and a half.

Then there were the Timmy books. Before she’d ever met him, she’d loved the stories and thought the author had insight. And a lot to say without beating the reader over the head with useless this is how you should live your life .

There was Timmy, the star of B.J. Burrows’s superhero books. A boy who very obviously loved his brother-in-law turned dad. She’d lay money that there was a story worth telling. One that, once she’d heard it, Malorie couldn’t unhear. Their sweet relationship made it so much harder to keep her distance and her heart safe.

How could she possibly trust again, after what had happened with Mark? She was sure Blake was in the same space. He must have loved his wife very much to continue parenting her brother after she was gone.

Day by day, her admiration had kept growing. Malorie flipped the French toast sizzling in the pan. She wasn’t in a position to fall for the man whose heart seemed to be as big as a reformed grinch’s.

Reece came downstairs, rubbing his eyes. At least someone in the cottage had gotten sleep. Waking hours before she needed to, she’d finally stopped tossing and gotten out of bed to start the twins’ breakfast.

Reece sat at the table and laid his head down. She put his stack of French toast and a bottle of homemade blueberry syrup, his favorite, in front of him. “Is your sister awake?”

“She’s reading.” He lifted his head, sniffed appreciatively, and pulled the plate closer.

Of course. Andee loved her books more than anything. Malorie went to the stairs and called up, “Andee, breakfast is ready.” She filled her daughter’s plate as she quizzed Reece, “What are you guys doing today?”

Reece snapped awake and smiled at her. “We’re going to brush the horses and then B.J. wants to look at the truck. He said we can help him.”

Malorie couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him so animated. This is exactly what she wanted for her children. A place where they could breathe and stretch and get excited about things; where mornings were not rushed but filled with the smell of breakfast; both starting their day looking forward to what lay ahead.

Blake was part of making that happen. She appreciated his efforts, but what she couldn’t do was lose her head over the rancher because of his kindness. “Timmy too?”

Reece took a big bite of his French toast. “Yup.”

Andee came downstairs. Seeing the plate Malorie had left on the table for her, she wrapped her arms around Mal’s waist. “You’re the best, Mom.”

Mission accomplished. She hugged her daughter tight, rocking them both.

“I’ll be at the main house, taking care of Nathan.” She let Andee go and grabbed her stethoscope. “Don’t give Blake any trouble this morning, okay?”

“We won’t,” the twins said together.

She took a step toward the door, then turned back. “Don’t forget to include Timmy in whatever you’re doing.”

“We won’t, Mom.” Andee’s smile had Malorie wishing she could spend the morning with the kids. “He’s like having a younger brother. And he’s quiet. We like him.”

That was what a proud mama wanted to hear. She would let Blake explain about Timmy’s diagnosis if it ever came up. “I’ll catch up with you when I’m done with my nursing duties.”

Nathan was a little too enthusiastic about his physical therapy because all he wanted was to get out of bed and do more than sit in his wheelchair on the porch. Malorie knew better. She was a physical therapist before becoming a nurse. What he could do without reinjuring himself were gentle range of motion and easy strengthening exercises. By the time they finished, he wasn’t in a good mood, and he hurt. If he growled like an injured bear, it wouldn’t have surprised Malorie.

Jonas came into the cubicle when they were done. He’d moved into one of the upstairs rooms over the weekend after securing office space in Strawberry Ridge.

“How’s our patient doing, Nurse Harper?” The mischief in Jonas’s eyes when he caught her gaze put her on notice. She didn’t have brothers, so she couldn’t tell how seriously out of line he was planning to be.

It was a good thing she wasn’t interested in partnering up with a man at the moment. Liar, liar, pants on fire. As quickly as it came, she set aside the voice in her head that accompanied a picture of Blake leading the kids into the old hay barn.

“His temper is improving,” she said evenly.

“How can I help?” Jonas offered.

As she did every morning when they completed his passive exercises, she’d angled the wheelchair near the bed. “If you don’t mind, help Nathan into his chair. He’s been practicing maneuvering himself, but he still needs someone to supervise, just in case.”

“I’d be glad to be your chauffeur, brother.”

“Bite me,” Nathan ground out.

Jonas burst out laughing.

Nathan almost did growl. “Don’t you have something better to do than hover over me? Like, go see your girlfriend? What’s her name?”

“Sloane is not my girlfriend.” His good humor subsiding, Jonas stepped back. “We’ve been best friends since sixth grade. If she was going to be my girlfriend, it would have happened a long time ago, buddy.”

Nathan managed to get himself into his wheelchair while Jonas looked on and Malorie made his bed. Finally, he huffed out a tired breath. “That’s not how I see it. You guys have been on a long, slow burn for years.”

“Says the guy who can’t remember the last time he went on a date,” Jonas countered.

Nathan shrugged, but a rare smile settled at the corner of his mouth. “I have better things to do than chase after a girl. Like going into the office and making sure the ledgers are up to date.”

“Not today.” Jonas unlocked the brakes on the wheelchair. “Blake is taking care of that. You are going to take an hour or two on the porch, breathe some fresh air, and enjoy the view.”

“That’s getting old. I’m bored enough as it is.” Nathan aimed that stubborn Lohmen look that Malorie was becoming quite familiar with at Jonas. “Why are you letting Blake near those books? You know he can’t be trusted.”

“Because he’s better at it than we are.” Jonas pushed the wheelchair forward, careful to avoid bumping furniture on the way. “And he’s raising a twelve-year-old kid. He can be trusted.”

Nathan twisted to look up at Jonas and winced. He conceded, “Maybe, but he’s been gone for sixteen years. He doesn’t know anything about the ranch now.”

Timmy had won all their hearts.

“All the better. A fresh set of eyes might see where we can make some improvements before we lose the Triple L.” Jonas was apparently not willing to sugarcoat their situation. “You can tell him anything you think he needs to know.”

Malorie shook her head, then followed them onto the porch. Brothers. They had probably forgotten she was behind them, to talk so candidly about their private affairs. She decided to give them their privacy.

“I’m going to check on the kids. I won’t be gone long. Then I’ll come back and make you boys chocolate chip muffins and coffee.” Even though Jonas had hired her to be Nathan’s nurse, she enjoyed puttering in their kitchen. And since the job offer had come with room and board, not only did she not have to waste time driving back and forth to Strawberry Ridge to be with the twins, but she could indulge more frequently in her favorite pastime.

As Jonas waved her off, she left them to it. “Don’t worry about coffee. I’ll take care of that. You go enjoy some time with your kids. I’ll keep Nathan company. We’ll play some chess.”

She went to the barn first. The main space was neat as a pin. It looked like the stairs to the loft apartment had been bolstered, which was a pleasant surprise, but she liked that Blake was thinking safety first.

When she didn’t find the twins and Blake and Timmy, she headed for the hay shed and heard their voices before she walked through the door.

“How did it get here?” That was Reece, who was interested in all things that had a motor. “Does it run?”

Blake circled the battered truck. He was concentrating, so he didn’t see her in the corner, where she stopped to stay out of his way. It also gave her the added vantage point of watching the man who was becoming more fascinating every minute she spent in his company.

“I don’t know. Let’s take a look.” He hefted on the hood, but it didn’t move. “Timmy, can you hand me the flashlight from my box?”

Timmy grabbed the torch and handed it to a frowning Blake. They were so good together.

Her reprieve didn’t last long. As she shifted to see the toolbox he must have brought with him, her feet brushed through the straw on the dirt floor. Blake glanced up and caught her looking. Today he wore a blue-plaid button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and well-worn jeans that fit like a glove.

Heat flooded her cheeks. She swallowed, hoping he didn’t notice how taken she was with how much he oozed gallant rancher, more than he did children’s book writer.

“I came to see what you guys are doing.”

Reece swung around and waved at her. “Mom, come see. This is B.J.’s dad’s truck. We’re going to see if we can get it running.”

She’d really only had a fleeting thought about helping Jonas smooth the stormy waters between his brothers, but since she was here, and Jonas had given her this beautiful place to stretch and breathe in, maybe she could ask some questions that would give the elder brother some insights into the younger Lohmen’s fierce argument. That’s what a friend would do, right?

Blake checked the dented hood with his flashlight. Sticking her hands in the back pockets of her scrubs, she joined him and leaned closer, trying to see what he saw. “That’s quite a dent. Do you know how it happened?”

He was quiet for a long time, feeling the crunch in the metal before he answered. He straightened, his dark-green gaze holding Malorie’s captive. “It was my fault. I wrapped it around a tree when I was seventeen.”

“Surely that was an accident.” She had a feeling there was more to the story than he was telling. But more impressive, he was a man taking responsibility for his actions. In Malorie’s experience, that was a notable event. “Is that why Nathan is mad at you and thinks you can’t be trusted?”

“Not entirely, but it didn’t help.” He handed the flashlight to Timmy. “Put this back, please.” As he watched Timmy go to the toolbox, he asked, “Did you ever do something so bad, you know no matter what you do, you can’t be forgiven?”

Malorie shook her head. She hadn’t, but, apparently, Blake had. And it had something to do with this mangled truck. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He shrugged. “Not particularly.” Feeling for the latch, he opened the hood.

“Reece loves working on engines. If you’re thinking of getting this beast running again, I’ll bet he wouldn’t mind handing you tools.”

“Me too,” Timmy said, claiming a place on the other side of Blake.

Malorie wasn’t smart about cars and what it took to fix them, but it was obvious Blake was. She frowned. “There’s no battery.”

“Whoever parked it here probably pulled the battery to keep it from losing its charge. I’ll have to get another one.” Blake tugged gently on some wires. “How about you, Andee? Do you want to help restore the truck?”

“I’d rather spend time with Bella.” Andee moved closer to see what Blake was doing. “I guess I could learn about cars, though.”

“Good, because I’m going to need all the extra hands I can get. Stand back, guys,” he said, and when the kids had moved out of the way, he let the hood drop, then picked up the toolbox. “If you can take a few hours off tomorrow, how about when I go to town to get the battery, we all go and have lunch at Luke’s Grill? When I came through, I was told Luke makes the best burgers in town. After we eat, I’ll show you around Strawberry Ridge.”

“I don’t know if I can.” Malorie slowed her steps. She was here to do a job and she didn’t think it was appropriate to leave her patient’s bedside so that she could play hooky with his brother. “I don’t think Nathan’s ready to be left on his own for any length of time.”

“Then we can skip lunch and just take a quick tour of town. We shouldn’t be gone an hour, two, tops. You can ask Jonas if you need to.”

The man was persistent, and she was very tempted. “I’ll think about it.”

Despite her determination to stick to why she’d come to the Triple L in the first place, that was the debate she had for the rest of the day. Blake Lohmen was much too attractive, and appealing, for Malorie to keep her equilibrium.

After she had Nathan settled for the night, she caught Jonas in the kitchen. He was dishing up two bowls of ice cream. “Nathan conned me into a game of poker and a bowl of ice cream. Is he all set for the night?”

“Yes.” Malorie played with the stethoscope around her neck. This was ridiculous. She wasn’t a teenager needing “Dad’s” permission to go to town. “Um, will you be here tomorrow? I was wondering if I could take an hour or two to go into Strawberry Ridge with Blake and the kids. Blake offered to show us around town, and I need to pick up a few things—”

For heaven’s sake. It wasn’t like she intended to neglect her patient. Now that she’d mulled it over, she was certain Blake had more to say about the truck, and if she could get him to talk to her, maybe some good would come from their sightseeing trip.

“I’ll be here. You go have fun.” Jonas’s eyes sparkled.

Whatever he was thinking, he could give it up right now. “I won’t be gone long.”

“No worries. You’re here almost twenty-four seven. You deserve to take a few hours to be with your kids.”

Of course, but—

Before she changed her mind, Malorie went to the guesthouse, where she’d set Andee and Reece up with a movie before tending to all the nursing things required to get Nathan ready for the night. When she opened the door, Blake and Timmy were there too. The four of them were in the middle of watching Artemis Fowl, one of her favorite movies to see with the twins.

Good grief. The man was almost too perfect. But watching Blake with her children, all of them completely absorbed in the story, how in the world was she supposed to remember he was just her patient’s brother?

When he heard the door close, Blake twisted, and a welcoming smile spread across his face. All right, yes, she couldn’t deny he made her pulse jump and was more than a little handsome. Her belly did an uncomfortable flip, not a good sign for her independent, solo parenting journey.

“There’s a bowl of popcorn here with your name on it,” he said, scooting over so there was room between him and Timmy for her to sit. Andee and Reece were stretched out on the floor.

Having a bowl of popcorn waiting for her was just plain mean. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop her from planting herself in the space he’d made and popping white, buttered tastiness into her mouth.

Hold it together, Malorie Harper. Remember your vow. No more men until after the twins are grown and out of the house. Even that had a big fat, we’ll see attached.

Still, it was hard to resist leaning into his shoulder and losing herself in the film. He smelled like freshly showered man with a hint of the pine wood he’d stacked by the wood stove in the corner.

When the credits started to roll, she cleared her throat. “I talked to Jonas and got two hours off tomorrow.”

“Great.” He picked up all the empty bowls and stowed them in the kitchen sink. “We can leave about eleven.”

Timmy followed Blake to the door.

“Did you enjoy the movie, Timmy?” she asked.

He looked around his dad at her and nodded.

“We’ll see you tomorrow.” Blake closed the door behind them before Malorie could think of a conversational topic that would delay them further. Which had her feeling silly. They were friends, nothing more.

“Mom, we need cowboy boots.” Reece sat on the couch and showed her his mismatched sock-covered feet. “Every time we work in the barn, my shoes get dirty. You should get some too.”

Malorie sat beside him and put an arm around his shoulders. “We’ll see what we can find.”

“Can you get a job in Strawberry Ridge?” Andee asked, sitting on the other side of Malorie.

Malorie linked her arm with her daughter’s. “I don’t know. Why do you ask?”

“Reece and I were talking, and we want to move here.” Andee wiggled closer.

This was not good. “But our home is in Ashland. And your school is there. And friends—”

“But Strawberry Ridge would be a nice place to live too.” Graced with the smile her daughter employed whenever she wanted something Andee thought her mom would not agree to, alarm bells went off Malorie’s head.

“It would take a lot for us to move. First, we’d have to sell our house in Ashland.” Or turn it into a short-term rental that would give them extra monthly income. Not a horrible idea and not completely impossible. “We’d have to look for a house here. And I’d have to find a job. Get you kids registered in a new school. That’s a lot to do.”

Unfortunately, even to her own ears, she didn’t sound all that convincing.

“We could live here on the ranch.” Andee batted her eyelashes, the little schemer, and leaned away, watching Malorie closely. “Will you at least think about it?”

She’d always encouraged the twins to speak their minds, as long as they were polite about it. And she couldn’t say the thought of moving to Strawberry Ridge was a bad idea, just not practical. She’d have to give up too much.

Yes, she’d taken the job on the Triple L to take some time away from the pain of suddenly becoming a broken family. But the house was paid off. There were nursing jobs available at the hospital in Ashland that she easily qualified for. She’d worked for them before, and they’d already assured her they would take her back whenever she wanted to return. Plus, she’d spent most of her adult life in the Shakespearean town and it was soothing, or would be if they could get over the ending of their life there with Mark.

Still, she couldn’t forget that vague feeling as they’d driven through Strawberry Ridge on their way to the ranch that maybe they’d come home. But she couldn’t imagine making the big move Andee was suggesting.

“Let’s see how long Nathan needs me to be here. Then we’ll talk about it again.” Before Andee could push harder on the idea, she said, “And yes, in the meantime, I’ll think about it.”

By the time she climbed into Blake’s Jeep the next day, an older gray vehicle with wooden side panels, the kids were already lined up in the back seat and buckled in. She hadn’t come up with a good reason not to at least consider making the move to Strawberry Ridge. Not because Blake Lohmen was here and taking them out for a day of fun, but because Andee and Reece were genuinely happy for the first time since their father had packed his bags and left. How could she not factor that in?

Presumably, Blake and Timmy would return to Arizona when he was no longer needed to run the ranch for Nathan. She’d heard Nathan and Jonas talking about it that morning. Nathan wanted him to leave as soon as possible. Jonas seemed more interested in having him stay. Neither one had said why.

Wherever he lived wasn’t any of her business. Except, he was growing on her. She liked him a lot. Like wasn’t a strong enough word, but the other L word didn’t fit either. She just didn’t want to make the same mistake she’d made with Mark.

She hadn’t known who her ex really was as a husband or father. She’d been taken in by all the trappings he used as a mask. His job as a tech genius. The house he bought for them. In the beginning how he made her feel loved and cherished. In retrospect, that was all just for show.

Friendship was all she had to give to Blake. But she was afraid just being his friend would not be easy. Every time she saw him, with or without the kids trailing his footsteps, something inside her that had dried up sprang back to life.

Like the romantic comedies she loved to watch. One minute the girl was suspicious of the guy, sure there could be nothing between them. By the end of the movie, he was the love of her life.

That was not going to happen.

“Ready?” Blake asked with a grin.

The kids shouted from the back seat, “Ready!”

Not ready!

Today, all she was ready for was to enjoy a day of fun with her twins. It wasn’t her fault that Blake and Timmy came as part of the deal and were a nice bonus. Later, when she had time, she’d figure out why that mattered.

Blake Lohmen had nothing to do with the excitement swirling in her chest, Malorie firmly told herself. The man who wrote the Timmy, the Superhero books, and the prodigal brother who’d returned to manage the ranch while his brother was down—He was too good to be true.

He was... she didn’t know, but a move from Oregon to Colorado could be a little scary or kind of exciting, depending on which way she looked at it. For today, she’d take her chances on her current assignment and the soothing rhythm of life on the Triple L, and not think about the future.