Chapter Nine

I f Blake thought one more time about how amazing Malorie and her twins were, he’d have to find some other way to distract himself than diving into the work that had to be done to refresh the ranch. He was getting a little too starstruck. And though he was considering finding a work around Nathan so that he and Timmy could make their home on the Triple L, it was unlikely the Harpers would still be on the ranch.

He and Malorie were ships passing in the night. So he focused on exploring Strawberry Ridge while the kids stayed ahead of the adults. Every time he checked on them, Andee and Reece were including Timmy and making sure he was keeping up as they peered through the windows of the stores.

He and Malorie caught up with them on the corner of Second and Rawling. Their faces were pressed to the glass, hands blocking the sun from their eyes. “Look! It’s a bookstore. And a lady is reading to a bunch of kids,” Andee exclaimed, then turned to her mom. “Can we go inside and listen to the story?”

Malorie laughed, the sweet sound taking Blake right back to, not that she was amazing, which she was, but closer to here was a woman he could spend more than a little time with. If he were looking for someone to share his life with. He wasn’t! Was he?

“Of course you can go in. We’ll be right behind you.” Shooing the kids in with a wave of her hand, she turned to him with a curious look that made Blake a little nervous.

Andee and Reece pulled Timmy into The Book Lovers Hideaway, while Malorie slowly followed. She stopped just before going in, stepping to the side where they had a good view through the window of all three kids taking a seat on a rug with the other kids.

He was taller than she was, so she had to look up to lock gazes with him. Her dark hair bobbed around her shoulders. His pulse picked up.

“I want to ask you something,” she said. “The problem is, it’s none of my business. But I think if I understand what’s going on between you and your brothers, I can help Nathan with his healing process.”

Was that the only reason she wanted to know about the worst thing he’d ever done? Suddenly, his interest in the woman watching him with a calm, clear expression that lacked any judgment on her part took off for the mountains surrounding Strawberry Ridge.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. He wanted to show Malorie there was more to him than the stories she may have heard from Nathan, but was telling her the story of his past necessary? “What do you want to know?”

“What happened between you and Nathan?” she asked without hesitation.

She was brave to intrude where he didn’t normally let folks go. On the other hand, for some reason he couldn’t explain, he wanted her to know he’d grown up since he was that hardheaded, out-of-control teenager.

In the end, when she had no more fight left, Tina wanted him to keep moving on from his past. She’d wanted him to lean into life after she was gone and make a good future for himself and Timmy. He still loved her and the life they’d had, but looking into the clear cinnamon of Malorie’s eyes, he finally understood what Tina had been trying to tell him.

Malorie might not be ‘the one,’ but she made him want to be a good friend, and he was pretty sure good friends told each other their stories.

Still, he hesitated a moment longer. Baring his soul was hard. “After my dad died—I was fifteen—I went a little wild. I started drinking and skipping school. Mom did the best she could, but I missed Dad so much, she had a hard time reaching me. To keep me out of trouble, she taught me how to keep the financial books for the ranch.”

Blake pushed one hand through his hair. “Two years later, she died of a broken heart. The doctor said she had a stroke, but I didn’t believe him. I was drinking more, and on the night of her funeral, I took Dad’s truck, the classic that Nathan, Jonas, and I helped him restore, and drove it out into the pasture to the tree where Dad had carved his and Mom’s initials in an old oak tree that was there.”

Quietly listening, her eyes filling with an understanding he didn’t deserve, Malorie took his hand. Blake breathed in the floral scent mixed with vanilla, which seemed to be her favorite. “I crashed the truck into their tree.”

“Did you intend to kill yourself?” she asked softly, the understanding not changing a single lick.

The air around him went still, making it difficult to inhale.

“I don’t know.” He pulled his hand free and, dropping his gaze to the sidewalk, returned both hands to his pockets. He was not that hurting kid anymore. Life had given him grace. He looked up and faced Malorie and all the regrets he still carried. “No, I didn’t. My foot slipped off the brake onto the gas pedal. That truck was our dad’s pride and joy. After that, Nathan stopped talking to me and Jonas told me to pack my bag and leave and never come back. So I did, and I didn’t come back until I got a call from Jonas a week and a half ago, demanding I return home.”

“You came home to manage the ranch.” He nodded. She smiled gently at him. “Thank you for telling me.” She glanced into the bookstore. “We should go to the kids. It looks like they’re done with story time.”

Feeling free for the first time since... well, he couldn’t remember when, Blake stood tall and straightened his shoulders. The fact was bad things happened. Back then, he was a lost kid. But now, his feet were firmly on the ground, and he knew what he could do to pay his brothers back.

Opening the door into the bookstore, he smiled his gratitude at Malorie. She was something else. More than amazing. “After you, ma’am.”

He followed her laughter into the store that smelled of books and a hint of coffee. They spotted Andee, Reece, and Timmy between bookshelves, avidly looking through books.

“Look, it’s my dad!” Timmy said loud enough for them and the lady behind the cashier counter at the front of the store to hear.

“How did you come up with Timmy the Superhero series?” Malorie asked.

At least this time, he didn’t have to divulge his deepest, darkest secret. Watching Timmy flipping through the pages of the second book in the series, he moved to a corner where he could keep his eye on the kids as they explored the shelves of books.

Malorie was a good listener. She reminded him there was more to life than what trouble he’d gotten into in the past, who he had a disagreement with, or what was waiting for him in the future. What was important was what he did with each day and the time he spent with the people he cared about. Timmy was number one on the list, but maybe there was room for others.

“When Timmy was about four, he started having challenges. Tina and I were married for three years by then. I didn’t know how to help them—”

Malorie’s smile dimmed a little. Tina was the last subject he’d expected to discuss when he invited Malorie to explore Strawberry Ridge with him. He couldn’t stop now. “When he got into grade school, it was hard for the little guy. He didn’t make friends easily and social situations made him anxious. He wanted to be a superhero. So, I came up with Timmy stories that I read to him at bedtime. And because it made him happy, when I finally sold the series, we used his likeness on the covers. He became a superhero.”

“It’s obvious he feels very loved.” She turned to look at Timmy. “I’m sure that’s because you and Tina gave him all the love he needed.”

Blake frowned. “Isn’t that our job as their parents?”

“It is,” she agreed as all three kids rushed up, each carrying a book.

Andee held hers out. The Mystery of the Pharaoh’s Diamonds . “Can we get these books, Mom? We’re going to share and swap with each other when we finish reading our books.”

Timmy held out his book. It was the first Timmy book. “I want this one.”

“You have that one at home, son. You’ve already read it at least three times. How about we choose another one?” He steered Timmy back to the shelves where the kids had gotten their books.

Timmy planted his feet before they got there. “But I want to read it again.”

“Are you sure?” Blake put his hand on Timmy’s shoulder to steady the kid. “There are lots of other books to read.”

Timmy nodded enthusiastically. “I like it the best.”

“All right, kiddo. Let’s go pay for it.” Blake got in line behind Malorie and her twins. When they were back in the car, all three kids engrossed in reading. It was his turn to appease his curiosity. Glancing at Malorie, he turned his Jeep onto the road that led out of town and toward the ranch. “Why did you become a nurse?”

“She felt like she was home when she went into hospitals,” Andee said from the back seat.

Malorie settled into the passenger seat, as if she relished telling the story, obviously not for the first time. She glanced over her shoulder at her daughter. “That’s right. I didn’t plan on becoming a nurse. I was a physical therapist back then. But every time I went into a hospital, it felt like I’d come home. Mark was struggling with his career. We didn’t have Andee and Reece yet. It seemed like a good time to go back to school, so I applied at the local nursing college. And here I am.”

“Mark?”

“My ex.”

Blake let the silence crash between them and wondered if she would say more. When she didn’t, he found he liked how relaxed with her decisions she was. How she didn’t keep her feelings bottled up. It wasn’t hard to figure out how she felt about her ex, since she made no effort to hide her feelings. Mark was clearly not a man of good character. And look at how she’d taken on three grown men when she’d walked into their family ruckus her first day on the job.

After being married to Tina, making a family with her and Timmy, then losing her, he couldn’t imagine leaving her—if that’s what had happened to Malorie and her ex. He’d also never imagined he would get a second chance at love. Not that Malorie was that chance. But if he was being honest, if he could fall in love again, she would have the starring role in that story.

However, that was one secret he wasn’t ready to divulge. Friends. He had to remember that. They were just friends.

When they got to the ranch and as she got out of the car, Malorie suggested, “Why don’t you kids show Nathan your new books?”

Andee and Reece raced ahead. Timmy followed more slowly, not straying far.

“Thank you for taking us on a tour of Strawberry Ridge. I had fun. So did the kids.”

“What happened between you and your ex?”

“Mark? He wanted to marry someone else more than he wanted to stay with me and the twins.” Blake had a feeling she wanted to say more, but didn’t, instead gesturing toward the guesthouse. “Well, I should change back into my scrubs. Maybe I’ll see you later?”

He wanted to say something about her ex’s selfishness and poor judgment. Instead, his pulse leaped at her invitation.

Hold your horses, Blake Lohmen . “Sure.”

“It’s Andee and Reece’s turn to make dinner tonight.” She hesitated, then—“You and Timmy could join us. If you want.”

“Thank you, but—” He could hear how stilted he sounded and wished he could be more casual about spending time with Nathan’s nurse. “There’s something I have to discuss with Nathan and Jonas.”

She nodded. He hoped that wasn’t disappointment that scooted briefly across her pretty face. Letting her down wasn’t his intention. Becoming good friends. That was what he wanted, right? To be her best friend?

Blake watched her go into the guesthouse before he went to the ranch house. Immediately, he heard the kids talking excitedly about their books. When he entered Nathan’s cubicle, they were all leaning on his brother’s bed.

From the lines bracketing his mouth, Blake wasn’t sure if Nathan was okay with the kid’s excitement over the books or if he was just in pain. “You guys need to back up a little.”

All three stood up straight. Timmy clutched his book to his chest.

“They’re fine,” Nathan said with an irritated glance in Blake’s direction.

He was glad his brother was warming up to the children, but it didn’t appear that their relationship had improved much since he’d arrived on the ranch. The sooner he got started on his secret project, the better. Hopefully, when he was done with their dad’s truck, the results would convince Nathan that he’d changed for the better.

But Nathan was stubborn. Always had been. Even as a kid, he’d hung onto his grudges as though he would disintegrate without them.

He waited until Malorie was finished with her evening duties. She’d gotten Nathan comfortable in the plushiest chair in the living room. “Call me when you’re ready to go to bed.”

“I’ll get him to bed. You enjoy your evening with Andee and Reece.” Blake walked her to the door and after watching her go down the porch steps, closed it softly behind the woman who was taking up too much space in his thoughts.

When he returned to the living room, Jonas, a beer in hand, joined Nathan. Nathan stared at the cup of coffee he held in both hands in distaste. Blake didn’t blame him. It was probably decaf. Since alcohol was off his menu, he got a cup of coffee for himself before sitting on the couch where he faced both of his brothers.

“I can get myself to bed,” Nathan insisted without a hint that he might be kidding.

Blake ignored his brother’s crankiness. “I’m glad you’re both here. I want to talk to you about some ideas I have that could bring in money to pay for some improvements around the ranch.”

“What kind of ideas?” Jonas took a drink of his beer, then leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

Exactly what Blake wanted. He’d probably have only one shot at convincing them both to get on board. “I know we’ve talked about horse riding lessons already, but I still think it’s a good idea. And an easy program to get started and manage. In the long run, it’ll take time to build it as a side hustle, but we can start with the three horses we have and then build from there.”

“No,” Nathan said.

Jonas glanced at Nathan and set aside his beer. “It’s doable. I recently heard about two mares from a Colorado Ranger bloodline Dad liked.”

“With more horses, we’d be able to expand to trail rides and excursions. There are plenty of places to explore on the Triple L. Folks will go a long way and pay a fair price to enjoy outdoor activities.” Blake kept his voice calm. It wouldn’t help his case if Nathan came to the opposite conclusion.

“No!” Too late. “The Triple L is not a tourist destination. It’s our home.”

Blake stood and started pacing, suddenly feeling a lot more like his seventeen-year-old self than a grown man. “You’re right. This is our home. But from what I’ve seen from looking over the financials, it won’t be for much longer if we don’t do something right now.”

He didn’t mention the inconsistencies in the earlier ledgers and wouldn’t until he was sure it wasn’t a simple error.

“How much time do we have?” Jonas asked.

Blake shrugged. “Maybe six months. The Triple L will be dead broke after that.”

Nathan struggled to get to his feet. He didn’t get far. Blake held up his hand to stop him. “Okay. How about weekend camping trips?”

There was no need to tell his brothers he was thinking about moving back to the ranch on a more permanent basis. That could come later if they were able to save their home.

“Not going to happen.” Nathan glared at him. Attempting to get up had been too much. Lines of pain bracketed his mouth.

Settling their difference of opinion with a wrestling match, like they used to when they were kids, was not possible. Blake didn’t want to physically hurt Nathan, but man, flipping his brother over his shoulder once or twice would make him feel a whole heck of a lot better.

Jonas took his empty beer bottle to the kitchen, then came back and squatted beside Nathan’s chair. “As your attorney, I recommend you give Blake’s suggestions some consideration. The last thing we want to do is lose this place.”

Nathan didn’t say anything, just continued to stare hard at Blake.

Frustration boiling over, Blake could not hold on to his calm any longer. “What else are you going to do? Sit in that bed”—he pointed in the cubicle’s general direction—“and drive yourself crazy because you can’t get around like you could before your accident? At least if you’re helping to plan a camping excursion or whatever activity you deem appropriate, you can boss the rest of us around and tell us what to do. You would like that,” he finished on a more cajoling note.

Nathan was silent long enough that Blake was almost positive he hadn’t won his stubborn-as-a-mule brother over.

Finally, Nathan took a deep breath. “I’ll think about it.” He locked his jaw. “Will one of you yahoos help me to bed?”

Nathan didn’t resist when Blake brought over the wheelchair. With a brother on each side, they eased him into the chair and then into bed.

One look at Nathan’s face, and Blake called Malorie. When she picked up, he said, “Nathan needs pain medicine.”

“I’ll be right there.”

He passed her just inside the door. As they shared a smile, Blake suddenly knew who he wanted to be on his team to bring the Triple L back to its former glory. In the meantime, he would spend a few hours making notes on the next Timmy book. If he was lucky, he would come up with a plot and title, and maybe some new friends for Timmy .