Page 14 of The Prodigal Brother Returns

“But you were looking forward to this one. What happened?”

“You would love this place. Strawberry Ridge is a quaint little town right out of one of those sitcoms we love to watch. And the Triple L is perfect. But the brothers who own the ranch don’t get along. I brought the kids here to get away from all the struggles and conflict Mark put us through and leapt from the frying pan into the fire. On day one, we walked right into a family argument. I’m waiting for Jonas to get a replacement nurse for Nathan, and I’ve started looking for another temporary assignment.”

“Hold your horses, Mal. Things could get better. Just give it a chance. And don’t worry about things here. I’ve got it covered.” Izzy was house-sitting for Malorie while rejuvenating one of the Shakespearean theaters that had gotten more than a little worn around the edges in recent years.

Izzy working in Ashland while she took the assignment in Colorado had been perfect timing. “How’s the renovation going?”

“It’s going great. I should wrap it up in a month or so.”

They talked for a few minutes longer. Izzy was a wiz at restoring failing businesses. The theater project was right up her alley.

When they hung up, Malorie went to check on Nathan. She found him wearing black-rimmed glasses, going over what appeared to be ledgers. When he glanced up and saw her, he closed the books and took off the glasses. “Hi.”

“Hi yourself.” She hung the stethoscope around her neck and picked up the blood pressure cuff. “How are you doing?”

He sighed heavily. “I’m bored. When can I get out of this bed?”

When he tried to scoot to sit up straighter and winced, Malorie took the black book and his glasses and set them aside. “Let’s see how you’re doing tomorrow. Jonas said he ordered you a wheelchair.”

“Yay,” Nathan said without much enthusiasm. She took his vitals, gave him medicine, and before she could think of a way to chase away his crankiness at his forced confinement, he asked, “Has Jonas found a replacement for you yet?”

That wasn’t exactly the subject she would have chosen. “Not that he’s told me.”

“I’m glad.” He leaned his head back, pushed the button to lower the head of the bed, and closed his eyes.

Blake came in while she cleaned the kitchen, waiting for Nathan to fall into a nap.

He frowned at her. “You shouldn’t be cleaning up our mess. That’s not part of your duties.”

“It’s no problem. I’m waiting for Nathan to settle before I go back to the guesthouse.”

Blake took the tea towel from her. “How’s my brother doing?”

“Better. He’s starting to get restless, which is a good sign. We’ll see how he tolerates getting into a wheelchair tomorrow. How do your fences look?” Malorie knew she was talking too fast and wished she hadn’t noticed how good Blake looked, with his clothes and boots dusty and his hair all windblown. He was just too yummy, dang it.

He reached over his head to put the plate he’d dried into the cupboard. “There are a couple of sections that need repair, but otherwise, it’s not too bad.”

“How many acres do you have?” She should be heading back to help the twins finish their puzzle, but she couldn’t ignore the way Blake’s voice, a cross between deep and earthy, sent a shiver of awareness up her spine.

What was wrong with her? Hadn’t she learned her lesson with Mark? It was just her and Andee and Reece now. That was the way she wanted to keep it.

“When I left the ranch?” He frowned. “One hundred, but—”

What an odd way to put it.

“Never mind that.” His wide smile was suddenly back, nearly derailing Malorie. He didn’t want to talk about the ranch. Okay. She got that. There were lots of things she didn’t want to talk about as well. “Would it be okay if Andee and Reece help me with a project this afternoon? I need to go through the tack room and take inventory.”

That probably wasn’t a good idea. The twins were getting too comfortable on the ranch, and especially too comfortable spending time with Blake Lohmen, a man they’d known for less than a handful of days. She didn’t need him cementing the idea that they could depend on him.

Malorie didn’t want to paint him with the same paintbrush that she applied to Mark but look at how her ex had left them high and dry.

“I’m not sure.” She didn’t need the twins falling in love with the ranch or the brothers.

Too late.

They were smiling more and wanting to be closed in their rooms less, which didn’t bode well for her plan to pack up and leave as soon as she could. Spending the afternoon with them, putting the horse puzzle together, in between taking care of Nathan, had been relaxing and fun, but—“How long do you think that will take?”

“About an hour or so.” The side-eye he gave her was a clear giveaway that he knew she had reservations about Andee and Reece spending too much time with him—a tall, dark, handsome cowboy storyteller. At least from where she stood, putting as much space between them as she could was a good idea. He bargained, “I’ll have them back by dinner.”

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