Page 28 of The Prodigal Brother Returns

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?”

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