Page 29 of The Prodigal Brother Returns

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 watchingArtemis Fowl,one of her favorite movies to see with the twins.

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