Page 32 of The Prodigal Brother Returns

“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 withTimmy the Superheroseries?” 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 withTimmystories 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 firstTimmybook. “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.”

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