Chapter Six #2
“No worries.” She knew exactly what the two lovebirds had on their minds. And she didn’t need Jonas feeling sorry for her. “Hey, did I tell you I’m going white water rafting?”
“But you hate extreme sports,” said the man who knew her better than anyone else.
Hate was a gentle word to describe how she felt about barreling down a raging river in a fragile raft. She shivered. It was worth the risk if it kept Jonas from figuring out how over the moon for him she was. “I should try it at least once, though, don’t you think?”
“I suppose.” He didn’t look convinced as he turned them toward the house.
She raised her chin. It wasn’t her who didn’t have more to give than pleasant company.
The steaks were on the counter. Sloane grabbed the platter. Once they were cooking on the grill, Jonas led the way to the office, sat her behind the desk, and turned on the computer. As he hovered at her shoulder, all she could think about was how close he was standing.
Clearing her throat, she suggested, “Grab a chair, and I’ll explain what I’m doing as we go along.”
He settled beside Sloane. He never wore cologne, but he smelled good. Like fall, horses, and high desert, all wrapped in one. “Do you have records we can use to start with?”
“We do for the girls, but not for Duke,” he said, finally breaking the tension that kept her still beside him.
He seemed out of sorts. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine. My brothers get under my skin.” He leaned back in the chair, replacing his grievance with a smirk.
“Nathan likes to stir the pot. But you’re lucky to have brothers. I always wanted to have a brother or sister.”
“You have your dad. I always envied how close you two are.” He pulled out a folder filled with the pedigree information on the horses, pointing to the information she needed. “Let’s start here.”
While he watched, she made the spreadsheet.
“Name, CRHA Registration number, male/female, dam, sire, identifying marks, DNA test number,” she muttered, then looked at Jonas. “Anything else?”
“That should do to start with. I’ll check with the registration form later to see if there is any other information the association needs.”
She started to fill in the columns. “I always thought you were close to your dad. I was jealous that you had a mom and dad and this whole ranch to explore.”
“I thought we were close, too, but—”
She glanced at him. “But?”
“I’ll tell you about it later.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes, making Sloane pause her typing.
She wondered what had happened to change the memories he had of his dad.
“My memories of your dad are all good ones. He was a great guy. Remember that time he was moving part of the herd to the corral by the barn, and he told me to stand toward the back fence and wave my arms so they couldn’t escape anywhere but into the arena?
” For a split second, she was frozen. “But I waved my arms and shouted like your dad said to.”
“That was before—” Jonas didn’t finish. This time Sloane didn’t push him. “He was very fond of you. I think he thought of you as the daughter he never had.” He got up. “You finish here, and I’ll go tend to the steaks and make a salad.”
Sensing he’d wanted to say more, she watched him leave, then went back to filling in the document she was making for Jonas. He would tell her what happened between him and his dad when he was ready.
Ever since they’d met, they’d told each other everything.
There was his first kiss with Angela Woolsy in the seventh grade.
Her fear of snowboarding the first time they’d gone to Silverton Mountain with his parents.
He’d stayed right with her and encouraged her until she stopped falling every few feet.
There were times he’d sneak out of the house to go to archery practice with his buddies.
His parents didn’t know, but she did. And she—She had so many memories like that.
Finished with the preliminary document, she went looking for Jonas and found him on the back deck. The table was set up buffet style, with Adirondack chairs facing the mountains. He’d poured wine and made the salad he promised.
There wasn’t a better sight in all of Strawberry Ridge—the mountains rising straight out of the ground on the backside of the ranch, jutting into the blue sky, a single cloud hovering close to the peaks.
He placed a bottle of beer and a plate with a steak and salad on the TV tray at her elbow. She didn’t think there was anything Ken could cook that would smell better. Cutting a small bite, she closed her eyes as she chewed slowly, then swallowed. “Thank you. This is so good.”
“I’m glad you like it.” His deep voice made Sloane open her eyes. The gray-green shimmer of his gaze was focused on her face, snagging her awareness. Jonas Lohmen was an intensely handsome guy.
“Um—” She gulped down some wine. “You gave me details for the mares, but nothing about Duke. Is there a story there?”
His gaze stayed on her mouth, warming her up from the inside out before he looked away. “It’s my parents’ story, really.”
“You don’t want to talk about it,” she said gently. He didn’t respond. “I understand.”
He put his knife and fork down. “I only recently found out—” Jonas stared off at the mountains before he finally shifted to look at her.
“A month before he died, Dad sold half the ranch and Duke’s sire to pay off a gambling debt.
And then he closed down his breeding program and destroyed all his records, including withdrawing the record that was at the association.
We have to do DNA testing on Duke to get him registered as Duke’s Pride’s progeny. He wasn’t the great guy you remember.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. He was always kind to me.” She leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “Who’s reinstating your dad’s breeding program?”
“I will, with Nathan’s help. We’re entering Duke and Rosie in the Strawberry Ridge Rodeo barrel racing category. If they do well, it will go a long way toward introducing our Rangerbreds to the breeding community.”
“So, you’re going to put the Triple L back on the map?” She knew about the ranch’s financial crash because Strawberry Ridge was a small town.
“That’s the plan.” He raised his beer bottle to Sloane. “We still have the breeding shed that Dad built that we can use.”
She raised her beer. “Here’s to success. It would be very sad not to have the Lohmen brothers on the Triple L. If there’s anything else I can do to help—”
“I’ll let you know.”
Sloane knew he wouldn’t accept, but she had to ask anyway. Dragging her feet, she helped Jonas clean up the dishes. Just about to leave, Sloane faced her friend, staring straight into his shuttered eyes. She wondered if he felt like he’d revealed too much, but she was glad he had.
“I have some money put away. You could pay me back when you’re able—”
“No, Sloane.” Jonas stood too close. He ran his knuckles gently down the side of her face. “It’s very sweet of you to offer, my friend, but we can’t take your money.”
Friend.
She narrowed her eyes at the man. Refusing her help was dumb. Especially when the future of the family and the ranch were at stake. “Why not?”
“I just can’t.” He kissed her temple, then stepped back. “Text me when you get home.”
Fine. “I will.”
Screw Jonas and his kiss on her temple. If she was a woman whose temper flared hot when she got frustrated, she would have stomped every step to her truck. But she didn’t. She had other ways to take out her annoyance.
When she got home and after she let Jonas know—only because he’d insisted she text—that she’d made it without any trouble, she deliberately texted Ken to see if the more accommodating guy would like to have dinner at his restaurant.
He responded immediately. “How about tomorrow afternoon? I’ll make you a special meal.”
“That sounds wonderful,” she texted back. If it was so wonderful, then why was she still irritated with Jonas? Because he didn’t want her help financially? That was his prerogative.
After sleeping only in fits and starts, Sloane got out of bed the next morning, knowing she couldn’t keep dating Ken. It wasn’t his fault. She just had to be honest with herself and face the fact that he wasn’t Jonas. One day she would find her ideal guy. But for now, she would stay on course.
Later, dressed in her favorite summer dress and comfortable flats for courage, her hair pulled into a high ponytail, and a bit of gloss on her lips, Sloane found her way to the Starry Night Grille in downtown Durango, a picturesque town that she loved to visit.
If she didn’t already have deep roots in Strawberry Ridge, she could live here.
Inside the restaurant, the tables were half-filled.
She told the hostess who she was and that she was meeting with the head chef.
The older woman led her to a table set back under a built-in canopy on the side of the room.
The place was fancy, with its leather seats, wood spindles, chair rails, and stained-glass windows that divided the main seating area.
It probably hadn’t changed much from its frontier beginnings.
“I hope you like trout,” Ken said as he joined her. Waiters followed with their food on large round trays.
She drank in the delicious smell of freshly grilled fish. “I love it. Thank you.”
Ken talked about the Starry Night and the cuisine he specialized in, as if they were his babies. Sloane was glad for his enthusiasm—more than he’d shown her on their previous dates—but she struggled to find an opportunity to tell him that she wouldn’t be seeing him anymore and why.
Jonas didn’t want to date her. She didn’t want to date Ken, a man who checked most of her boxes.
Before she could bring the subject up, Sloane heard her name.
“Sloane! What a surprise.” Julieann was looking at Sloane.
“Hi, Julieann.” Durango was a long way from Denver. “Ken, this is Julieann Vincent. Ken’s the head chef here.” Sloane made the introductions, finally asking, “Do you want to join us?”
“That’s okay. I’m meeting someone.” Julieann flashed Ken a smile. “It was nice meeting you.”
“Same.” Ken’s gaze followed Julieann as she walked farther into the restaurant and took a seat at a table with a guy in a suit. The blond guy seemed happy to see her.
By the time they finished their meal, Ken didn’t mention where they might go on their next date, and neither did Sloane. “I’d better go.”
“Of course.” He walked her to the door and hugged her briefly before she left.
It was on the drive back to Strawberry Ridge that she realized her hunt for the perfect lifetime companion wasn’t over. It wasn’t Ken Williams, but it also wasn’t Jonas Lohmen, either.