Chapter Ten
C lara ending up in a foster home was not going to happen.
Before she could concentrate on the meeting with Nora Owens, Sloane had to first decide what to do with her feelings for Jonas.
She’d thought she was done with them, but when he’d put his arm around her shoulders and was so understanding about Tracy—more than she’d ever been—her heart had fluttered like a butterfly.
Had Tracy meant for Clara to find the letter that had brought the teen to Sloane?
She’d wanted to break up their friendship because she couldn’t stand by and only participate in Jonas’s life from the sidelines.
Now, she wasn’t so sure that’s what he was asking her to do.
His arm holding her securely to his side, and the sympathetic compassion he’d cocooned her in felt like a door opening, inviting her back in.
Her relationship with Jonas had been easy before he moved back to Strawberry Ridge.
She saw him once in a while when he came home or when she went to Denver.
For the most part, all she had to do was pretend she didn’t have unnerving feelings for the rancher.
They would spend a day or two doing the things they both liked.
Then he would go back to Denver, or she would return home and the routine of her days, and she would forget, or at least try to forget how much her heart thumped when they breathed the same air and she daydreamed about what it would be like to kiss her best friend.
On the lips. His arms locked around her like unbreakable bands.
The more time she spent with him, liking Jonas was a very vanilla way to describe the emotion that was growing in her chest.
She had to put that aside now because what was more important was to make sure she made a home for her baby sister and that Clara knew she was loved.
“You don’t have to tuck me in,” Clara said, biting her lip, an uncertain frown pulling her brows together when Sloane followed her into her room to do just that.
“But I want to.” Sloane put a glass of water on the nightstand. “Is that okay?”
“I guess so,” Clara relented. Someday, her sister would want to abandon the ritual, but remembering how her dad had folded the covers around her shoulders at bedtime, Sloane intended to hang on to the nightly good night as long as she could.
She sat on the edge of the bed. “Did you have fun today?”
“I had so much fun.” Clara sighed happily, her eyes closing as her breath started to even out.
Sloane leaned over, kissed her temple, and whispered, “Good night, sweet girl.”
“Good night,” Clara whispered back.
Sloane stopped before pulling the door closed to watch Clara slip further into sleep. Jonas would do everything he could to make sure the kid was safe. For that, she would always be grateful. His steadfastness only made her love him more.
The next morning, when she woke up, Sloane was more than ready to fight for what she wanted. For Clara, if not for Jonas. She called the garage to make sure Dean had everything under control.
“Don’t worry,” he said in his gruff way. “We’re good here.”
“I’ll be back to work tomorrow.” She’d told him about Clara when he agreed to fill in while she was gone.
“No rush. You just take care of that young one.”
“Thanks, Dean.”
That’s how it was in Strawberry Ridge. Everyone looked out for each other.
“Are you nervous?” Sloane asked her sister. She’d been too quiet since crawling out of bed and getting dressed.
Clara nodded.
“There’s no need to worry. Jonas is a very good lawyer. He’ll make sure we can stay together.” Sloane had always wanted a sister, and there was no doubt in her mind that Jonas could block any obstacles.
Clara looked up from her cereal. “I like him.”
“He’s a good guy,” Sloane agreed, as bells—the good kind—went off in her head.
Clara pushed her empty bowl away, a smile putting a mischievous spark in her eyes. “Did you ever date him?”
“No!” Sloane almost choked on her coffee. “We’re just friends.” Or were, anyway, if he’d been listening at all.
“But he likes you. I can tell.” Clara was thirteen. What could she possibly know about liking a boy or having stronger feelings for a guy she’d known most of her life?
Sloane took their empty dishes to the sink and when she came back, she said, “Of course I like Jonas. We’ve been best friends since we were in the sixth grade.”
“I can’t believe you never dated.” The kid was too persistent for Sloane’s comfort.
“We went to school dances once in a while, but that was a long time ago.” Sloane looked pointedly at the clock. “We’d better get going. We don’t want to be late.”
At least for now, that was enough to distract Clara and end the conversation. Sloane sighed with relief. Somehow, she didn’t think discussing her likes and dislikes about a certain man was a conversation she should be having with her teenage sister.
Clara grabbed her backpack. They arrived at Jonas’s office right on time. Papers were spread across his desk.
Nora was already there. “Can I talk to Clara for a moment?”
“It’s part of the process,” Jonas said to Sloane before turning back to the social worker. “We’ll be right outside.”
Sloane nodded and hugged Clara, so there would be no question in the teen’s mind that she was wanted.
Then she followed Jonas. When the door closed behind them, she faced the man she was counting on to make sure her sister stayed with her in Strawberry Ridge.
“I don’t like this. It doesn’t feel right leaving her with Nora on her own. ”
He took her hand. A snap of attraction raced up her arm and settled in her chest. “Don’t worry. Nora hasn’t suggested that she’s planning to take Clara back with her. She just wants to make sure Clara won’t run away at the first sign of trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” Sloane broke free, stopping herself from leaning into Jonas just in time.
She’d watched the brothers together before they went their separate ways.
Family was messy. There would probably be times when she and Clara had difficulties, but that wouldn’t stop her from mending their fences like Jonas and his brothers had.
He looked at her, his eyes more green than gray. “She might not like your rules or have a hard time adjusting to a new school or have difficulty making new friends. She could feel like she doesn’t fit in.”
Even kids that grew up together ran into trouble. Look what happened to the brothers when their parents died. “So, what’s next?”
“We’ll petition the court to get kinship guardianship. Are there any other family members who might want custody of Clara?”
“Not that I know of. Tracy was an only child. I don’t know anything about Clara’s father. He’s not listed on her birth certificate.”
“That will simplify things for the court.” He rubbed the back of his neck before saying, “There’s something I want to ask you, but now’s not the right time—”
Sloane glanced through the glass door at Nora and Clara. They were still talking.
Old habits were hard to break. Frowning, she looked at Jonas. “What is it?”
“I’m wondering if—” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Sloane.
He didn’t get to finish. Nora opened the door. In his office, Clara’s smile stretched from ear to ear.
“Everything’s in order. That leaves signing the rest of my papers, and then I’ll be on my way,” Nora said, apparently happy with the outcome of her conversation with Clara. “It’ll be up to you to petition the court for guardianship.”
“I’ll take care of that,” Jonas agreed firmly.
All Sloane could think about was that her sister had a home.
They finished up the formalities. Nora shook their hands. “Good luck. If you have any questions or need any help, give me a call.”
“We should celebrate,” Sloane said, the fear that had been riding her shoulders all morning finally sliding away. “How about ice cream at Sally’s?”
Clara wrapped her arms around Sloane’s waist. “I would love that.”
The teen hugged Jonas next. “Good.” He patted her back. “Let’s take the Mustang.”
Clara practically skipped toward the door. “Can I drive?”
Jonas met Sloane’s glance and shook his head before holding the door open. He asked her sister, “Do you have a driver’s license?”
“No, but Mom let me drive all the time. When she wasn’t feeling good, you know?” Clara’s enthusiasm went from high volume to low. Which meant Tracy had been using again.
From experience, Sloane knew it would take a while for the sharp pain of Clara losing her mother to wear off and even longer to realize it was Tracy’s lifestyle that kept her separate from her girls.
“Don’t worry about it, kid. I’ll drive.” Jonas gave a quick tug on her ponytail, then took out his keys.
Clara was quiet, compared to her earlier excitement, but she still had questions about the horses. He parked on the street in front of the ice cream shop. Sloane hung back while her sister checked out all the flavors.
Jonas lingered with Sloane. “You’re worried.”
“Clara doesn’t know Blake and Malorie’s kids. Maybe she won’t be comfortable meeting them tomorrow.”
“We’ll figure it out. Those kids never meet a stranger. She’ll be safe with them. They won’t leave her out.”
We’ll figure it out? As in the two of them? Sloane’s heartbeat picked up.
They got their cones and found an empty table. Jonas had said he would take care of petitioning the court for them. And knowing him, he would make it as easy as possible for her and Clara.
He’d be their guardian. Sloane rolled her eyes at that crazy notion.
Clara already had stars in her eyes as the two of them continued their conversation about the Triple L.
Jonas told her about Timmy, Reece, and Andee, and how all three loved the pond and how they’d disappeared and had been found there when Timmy had gotten the wrong idea about his dad and him not being able to stay on the ranch.
“They ran away.” Clara straightened. “Just like me.”
“You could say that.” Jonas finished off his ice cream just before Sloane polished off hers.