Chapter Ten #2
Not convinced that running away had been one of her sister’s stellar ideas—anything could have happened to her between Greeley and Strawberry Ridge, even while taking the bus—but Sloane was very glad Clara had found her.
The three of them, having a treat together like a real family, made her stomach flutter as she realized that there wasn’t anything she would like better.
“We’d better go.” She patted her sister’s arm. “I thought we could ride the train that goes from Durango to Silverton.”
Clara’s eyes grew wide. She quickly asked Jonas, “Can you come too?”
“Sorry, kiddo. I would love to, but I have several clients to see this afternoon. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, all right?”
Glad that Jonas was busy, Sloane leaned close to her sister.
“I’m looking forward to having some girl time together.
I have a LOT of questions to ask,” she exaggerated, hoping that would bring back Clara’s excitement for their adventure.
“And it’s a beautiful ride up the mountainside.
I have a spare camera at home you can use if you want. ”
“I’d like that.” Her disappointment seemingly forgotten, Clara grinned at Sloane.
“We’d better get going.” Sloane bussed their table. “We’ll walk back and get out of your hair. It isn’t far.”
“I can drive—”
“That’s okay. We’ll see you in the morning when you pick Clara up.”
Jonas confused her—something that was new.
She didn’t know if she should welcome this new side of the man with open arms or keep the distance they had grown used to over the years.
She mostly trusted him, but that wasn’t the point.
The point was... the more Clara spent time with Jonas, the more she would be forced to, as well.
From the day they met, he was the one she didn’t want to take her eyes off of.
And the one she couldn’t wait to see every day.
The boy she wanted to tell all her exciting news to.
Until she’d signed up on Perfect Match, she’d hidden her feelings well. Maybe too well. She hadn’t told Jonas how she felt. And she hadn’t asked him out on a date. She’d been there for him when he needed her, which, before moving back to Strawberry Ridge, wasn’t often.
Jonas had put his time in with his brothers. He shouldn’t have to feel responsible for Clara too. And there was her biggest fear. Once Clara’s newness wore off and he finished filing her court papers, would his work for other clients take over again, so that he no longer had time for her sister?
They stopped at the house briefly, grabbed the cameras, and took off for Durango.
“What’s your favorite class in school?” she asked, to keep Clara from fidgeting.
Clara turned away from the window. “I like to write stories and draw.”
“So Creative Writing and Art?”
Her sister nodded.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” It was better to get that out in the open right now, rather than wait for a boy to show up on her doorstep.
Clara wrinkled her nose. “No! They’re all kind of dorky, you know?”
Sloane did know. “Jonas was a geek when he was thirteen. He already knew he wanted to be a lawyer. And he didn’t like to dance. But he didn’t want to miss out on the proms, either.”
“Did you go with him?” Clara had twisted in her seat to look at Sloane.
She didn’t like to go to dances and the proms alone, either. She was glad that Jonas felt the same way. “Yeah, I did.”
“Is that when you started liking him? I can tell you like him a lot,” Clara informed her, a little too smugly.
Sloane stared at the road ahead of her. If she wanted Clara to be open with her, then she had to be open as well.
“The first time I realized I liked Jonas, oh man, was... when we were in the seventh grade. We were in the same class and every time the boys called me ‘smarty pants’ or ‘four-eyes,’ he’d step in and tell them to leave me alone. ”
“But you don’t wear glasses.”
Sloane tapped the side of her eye. “Contacts.”
“So, then what happened?”
She shrugged. “Nothing.”
“You didn’t ever tell him you liked him?” Clara sounded skeptical.
“Nope.” Amused that her sister was so quick to hit the proverbial nail on the head, Sloane tossed the conversational ball back in her lap. “Have you ever told a boy you liked him?”
“Yuck! No!”
“And there you go. At the time, I thought it was yucky too.”
“But you’re old now. You should tell him before it’s too late.”
“Older. I’m older.” And maybe it was already too late.
Sloane laughed, even though Clara had a point about running out of time.
“It just wouldn’t work out now. I have the garage, and he has the ranch and horses to make something of.
And I also have you. You’re way more important than having some silly boyfriend. ”
“That’s dumb.” Clara frowned. “He’s not silly.”
No, he wasn’t. He was... Jonas... her lifelong heartthrob.
“You’re right, but that’s the way it is,” Sloane said steadily, keeping her thoughts to herself.
“I still say you should tell him,” Clara insisted as they pulled into Durango and easily found a parking spot.
Her sister was going to be hard to keep up with, but that didn’t put Sloane off. She grabbed the cameras. “I don’t think so. Let’s get our tickets.”
Clara didn’t argue, thank goodness, just stared at Sloane, looking like her mind was working up a plan to get big sis in trouble with a certain suddenly very friendly friend.
When they found their seats, she pulled out both cameras and taught Clara how to use the older model.
The teen was an eager learner and picked up the complexities of photography fast. They took lots of pictures of the train snaking around the bends in the rail, the natural canyons they scooted by, the engines pulling the cars behind them.
It was a perfect outing with her sister.
By the time they returned to the station, they were both exhausted, but they’d had fun and hadn’t talked about Jonas once. That was all that mattered in Sloane’s book.
On the way home, they grabbed tacos for dinner. After they finished eating, Sloane locked up and turned out the lights. Clara went to bed.
“Did you have fun?” Sloane leaned on the doorjamb.
“Yeah...” The kid fell asleep almost before her head hit the pillow.
The next morning, Sloane was awakened by an insistent noise coming from the front of the house.
She was still in the same position she’d fallen asleep in.
The knock came again, louder this time. She glanced at the clock and jumped out of bed.
“Holy moly!” She was late. Pushing her hair off her face, she hurried to the door.
Jerking the door open, as she expected, she found Jonas, his hand raised to knock again. Catching her off guard, he looked perfect in his jeans and short-sleeved shirt that showed off his strong arms. His usual cowboy boots finished off the picture of an incredibly handsome rancher.
Not about to let him see how tempted she was, she spun away from the amusement lighting his eyes and headed back to her room. “Sorry. We slept in.” She flung her hand in the direction of the kitchen on her way. “The coffee maker is ready to turn on.”
And then she looked down. Oh dear!
It wasn’t the first time Jonas had seen her in pajamas.
It’s just that the older, tatty ones she’d grabbed in the dark last night didn’t leave much to the imagination, dang it.
It would be nice if she owned a robe, but they made her too hot.
If he was going to make a habit of showing up on her doorstep so early in the morning, she should reconsider that and put it on her birthday list.
Heat washed over Sloane, head to toe, as she poked her head into Clara’s room. “Clara! Jonas is here. It’s time to get up—”
She pushed the door all the way open. Clara’s room was empty, her bed made. Sloane checked the bathroom. “Clara?” Dear God! Her heart climbed into her throat. “Jonas!”
“What?” He met her in the hallway. “What’s wrong?”
Sloane forgot about her infamous pajamas that didn’t leave much to the imagination. Her heart thumped, almost breaking free from her chest. “It’s Clara—She’s gone!”