Page 15 of The Rancher's Heart
Julieann’s brows arched. “Why would he do that? Denver is a great city to be a lawyer in.”
So, she wasn’t as flexible and supportive as she thought. “I’m sorry, Julieann, but I can’t.”
A pink flush colored the other woman’s cheeks. “Why not?”
Good question.
The silence built between them, stretching out until Sloane finally found the right words. “I just think if you want to change Jonas’s mind, you should talk to him yourself.”
Not only that, but if she helped Julieann with her Jonas problem,shewould be doing what she always did. Sitting on the sidelines while everyone around her went after whatshewanted.
Juliann was a perfect example. She was bold. Knew what she wanted. Had no qualms about going after the prize—in this case, Jonas. And she’d sized Sloane up within five minutes of their meeting, figuring out she would do whatever she could to make her best friend happy. Even if that meant making a case for the other girl.
She sat up straight. She was not without skills.
She stood and hoped her smile rang true. “Good luck to you. Have a nice drive back to Denver.”
Leaving the coffeehouse, she mentally crossed her fingers that Julieann didn’t linger long in town. Grabbing her bag from the office, she got into her truck and sat there for a long moment before turning the key. The engine she kept perfectly tuned roared to life.
Instead of heading for the quiet comfort of her home, she followed the road that led to the Triple L. She was hungry. One good turn deserved another in return, didn’t it? The least he could do was cook her dinner. After all, she may have just pulled his ass out of the fire.
As she parked in front of the main house, the sky turned the color of blue that happened when the sun was ready to set for the day. The outdoor lights came on. Dark mountains reached for the sky beyond the pasture. She could see Jonas living here for a long time, whether he shared his life with someone other than his brothers and their families or not.
The guesthouse was dark. Izzy was staying at Malorie’s while Blake and his new wife were on their honeymoon. That was too bad. She could use some girl time after she talked to Jonas.
And speaking of the man. He rose from the bench on the porch as she got out of her truck. “Hi. What brings you out here?”
“We have to talk.” Sloane brushed by the man she wished she could ignore, only to stop once she was in the house. The door closed softly behind her. She spun to face Jonas. “Have you had dinner yet?”
His brows shot up, but he headed for the kitchen. “I was just about to make this thing I call a nacho stack. It shouldn’t take long. Do you want something to drink while you’re waiting?”
Holy smokes, her lifelong friend was a good-looking man. Walking toward her. Walking away from her. Her girlie Spidey-sense stood up and took notice. Today, with his jeans, he wore a forest-green linen shirt with snapped cuffs rolled up to his elbows, and matching green socks. Over the years, she’d seen him in his lawyer’s garb, too, but as usual, this view stole her breath away.
Shaking herself free, she followed him to the kitchen.
“Water will be fine. Can I help?” She had to do something to calm down enough to gather her thoughts.
“Sure.” He pulled out a deep casserole dish from a lower cupboard, then handed her a frying pan. “Grab the hamburger and grated cheese from the fridge. You can fry the hamburger.”
She put the meat into a pan, breaking it into small pieces, while Jonas returned from the pantry with taco seasoning, a can of refried beans, and a bag of tortilla chips.
He put the ingredients on the counter. “Something’s bothering you. What is it?”
Sloane covered the sizzling meat with a lid before facing Jonas. No more playing Miss Nice Lady. “Who’s Julieann Vincent?”
“My law partner’s sister,” he said, watching her closely. “Why?”
For the first time, she didn’t care how he would react. Deciding not to beat around the bush, she said, “She came to see me today.”
He scowled. “What did she want?”
“She knows I’m your best friend and asked me to talk to you and put in a good word for her. She wants to marry you.”
He stirred the seasoning into the sizzling meat. “And what did you say?”
“I told her I couldn’t. That she should talk to you herself.”
He let the meat simmer and turned to her, placing his hands on her shoulders with a twist of his lips into a small smile. “Thank you. Smart lady. This is why I’ve always liked you. I don’t understand why she thought that you taking her side would change my mind.”
