Page 50 of One Texas Night...
“Now, what’s on your mind?”
“I’m beginning to feel guilty, and I feel I’m pushing you into something you shouldn’t do.”
“You’re not even making sense,” she said, staring intently at him.
“Dad has told me that Phillip has proposed to you before. This came up because of the gifts Jared just gave you.”
“Sloan, stop worrying. I will not marry Jared.”
“That isn’t exactly what’s worrying me,” he said. “I want to tell you that Leah and I are very much in love and very happily married.”
Amused, Allison smiled. “I think we all know that. It shows a little.”
“Marriage should be to someone you really love, with all the excitement that goes with that. I think you’re going into a loveless marriage just because time is passing and Dad isn’t well, and you know he would feel better if you were settled down. You may want marriage and a family, but I don’t want you to do something that will put you into a loveless marriage that is doomed from the start, or if it succeeds, never has that spark that is so—” he paused, as if searching for a word “—so special.”
“You’re worrying needlessly.”
“Listen to me. I’m not through. I think part of this is my fault.”
She laughed. “Sloan, you’re not at fault for anything I do.”
“I think I may have painted Jared with a very dark brush. For years I’ve warned you to avoid him.”
It dawned on her as to why she was sitting in her kitchen with her brother when he should be on his way home from work. “Sloan, stop right now and let me save you a lot of talking. It doesn’t matter what you’ve said about Jared. It’s definitely over between us. I went to the rodeo with him and I couldn’t bear to watch. I was almost physically sick. I cannot tie my life to a man who lives on the edge.”
“I’ve ridden in rodeos, and that’s not the wildest risk on earth.”
“You think?” she asked drily. “Eight seconds on a bull?”
“Well, it’s a dangerous sport, but age is against him. He can’t keep doing all the things he does.”
“Your argument is as leaky as a sieve. And it is going nowhere with me. If I marry Phillip, I feel sure we’ll be happy because we’ll both be doing exactly what we want.”
She gazed into her brother’s blue eyes and could see the doubt and concern. “Sloan, I appreciate your interest and how you always look out for me, but I’m all grown up. You have three little children to look out for now. You concentrate on them. You’re a great brother, but stop worrying about the man I marry. It won’t be Jared anyway, because he doesn’t want to be tied down. I’m not moving in and living with him without the whole commitment from him.”
“Well, that part is good. Jared does have a rather bad history with women and walking out on them, but he’s getting older and he’s growing up.”
“Oh, if he could hear you,” she said, laughing. “That would give him a laugh. Go on home to your family. I know they’re waiting, and Leah probably needs your help with the kids.”
“I feel guilty because Jared is really a good guy. I wouldn’t have stayed friends with him all these years if I didn’t think so.”
“I know,” she said, standing.
Sloan came to his feet, too. “You think about what I said about him. He’s a good guy, and I can count on him when I need to.”
“I understand,” she said patiently.
“By the way, I saw in the paper that he won the bull-riding event.”
“That will only encourage him.”
At the door, Sloan repeated himself. “Give him a chance.”
“Stop worrying. Now you’re worrying about just the opposite of what you were worrying about last week. Sloan, you’re a world-class worrier. Go home and worry about them.”
He grinned and left, climbing into his car and driving away.
She shook her head. “Sheesh. My crazy brother,” she said to herself. “‘Stay away from Jared. Go marry Jared.’ Sloan is losing it.”
