Page 15 of A Montana Childhood Promise (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #3)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

That kiss.

Dang , that kiss was something else.

Noah stared at the ceiling above his bed, hands laced behind his head.

If he thought he could keep Jane out of his thoughts with enough time, he was sorely mistaken.

Jane was… everything. She’d tasted like sweet dreams and sunny skies.

She’d smelled like a spring morning after the rain. She’d felt like absolute heaven.

But apparently, she didn’t feel the same.

The first apology she’d given him had been like a dagger to the chest. Then she’d twisted that dagger with the second apology on their way home. She was sorry.

Sorry !

How could she not see that he had feelings for her? He knew it was written on his face. His brothers could see it. Bo could see it. Heck, he wouldn’t have been surprised if Jane’s own mother had seen it.

But Jane?

She was blind to it, and maybe that was for the best because she clearly didn’t feel the same way about him.

He sighed and closed his eyes, allowing himself to replay that kiss in his head like his favorite parts of a movie. Her body had been soft and warm and perfect as it had pressed against his. Already he craved holding her like that again.

He wouldn’t, though. Noah couldn’t risk destroying just how close they’d become over the last several weeks. He couldn’t lose what they were to each other, no matter how much he desired her.

A knock on the door drew Noah out of his thoughts. It was afternoon. He shouldn’t be lying in bed right now. There was work to do, and he’d been late to get home. But his mind was elsewhere.

Whoever it was knocked again, and Noah sat up. “Yeah.”

The door opened, and Mack stepped inside. He held onto the door and frowned when he saw Noah seated on his bed. “You okay, man?”

Noah nodded.

His brother arched a brow. “Really? Because you’re sitting in here like?—”

Noah got to his feet. “I’m fine,” he said a little too sharply. “I just needed a minute. Is Bo looking for me or something?”

His brother paused then stepped into the room fully. “Is it Jane?”

Noah froze. He should have known better than to think he could hide away in his room and his brother would leave Jane out of it.

The guy was a walking-talking love guru now that he’d found a future with Lacey and her son.

If Noah wasn’t so jealous of what they had, he’d be sick to his stomach of all the posturing.

“It is, isn’t it?” Mack smirked, and that smile was all it took to set Noah on edge. Mack had never approved of Noah’s crush, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he’d come here to rub the fact that Jane wasn’t interested in his face.

“Look, I don’t need you coming in here telling me to leave her alone or that I should give up because it will never?—”

“Actually, I think you should go for it.”

Noah’s head snapped around, and he stared at his brother with surprise. Oh. So this was the other side of Mack. The matchmaker. The love expert. The guy who made everyone roll their eyes when he talked about how much happier a person could be when they found the love of their life.

“I mean it,” Mack said quietly, turning away from him and moving to the dresser nearby.

He picked up a book then put it back. He was practically fidgeting while he sought whatever words he wanted to say.

“I can tell you have it bad.” Once upon a time, those words would have been laced with teasing or mocking.

His brother wasn’t against making Noah feel like a fool for chasing a girl who was so above his level.

Why the change?

“You’re messing with me, aren’t you?” Noah murmured.

Mack turned so he could look at Noah over his shoulder, then he shrugged. “Not really, no.”

Noah barked out a laugh. “You told me to leave her alone when she came to town.”

His brother flashed a smile in his direction. “I guess I’ve had a change of heart.”

Scoffing, Noah took a step toward his brother. “Yeah, not going to believe that for a second.”

“Then again,” Mack drawled, “maybe I was just trying to test a theory.”

Despite the fact that Mack seemed to be toying with him, Noah arched a brow and waited for his brother to continue.

Mack chuckled. “How many times in the past have I told you to stay away from something only for you to show that defiant streak and do it anyway?”

Noah’s stomach dropped. They did seem to have that sort of back and forth when they’d been kids. When Mack had told him to stay away when he’d been hanging with friends, Noah wouldn’t listen. When Mack insisted that a food was too spicy, Noah had to prove him wrong.

But when Mack had started spending time with the wrong crowd, he’d simply become distant. He hadn’t told Noah not to follow him, he’d simply disappeared.

Had his brother been manipulating him his entire life?

Mack’s smile softened, and he placed a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Honestly? I don’t think I’ve seen you this happy. And it’s clear that she enjoys spending time with you.”

“She does?” Noah blurted, feeling very much like a heart-stricken teenager.

His brother gave him a flat look. “Come on. You can’t tell me you don’t see it. Are you that blind?”

At Noah’s blank expression, Mack threw his hands into the air with a groan.

“Sheesh. I hope I wasn’t this obnoxious.

She likes you, Noah. She’s probably just scared or some nonsense.

Or maybe she’s so single-minded that she doesn’t think she has room in her life for a boyfriend.

Either way, the only person she looks at like that is you.

So dig yourself out of whatever hole it is you found yourself in and do something about it. She’s not going to stick around.”

Noah opened his mouth, intending on pointing out the issue with money. Jane didn’t want to date someone who was well-off. She wanted simplicity at her very core.

But to tell Mack that was a problem would mean opening up about just how much money he had and the double life he’d been leading. He snapped his mouth shut and looked at his hands. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It is easy.”

Noah snorted. “No, it’s not.”

“No, it’s not,” Mack conceded. “It’s scary as all get out, but it’s worth it.

You’ve got a clear shot, though. So don’t mess it up.

” He clapped his hand on Noah’s shoulder.

“By the way, Lacey wanted to do some sort of outing with the family tonight. She wants to take some horses out to the creek and have a picnic or something. Maybe look at the stars?”

“Have fun,” Noah murmured.

“You’re coming.”

“What? I can’t. I didn’t get enough work done today, and?—”

“I already talked to Bo about it. He’s pretty much agreed that today was a wash, and you can catch up with some of that stuff tomorrow. Mom and Dad will be there. So will Caleb and Sammie. It’s gonna be fun.”

Noah groaned. Looked like he was going to be the seventh wheel on this family outing.

Pulling on the strap, Noah muttered, “If you really wanted me to go for it, then why am I here instead of going to her place?”

“What was that?” Mack asked, his head popping up after he’d secured the saddle for his own horse.

“Nothing,” Noah ground out. “Just… nothing.” He straightened and twisted around, stretching out his spine.

Eight horses were ready to go. Mack had volunteered himself and Noah to get them saddled for their ride, and once again, Noah had been volunteered for something he hadn’t wanted to do.

He nodded to the horses. “Bridger gets his own horse now? How did you convince Lacey to let that happen?”

Mack’s eyes shot to where Noah had motioned. “No, Bridger is riding with me. I’m not risking him getting lost on the way home. Who knows how late it will be when we leave.”

Noah looked from Mack to the horses and back. Before he had a chance to ask Mack what they were doing with another horse, Jane materialized as if out of nowhere.

“Hey, guys,” she said brightly, her hands in her back pockets as she moved toward them. “I hope I’m not late.”

“Nope. Right on time,” Mack grinned, holding out his arms and giving her a quick hug. “Glad you could make it.”

She smiled back, but then her eyes locked on Noah, and something passed between them. Had it only been a few hours since they’d kissed? It felt like lifetimes ago. His focus inadvertently dropped to her mouth then lifted to her eyes.

Mack nudged him. “I figured you could use a friend to hang out with on our little outing. Hope you don’t mind.”

Jane glanced from Mack to Noah, and her faint smile seemed to be plastered to her face. She waited until Mack left, then she sidled up to him. “Did you tell him?” she demanded in a whisper.

Noah shook his head. “What would I have told him? That you pretended I was your boyfriend to appease your mother, and she made us kiss under mistletoe that was six months old?” He could feel his defensiveness rising to the surface. He hadn’t asked for any of this.

She blinked, then a blush crept across her skin, and she let out an exhale followed by a nervous laugh. “Sorry.”

“You seem to be saying that a lot.”

This time she frowned. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

He cleared his throat, and the two of them hovered there in silence for longer than what felt necessary.

What was he supposed to do? Make small talk?

That didn’t feel right. They couldn’t talk about the kiss without her apologizing for what she’d done.

How on earth was he supposed to do what Mack told him to?

He couldn’t tell Jane he had feelings for her. Not right now.

Could he?

Noah glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as she looked around at anything but him. He opened his mouth, not certain what to say, but his intentions were cut off when his family arrived.

Jane didn’t look in his direction again.

Not while they mounted their horses, not while they rode to parts unknown, and not when they’d finally stopped to set up blankets and snacks.

While everyone had seemed to find someone to chat with, Jane had opted for what appeared to be quiet reflection.

Unfortunately, Noah’s mother wasn’t having that.

“So, Jane, Mack tells me you’re involved with that charity. What was it? Something about heroes?” Noah’s mother always knew how to drag people into conversation, whether they liked it or not.

Jane nodded, her polite smile not giving away that she’d been more interested in her own thoughts. “Yes. It’s called The Wounded Heroes Project. We help veterans who don’t have family support systems in place. Food, clothing, job opportunities… you name it.”

His mother’s eyes widened. “That sounds wonderful. I wasn’t even aware there was such a charity, especially one here.”

No, she wouldn’t have. Noah’s grandfather was cared for by their family. He’d served in the military at one point or another, but they’d had the ability to care for him, unlike so many other families.

Jane’s smile remained. “It really is wonderful. There aren’t many charities out there that offer so much.

And if you do the research, you find out that the people who run it don’t get excess amounts of money to do so.

It’s all very focused on those we help. Not even the CEO seems to get paid.

From what I understand, he was a wiz at investing, and he uses all the profits from his investments to help fund at least fifty percent of the charity. ”

“Wow. That’s…” His mother trailed off.

“I know. It’s crazy. The rest of the donations come from everywhere,” Jane continued.

“Noah donates to charities.”

Noah’s whole body froze. He couldn’t breathe. How had Mack known about that? Had he seen receipts? Or had he heard Noah on the phone with someone? Slowly, he turned his attention to his brother, praying that this wasn’t going to go sideways.

Mack nodded when several eyes shifted to him. “Yeah. I don’t know how he does it, but he’s always donating to charities like that. You donated to The Wounded Heroes Project, too, right?”

Noah nodded. What else could he do? His name was listed on the donors list for more than one reason. People just didn’t know how much he’d given them.

Jane eyed him with surprise. “I didn’t know that.”

“He’s full of surprises, that one,” Mack chuckled.

The conversation somehow shifted to other topics, but Jane’s eyes remained on him, unreadable. Finally she faced him, legs crossed as she plucked at pieces of grass around her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugged.

Jane let out a laugh. “Normally, when people donate to charities, they like it to be known. They want their good deeds recognized.”

“Is it really a good deed if the person doing it wants something in return? That sounds more like a quid pro quo to me.”

Her soft smile deepened ever so slightly. “I suppose you make a good point. Though, there’s nothing really wrong with other people knowing. I guess what matters are your motives behind sharing.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “I’d agree. But for me? I’d rather just help where I can for my own reasons.”

The look she gave him was one he couldn’t easily decipher. It was like she was seeing him through a different lens. Had he impressed her somehow?

No. That didn’t matter. Noah stood by what he’d said.

He wasn’t doing this to win over her approval or anyone else’s, for that matter.

If she wanted to be impressed, then that was up to her.

Still, the warmth that seeped into his heart at the way she was looking at him was next level.

He offered a smile in return, and they shifted to other topics of conversation.

Maybe Mack was right.

There was a chance that Jane actually liked him. And he was going to see how far that attraction could go.