Page 30 of A Montana Childhood Promise (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

It might not have been right for Noah to feel distanced from his brothers after their last lecture.

They seemed to be more upset about the way things had gone between himself and Jane.

If he were honest with himself, that fact threw him for a loop far more than the whole keeping his billions a secret from his family part had.

He raked a hand through his damp hair and replaced his hat on his head. Bo was staring out at the cattle they needed to move. He’d been quiet, too. Noah didn’t know how Bo had felt about the whole secret billionaire thing. He hadn’t said anything about it.

Heck, he hadn’t even said anything about Jane not coming around in the last week.

Noah had hoped that he’d have the chance to bump into her, but when she hadn’t shown up for three days straight, he knew he was in a lot more trouble than he had originally thought.

She was right. He’d inserted himself into her life too much. He’d let his obsession with her take control, and now he was paying the price.

One of the things he loved about that woman was how confident she was with everything she did. She could take control of any situation and see a way to accomplish it. There had been no reason for him to jump in and try to rescue her like she was a damsel in distress.

Because if Jane was anything, it wasn’t that.

She was a warrior, and she had proven it time and time again.

Bo glanced over at him and offered him a curt nod. He didn’t seem angry, but he didn’t seem pleased, either.

“Is there something you want to say?” Noah asked.

His cousin was a couple years older than he was, and he could be intimidating when he wanted to be.

It was one of the reasons he was so good at running this ranch after his father had decided to take a step back.

He was unstoppable and put way too many man hours into making sure everything went smoothly.

Bo cocked a brow at him, and for a moment, Noah didn’t know if he was going to get a firm talking to or if he was going to be ignored.

Bo’s siblings had been just as quiet about the whole revelation, too.

It hurt, if Noah was honest with himself.

For the first time in a long while, he felt like he was officially an outsider.

Noah nearly gave up on Bo saying anything at all, but then his cousin shifted and gave him a firm stare. “I’m curious about something.”

“Yeah?”

Bo nodded, his brows creasing as he glanced elsewhere momentarily. “Why?”

“Why?” Noah frowned. “Why what?”

“Why did you hide who you were from everyone? Including your family?”

Noah could already feel the heat licking up the back of his neck. This was the first time that Bo had brought up Noah’s secrets. It was the first time he’d brought up anything that wasn’t work related, actually.

His frown deepened as he considered how he could best explain this. Bo’s family had come into wealth, and they didn’t seem nearly as concerned keeping it a secret. Noah couldn’t imagine that they kept much from each other as they were such a tight-knit group.

And yet, Noah hadn’t felt secure enough to share anything about his second life. He cleared his throat and nodded. There was nothing left to hide, anyway. “I was scared.”

Bo arched a brow, and he shifted in his saddle again. “Scared,” he muttered flatly. “Scared of what, exactly?”

Noah shrugged, trying to put his feelings into words. “Everything,” he finally breathed out. “I was scared that people would want to use me for the money I had. I was scared that they’d hate me for my wealth. I didn’t want to be judged or manipulated. I just wanted to keep being… me.”

Bo seemed to consider this for a moment, then he gave Noah another nod. “Yeah, I can understand that.”

Noah swallowed hard. “Didn’t help me in the end, though. It would have been better if people had just known from the beginning.”

“I don’t know. You might have had a good point.”

He glanced at his cousin with surprise.

Bo shrugged. “How else would you know if someone cared about you for you and not for the service you offered?”

Noah nodded. Exactly! That was what he’d been worried about.

“That being said…” Bo started, and Noah’s stomach bottomed out. “I think you messed up by keeping it a secret for so long. Especially when it came to Jane.”

“Jane didn’t want anything to do with people who had money. She said it changes people,” Noah blurted, the biggest fear of all out on display for his cousin to rip into. “I couldn’t tell her, or she was going to?—”

“You think she would have looked at you differently?” Bo interrupted with surprise.

“Well, yeah. And I was right.”

Bo shook his head. “I might not know Jane all that well, but if I had to guess, I would assume she wasn’t upset about the fact that you had money. Most people get upset over feeling betrayed. Hiding who you were or lying about it would have been the thing to tip her over the edge.”

Noah wanted to react to his cousin’s statement.

He wanted to get angry over Bo’s willingness to stick his nose where it didn’t belong.

But he couldn’t. For all intents and purposes, Bo was right.

Jane had said something similar. She’d been mad that he’d interfered in her life, not that he was wealthy.

And yes, she was upset that he’d hidden it from her, too.

But who wouldn’t be upset to find out the person they were dating was leading a double life?

He scraped at his jaw and turned his attention out to the cattle, hating how uncomfortable this conversation had become despite his cousin being right. “Yeah, well, she said she wanted space, and now I can’t do anything about it until she’s ready to talk to me.”

Bo scoffed, drawing a curious glance from Noah. When Bo didn’t immediately explain his reaction, Noah leaned forward to situate himself better in the saddle.

“You got something else to add?”

His cousin chuckled. “You gave her plenty of space. You don’t have to wait for her to come to you.

I mean, don’t go charging into her office or to her apartment like you want to start a war…

” He shook his head with another chuckle.

“But you can set out your feelers. She’s still friends with Mack, and I’d guess she’s gotten close to others who work for us. ”

Noah couldn’t bring himself to admit that he was terrified of even making the attempt to see her. What if she chose to push him away officially? They weren’t broken up yet. He still had a chance right now. “I don’t know. What if she’s decided she doesn’t want me?” he murmured.

Bo offered him an empathetic smile. “Then she’s already made her decision, and speaking to her isn’t going to change that.”

Dang it all, he was right again.

“You can’t just let the world spin around you. Sometimes you have to take charge. Don’t be overbearing, but show her that you still want what you two have.”

Noah nodded, his thoughts immediately shifting to the beginning of their relationship.

He’d taken charge then. He’d flirted with her and did whatever it took to be her friend if that was all he was going to be allowed.

And that friendship had blossomed into more.

He didn’t want to live a life without Jane by his side.

He just hoped that she felt the same way about him.

“Okay,” he hedged. “What would you suggest?”

This time, his cousin barked a laugh that was so loud, both of their horses shifted beneath them.

Bo shot an amused look in Noah’s direction.

“I have no idea. Like I said before, I don’t know Jane all that well besides the fact that she’s a darn good worker, and she’s a fast learner.

Oh, and she doesn’t mind rolling up her sleeves and getting her hands dirty. ”

“Yeah, she’s one of the most independent people I know.”

They sat in silence for several minutes. Noah didn’t know the first place to start. Okay, maybe that wasn’t completely accurate. He needed to apologize, but he’d already done that, and it hadn’t been enough.

He probably could have explained himself better, too.

But based on how angry she’d been, he wasn’t sure that she would take kindly to excuses.

Taking responsibility was definitely on the table.

He could fall at her feet and beg her to take him back because he loved her so much that he would do anything to make this right.

Then he’d tell her she was right about everything.

Noah shook his head.

None of that sounded quite right.

“You need to make some sort of grand gesture,” Bo mused.

“Yeah, but what?” Noah stared at his cousin, hanging on his every word. If Bo had any ideas about how to fix this, then he would do it without question.

Bo blew out a heavy breath. “Sorry, dude. I can’t think of anything.” He tossed Noah a side-eyed stare. “Do you have any inside jokes?”

There was one, but Noah got the distinct feeling that it wouldn’t be received very well. He couldn’t help the embarrassed grin that flooded his features. “I don’t think it would go over very well. Not right now, anyway.”

The look of curiosity on Bo’s face was enough to make Noah blush. Just because his brothers knew about the pact he’d made with Jane didn’t mean that he wanted everyone in his family to know.

“Well?” Bo asked. “Don’t leave me hanging. With that look alone, I can only let my imagination take off.”

Noah groaned. “It’s really not that big of a deal.”

“Then you shouldn’t have any issue telling me about it,” Bo insisted.

“I asked her to marry me.”

Bo’s brows lifted.

“When I was thirteen.”

The shock that was on Bo’s face shifted into humor, and he let out a long, low whistle. “That’s impressive. You had guts when you were a kid.”

“Yeah, I guess I did,” Noah chuckled.

“Well, what happened?”

This time, Noah’s head reared back. “What?”

“What happened to those guts? You knew you wanted her to be yours when you were a kid. Anything change?”

“No, of course not,” Noah insisted.

Bo shrugged. “Then what’s the hold up? Tell her that you want to make good on that pact?—”

“Don’t you think I’ve said that?”

His cousin gave him a pointed look. “Did you tell her when you were joking around, or were you serious?”

Noah snapped his mouth shut at that question. Once again, Bo had made an excellent point. Jane was the only person in the world that Noah could see himself with. She was the only person he’d loved. The last week had been utter torture.

“You’re right,” Noah muttered as he straightened. “Maybe all she needs is to know how I feel about her and how I’ve felt about her since I was a kid.” He tossed Bo a nervous glance. “Though, I don’t know that a marriage proposal a logical next step. Clearing the air seems to be a better option.”

“It’s definitely a start,” Bo nodded. “And if it doesn’t work the first time, don’t give up.”

That idea was terrifying in and of itself. But he couldn’t think about that right now. He needed to focus on brighter thoughts. He could do this. He could win her back. Jane had enough time to cool down. Maybe she’d be open to hearing him out now that she could step back and see him for who he was.

He had to have hope.