Claimed!. Vicki Thompson Lewis

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      “YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED already?” At mid-morning Jack had walked into the large ranch kitchen in search of coffee, only to find Jack’s stepmother, Sarah, and his brother Gabe knee-deep in wedding plans. Mary Lou Simms, the ranch cook, was in the thick of it, too, offering comments in between tending a huge pot of chili on the stove.

      Gabe’s truck hadn’t been in the driveway earlier, but he was home now, looking scruffy and quite pleased with himself. Jack wasn’t used to seeing his youngest brother unshaven, his dark blond hair sticking in twenty different directions. With luck Gabe was so besotted with his lady love that he’d forget to ask how Jack’s evening had turned out.

      “Morgan and I see no point in waiting.” Gabe sat at the kitchen island drinking coffee with Sarah.

      “And I’m glad for that.” Sarah seemed giddy at the prospect. She’d always looked youthful, even though she’d let her hair go naturally white, but this morning she seemed almost girlish. “Your idea of having the ceremony on horseback means we don’t have to decorate for the wedding, just for the reception.”

      “Horseback, huh?” Jack walked over to the hat rack in the corner of the kitchen.

      “Morgan’s game,” Gabe said, “so I decided what the heck. Might as well take advantage of the famous Jackson Hole scenery.”

      “Now I can see the reason for rushing things.” Jack hung his hat next to Gabe’s. “An outdoor ceremony wouldn’t work so well in the snow.”

      “Exactly,” Sarah said. “Besides, it’ll be a fun challenge to pull it together in … wow, less than two weeks.”

      “I’m glad you think so.” Jack was happy that Gabe and Morgan were getting married. He was also pleased to see Sarah so excited about the wedding. But his own misery moved in like a dark cloud to cover any potential joy. He needed to snap out of this foul mood and get into the spirit of things.

      Mary Lou left her chili to simmer, poured a mug of coffee and handed it to Jack. “I figure this is what you wandered in for.”

      “I did. Thanks.” Maybe caffeine would help.

      Mary Lou gestured with the carafe. “Gabe? Sarah?”

      “Load me up.” Gabe held out his mug. “Didn’t get much sleep last night.” He winked at Jack. “You don’t look like you did, either.”

      “Not much.” Actually, none.

      “You boys.” Mary Lou clucked in disapproval. “I thought you’d both passed the stage of staying out ‘til all hours. Sarah? Coffee?”

      “Nothing for me, thanks. I’m wired as it is with all this good news.” Her blue eyes shone as she flashed Jack a smile. “Did you see Josie last night?”

      Jack glared at Gabe. Some people couldn’t keep their traps shut.

      Gabe shrugged. “She wanted the whole story. You know how moms are.”

      “Right.” Jack really didn’t know how moms were. Sometimes they were great, like his stepmother, Sarah, but other times they left. For years Sarah had asked Jack to call her Mom, but he liked calling her Sarah to distance her from the other mother he’d known, the one who’d deserted him.

      “So did you see Josie?” Gabe asked.

      Jack thought then how much alike Gabe and Sarah were—not only in looks, because they were both fair with blue eyes, but also in being such cheerful, curious people.

      Sarah could keep a secret when she had to, though. Until a few weeks ago, she’d kept a whopper. Turned out Nick, Jonathan’s middle son, wasn’t hers. Instead he was the result of an affair that took place after Jonathan divorced Jack’s mother and before he met Sarah.

      But Nick had been raised at the ranch as Sarah’s son, and finding out the truth of his birth had shattered his world. Thanks to his fiancée, Dominique, Nick was recovering from that emotional blow. The two of them were holding off on a wedding until Dominique transferred her photography business from Indiana to Wyoming, but it looked as if two of the three Chance boys were settling down. As usual, Jack was the lone wolf, the son who didn’t quite fit in.

      “So? What’s the deal with Josie?” Gabe was nothing if not persistent.

      “I saw her for a little while,” Jack said. “Her brother, Alex, is visiting.” That was the God’s truth, and it should stop their questions for a while.

      “Tough luck,” Gabe said with a twinkle in his eye.

      “Whatever.” He finished his coffee, set the mug in the sink, and reached for his hat. “I need to get back to work.”

      “There’s one wedding detail to handle before you go,” Gabe said.

      “What’s that?” Jack put on his hat in preparation for leaving as quickly as possible. Maybe he’d take a ride out to the north pasture and check the fence. Putting some distance between him and these wedding plans sounded good.

      “I’d like it if you and Nick would share the job of best man. Would that work for you?”

      “Sure. Be glad to.” Sharing the job would be a relief. He wouldn’t have to handle everything, and Nick was good at that sappy stuff.

      “Excellent. Morgan’s going to have two maids of honor, so it’ll be balanced.”

      Jack nodded, not really listening. “Great. Well, if that’s all, then—”

      “You’ll probably want a heads-up on who the maids of honor will be.” Gabe had a gleam in his eye.

      Jack hoped to hell Gabe wasn’t hoping to promote a romance between him and one of Morgan’s sisters. There might be several to choose from, because Morgan had come from a family of seven kids.

      He turned to make his getaway. “You can fill me in on the particulars later.”

      “I СКАЧАТЬ