“What’s really stopping you with Mariah, Jaron?” Ryder pressed, nailing Jaron with a piercing look. “And let’s try the truth this time. We all know the nine-year age difference has nothing to do with the reason you won’t give in to your feelings for her.”
Jaron loved his brothers and would lay down his life for any one of them. But the major drawback of having them know him so well was they all knew when he wasn’t being entirely honest with them.
Taking a deep breath, Jaron stared at the droplets of condensation running down the beer bottle in his hand. “I care too much for her to saddle her with a past like mine.”
“We all have pasts,” T.J. reminded him. “We weren’t sent to the Last Chance Ranch because we were little angels.”
“T.J.’s right,” Ryder said, nodding. “We all did things when we were young that we regret and aren’t proud of. But we found women who love us for the men we became and overlooked the stupid mistakes we made when we were growing up. All you did was run away from foster homes. What the rest of us did to get our asses in trouble was a lot worse than that.”
“I understand that,” Jaron argued. “But this is Mariah. She deserves the best and I’m not it.”
T.J. grunted. “Bro, that’s the dumbest thing I think I’ve ever heard you say. Remember, Hank always told us that we can’t change the past, so we might as well leave what we did to land us in trouble back there where it belongs and make the most of the future. And the last I knew, you had done that.”
Ryder nodded. “There isn’t one of us who thinks we’re good enough for our wives. But there’s not a day goes by that we don’t thank the good Lord above the women disagree.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, that’s the way Mariah feels about you, bro,” T.J. said, finishing his steak. “She may not know what happened with your old man or why you ran away from every foster home they put you in, but she knows you have a past and she overlooks it because of the man you are today.”
“I’ll think about it,” Jaron said to placate them. Maybe if they thought he was giving what they said some thought, they’d shut up and leave him alone.
“Now that we’ve covered what’s happening in my life, let me ask you both something,” Jaron said, deciding that a change of subject was in order. “Why are you here and not at home with your wives and kids?”
T.J. grinned. “The kids are playing while Summer helps Heather go through designs and options for decorating our new baby’s nursery. Once Heather and I find out what we’re having, we’ll start painting and decorating with cowboys or ballerinas.”
“They suggested we come here because they know we’re pretty useless when it comes to that kind of thing,” Ryder added, laughing.
When Jaron heard the bartender call his name, he breathed a sigh of relief. “It looks as if supper’s ready,” he said, rising to his feet. As an afterthought, he added, “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep Mariah’s working for me to yourselves.” He knew that both Ryder and T.J. would keep their mouths shut and respect his wishes.
Both of his brothers nodded their agreement. “You intend to tell the others when you and Mariah show up for Sam’s birthday dinner?” Ryder asked, sitting back from the table.
“I figure it’s easier to tell everyone at one time and get it over with, instead of having to be asked the same questions over and over,” Jaron explained.
“You’re probably right,” Ryder agreed.
“See you next weekend,” T.J. called as Jaron walked over to the bar to get the carryout he’d ordered.
After he paid for the food, Jaron walked out of the bar to his truck and drove back to the Wild Maverick Ranch. His brothers had brought up a couple of things that he needed to give some serious thought.
Although she didn’t know what had happened to land him in the foster-care system and eventually get him sent to the Last Chance Ranch, Mariah had always known he had been a troubled kid. And T.J. was right about one thing—she didn’t seem to care. Mariah accepted him for who he was now, as opposed to who he’d been back then.
But unlike his foster brothers, he had been labeled a problem because of what his father had done more than for running away from foster homes. Foster families didn’t want a serial killer’s son living with them—probably because they feared he would turn out like his old man. And the few who had opened their homes to him had made his life so miserable with their accusing looks and constant questions about his father and what he knew about the murders that Jaron had ended up taking off. The last time the authorities had found him, the caseworker had contacted Hank Calvert and it had turned out to be the luckiest day of Jaron’s life.