Brett jumped as if startled. He must not have heard Blake drive up and walk into the house. He rolled his shoulders, but the burdens he carried on them kept them looking tense like Brett’s face was. Dark circles rimmed his dark eyes. He replied, “Just looking over some of the quotes for liability insurance for the camps, making sure they cover the petting zoo and hayrides.”
“Hayrides?” Blake repeated. “That sounds like fun.”
“Yeah, fun,” Brett said sarcastically.
“You are really struggling with this new venture,” Blake remarked. But despite how much Brett hated Trish’s plans for the ranch, he hadn’t fought them. He hadn’t even tried to get the others to vote against her.
Brett just grunted.
“Did you realize that it could be lucrative?” Blake asked him.
“Lucrative?” He sounded skeptical now.
Blake nodded. “Yeah, Elise was telling us the other night at dinner how much daycare costs. And summer camps are even more expensive. Trish’s plans will definitely support themselves and then some.”
Brett’s mouth dropped open a bit. “Really…”
So he hadn’t known that she was going to make the ranch money, but he hadn’t fought spending money on her plans. “What’s going on with you?” Blake asked him. “You’re working pretty much around the clock nowadays, skipping meals and skipping sleep, too.”
“You’ve done that yourself,” Brett reminded him. “And pretty recently, too.”
Blake chuckled. “Yeah, but I was falling in love and didn’t know how Maci and I were going to be able to make it work.”
“Figure it out yet?” Brett asked, but his grin proved he was teasing.
“Yeah,” Blake replied with a grin of his own. He felt like grinning all the time now. “And I can’t wait to propose.”
“Surprised you haven’t already,” Brett replied.
“I didn’t want to rush Maci,” he said. “I wanted to make sure the will was settled, so that she didn’t have to worry about taking Trish’s lawyer on in court and defending how she’d written up Frank’s last wishes.”
“She wrote them exactly as he wanted them,” Brett said.
Blake had wondered if Frank had told his older brother what he’d wanted. Clearly, he had.
“The estate is settled,” Brett said, then sighed. “So guess you will be proposing soon.”
Blake nodded. “I have to find a ring that she will like—”
“Ask Dad for Mom’s,” Brett suggested.
Blake’s heart flipped for a second with the thought. “That would be great, but you’re the oldest son. You should get it.”
Brett shook his head. “For what? I don’t ever intend to get married.”
“Still?”
Brett tensed. “What do you meanstill? What do you think has changed?”
Trish. His brother had been different since her arrival at the ranch. And he was working himself ragged like Blake had himself when he was struggling to figure out how to make his love with Maci last.
Blake had finally realized that there was no struggle. A love like theirs, as strong as it was, would withstand any conflict. Any legal ones like the will being contested. And if health tested them like it had his parents, he knew they would take care of each other.
“Uh, I just thought that with Liam and me and Livvy all falling in love that you would realize it isn’t as risky as you think it is.”
Brett shuddered. “Still not a chance I’m willing to take. I decided long ago to focus only on the ranch. I’ll be the 24/7 person, so you and Liam can focus on your wives and families.”
Blake’s heart swelled with love for his big brother. No wonder he had always idolized him and Liam had as well. “That’s not fair, you know. Just because you’re the oldest, it doesn’t mean you have to take care of everyone else.”
