name.”
“You’re welcome. You’ve earned it.”
He stared at her and nodded, holding back a brand-new emotion welling behind his eyes.
* * *
Brooks headed to the main house that evening, thoughts of Ruby never far from his mind. The more time he spent with her... Okay, forget it. He couldn’t go down that road, especially when the main reason his thoughts had splintered was standing not ten feet away on the sweeping porch of the residence.
As soon as Beau spotted Brooks, he called him over with a wave of the hand. “Come here, son. Meet the rest of the family.”
The three men—all wearing Stetsons in varying colors and appearing younger than Brooks by several years—stood at attention next to Beau. Brooks’s half brothers.
He walked up, and Beau gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Brooks, I’m proud to introduce you to Toby, Clay and Malcolm. They’re your brothers.”
He shook each one of their hands and greeted them kindly. It was strange and awkward at first, but Beau’s boys made him feel welcome.
“We’re surely glad to meet you,” Toby said. He was the oldest and tallest of the three. “I’m sorry we missed out on knowing you all those years.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry, too. Life took me down a different path,” he said.
Malcolm stood against the post, his boots crossed, his gaze narrowing in on Brooks’s face. “But you’re here now, and we’re glad of it. You look more like Dad than any of us.”
Beau chuckled. “Poor guy.”
“Mom wouldn’t agree,” Clay said, chiming in. “She was always telling us how handsome you were.”
“Yeah,” Malcolm said. “Damn near gave us a complex.”
Beau shook his head. “Your mama thought the sun rose and set on you boys, and you know it.”
“Seems like your mom was a pretty great lady from what I’m told,” Brooks said. He’d heard from Beau, but just about everyone else on the ranch had nice things to say about Tanya, too.
“That she was,” Beau said, the pride in his voice unequalled.
“My brothers and I, well, we’re sorry to hear news of your mother’s passing, Brooks,” Malcolm said. The others nodded in agreement.
“Thank you. Mom was also quite a woman. And she died unexpectedly. My brothers and I miss her terribly.”
“It’s not easy,” Beau said, the brightness in his eyes dimming. “But we have each other now, and that’s something to celebrate. Shall we go in to dinner? Lupe promised us a feast, and we’re opening a few special bottles of wine to toast the occasion.”
“I’m nearly starved,” Toby said, patting his stomach.
“Yeah, me, too,” Clay said. “Oh, and new brother?”
Brooks gave him a glance. “Yeah?”
“I’m apologizing in advance for the interrogation. We’re all so dang curious about your life, I’m afraid we’re gonna grill you. We want to hear about Graham, too. Dad says he’s the spitting image of you.”
“Yep, there are two of us. We’re identical twins.”
“You boys will meet him soon,” Beau said as he ushered them all into the house. “I’m hoping Graham will be here by next week in time for our Christmas party.”
“I don’t mind your questions,” Brooks added. “I’ve got quite a few for you. We all have some catching up to do.”
In the formal dining room, on Beau’s cue, Clay, Malcolm and Toby spent the next few minutes asking about Brooks’s early life, his college days and how he came to build such a successful real estate development business. “Lots of hard work, long hours and a driving need to make my way in the world,” he answered. “Mom was a survivor, and she raised her children to be independent thinkers.”
Beau smiled, getting a faraway look in his eyes. Was he thinking about the young woman he’d loved and lost? Then, with a shake of the head, he shifted and turned his attention back to the conversation.
Lupe came in, carrying plates filled with twelve-ounce rib eye steaks, potatoes, creamed corn and Texas-sized biscuits. “Looks delicious, Lupe. Thank you,” Beau said.
Toby and Malcolm immediately rose to help her bring the rest of the food in from the kitchen. And just as they were sitting down, ready to take their first bite, Ruby walked in.
She didn’t immediately make eye contact with Brooks, so he looked his fill. Her jeans and blousy top were white, but her ankle boots were as black as the mass of long raven hair falling down her back. The contrast of black to white was striking, and he took a swallow of water to keep his mouth from going dry. “Hey, everyone,” she said.
“Better late than never, Rube,” Clay said, teasing. “Had another hot date with a horse?”
Toby and Malcolm chuckled.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” she said, smiling and scooting her fine little ass into her seat. “At least horses can take direction. Unlike most men I know.”
Beau choked out a laugh.
Ruby arched a brow and shot daggers at Clay. Apparently she wasn’t through with him yet. “And tell me again, who are you dating at the moment?”
“Oh, you’ve dug yourself a hole now, Clay,” Malcolm said. “You know better than to get into it with Ruby. You’re not gonna win.”
“You see,” she said, “Malcolm understands. At least he has a girlfriend.”
“This is a picture of what it was like when the kids were growing up,” Beau explained, grinning. “I gotta say, it’s still amusing.”
Ruby glanced at Brooks then, giving him a nod of acknowledgment. He smiled, acknowledging how Ruby held her own with Beau’s boys. She was a handful, a woman with spunk who took no prisoners and didn’t apologize for it. If only he could stop noticing all her admirable traits. As it was now, she was off the charts.
Wine was poured and Beau lifted his glass. Everyone at the table took his cue, and the deep red wine in the raised glasses glistened under chandelier light. “To my family,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier to have Brooks here. And soon Graham will join us. I love you all,” he said, his voice tight, “and look forward to the day we can all be together.”
Glasses clinked and Brooks was touched at the welcome he’d received by his new family at Look Away Ranch.
They settled into the meal. The steak was the most tender he’d ever had. Texans knew a thing or two about raising prime cattle and delivering a delicious meal. His brothers surely looked the picture of health—all three were sturdy men—and a sense of pride in his newfound family washed over him. He doubted he’d ever feel as close to these young men as he did Graham—he and Graham had shared
