forget it.
He settled his black hat firmly on his head again and pushed away from the corral fence. He started for the main ranch house, his long-legged stride eating up the distance. His gaze swept across the palatial white home and as always, he felt that quick tug of gratitude.
He’d grown up here. From the moment his mother, Cora Lee, had married Will’s father, Roy, the Ace In the Hole ranch had been home. Hell, Jesse could still remember his first glimpse of the ranch and the house that had, to a six-year-old boy, looked like a castle. All it had been missing were a few turrets, a drawbridge and a dragon or two, waiting to be slain.
And Roy had made sure Jesse and his younger sister knew, from that first day, that this was their house as much as it was Will’s. That they were, all of them, family. And nothing was more important than that.
Family came first. One of the first life lessons drummed into Jesse, Will and Lucy as they grew up. And the one lesson that never changed or shifted. Jesse would do anything for the people he loved, which was why he wasn’t going to leave Will swinging without support.
He’d already screwed things up pretty well with Lucy—but he wasn’t going to think about that right now. Instead, as he climbed the steps to the wide, wraparound front porch, another life lesson popped into his head. His mother, Cora Lee Sanders, was hell on tidy, and living on a ranch had meant that she was constantly at war with dirt, dust and God-knew-what-else being traipsed into her house.
Wipe those feet before you drag a mess into this house.
In spite of everything, he smiled as his mother’s stern warning echoed in his mind. But dutifully, Jesse scraped the bottoms of his boots on the wiry mat set out for that purpose, then opened the door and stepped inside. Instantly, the quiet wrapped itself around him and made him a little twitchy. Usually, this house was bustling.
Lucy and her young son, Brody, lived in the east wing, but four-year-old Brody had the run of the place and had never known a silent moment. Lucy was a single mom, and again Jesse had to struggle past twin pangs of guilt and regret at the thought. But his sister also had everyone on this ranch helping her out with the boy that kept all of them on their toes.
Jesse headed for the study, Roy’s old office. Since his death, the whole family used it since Jesse hadn’t been able to stake his own claim on the room in spite of being in charge of the ranch now. His boot heels hit the shining, hardwood floor in a series of taps that reminded him of a heartbeat, fast and hard.
The double doors were open, so he walked inside, subconsciously taking in the familiar room. Deep, maroon leather chairs, heavy tables and sturdy brass floor lamps. A thick rug with a map of the Ace In the Hole emblazoned across it, walls filled with books, and a bar where crystal decanters filled with whiskey, brandy and vodka glinted in the light. A river stone hearth simmered with a low-burning fire, and at the wide, broad desk sat Will, looking uneasy.
Opposite him, in one of the leather chairs, was Jillian Norris.
The instant Jesse’s gaze landed on her, he felt a jolt of something hot and fierce slam into the center of his chest. The woman made a hell of a picture. She was tall, at least five foot ten without high heels. Her long, wavy blond hair was pale enough to look like spun gold, even caught up in the ponytail he’d rarely seen her without. Those huge hazel eyes of hers looked both wounded and defiant. An interesting mix that had drawn Jesse in from the beginning. The few times he’d seen her, Jesse had noticed the stubborn tilt to her chin and the light of devotion in her eyes when she looked at her daughter.
Will looked up at him. “Jesse?”
“Go ahead. Don’t let me interrupt.” He ignored the flash of irritation on his little brother’s face as he moved farther into the room and took a seat in one of the chairs.
Will’s frown only lasted an instant, probably because he knew it wouldn’t have the slightest effect on Jesse. He focused on Jillian again. “If I could make this easier on you, I’d like to.”
Jesse watched the woman. She looked...embarrassed, and he wondered if she’d had that expression before he’d intruded on this meeting. He should probably regret coming in here, but he didn’t.
“And I appreciate it,” Jillian said, her voice soft enough that Jesse had to strain to hear her. “But I’ve told you. You don’t owe me anything. Mac’s not your daughter.” She took a breath, then sighed a little. “I know that now.”
Will got up from behind the desk and walked around it. Leaning back against the front edge, he said, “I’m not her father, no. But the man who is was pretending to be me and that hits close enough to home for me that I can’t ignore it.”
She stiffened in her chair and folded her hands tightly in her lap. “Look, I don’t need your help. Mac and I will get along fine—”
Jesse heard the pride in her voice and knew Will did, too, when his brother spoke next.
“This isn’t charity, okay?” He flicked an impatient glance at Jesse, as if silently trying to tell him to go away.
Jesse shook his head.
Sighing, Will turned back to the woman who was saying, “What else would it be?”
“A favor,” Will said. “To me.”
She laughed, and even in this weird situation, Jesse’s insides responded to that low, throaty chuckle. He shifted uncomfortably.
“You want a favor. From me.” Disbelief rang loudly in her tone.
“Absolutely.” Will laid his hands on his thighs and leaned toward her. “The bastard—excuse me.”
She laughed. “I’ve heard worse and I think we can agree whoever the man was, pretending to be you, he deserves that description and more.”
Jesse admired that. She had her pride, but she was also willing to look at a situation and see it for what it was, not what she’d like it to be.
“Well,” Will said, “my mom would have a fit if she heard me cussing in front of a lady, so excuse me anyway.”
She nodded.
“As I was saying, the man who stole my identity stole more than my name. He took my reputation, too, and ran it into the ground.”
Jesse scowled, seeing the look of frustration on his brother’s features. He knew Will was having a hard time with all of this, but he hated seeing evidence of it.
“You didn’t do anything to me,” Jillian said softly.
“I know that, but as I said, it was done in my name and I’m going to feel terrible about that unless you help me out.”
A second or two passed before Jillian shook her head and smiled wryly. “Oh, you’re good at this, aren’t you? Getting people to do what you want, I mean.”
“Used to be,” Will admitted.
“Still are,” Jesse said quietly.
Jillian turned her head to look at him, and their eyes locked. Even on opposite sides of the room, there was a thread of connection that snapped and crackled between them. And Jesse saw by the flash of acknowledgment in her eyes that she felt it, too. Not that he
