A new life. A new start.

And a new love at the Three Sisters Ranch

Inheriting a ranch with her two sisters is the fresh start widowed mom Leah Holloway desperately needs. The problem? Leah knows nothing about ranching. And the only person willing to teach her is Shane Jackson, the handsome and oh-so-infuriating cowboy next door. Trusting each other means they’ll risk everything—including a connection that might just blossom into something dangerously real...

DANICA FAVORITE loves the adventure of living a creative life. She loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily-ever-after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun. Find her at danicafavorite.com.

Also By Danica Favorite

Three Sisters Ranch

Her Cowboy Inheritance

Rocky Mountain Dreams

The Lawman’s Redemption

Shotgun Marriage

The Nanny’s Little Matchmakers

For the Sake of the Children

An Unlikely Mother

Mistletoe Mommy

Honor-Bound Lawman

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Her Cowboy Inheritance

Danica Favorite

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09478-8

HER COWBOY INHERITANCE

© 2019 Danica Favorite

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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Soon she would be lifting bales of hay like they were nothing...

Leah put her hands on her hips and heaved in deep breaths. “I know this gets easier with practice, but wow. You must think I’m really stupid for not thinking about things like this.”

Shane handed her a bottle of water. “Not stupid. Inexperienced. I know you think I’ve been hard on you, but I don’t want you to fail simply because you hadn’t thought everything through.”

She nodded.

“You’re smart and capable,” he continued. “You have more grit and gumption than a lot of people I know. I understand why you don’t trust easily. But I’m asking you to have a little faith in the fact that I’m here to help you. I made a promise to Helen, and I’m doing for you what Helen always wanted to do.”

She brushed the hay off her pants. “I’ve given you more trust than I’ve given anyone else in a long time.”

Shane didn’t want to think about trust issues.

He hoped he could continue showing her that he had her best interests at heart...even when she didn’t understand.

Dear Reader,

One of the things I’ve been thinking about a lot is what it means to love one another. The theme verse for this story—1 Corinthians 13, verses 4-8 and 13—has been on my mind a lot lately, especially as I look at how I love the others in my life. Leah has learned to see love as being one way, Shane another, and it took them being reminded about what the Bible says about love to truly understand how to love one another. Sometimes, we get our minds set on what we think love means—what has to happen in our lives to feel loved. And yet, so much of how we measure love isn’t how we’re supposed to measure love at all. Even though I know I don’t always do it right, I’m so grateful that God sees my heart and chooses to love me anyway. I pray that you, too, will know the kind of love Jesus teaches us about in the Bible.

I love connecting with my readers, so be sure to find me online:

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Sending love and prayers to you and yours,

Danica Favorite

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

—1 Corinthians 13:4–8

For all the moms out there who are doing the best they can with what they have. You’ve got this!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Leah Holloway stood inside the old ranch house in Columbine Springs, Colorado, unable to believe that in the twenty years since she’d last been here, everything seemed almost unchanged. Except for the silence and emptiness.

“It’s weird not seeing Grandma Nellie sitting in her rocking chair, isn’t it?” her sister Erin said, coming behind her.

Leah turned. “She wasn’t our grandmother.”

“The closest thing we had to one. Besides, everyone called her Grandma Nellie.” Erin put her arm around her and gave a squeeze. “You doing okay?”

Everyone asked her that, and Leah hated having to answer the question. Of course she wasn’t doing okay. How could anybody be okay when everything in her life was falling apart? Everyone had a million questions for her, and Leah hadn’t had the chance to process what had happened. She’d been too busy trying to stay strong for her kids, doing everything she could to keep a roof over their heads, and now this.

Not that being here on the ranch was necessarily a bad thing, since the surprise bequest was literally the only reason she and her kids wouldn’t be living on the streets. But it was one more set of emotions being thrown at her that she didn’t have time to deal with.

Fortunately, her sister Nicole came in, carrying a box. “Isn’t this great? I can’t believe this is all ours.”

Erin gave their sister a small smile. “The happiest I remember being as children was the summer we spent here with Helen. The Colonel was on another temporary assignment, and she brought us here to her family’s ranch. I remember wishing we could stay here forever and never have to see the Colonel again. Who would have thought the wish of a ten-year-old would come true twenty years later?”

For a moment, Erin looked wistful, but then she shook her head. “It’s crazy to think that Helen remembered us enough to leave us her family’s ranch. I feel bad that we didn’t stay in better touch with her.”

Leah shrugged. “The Colonel would’ve never allowed it. Not with the way he threw her out. He thought she was a bad influence, allowing too much disorder in his household.”

“I don’t remember that,” Nicole said. “I barely remember Helen at all. I still think it’s weird that she left us her estate.”

The lawyer had given them a letter from Helen, outlining the reasons for her bequest. They’d all read the letter, but Nicole, who had only been six when the Colonel had divorced Helen, hadn’t responded to it the way Leah and Erin had. How could she? She’d been too young to understand so much of what had happened.

Unfortunately, Leah had been twelve, which meant she had understood far too much. Nicole being so young had been a blessing.

Sometimes, it was the only thing that gave Leah hope that her sons, Dylan and Ryan, would come through their own family tragedy unscathed. At seven and two, they barely remembered their father, who’d emotionally checked out of their lives long before his death six months ago. In some ways, her sons’ childhood mirrored so much of what Leah’s had been that it scared her. She’d spent her whole life vowing to do things differently when she had children of her own. The only differences were Leah’s mother had died when Nicole was a baby, and their father had been a monster. When the Colonel had died several years ago, she hadn’t felt the level of grief she did now for Helen.

Leah would like to think that she was a reasonably good parent to her boys, even though their father had not been. Of course, she hadn’t known the truth about him until it was too late.

A knock sounded at the door, and the three women turned. The silhouette of a cowboy was framed in the entryway, like one of those Western paintings you bought at tourist traps. As he stepped forward, he almost took Leah’s breath away. So handsome, with his rugged good looks and dark hair that barely brushed the top of his collar. If she had to guess, she’d say he was near her own age, maybe a bit older. But looks could be deceiving, as she well knew, and she didn’t have time to deal with whatever weird attraction this was. She couldn’t even handle the real emotions flooding her.

“Hope I’m not intruding,” the cowboy said. “I saw cars in front of the house when I came to check on my cattle, and I thought I’d introduce myself. I’m Shane Jackson, and I own the ranch next door.”

The lawyer had mentioned something about Shane Jackson, but Leah couldn’t remember what it was. Dylan had been throwing a fit, and Leah had been doing her best to calm him down.

Leah stepped forward. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Leah, and these are my sisters, Erin and Nicole. If you looked closely at the cars when you walked up, you might have noticed my sons, Dylan and Ryan, asleep in the backseat of the Subaru.”

Shane shook his head. “I’m afraid not. The back door of the Subaru was open. I closed it, so no critters could get in. There were no children in there.”

The air rushed out of Leah’s lungs. The boys had to be in there. Ryan couldn’t even get out of his car seat without help. She brushed past Shane and out of the house, running to her car. But as she drew near, her heart sank. The boys were gone.

What kind of mother was she, losing her children?

“They were asleep,” Leah said, looking around. Where were her children?

Shane and her sisters had followed her, and immediately, Erin and Nicole started calling out for them.

“Clearly not,” Shane said, obvious disapproval in his voice.

Who was this man, and what right did he have to question her parenting? The lawyer was probably warning her off about him, and she’d missed it.

“Boys!” Leah called, going to the other side of her car in case they were just hiding. “You’re not in trouble. Mommy just needs to know where you are.”

She fought to keep the panic out of her voice. Dylan especially was prone to hiding when he thought he’d done something wrong. If he sensed she was upset, he’d make it even harder for them to find him.

Her sisters had split up and gone to either side of the house, so Leah ran toward the barn. Ryan’s favorite toy was his plastic barn and animals. Maybe he’d seen the barn and hoped to find real animals, too.

Hopefully, the boys hadn’t found anything too dangerous to get into.

When she got closer to the barn, she could see a horse tied to the far side. And the boys petting it.

“Dylan! Ryan!” As she shouted their names, Shane grabbed her by the arm.

“Stop yelling. You’re going to scare my horse.”

Who did he think he was, worrying about a horse when she’d thought she’d lost her sons?

He jogged a few steps forward, then slowed to a walk, holding out his arm to keep Leah from passing him.

“Hey!”

“Shh.” He shot her a glare, then took another step forward. “Hey there, boys,” he said in a soft voice. “Whatcha doing over here?”

“Petting da horse,” Ryan said, touching the horse’s leg.

It was almost sweet, watching her son fulfill his dream of being around horses. But even Leah knew that it wasn’t safe for him to be there, touching the horse in that way.

“Easy, Squirt.” Shane took a long step in the direction of the horse. “Steady.”

The horse gave a toss of his head as if he understood Shane, and Shane took another giant step forward. If the horse lifted his leg or shifted his weight, he could easily step on the little boy. Dylan was standing farther back. At least one of her sons was safe. But even that wasn’t a guarantee. Though it had been a long time since Leah had been around horses, she knew they spooked easily.

“Hey, boys, why don’t you come stand by me, and I’ll introduce you to Squirt properly.”

Shane’s voice was calm and gentle, and the boys looked at him. Then they saw Leah.

“I don’t want to get in trouble,” Dylan said, his lips quivering.

Shane shot her a dirty look. What was with him and his judgmental attitude? He didn’t know anything about her or her kids.

“No one’s in trouble,” Leah said. “But this is Mister Shane’s horse, and he wants to show you how to be safe around horses.”

“Are you a real cowboy?” Dylan asked, pointing to Shane’s hat.

Smiling, Shane took it off his head. “Why don’t you come on over here and try it on?”

“Yeehaw!” Dylan ran toward him.

Ryan followed, but their sudden movements made the horse antsy. In a swift motion, Shane jumped between the horse and the boys, grabbing the horse by the halter. “Easy, Squirt.”

The hat fluttered to the ground, and Ryan picked it up, then placed it on his head. “I cowboy. I ride horse.”

Leah gathered him into her arms. “Not right now, you don’t. This is Mister Shane’s horse, and you have to ask him first.”

And from the disapproving glare Shane was giving her, it wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon.

“He said I could wear that hat,” Dylan said, snatching the hat from his brother.

“Mine.”

“But he said it was for me.” As he adjusted the hat on his head, Dylan ran toward Shane and the horse. The horse whinnied, then started to dance around.

Shane brought his attention to Dylan. “Slow down, buddy. You scare the horse when you run.”

Dylan stopped. He turned and stuck his tongue out at his brother, then looked at Shane. “Can we ride your horse, Mister Shane?”

“Not right now,” Shane said. “Everyone who rides a horse has to know the safety rules first.”

Even Leah knew that it wasn’t safe for a child without any riding experience to be on a horse. But at least the man didn’t make a promise he couldn’t keep. When they had come here that summer, so long ago, Helen hadn’t allowed Nicole to ride, except with an adult sitting in the saddle with her. She couldn’t imagine that this man would be any different. In fact, judging by the way he continued to glower at her, he’d be even worse.

Nicole and Erin had come around the house. Erin waved, and Leah returned the gesture. At least they knew the boys were safe. Nicole went back into the house. Erin came toward them. When Leah turned her attention back to the boys, Shane had lifted Ryan up and was allowing him to pet the horse. At least he seemed nicer now. Leah had forgotten how the so-called real cowboys were more overprotective of their horses than she was of her sons.

“At least there’s no traffic here for them to play in,” Erin said, shaking her head.

Shane turned and looked at them. “Only a fool would think that there still aren’t a lot of dangers to children here. There are coyotes, snakes—and those are just the common things to watch out for. And then there’s something like my horse. You need to tell your kids that they can’t come up to a strange animal like that. Squirt is easygoing enough. But if it had been one of my other mounts, you might not have been so fortunate.”

“Well, aren’t you a ray of sunshine?” Erin said. “They’re small children, and we barely just got here. You can’t expect them to show up and know everything all at once. Obviously, you haven’t been around children much.”

At the look Shane gave Erin, Leah grabbed her sister’s arm. “It’s fine. No harm was done, and when we get back to the house, we’ll sit with the boys and lay down some ground rules.”

“But I want to ride the horse,” Dylan said, a stubborn expression filling his face. Leah knew that expression. Telling him no meant a tantrum would follow. And the last thing she needed was for her son to fall apart in front of this already-judgmental man.

“I believe Mister Shane said that you needed to learn the rules first. So, let’s go inside and have a little snack, then we can talk.”

The boys hadn’t had lunch, either, which would make them crankier and more prone to difficulty if Leah didn’t deal with it soon. They’d been sleeping, and she hadn’t wanted to disturb them. Not something she would want to share with Mr. Judgy Pants. The boys hadn’t been sleeping well lately with all the changes in their lives, and she had wanted to give them a break.

Unfortunately, her answer didn’t sit well with Dylan. “I want to ride the horse now.”

Shane set Ryan on the ground away from the horse and pointed him toward Leah. “Go see your momma.”

At least Ryan did what he was told. Leah held her arms out to her son. “Are you ready for a snack?”

“I no have no lunch,” he said, whining at the end.

“We can have sandwiches,” she hugged him, enjoying the feeling of having her son back safely in her arms. Even though she already knew he was safe, holding him made it real.

“I hate sandwiches,” Dylan said.

“I’m sure we can find something else that’s tasty. Let’s go see what’s in the kitchen.” Leah held out her hand, hoping that her son would take it.

But Dylan was still focused on the horse. “I want to ride the horse.”

She took a step in his direction. She could feel Shane’s eyes on her like he wasn’t sure what she was going to do and wouldn’t approve. He’d approved of nothing she’d done so far.

“We’ve already had this discussion. You need to come with me, so we can all have something to eat.”

“No.” Dylan crossed his arms over his chest, and Leah braced herself for what was coming.

The psychologist had told her it was a gift to see the signs of a tantrum forming, but right now, it felt like a burden. Especially with her little boy clinging to her and Shane’s disapproving glare. Leah turned to her sister.

“Can you take Ryan inside for me? Dylan and I will be there shortly.”

Erin nodded. She’d been her rock these past few months. At first, Leah had felt guilty relying so heavily on her sister when Erin was dealing with a tragedy of her own. Erin’s daughter, Lily, had died in a tragic accident, and her marriage had ended as a result. But Erin had told her that helping with the boys was healing for her, and now Leah had no idea what she would have done without her.

“Come on, Ry-guy. Let’s go eat and then we can figure out which room is yours.”

Ryan eagerly went over to his aunt. He loved his Auntie Erin, and he was the sunshine to Dylan’s thunderstorms. Once he and Erin had started toward the house, Leah turned her attention back to Dylan.

“You had your chance to do the right thing,” she said. “Come now, or there will be consequences.”

She already knew how this was going to end. But it was important to make Dylan aware that he was making a choice. Dylan picked up a rock.

“I told you I want to ride the horse.” He turned and threw the rock at the horse, narrowly missing it.

“That’s enough,” Leah said, closing the distance between her and Dylan and taking him by the arm. “We do not throw rocks. And we especially don’t throw them at another living being. You tell Mister Shane you’re sorry.”

“No.” Dylan wrestled himself from her grasp, which hadn’t been that tight, and threw himself to the ground. “I want to ride the horse.”

He started wailing, kicking and screaming. This would go on for a while, and there was nothing to do but let him finish it out.

Leah took a step back and turned to Shane. “I’m sorry my boys scared your horse. You’d best take him and be on your way. It’ll be easier if the horse isn’t here to distract him.”

Shane shook his head slowly. “What are you going to do to him?”

“Nothing. He’s going to sit here and throw his fit, and then we’ll go back to the house and have something to eat.”

“You said something about consequences. What are they?”

She knew the look on his face. It was the same one she got whenever Dylan threw a fit in public. Shane sounded like he thought she was going to beat him or something. But neither Shane nor the people who thought they could insert themselves into her business had spent countless hours in therapy with her son.

“He’ll lose some of his privileges, including screen time. He and his brother had too much of it on the drive anyway. I’m sure that’s why he’s acting up now.”

Shane looked doubtful. “I’d like to check on him later.”

Who was this man to think he knew everything there was to know about her family?

“What do you think, little guy? Can I come see you later?” Shane bent in front of Dylan only to get a handful of dirt tossed in his face.

“Hey!” Shane jumped and wiped at his eyes. She probably should have warned him not to go near her son while he was in the middle of a fit. For a seven-year-old, Dylan could be incredibly violent. But it wasn’t his fault. The past few years had been chaotic for him, and he was acting out of the fear and insecurity planted in him by his unstable father. Jason was a great dad when he was clean, but his relapses turned their lives upside down. Things had gotten worse since Jason’s death from a drug overdose. In a child’s mind, a terrible father was better than a dead father.

“Please ignore him,” she said, motioning for Shane to come near her.

Wiping the dust from his face, Shane sputtered as he walked in her direction. “He just threw dirt in my face.”

“Maybe you should have waited for my response before stepping in. Right now, he is so deep in his animal instincts that he can’t be rational or reasoned with. As I said, you should go now. I’m going to sit here and wait this out.”

It was exhausting enough having to deal with Dylan’s fit. But having to once again justify her actions made Leah even wearier. She’d hoped that coming out to this isolated ranch with her sisters, who also understood how to handle Dylan, would allow her to get a break from the judgment of everyone around her.

To help Shane see her resolve, Leah sat on a nearby rock. But instead of doing as she asked, Shane came and sat next to her.

So much for getting a break.

* * *

The last thing Shane needed was to get involved with a single mother desperately in need of a daddy figure for her children. Been there, done that and even had a World’s Greatest Dad coffee mug to show for it. But when Gina had ridden out of town on the back of a Harley with a guy who promised more excitement than he could, she’d taken Natalie, and there hadn’t been a single thing to do about it. Unless a man legally adopted a child, he had no rights to the kid in the future.

And yet, there was something about Leah and the pain written on her face that drew him. She might not want him here, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

When Helen was alive, she’d told him about her ex-husband, the Colonel, and how her biggest regret in divorcing him had been leaving his three daughters behind. She’d loved them like her own, but she’d been given no visitation rights. However, she’d continued to pray for the girls every single day. When Gina left, Helen had been his rock. She’d told him about her love for the girls, and while he had been comforted by the fact that he wasn’t alone in his pain, he also wasn’t ready to befriend a beautiful woman with two kids he’d never have any right to.

Except he’d promised Helen he’d look out for the girls. Only they weren’t girls now but grown women, and keeping his promise wasn’t looking as easy as it had been to make it. Still, Helen had been there for him in his darkest days. In many ways, she’d been like a mother to him. He owed it to her to be there for the girls she’d been unable to love the way she’d have liked.

Dylan continued to scream and flail in the dirt. Shane had moved Squirt to a safer spot where the little boy wouldn’t be tempted by him and Squirt wouldn’t be spooked. Leah said she had everything under control. But, from Shane’s perspective, this was a mess. How could she let her son act like this?

Worse, he couldn’t believe she’d gotten into this mess in the first place. Though he was in no position to judge, it seemed like poor parenting to leave your children alone like she had. He’d often watched Natalie for Gina because otherwise Gina would have left Natalie alone. Once again, he wondered exactly how much his promise to Helen was going to cost him.

He glanced over at Leah, trying to gauge her reaction. She sat there, acting like she didn’t have a care in the world, picking several of the long blades of grass that had gone far too long without cutting. She was twisting them into some kind of shape.

“What are you making?” he asked.

A soft smile crossed her face. “I was trying to remember how to make the little grass baskets Helen had taught us to make when we were small. I thought it would be fun to teach the boys.”

She held it up, then frowned slightly. “I’m missing a step. I wonder if I can look it up online to find the answer.”

“I’ve never done anything like that,” Shane said. “All I know how to do with grass is make a whistle.”

He picked a few blades, then demonstrated.

At the sound, Leah smiled. “Oh, that’s wonderful. You’ll have to show me how to do it. The boys will think it’s so fun.”

At her words, Dylan paused and looked over at them. Leah shot Shane a look.

“Show me,” she said, her eyes darting to Dylan before she shook her head at Shane. She seemed to be signaling him to continue ignoring Dylan.

Even though it didn’t seem right to not acknowledge the boy’s silence, Shane did as she asked. Leah picked some grass of her own and tried copying his motion, but all she accomplished was contorting her face and sending the grass flying through the air.

Dylan giggled.

Leah didn’t look at him and instead tried again.

As she had in her previous attempt, she failed.

“You need to roll your tongue slightly,” Shane said. “I can’t tell if you’re doing it or not, but when my dad taught me how to whistle, that’s what he told me to do.”

Once more, Leah took some grass and tried to make it whistle.

Dylan got up and came over to them. “You’re doing it wrong. Let me show you.”

He tried taking the grass out of her hand, but she shook her head. “I’m done. Let’s go inside and have some lunch.”

For a moment, Dylan looked like he was going to argue, but then he nodded. “I’m hungry.”

“All right then.”

Leah got up and brushed the dirt from her pants. She smiled at Shane. “As you can see, everything is okay now. We’re going to go inside and eat. You should take your horse home.”

Once again, she was dismissing him. And it still didn’t feel right.

“We should talk about what just happened,” he said. Talking wasn’t his strong suit, but the situation had been intense. He’d come by to be neighborly and had ended up in the middle of a family crisis.

Dylan had already started for the house. She turned and gave Shane the kind of stern look he imagined she used on her sons.

“There’s nothing to talk about. I have everything perfectly in hand. You don’t need to feel obligated to look out for my children or me. We’ll be fine.”

The resignation in her voice told him that there was a lot more to her story then he knew. Sure, he knew the little Helen had told him over the years. But she hadn’t been in contact with the girls enough to have details beyond the newspaper clippings of marriage and death announcements she collected. There were also a couple of articles about a man being found dead of a drug overdose, the death of a little girl, and one about a fatal car accident. The bare bones, not enough to know anything other than these women had been through a lot recently. Leah’s husband had died weeks before Helen passed. Was that why her parenting seemed so chaotic?

Maybe sticking around to see what he could do to help wouldn’t hurt.

“We’re neighbors. Helen was a good friend. She wanted me to look out for you.”

Leah shook her head. “Look, I know you think I’m a terrible mom. But you have no idea what we’ve been through, and we’re doing our best to move on.”

She gestured at the house, and one of the sisters was beckoning Dylan inside.

“Since things got bad with his dad, we’ve been in therapy. I worked two jobs to pay for a child psychologist to help us figure out how to handle these fits. As for your horse, I know things got out of hand. I’m sorry for that. In the future, please don’t bring him over.”

Though she still sounded weary, there was a determined expression on her face that made him realize she was stronger than he had first thought.

“I just want to help,” he said.

“Then go home. I don’t know what Helen told you about our childhood or what you’ve read in the papers about us. But if you think that any of it means we need someone to take care of us, you’re wrong. We’ve learned how to take care of ourselves. We don’t need you.”

It was as if she had read his earlier thoughts. The stubborn set to her jaw and the pain in her eyes made him want to take care of her anyway. But he also knew that it wasn’t worth the grief it would bring to his own life to chase after a woman who didn’t want him.

So how was he supposed to keep his promise to Helen?

“Okay.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card for his ranch. He’d bought a hundred of them years ago and still had more than he could count left. At least he’d be getting rid of one more. “My number’s on here. You might not need me now, but if there’s anything I can do to help you all get settled, give me a call.”

She took the card, but from the look on her face, it would probably go straight into the round file when she got inside. “Thanks.”

He watched as she walked into her house, her posture straight and determined, and yet the air of sadness around her made him wish he could do more for her. But that was the kind of thinking that got a man in trouble. How many times had he tried playing the white knight, saving the damsel in distress? And while he’d been taken advantage of in the past, Leah was different. She didn’t want anything to do with him.

Chapter Two

Shane didn’t need anything from the sale barn, but he stopped by the Wednesday livestock auction just the same. It was a good chance to socialize with the other ranchers in the area and to keep up on the news. Most folks wouldn’t call Columbine Springs a happening place, but if you wanted to know what was happening, at least among the ranchers, the sale barn was where you’d find out.

“Hey, Shane!” Arnold Hastings, one of the old-timers, gave him a wave. “We were just talking about that bull of yours. Ol’ Mike was wanting to add a new bloodline to his herd. I told him that you won’t find a finer bull than Big Red.”

Given that Arnold had his own prize-winning bull, it was a fine compliment. “Thank you. I appreciate it. Do they have anything good for sale today?”

Arnold shook his head as he chewed on a piece of hay. “Nope. Bobby’s trying to get rid of that old mare of his again, but he can’t seem to get it through his thick skull that no one wants that useless mare. ’Bout all she’s good for is being led around on a rope. Even then, the creature is better off being put out to pasture. But since Bobby’s little girl won a bunch of buckles on her barrel racing, he’s sure someone’s going to be willing to pay a lot of money for her.”

An image of the little boys next door came to mind. Shane hadn’t been back since he met them last week. He’d wanted to give them time, but he also wasn’t sure how to approach them since Leah had made it clear she didn’t want him there.

He’d promised the boys he’d teach them the rules about horses, and then they could ride. But none of his mounts were suitable for children, especially the little one. Natalie had taken her horse when she and Gina had left.

“There’s nothing wrong with my horse,” Bobby said, joining the conversation. “Belle is a great mare, and she’d be perfect for someone with kids. She won a lot of buckles for my Sara.”

Just then, a lightbulb went off. The problem was, Leah didn’t want him butting into her life. But if she did warm up to the idea of having him around for the sake of the boys...

“How much do you want for her?” Shane asked.

Bobby grinned. “I told Frank I wouldn’t take less than five grand. But for you, I’d take two and a half.”

Was he seriously considering spending twenty-five hundred dollars on a horse for a couple of kids he wasn’t even sure would get to ride it?

He hesitated.

“Now, Shane, that’s a good deal, and you know it.”

Arnold snorted. “You just offered that mare to Jimmy Ball for two grand last week.”

“And he’s real interested, so you better make it quick.”

The last thing he needed was another animal to feed. Not with things so uncertain now that he wasn’t sure if the women would let him graze his cattle at Helen’s ranch. He’d intended to ask them, but as firm as Leah had been in sending him away, he was having his lawyer draw up an agreement, so everything was in writing. He and Helen hadn’t needed one, but the women seemed like they would want it.

“I’m not interested,” Shane said. “I was just curious what you were asking, in case I run into someone in need of a retired barrel-racing horse.”

At the word retired, Arnold snickered. Bobby glared at him and started to speak, but before Shane could figure out what he was saying, a familiar voice rang out.

“I’m here to buy some cows.”

Leah.

At least now he knew they intended to work the land themselves, so they probably wouldn’t be interested in leasing him the land for grazing. Good thing he hadn’t jumped on the horse offer, since now he’d be figuring out a new financial plan.

“I ain’t seen her around before,” Bobby said. “Look at that. There’s two of ’em.”

Three, actually, but Shane wasn’t going to correct him.

Arnold got out of his chair. “I wonder if those are the girls who inherited the old Wanamaker place. Helen was making noises about leaving it to her ex’s kids. Don’t know why. It’s not like they’re family or anything. I figured they’d probably sell the place and move on.”

As Arnold chattered on about what he thought of the situation, Shane walked over to Leah.

“Nice to see you again,” he said, approaching her.

“Likewise.” She didn’t sound like she meant it. “I believe you know my sister Erin.”

Shane tipped his hat to her. “Ma’am.” Then he looked around. “Where are the boys?”

Leah gave him the same irritated look she’d given him when he’d asked her questions the day they’d met. Maybe she just looked irritated all the time. Which would be a shame because, other than the angry lines on her face, she was downright pretty. Dark brown hair, brown eyes, pink lips...what was he doing?

“They’re not lost, if that’s what you’re implying,” Leah said. “They’re home with our sister Nicole, who has a degree in early childhood education.”

Great. He was trying to be polite, and she took it as an insult. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was asking after them, so I could say hi.”

Erin leaned in to say something to Leah, who nodded. Leah turned her attention back to him. “I’m sorry. I misunderstood. I’m a little sensitive where my kids are concerned.”

A little? Shane was tempted to say something, but Leah already looked like she was hankering for a fight.

“No harm done,” Shane said instead. “What brings you to the sale barn today? I heard you asking about cows. I have a herd of my own. I could help if you want.”

Most people didn’t look like they wanted to bite his head off when he was trying to be neighborly. Maybe his original theory of Leah always looking cranky wasn’t too far off the mark.

“We’re going to turn it back into a working ranch,” Erin said, sounding way more cheerful than her sister. “We’ve decided to call it Three Sisters Ranch, and it’s our fresh start. I’ve been studying brands, and I think I’ve come up with the perfect one. So now, all we need are some cows.”

And a lick of common sense. But at least Erin seemed excited about the plan. Whereas Leah...

Leah just looked weary. Like the last place on earth she wanted to be was at the sale barn, picking out cows for their new ranch adventure. Did they have any idea what they were getting into?

“How many cows are you thinking of getting?”

Maybe the best way to handle the situation was to ask them questions so that they would realize that there was more to ranching than buying cows.

Erin’s face lit up. She was pretty, too, but not in the same way as Leah. Erin naturally seemed like the sort to smile a lot and be happy, which should have made her more attractive. But it was Leah who drew him. Of course he would be attracted to the difficult one. Why make it easy on himself?

“Oh, I don’t know,” Erin said. “I’d like some of those cute black-and-white ones, and Nicole wants us to see if we can find some Highland cows. She fell in love with them when she went to Scotland, and now that we have a ranch, we’re going to get her some.”

How did you explain to someone that their idea was completely crazy when they were so clearly excited?

“You know the cute black-and-white ones are dairy cows, right?”

He hoped he didn’t sound too condescending, because that was sure to set Leah off. But the ranch wasn’t set up for a dairy operation. If they bought dairy cows, they’d be throwing their money away.

“We don’t know anything about cows,” Leah said slowly. Then she muttered, “I knew this was too good to be true.”

Erin nudged her. “Stop being the little black rain cloud. That’s what the internet is for. We’ve also got books in Helen’s library. She must’ve owned every book ever written about ranching.”

He hadn’t expected the lump that formed in his throat at her words. Helen had loved books, and in the early days of his ranch, she’d often lent him the ones she thought he’d find most helpful. Before she’d passed, she’d given him a few of her most treasured books.

“She did love her books,” Shane said, hoping they didn’t hear the catch in his voice. “She gave me a few of her favorites when she got sick, if you’d like to look at them.”

At the mention of Helen, the women exchanged another set of looks, communicating something he couldn’t understand, yet, for some reason, he wanted to.

“I didn’t realize she was sick,” Leah said quietly. “We didn’t know much about her later years, and it feels weird to be given such a gift when we weren’t close. Thank you for being there to take care of her.”

The obvious sympathy in her voice softened his heart. Perhaps he’d been too hasty in dismissing her as cranky. There was a gentleness in her eyes that seemed to peek out from the wariness at unexpected moments.

Erin linked arms with her sister. “Yes, thank you. We have good memories of her, and we hated not being in better touch. But with things being the way they were, it wasn’t possible.”

He’d heard enough stories about the Colonel to know that with the way he ruled the family, even if the girls had tried to stay in touch, he wouldn’t have allowed it. At the sadness in their voices, he couldn’t help wondering if they felt the same deep sense of loss when their father and Helen had divorced.

Maybe there was more to Leah’s attitude than he could see. If it had been any other woman, he’d have declared her as having too much baggage and run the other way. But remembering the sadness on Helen’s face as she talked about her poor girls, he knew he had no choice but to see it through.

“Water under the bridge,” he said. “Helen understood your situation, and I never heard her speak anything but love toward you all. That’s why she asked me to look after you and help out if you needed it.”

Too bad he hadn’t done a good job of it so far. Helen would have boxed his ears for sure if she’d been capable of such things. He’d let Leah’s anger keep him away when he should have been trying harder to help them.

“We do appreciate the advice you’ve given us. I guess we have a little more reading to do before we buy any livestock,” Leah said, starting to turn away.

Erin let out a long sigh as she followed her sister. “We have to start turning a profit soon,” she muttered.

“We’ll figure it out.” He could hear Leah’s words as they walked over to sign up for the auction.

She might be willing to figure it out, but they were going to be in for a world of hurt if they were so ignorant as to walk into a sale barn, hoping to buy cows based on how cute they were.

He jogged to catch up with them. “Let me help you. A lot of the cows they have here today aren’t worth buying, and I’m familiar with all the local ranchers. They don’t mean to cheat anyone, but they would have no problem taking money from someone who doesn’t know any better.”

The sisters exchanged a look, then Leah nodded. “We don’t have a lot of money to waste, so we appreciate the help.”

It seemed a hard-won agreement, but he was glad that she could at least see sense. He recognized that wary expression in her eyes again, and it struck him harder than he’d expected. Though Helen had told him about the girls’ rough childhood, he also hadn’t expected to see how it had impacted them as adults. To have it impact him. He’d grown up in a different but equally unstable situation. That kind of life where you’re afraid to trust or lean on anyone too much, because you know they’ll be gone soon, and you’ll be stuck on your own, trying to figure things out.

No wonder the sisters were so quick to shove him aside and not want his help. They wanted to do it on their own because they figured that, at some point, he’d be gone and they’d have to rely on themselves again.

So how could he show them that he wasn’t going anywhere?

More important, how could he be there for them without ending up the fool, running around taking care of them, only to be dropped when a bigger, better deal came through?

These women needed rescuing. He liked to be the hero. But he was tired of being taken advantage of and abandoned when he wasn’t needed anymore.

Still, he gave a nod as he led them deeper into the sale barn.

* * *

There wasn’t a single cow to be had. At least none worth buying, according to Shane. Even though Leah hated being so reliant on him, as he patiently explained to her what he was looking at as he examined each cow, she was glad for his expert opinion. He’d even stopped Leah from buying the pretty chicken, which had turned out to be a rooster, so it would have also been useless to them.

What was the point in inheriting a ranch when you couldn’t do anything with it? Helen had leased out the land, but it was for such a small sum, Leah and her sisters wouldn’t have enough money to live off of. According to Helen’s old records, the ranch had once been a thriving business. Surely, it could be successful once again.

Yes, they now had a place to live, and with Leah’s financial situation, it was a real blessing. Erin hadn’t gotten any money out of her divorce, since her ex wanted to keep the house, and it was worth less than what they’d paid for it when they’d bought it. She’d considered herself lucky to have been able to walk away. Nicole had never made a lot as a preschool teacher, so she didn’t have much money, either. Needless to say, the sisters needed some way to make money to keep food in their stomachs and the lights on. They’d gotten a ranch, yes, but the attorney had very apologetically told the women that Helen didn’t leave much in the way of cash.

So how were they supposed to make money? Based on the budget they’d come up with, they had about six months to figure it out.

“Let me buy you ladies a cup of coffee,” Shane said, indicating a café down the street. “I know you must be disappointed to not find any cows, but it’s the wrong time of year, and I’d hate for you to be stuck with something that would be a financial burden.”

The last thing she wanted to do was sit and have coffee when she had plans to make. But he hadn’t been anything but nice to them, and it would be rude to refuse. It was a small town, and she couldn’t afford to alienate anyone, even though all she wanted was to be left alone.

“That would be great, thank you.” Leah smiled at him, then looked over at her sister. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not. Though we should probably be doing the buying, considering he probably saved us thousands of dollars.”

Erin had a point, but Shane shook his head.

“A gentleman would never let the lady buy. Besides, it’s only a couple of cups of coffee. Though Della makes the best bear claws, and you should probably have one. I know I’m going to.” His grin warmed her. When he wasn’t looking at her like he thought she was the world’s worst mother or the biggest ignoramus to show up in town, he seemed almost...nice.

The lawyer did confirm that Shane had been a big help to Helen. Maybe, if they all got to know one another, they could be friends. Or at least friendly. It wouldn’t hurt to have a neighbor to call on in case of emergency. Not that she had any plans of relying on him, since she’d already promised herself never to depend on a man again.

“Then we must insist upon having you over for dinner sometime. Nicole has been bugging me to make my famous lasagna, so set a date, and we’ll have it.”

As he held the door open to the café, Shane gave her another encouraging smile. “Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse. I cook well enough that I don’t starve to death, but it’s been a long time since I’ve had homemade lasagna.”

“Leah’s is the best. I can’t tell you how many times I had her over at my house, trying to teach me. But mine was never as good. I’m sure she must put in some secret ingredient when my back is turned, but she’s always denied it.”

Leah laughed. “I promise I’ve always shown you exactly the way I do it. Maybe the difference is love. I could spend all day in the kitchen and be perfectly happy, whereas you spend so much time complaining and fussing that I’m sure it makes your food bitter.”

“Maybe,” Erin said. “But I still think you’re holding out on me.”

Smiling at their old argument, Leah felt Shane’s eyes on her. Erin had always been the pretty one, so why didn’t he focus on her instead? Was that why he was being so friendly? Because he saw Leah as a potential date? She was so not interested. A younger version of herself might have been, but she knew better now.

Though she sometimes questioned why Helen never remarried, Leah could understand how being burned would leave a person wary. Leah wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to trust a man again, let alone fall in love.

Inside the café, an older woman greeted them warmly. “Shane! Are these your sisters? I’m so glad to see that you finally have family visiting.”

Shane looked at them and shrugged, then shook his head. “No. They’re the ones who inherited Helen’s ranch. I’m helping them get settled. We’d like three coffees and bear claws, if you have any left.”

He hadn’t actually asked them if they wanted bear claws, but as Della lifted the domed lid off the tray, Leah wasn’t going to complain. It had been forever since she’d indulged in any kind of pastry because of how she limited the sugar her boys consumed. It didn’t seem fair to have treats for herself and deny them.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Della said as she put bear claws on plates. “I hope you’ll be sticking around Columbine Springs. I always hate it when people turn our ranches into vacation homes that never get lived in.”

Leah smiled. “My sisters and I plan on making this our home. I’m Leah, and this is my sister Erin. At home is my sister Nicole, and my two sons, Dylan and Ryan.”

“Wonderful. So nice to have more families coming to our town. What about your husband?”

An innocent question but, as always, it was a knife to her gut. “He’s dead.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss. Forgive me for assuming.”

The older woman looked so sad that Leah almost felt bad for having told her. “It’s okay. The boys had to have come from somewhere, didn’t they?”

She gave a small laugh, even though she didn’t feel much like laughing.

“True,” Della said. “Still, we’re glad to have you here. I hope you’ll be joining us at Faith Community Church on Sunday. Your family will find a warm welcome, and Pastor Jeff is a real man of God.”

The Colonel had made them go to stuffy, oppressive churches that were all about following the rules and being obedient. Those churches had all given them warm welcomes when they first arrived, but the warmth was quickly replaced with disapproval over every sin they committed. What would this church think when they found out about the last years of her marriage? When they saw how Dylan acted up? When they heard about Erin’s divorce or about Nicole’s fiancé leaving her at the altar, only to be killed in a car accident with her maid of honor?

As much as people talked about the love of God, not one person who had claimed to be a Christian had reached out to their family in comfort. Instead, they were all quick to point out what the women had done wrong in their lives to have deserved such punishment from God.

But before Leah could come up with an appropriate excuse, Erin asked, “Is that the church Helen went to?”

Leah looked at her sister. The women in Erin’s church had shunned her for her divorce. Why would she be so curious about this one?

“Yes. It was terrible when Helen got so sick, not having her there. Some of us would go to her house every Thursday for a Bible study, so she didn’t feel like she was missing out. The church was never the same.”

But Helen had been divorced. Why would this church be nice to her?

“I loved going to church with Helen when we were little,” Erin said. “I know it sounds crazy, but I always felt a tangible love from God when I was there.”

How Erin could still be open to going to church, Leah didn’t know. But she couldn’t begrudge her sister any happiness, not when Erin’s life had been so difficult over the past year. It was odd that Erin had lost the most of all the sisters, a beloved child, yet she still managed to be the most cheerful. Not the fake cheer that Leah found herself mustering up every single day for her sons, but there was something deep down in Erin that found a way to be happy despite everything.

Some days, Leah wished she could find a little of that for herself.

“I hope you’ll join us on Sunday,” Della said with a smile. “I know it will be an answer to Helen’s prayers.”

“We’d be delighted,” Erin answered for them both.

Leah had already told Erin that she had no intention of stepping inside a church ever again. But she wouldn’t argue with her sister here. In fact, she didn’t have the heart to argue with her at all. As usual, Leah would paste a smile on her face and do her best to make it through. At least until they kicked them out. Which they would, as soon as they met the boys.

Shane paid for their coffees and pastries and led them to an open table. Many of the other tables were full of men in cowboy hats talking over their own mugs of coffee. This was real ranch country, and it seemed so different after spending so many years in Denver.

“I know you had your hearts set on running the ranch. But Helen sold off the livestock and let things go into disrepair after her brother Norm died. She only kept a few chickens, and even the coop is no longer useable. It would take a lot of time and money to get everything back in working order.”

Of course it would. The two things they had the least of were the most necessary.

“We need to make a living,” Leah said.

Shane nodded. “When Helen was alive, she leased her land to me so I could run my cattle. It was enough for her to live on, though I suppose with more of you, it wouldn’t stretch as far. Still, it’s a fair amount of money and no work for you. I’d be happy to teach you what I know, and in the next year or so, you could decide if starting a ranch again would be worth the effort.”

It sounded almost too good to be true. The lawyer had asked them what they were going to do about Shane’s lease. This wasn’t a pity offer, but something Shane needed as badly as they did. From what the lawyer said, if Shane couldn’t graze on their land, he would have to buy hay, which was more expensive.

“What do we do about the shortfall?” Leah asked, looking at her sister. Leah had worked several jobs over the years, but it had been hard keeping them because her sons had been kicked out of too many day cares. That’s why running the ranch had been such a good idea. They could all work from home, and they wouldn’t need someone to watch the boys.

Not that the boys were Erin’s problem. Or Nicole’s. Which was why Leah hated the idea of having to find a job and asking her sisters to watch them.

“I could see if anyone needs an accountant,” Erin said. “I haven’t worked in a while, but I’ve kept up my CPA license.”

“If you’re serious, I know several ranchers, myself included, who could use your help.”

Erin smiled. “That would be great. I don’t like to complain, but I would appreciate having the mental challenge again. Sometimes it’s hard being alone with my own thoughts.”

Strange how her sister could be so different. All Leah wanted was the chance to be alone for a while. But she supposed they both had their own ways of dealing with pain.

“Great. If you give me your information, I’ll pass it around.” If Leah wanted to accuse Shane of merely tossing them a bone to get them to agree to lease their land, it wasn’t obvious by the look on his face.

Erin would tell her that she was being too cynical. And perhaps she was. But Leah had lost everything except her sons because of her blind faith in others.

As if he knew she wasn’t quite ready to trust him, Shane turned his attention back to Leah. “Helen and I always operated by handshake agreement, but I’m sure you’re expecting something more formal. My attorney is drawing up the papers for the lease. I’ll bring it by when it’s ready.”

He was going out of his way to be fair. But Leah also couldn’t bring herself to give him the same wide-eyed look her sister had. Perhaps the difference between Leah and Erin was that Leah’s life had been destroyed by someone she trusted, whereas Erin’s tragedy was simply one of those random terrible things that tears a person apart.

“That would be good, thanks,” she said. “You can bring them when you come to dinner.”

At least no one could accuse her of being inhospitable. But she hated the way he smiled at her, trying to make her like him. If she was honest with herself, there was probably a lot to like about Shane. But she’d been burned by too many smiles that said, “Trust me,” and she wasn’t willing to take a chance again.

Especially because she could feel tiny flutters of... No. She wasn’t going there.

To take her mind off the uneasy feeling in her stomach, she took a bite of the bear claw. It was every bit as good as she’d hoped. She looked around the small café, watching these cowboys, who were probably her neighbors, interact. Why couldn’t Shane be one of those older men with the handlebar moustaches that were so completely unattractive that she wouldn’t have a problem looking at him?

Fortunately, Erin started grilling him about the area, which took Shane’s attention off Leah. At least mostly. He still kept stealing glances at her like he was trying to figure her out or gauge her reactions. Like he cared about what she thought.

But that was one more distraction she didn’t want, either. All she wanted was to establish a new life for herself and her sons with her sisters. There was no room in her life for some cowboy.

She drained the rest of her coffee, then looked at her sister. “We should get back. The boys probably have Nicole tied up by now. And we should discuss what’s next with her.”

Erin nodded. “You’re right. We’ve tossed out ideas, but it’s not fair to not include her. I know she was really in love with the idea of having some Highland cows. And chickens.”

“And horses and goats,” Leah said, grinning. Nicole had been the most excited about having a ranch. She might hate the idea of leasing the land and not making a go of things on their own.

Shane stood and gathered their trash. “You can still have animals. I’d be happy to help repair the chicken coop. It shouldn’t take much since Helen had chickens up until about a year ago.”

There he went again, being helpful.

“Yes, it will,” Erin said. “And while we appreciate all your offers, we don’t want to take advantage. You’d be surprised at how capable we are of taking care of ourselves. Leah has already done a lot of work on the ranch. You wouldn’t believe how good she is with a set of tools. It’s amazing how much the three of us can do when we work together.”

At least Leah wasn’t alone in wanting to do as much as they could on their own. The women had discussed their frustration at feeling helpless at the end of their respective relationships. It was good for them to do things for themselves.

Shane nodded like he understood. “I’m always happy to lend a hand. That’s what neighbors do.”

Neighbors. Leah’s had all pretty much abandoned her when Jason had begun his downward spiral. Her sisters hadn’t seemed to have had any to speak of, at least none who’d befriended them. Helen used to talk about being neighborly, and Leah vaguely remembered barbecues and picnics. But she wasn’t sure how to translate that all into her life now.

She wanted to believe the expression of kindness on his face, but where would trusting him get her? She’d been hurt and heartbroken too many times already. Holding out hope for someone who was probably only going to let her down was a waste of effort. Leah had her sisters and her sons, and that was enough.

It had to be.

Chapter Three

Though the invitation had been friendly enough when it had been issued, Shane couldn’t help feeling unwanted when he arrived for dinner later that week. It wasn’t that they had put out a mat in front of the door that said Go Away, but they might as well have.

Leah ushered him into the kitchen with a frown so deep, it almost made him wonder if someone had died. But since all his previous attempts at humor had gone astray with her, he wasn’t going to mention it. The house was quiet, and while he would have liked to have asked about the boys, that also hadn’t gone well the last time. Usually, he got along with everyone. But for whatever reason, he couldn’t connect with Leah.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked, hoping he sounded friendly and nonthreatening.

With most people, he’d have given up by now. But he couldn’t forget the sadness in Helen’s voice whenever she’d talked about her girls and the difficulties they’d had in life. He wanted to think that whatever kept them so closed off was more about the tragedies they had suffered than anything he had done. But maybe it was a good place to start a conversation.

When the shake of her head was accompanied by yet another scowl, he knew he couldn’t let it go.

“Have I done something to offend you?”

She stopped, holding the pitcher she’d just brought over to the sink. “No. Why do you ask?”

“You seem distant. Like you don’t want me here. You’ve barely said a word to me, and everything I can think of saying to you, I’m afraid it will only make the distance greater.”

Leah looked genuinely wounded by his words. Like he’d called her out in a harsher way than he’d intended.

“I’m sorry,” she said, setting the pitcher on the counter and wiping her hands on her apron. “It’s been a rough day. Erin is interviewing at a nearby ranch to do their books, and Nicole ran to the store for more bread. The boys are asleep on the couch, and when you got here, I was focused on being quiet so they wouldn’t wake up.”

He followed her gaze as she looked around the kitchen and realized that the room was in shambles. “I’d hoped to have everything cleaned up before you got here, but time got away from me.”

She gave a small shrug, then pointed at the oven. “But at least dinner is cooking, and that part I know will be all right. If you can bear with me, I promise it will get better.”

A small cry came from the other room. Leah rubbed her head. “I’d hoped they would sleep a little longer, so I could get things cleaned up.”

Shane felt guilty for having judged her. Now that he was really looking at her, he could see the signs of an exhausted mother trying to do her best.

“I’ve already gathered that you don’t like accepting help, but please, tell me something I can do to make it easier for you until your sisters get here.”

Ryan walked in, wearing a shirt and nothing else, carrying a diaper. “I all wet,” he said.

“Let me help you, buddy. Can you show me where your mom keeps your diapers?”

Leah looked like she was going to argue, but Shane shook his head. “I’ve changed a diaper or two in my lifetime. I’ve got this. You finish doing what you need to get dinner ready. I’ll keep the boys occupied.”

He could see her hesitation, but then Ryan pointed at his cowboy hat. “I wear hat?”

Her resigned sigh felt less like a victory than he’d wanted, but at least she nodded. “Thanks.”

“Let’s get you in some clean, dry pants, and then we’ll see about fixing you up with my hat.” Shane held his hand out to the little boy, who grinned.

“I be cowboy!”

As he took Ryan’s hand, he could see the tension ease from Leah’s face. It was hard to tell what was going on in her mind, but at least she seemed more relaxed. She turned back to the sink, and the little boy led him out of the room.

They walked down the hall to the bedroom Helen had used when she had gotten sick. The hospital bed had been taken out, and two twin beds neatly made with denim-looking bedspreads dominated the room. Ryan pointed to a dresser that had a stack of diapers and wipes on top of it.

Though it had been a while since Shane had changed a diaper, he managed to get the little boy situated quickly. When they were finished, Ryan pointed to Shane’s hat.

“I wear hat now?”

Shane took off his hat and placed it on the little boy’s head. “Here you go, partner.”

“I ride da horse?”

“I didn’t bring him today.”

His face scrunched up, and with a pang, Shane remembered the fit his brother had thrown. Was he in for the same with this little guy? Ordinarily, Shane would feel confident in his ability to handle it. But considering how nervous Leah had seemed at letting him watch her son, he didn’t want to mess it up.

It was a mistake, getting so emotionally involved with this family. He shouldn’t care so much about Leah, but he knew that telling himself he was just being neighborly was a lie. He was an idiot, wanting to fix a woman who was so obviously broken. Why couldn’t he be attracted to the ones who didn’t seem to need him?

Shane squatted down in front of Ryan. “How about we play horses instead?”

“How do you do that?” Dylan stood in the doorway, the same suspicious look his mother often wore upon his face.

At least he knew the child came by it honestly.

“You’ve never played horses?”

Dylan crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe. How do you play it?”

Shane got on his hands and knees. “Like this. We all pretend to be horses.”

He looked over at Ryan. “What does a horse say?”

“Neigh!” A wide grin split his face as he made the sound. Ryan also got on his hands and knees and started crawling around the floor. “Neigh,” he said again.

Shane looked over at Dylan. “Are you going to join us?”

“What if I want to ride the horse?”

If it had just been Ryan, Shane would have gladly agreed. But with the way he’d seen the boys fight before, he wasn’t sure he wanted to open that can of worms. And yet, the way Ryan looked at him, he didn’t have the heart to say no.

“You and your brother have to take turns.” He sat up and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to set the alarm for five minutes. You can ride on my back until it rings. Then it’s Ryan’s turn.”

“Can I wear your hat, like a real cowboy?”

He looked over at Ryan, who was still wearing his hat. “I already said Ryan could wear it. So you’ll have to ask him.”

Dylan reached for the hat, but Shane put his hand out. “You can’t just take it. You have to ask.”

“Can I have a turn please?”

Ryan smiled and took off the hat. “I be horse. You be cowboy.”

And just like that, Dylan put the cowboy hat on his head, then climbed on Shane’s back. They pranced around the room like horses, and Dylan was surprisingly gentle. Maybe what he had experienced before had just been a bad day. The way the boys played and cooperated with him, it brought back pangs of regret at how things had ended between him and Gina. Helen had always told him that he could meet someone else and have children with her, but the options for meeting young, marriageable women in Columbine Springs were next to zero. He’d been lucky to have found Gina.

He liked to think he would have made a great father.

But as much as these boys reminded him of that dream, this time he wouldn’t get attached. He wasn’t going to let himself fall in love with a couple of kids that couldn’t be his. And he certainly wasn’t going to let whatever misguided feelings he had for their mother make himself want something he could never have.

* * *

Watching Shane play with her sons brought tears to Leah’s eyes. She couldn’t remember ever seeing Jason do that with them. Maybe Dylan, when he was small. But so much of their trouble began when she was pregnant with Ryan that the boy had never really bonded with his father. She liked how Shane got on the ground with them and played.

A sound behind her made Leah turn.

“He’s good with them, isn’t he?” Nicole asked. “There’s nothing more heartwarming than seeing a man interact with children like this.”

Leah smiled at her sister. “Yes. But don’t go planning any weddings. I know how that mind of yours works.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. That was the old Nicole. Until recently, I believed in happily ever after, and I thought I was doing everyone a favor by shipping them. But now I have to wonder, who is it possible for? None of us seem to have figured it out, and I found out that another one of my friends is getting divorced. I don’t think forever means what any of us think it means.”

Leah put her arm around Nicole and gave her a quick hug. Out of the three sisters, Nicole had always been the optimist. But that optimism had been replaced by a deep cynicism that made Leah want to cry. At least Erin had enough optimism for them all. How her sister managed to find happiness after so much heartbreak, Leah didn’t know. But at least they all had each other. One of the therapists had asked Leah about her resiliency, and Leah had told her quite honestly that she wouldn’t have been able to make it without her sisters. She only hoped that she was doing the same for them.

“Thanks,” Nicole said. “I don’t mean to be such a downer, but Fernando called again today. It drives me crazy that he keeps thinking he needs to check on me and make sure I’m okay. He’s not the one who ran off with my fiancé on my wedding day. I wish he would leave me alone instead of constantly calling and trying to make it up to me.”

This was one subject Leah knew better than to disagree with her sister on. Fernando Montoya’s sister, Adriana, had been Nicole’s best friend. At least until Adriana had run off with Nicole’s fiancé, Brandon, leaving Nicole at the altar. Unfortunately, Adriana and Brandon were killed in a car accident before Nicole could confront them. Apparently, Fernando had known about the affair and felt guilty he hadn’t done more to stop it. With Adriana and Brandon gone, Fernando liked to check in with Nicole regularly to make sure she was doing okay.

Maybe they all were a bunch of curmudgeons who couldn’t accept help from anyone else. Though Leah thought Fernando’s concern was sweet, she could also understand why her sister wanted him to leave her alone.

They’d all been hurt too much by the people who were supposed to be there for them. It was too exhausting to keep believing in anyone outside their circle.

“I’m sorry he’s still bothering you. It’s probably his way of dealing with his grief. It just stinks that he has to keep dragging you through it.” She hoped her words sounded helpful and not condescending. After all, it wasn’t like she was an expert on human behavior. Otherwise, her life wouldn’t be in shambles.

Nicole squeezed her back. “It’s not your fault. I should be more firm in telling him to go away. But I don’t have the heart to, not when I know he’s also grieving.”

Her sister might have lost her optimism, but she hadn’t lost her heart. And if there was anything that gave Leah hope that things would work out all right for them, it was that all three of them remained steadfast in their belief in doing the right thing. So, what was the right thing when it came to the man who was interacting with her boys in a way they so desperately needed?

Leah entered the room, swallowing her pain as she firmly told herself that she could enjoy the gift of this moment.

“What are you guys doing?”

A wide grin filled Ryan’s face. “We play horse.”

Shane started to sit up, but Dylan grabbed his neck. “The phone didn’t ring yet. It’s still my turn.”

Reaching around and patting Dylan on the leg, Shane said, “He has a point. I told the boys we could play horse, and I set a timer to let them know when their turn was over. You don’t mind waiting until we finish, do you?”

She often used that tactic with them, giving them clear boundaries with which to set their expectations. It was nice to see that Shane automatically did the same. The only other person to do it was Nicole, and she had taught preschool for a living.

“Not at all. I’ve got to finish the garlic bread, and Erin isn’t back yet. You guys finish your game, then you can join us in the kitchen.”

She barely got the assent from Shane because the three of them had already jumped back into their game.

As she returned to the kitchen, Nicole linked arms with her. “I know we’ve all sworn off men, but it’s nice to see a man who will play with the children for a change. Half of the moms in my classes complained that the dads weren’t very active with their kids.”

“Yes, but just because he’ll entertain a couple of boys for a few minutes doesn’t mean that’s how he’ll be as a father.”

Nicole sighed. “True. It’s amazing how people change when you get to know them. I’m sure when you and Jason first got together, you would have never imagined how things would end up.”

No, she hadn’t. Nicole had been the one to get a call from a concerned neighbor the first time Jason had been passed out, high on drugs, and the boys were screaming. Leah had been at work, and, as a salesperson in a busy store, hadn’t been allowed personal calls. Sometimes Leah wondered if things would have turned out differently had the neighbor not been able to reach Nicole and called the police instead. Would Jason have gotten help rather than fighting with Leah about it? Or would he have charmed them with lies and false promises the way he had everyone else?

It didn’t matter. Jason was dead. And Leah was left to pick up all the pieces of all the broken things he’d left behind. Her sons would heal, and, even though it was nice to see them enjoying a man’s company, their lives would not hinge upon him being there.

The two sisters finished preparing the meal. A few minutes later, Shane and the boys came in, laughing about horses.

Erin had texted to let them know she was going to be late and to go ahead and eat without her, so Leah started serving the meal, enjoying the camaraderie everyone seemed to share. Though earlier in the week it had annoyed her to be subject to Shane’s easy grins and charming demeanor, it didn’t bother her so much this evening. Maybe it was because he seemed just as focused on making her sons smile as he was on her.

After dinner, Nicole volunteered to clear the table so Leah and Shane could sit in the living room with the boys.

“Let’s play horse again,” Dylan said, tugging at Shane’s hand.

“Not now,” he said. “It’s time for grown-up talk. Your mommy has some papers to go over with me, so we need to do our business, and if you’re good, when we’re done, we can find a game that everyone can play.”

Dylan didn’t argue, then he ran over to the train table where his brother was already playing.

“I would have killed to have a train set like that what I was a kid,” Shane said.

Leah couldn’t help smiling at the longing look he gave the boys. “We started the collection as soon as I knew I was having a boy. It’s expensive to buy the trains all at once, but if you buy them bit by bit and look for them at resale stores, you can often find pieces at reasonable prices. The train tables were all too expensive, so I built one based on plans I found online.”

One thing she had learned in her marriage was that she was far more capable than she gave herself credit for.

“Your sister mentioned you were good with tools and things,” he said, looking impressed. “How did that happen?”

“When my husband and I bought our first house, we both fell in love with an old Victorian that needed a lot of work. We didn’t have much money, so we learned to do most of the work ourselves. Once you remodel a house, everything else is easy.”

It was good to remember that her past with Jason wasn’t all bad. She didn’t want the bitterness to eat her up, and even though her sons were young, she wanted them to have happy stories about their father. Before his drug addiction had taken control of his life, he’d been a good person.

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be guarded in her interactions with men in the future. Shane might be charming, and he might be good with her boys. But she wasn’t going to let the charming smile he kept flashing at her distract her from what was truly important in her life.

Shane handed her a stack of papers. As she read through the contract, she already knew, without having to discuss it with her sisters, they would have to reject the offer. Most people would jump at the idea of taking money for nothing. But they weren’t most people. They needed to make a living somehow, and even though Erin was excited about going to work again, it wasn’t fair for Erin to have to support the whole household. Unfortunately, the amount Shane was giving them for the lease wouldn’t be enough for them to survive on.

“What do you think?” Shane asked, an earnest look on his face. It seemed cruel to tell him no when he acted like he was doing them a favor.

“I’ll have to talk to my sisters. It all sounds very reasonable though.”

It did sound reasonable. The number was higher than what he’d paid Helen. But, sometimes, reasonable wasn’t enough. Not when you needed so much.

Leah turned to watch the boys play with the trains. At least she hadn’t had to sell those precious keepsakes. She’d done her best to keep the boys’ belongings since they’d lost so much already. Their house, the playhouse and swing set she and Jason had built them, even their college fund. How Jason had managed to drain it for drugs without her finding out, she didn’t know. She supposed it didn’t matter. The money was gone.

“I can’t believe you made that,” Shane said. “While I know my way around a set of tools, I don’t think I could come up with anything so detailed. It looks like you put a lot of effort into it.”

“You’d be surprised at what a person can do when they put their mind to something. I know you’re worried about us making it on our own. I’ll admit we have much to learn. But each night, after we put the boys to bed, my sisters and I read the ranching books from Helen’s library. We discuss what we learn and how it might apply to our ranch. That’s how I learned to do so much work on my old house.”

Looking around the room, Leah couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve already done a number of much-needed repairs here. The back porch was falling down, and unsafe for the boys. Many of the windows were either sealed shut or leaked so badly that they wasted precious energy. I painted the room, refinished the floor, and I’m slowly working on updating the plumbing. And, of course, I’ve given the place a good scrubbing.”

Shane nodded slowly. “Helen let things go over the past year. I did my best to help her, and a bunch of us from church put a new roof on the place a few months ago. But I know there was still a lot of work to be done.”

He sounded so apologetic, like it was his responsibility to fix up the ranch. Odd, since Helen wasn’t even his relative. Clearly, he took the idea of being a neighbor a little too seriously. Sure, it was nice to know that the old woman hadn’t been alone and helpless in her later years. But Leah and her sisters were not helpless old women.

“We appreciate everything you’ve done, but now you know we can take care of ourselves. You probably think you’re saving us, with your white horse and all, but we don’t need saving.”

She had to giggle at her own words because his horse literally was white. If she’d made up a stereotypical cowboy hero, he would look a lot like Shane.

Shane chuckled. “Actually, Squirt is a gray.” Then a more serious expression crossed his face. “And I’m doing nothing of the sort. I’m just being neighborly.”

Neighborly. She’d admit that, in many ways, he had been helpful. But she didn’t want to rely on him too much. At some point, he’d have his own life to live, his own children to take care of. She’d learned that the only person you could count on was yourself. And her sisters, of course, but that was because they’d spent so much of their lives with only each other to count on. So many people had come and gone, women the Colonel would gleefully announce as being their newest mother, most of whom never stuck around for very long. Not that Leah blamed them. As soon as she turned eighteen, she took the money she’d been saving from her after-school job and rented an apartment, taking her younger sisters with her so they would finally be out from under his thumb.

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