.

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.