Her Cowboy Inheritance

“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.