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“Mandi, we’re divorced. Why don’t you call your boyfriend?”

“We broke up. And he said he can’t help.”

Mochi whined at his side, as though she could sense his growing aggravation. He ran a hand over Mochi’s head.

So, Mandi had tried her boyfriend first, and when he wouldn’t help, she’d reached out to him. She was never going to change. She always had to have someone to take care of her, but that wasn’t his problem any longer.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” he said.

“Please, Shaun. You have to come.”

“Even if I wanted to and I don’t, I can’t.”

“I knew it. You’re seeing someone. The ink is barely dried on our divorce papers, and you’ve already forgotten me.”

He’d tried to forget how much of a drama queen she could be. “First, we’ve been separated for two years. The divorce would have been finalized a lot sooner, but you fought me at every turn. So, I have every right to move on.”

The longer he talked to her, the more he was reminded of how horrible she’d made their divorce. He didn’t have to talk to her any longer. They didn’t have children or pets.

“Oh, Shaun, come on. We used to be good together. Don’t you ever wonder what it’d be like if we gave it another chance?”

Had she lost her mind? That was never ever going to happen—not now that he saw her clearly.

“No, Mandi. Don’t even think about it. We are over. Don’t call me again.” He hung up.

Then he did something that he should have done a long time ago; he blocked her number. He felt a lot better now that it was done. In fact, as he walked back to the inn, his steps felt lighter.

When he stepped in the back door, he inhaled the scent of vanilla and cinnamon. A smile lifted the corners of his lips.

When he released Mochi from her leash, she ran to the kitchen. Something told him she was hoping some of that delicious-smelling food would fall to the floor. And knowing Leah, he could imagine a couple of scraps landing conveniently in front of Mochi. The pup was getting spoiled. If it kept up, he’d never be able to place her with anyone else.

Shaun stepped into the kitchen to find Leah busy at the stove. “What are you making?”

“French toast, eggs, and bacon. I hope you’re hungry.”

“I’m starved.” But as he neared her, his gaze took in all of the food on the counters. “Who else is coming to lunch?”

“What?” She followed his gaze to the large platter of French toast. “Oh. Um...When I get stressed, I cook.”

He nodded. “That’s okay. I’m sure it keeps.”

He washed up and then carried the food to the table. When he was ready to sit down and eat, he noticed Leah moved to the sink and started to wash up.

“The food’s going to get cold,” he said.

“Go ahead and eat. I don’t have an appetite.” She rinsed off a bowl before placing it in the dishwasher.

His gaze moved to the mountain of French toast and the bowl of scrambled eggs. Something told him she needed to eat, even if she didn’t have an appetite.

He walked over to her. He restrained himself from reaching out and wrapping his arms around her. He worried it might be too much with all she was dealing with.

So instead, he came to stand next to her. “Let me clean these up. You go sit down.”

When she looked at him, her eyes were bloodshot as unshed tears glistened in them. She wiped at her eyes with her arm. “Look at me. I’m a mess. I don’t even know what I’m so upset about. I should be happy and part of me is. The other part is sad.”

“It’s understandable that you’d have a lot of conflicting emotions. For your whole life, you only had your mother. Then you found out about your grandmother. And now you have a chance to know your father. It would be a lot for anyone.”

When he went to clean up the dishes, she reached for his arm. “Come sit with me.”