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“Mr Lewis seeh fellow, but he’s not from around here,” Maybelle said

A big no-no in all the older women’s eyes, as they claimed Pine Hill men were built better than others—or maybe it was just Ruby who claimed that last part?

“Just be careful,” Maybelle continued “Don’t be too trusting”

“Or loosen the reins to your heart too quick”

Taken aback, Sarah turned toward Ruby “Pardon?”

“Not every led, fluffed her dyed red hair, then continued “Actually, no ood one before you give away your heart”

Sarah choked back a laugh “Not that I’m interested in anyone who can have an entire conversation without a single smile, but I think I’m safe He didn’t seem overly interested, either”

Nohy had she said that? She wasn’t giving her heart to Bodie Lewis, or any man in the near future What did it matter if he’d looked interested or not?

Realizing the wolanced around the table The four older woed a look that spelled trouble

“What?” Sarah asked “He didn’t smile Not once” But that wasn’t quite true She reain

Silencesilent communications that came from decades of friendship

“Surely you noticed?” Sarah persisted, not liking that she was the subject of those looks She ht not have been around since the inception of the Butterflies, but she’d known these wo her way as surely as if they pricked her skin

Didn’t they realize they asting their tiood shield Experiences that included her runaway ex, Ha she needed was aher

Averting her gaze, she went back to studying a plastic canvas snowflake

“I was busy noticing other things,” Rosie said with a waggle of her drawn-on eyebrows, breaking the silence