A Cowboy at Heart by Laura Haley-McNeil

She’s always crushed on her brother’s best friend. He never got her out of his mind. Will their plans tear them apart, or will they follow their hearts?
Rachel Bonneville works to hide her love for her brother’s best friend, but now he’s back in town with a little girl who’s in Rachel’s first-grade class. When the child struggles with a learning disability, Rachel knows she can help, but being close to the child means getting close to Levi. Is she strong enough to bear that much damage to her heart?
Levi McSweeney controls every decision he makes, and that includes his emotions for his best friend’s little sister. She’s still sweet and spunky, but his devotion to his little girl can’t be sidetracked by a love that holds no future.

As Rachel tenderly leads the child out of her shell, the barriers around Levi’s heart crumble to dust. Will the past lock down these feelings that threaten to erupt between Rachel and Levi, or can they put the past behind them and open their hearts to love?