“Don’t worry. You’re going to be okay.”

“And so are you. With your niece, I mean.”

Tanner smiled. “We’re always telling each other that everything will be all right.”

“So it seems.” Candy wanted to wrap her arms around him and indulge herself in a body-warming hug. But they’d yet to embrace, and this wasn’t the time to start. She knew better than to risk it, especially when the mystery of his bedroom was just around the bend.

“I chose a magical horse for you to ride today,” he said, drawing her into a new conversation.

“Magical?”

“A white horse. All she needs is a sparkly gold horn to look like a unicorn.”

“Unicorns were my girlish obsession.” She thought about the stress associated with her youth, the perfection that had been expected of her. “Sometimes I used to imagine disappearing into a world of make-believe and never coming back.”

“Now’s your chance. For a few hours, anyway.”

“What’s the mare’s name?”

“Enchanted.”

“That’s beautiful, Tanner.” It was as close to magic as a grown-up girl like Candy could get.

Family Renewal: Sometimes all it takes is a second chance.

The Bachelor’s Baby Dilemma

Sheri WhiteFeather

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SHERI WHITEFEATHER is an award-winning, bestselling author. She writes a variety of romance novels for Mills & Boon and has become known for incorporating Native American elements into her stories. She has two grown children who are tribally enrolled members of the Muscogee Creek Nation. She lives in California and enjoys shopping in vintage stores and visiting art galleries and museums. Sheri loves to hear from her readers at www.sheriwhitefeather.com.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Candy McCall didn’t want to sell her house. It was her dream home, her Southern California sanctuary, and she was going to miss it when she was gone.

Of course it hadn’t sold yet. She hadn’t even gotten any offers. That might change today, though. A potential buyer was on his way. And of all things, she’d discovered that it was someone from her past. Her very first boyfriend, in fact. A man named Tanner Quinn. She hadn’t seen him since they were teenagers or kept track of his whereabouts, but they had a mutual friend who’d referred him to her.

She’d spoken to him briefly on the phone and learned that he owned a place called T.Q.’s Riding Academy and Stables. Oh, and that if he was interested in her house, it would be a cash sale.

She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer. A cash sale was just what she needed to get out of this mess. She was in such a dire financial situation she couldn’t even afford to use a Realtor.

But how strange was this going to be, showing her house to Tanner? She was actually nervous about seeing him.

Just as she opened her eyes, the doorbell rang.

She rushed to answer the summons, then gazed at the man on her porch. Heaven almighty. That six-foot-three frame. Those slate-gray eyes. He would be around her age, thirty-four or so now, and although he’d grown up and filled out, she would know him anywhere.

With his short black hair slicked away from his handsomely chiseled face, he made quite the dashing figure. He wore a classic ensemble of English riding gear. Clearly, he’d just come from work. Or a polo match. Or something where wicked boots were required.

Neither of them spoke. They just kept staring at each other, with awkward smiles, trying to get used to this hasty reunion.

He finally said, “Well, hello, Candy Sorensen.”

“Hello, yourself. But for the record, I’m Candy McCall now,” she reminded him.

“Oh, that’s right. Your married name.”

“Yes.” She paused and uncomfortably added, “But as I mentioned on the phone, I’m divorced now.” The dissolution of her marriage was a painful topic, but she couldn’t very well behave as if she was still a doe-eyed wife. Changing the subject, she gestured to the doorway. “Do you want to come in?”

She stepped back to allow him entrance, and he crossed the threshold, looking like the horseman that he was. She wasn’t surprised that he made his living in the equestrian industry. He’d always worked around horses, except that he’d been more of the cowboy type when he was younger.

Then again, she didn’t doubt he would be just as comfortable in Wrangler jeans and a Stetson as he was in a button-down shirt and breeches, or that he still rode Western-style.

Trying to keep a professional air, she took a deep breath, preparing to treat him like the potential buyer he was. But he wasn’t glancing around her living room or paying attention to the house he’d come to see.

Instead, he swept his gaze over her. “You sure as hell look good. But you always did.”

“Yes, picture-perfect me.” There went her professionalism. She made a doll-like motion, mocking herself. Candy was a long, lean, leggy brunette who’d spent her youth parading around in beauty pageants and hating every second of it.

He broke into a smile. “You still can’t take a compliment after all this time? Some things never change.”

She hoped he was wrong about that. She didn’t want to think of herself as the same people-pleaser she’d been back then. She’d never had to please him, though. He’d accepted her for who she was. She’d always liked that about him.

He moved toward the fireplace, the mottled stones enhancing the color of his eyes. “Are you selling your house because of the divorce?”

“No.” She kept her response vague, not wanting to get into the money issue. “It doesn’t have anything to do with that.”

“I’ve never been married.” He frowned a little. “But I prefer being a bachelor.”

Was he thinking about his parents’ troubled marriage and how it had disintegrated after his infant sister had died? Or was his frown something altogether different?

She certainly remembered the devastation from the past. Candy had been there that morning, playing video games with Tanner, when his frantic mother had found the lifeless baby in her crib.

“How’s your family?” she asked, needing to know about them, needing to hear that they were fine.

“Kade is a horse trainer, but he’s on the road a lot, doing clinics and whatnot, so I don’t see him all that much. But we call each other when we can.”

The older brother. She’d only met him once, when he’d come home for the baby’s funeral. Otherwise he’d been away at college, studying equine science. Apparently he was still away, in some form or another.

“We don’t talk to our dad anymore,” Tanner said. “Too much water under that bridge. Mom was always there, of course, with her nurturing ways. But then she died last year.”

A stream of sadness swept over her. So much for everyone being fine. “I’m so sorry. She was such a nice lady. I always liked her.”

“She liked you, too. She used to marvel at how much Meagan adored you.”

Meagan was his other little sister, a spitfire of a child who’d needed mounds of attention. “Remember how she was always pestering me to curl her hair? And paint her nails? And put makeup on her?”

“Of course I remember. She wanted to be just like you. She was pissed at me after you and I broke up. She kept asking me when I was going to bring you back. But then Buffy became her idol, and she let me off the hook.”

Candy feigned offense, especially since he was smiling once again. “I was replaced by a vampire slayer?”

“Afraid so. But Meagan was only eight. She didn’t know any better. Now, if I’d dropped you like a hot potato for Buffy and her Scooby gang, it would have been another story.”

She swatted his arm, and he laughed. But just as quickly, they both went serious again. He hadn’t dropped her, not in the way he’d just suggested. Their breakup had been more of a moody drift. After the baby died and his parents started going through their messy divorce, Tanner began to retreat into himself, becoming more and more detached. Finally, it reached a point where he couldn’t handle having a girlfriend anymore.

Candy, on the other hand, had longed to have another boyfriend, which, eventually, led to Vince, the handsome heartbreaker she’d married.

“After you and I broke up, my mom said that I was being a jerk,” Tanner said.

Her pulse jumped. “What?”

“She didn’t like how I ended it with you. She was critical of my behavior because of my dad. But I wasn’t like him. I was just a kid, trying to cope with it all.”

“I remember how difficult it was for you.” She also recalled the big blasting hurt of being rejected by him, even if it hadn’t been as callous as the way Vince had kicked her to the curb. Before the past got the better of her, she changed the subject. “Speaking of kids, you never said what Meagan does for a living. Does she work with horses, too?”

“No. She isn’t a horsewoman. And she’s not a kid anymore, either,” he added. “She’s twenty-five now, and her situation is complicated.”

She waited for him to expound, but he didn’t. Whatever was going on with Meagan, he obviously didn’t want to talk about it.

A moment later, he asked, “How’s your family?”

She answered the question, loaded as it was. “My grandparents are gone, so it’s just me and my mom now.” She didn’t have a dad. He’d died when she was three, and her mom rarely spoke of him, even when Candy prodded her for information.

“Did you ever become a model?” Tanner asked. “The way you were supposed to?”

She tugged unglamorously at the hem of her top. “Yes, I followed the career path Mom chose for me. But I wasn’t as successful as she would’ve liked.” She quit tugging and smoothed the fabric. “I’m a yoga instructor now. I teach doga, too. Yoga for dogs,” she clarified.

“Really? Oh, that’s cute. I’d like to see that sometime.”

As if on cue, her faithful companion, a yellow Lab, moseyed in through the back door. Candy made the introduction. “That’s Yogi. She’s my best student.”

“Hey, there,” Tanner said, prompting the dog to come forward and greet him.

He knelt to pet her, running his fingers through her luxurious fur. Yogi all but melted from his touch, pressing closer to his hand. Candy considered correcting her, but the poor thing wasn’t doing anything wrong. Besides, she knew the feeling, remembering how Tanner used to touch her, too.

Lightly, magically, but without taking it too far.

Good girl that she was, Candy had been saving herself for marriage—a choice that had backfired when she’d met Vince. She’d let her ex pressure her into being with him, long before there was even a hint of marriage.

So what did that say about the decision she’d made? That she should have just gone ahead and made Tanner her first?

As he righted his posture, bringing his big, broad body back to its full height, she warned herself not to think along those lines.

She steered the conversation back to business. “Do you want to walk around by yourself? Or do you want me to give you a tour?”

“I’d rather have you show me the place.”

“Would it be all right if we start with the backyard?” Candy needed a big old gulp of fresh air. “Then I can show you the guesthouse and we can come back here and finish the tour.”

“Sure. That’s fine. We can start wherever you want.”

She led the way, and they ventured outside, stood on the patio and studied her yard, where an English-style garden, rife with flowers, trees and vine-covered trellises, made for a colorful presentation.

She said, “I have a gardener who mows the lawn and rakes the leaves, but I tend to the rest of it myself. I love working in the flowerbeds.”

“I don’t know anything about flowers. But it looks like a nice garden.” He stepped onto the lawn. “Eric told me that you hosted his wedding.”

She fell into step beside him. Eric was the friend they had in common. But their association with him wasn’t from their teenage days. It was much more recent. “Eric and Dana got married here. It was a beautiful ceremony.”

“I haven’t met Dana yet.”

“She’s amazing. She’s my dearest friend. I’m their son’s godmother. He’s a toddler now. And so darned cute. Eric has an older daughter, too. She’s in college, studying at UCLA.”

“I remember her when she was younger.”

“Really?” Surprised, she asked, “So just how long have you known Eric?” Clearly, much longer than she had.

“About eight or nine years, I think, but we lost touch after his first wife died. Then we ran into each a few weeks ago and started getting caught up again.”

“I guess that explains why you and I haven’t crossed paths before now.” And why Tanner hadn’t been at the wedding. “I’ve only known Eric since he and Dana got together.”

“Mostly I hung out with him on the powwow circuit.”

Candy nodded. Tanner was part Cheyenne, and Eric was half Cherokee. “Did you know his first wife?”

“Yes. He grieved something awful when she passed.” Tanner stood beside a lemon tree, the bright yellow fruit in full bloom. Silent, he studied the branches, then turned to look at her. “I’ve been thinking about Ella a lot lately.”

She inhaled the citrusy scent, trying to take comfort in it. Ella was his sister who’d died. “I’m sorry that her loss still affects you.”

“You have no idea. The complication I mentioned earlier involves a baby. Meagan is pregnant.”

Jarred by his words, she sucked in her breath. Candy had been pregnant once upon a time, but she’d miscarried, losing the child she’d so desperately wanted.

She quietly asked, “Is she having a difficult time carrying the baby?” Was Meagan in danger of losing her little one?

“No. She seems to be doing okay in that regard. But she got into some trouble with the law and is serving time. She worked at an accounting firm and embezzled from some of their clients.”

“Oh, my goodness.” The spunky eight-year-old who used to follow Candy around like a rosy-cheeked puppy had morphed into a criminal? “When is her baby due?”

“In about eight weeks. She discovered that she was pregnant soon after she was incarcerated.”

“And when will she be released?”

“Not for at least two years. Besides time served, she has to pay restitution to her victims. She has a long road ahead of her, but she promised that she would get her act together. Not only with her rehabilitation, but with being a good mother to her child when she gets out.”

“Who’s going to take care of the baby between now and then?”

“I am.”

“You?” He looked like the last man on earth who would want a baby. He’d even said it with a horrible tone of dread. “What’s going on, Tanner? Really, seriously, why would you agree to take her child?”

“Because she begged me to. And because there’s no one else available to do it.”

“What about the baby’s father or his family?”

“The dad doesn’t want anything to do with the kid and neither does his family. They’re all a bunch of screwups. If I don’t become its legal guardian, the baby will go into foster care.”

“Then it sounds like you’re doing the right thing.”

“I’m trying. But all I keep thinking about is what happened to Ella.”

Feeling far too emotional, Candy glanced at the lemons that had fallen on the ground and noticed that some of them were starting to brown. Ella had died from SIDS. “That’s the last thing you should be thinking about.”

“I know. But I can’t help it.”

She considered reaching out to skim his hand, to comfort him, but she refrained. The last time his life had been falling apart, she’d wrapped him in all kinds of solace, but in the end, it hadn’t stopped him from pulling away. To return to that place, to feel it again, wasn’t something she was willing to do.

She simply said, “It’ll be okay, Tanner.”

“I hope so.”

“Does Meagan know if she’s having a girl or a boy?”

“It’s a girl.” He resumed walking across the lawn. “I’m going to hire a live-in nanny. Hopefully, having someone there who knows what they’re doing will make me feel better.”

She walked beside him. “That’s a good idea.”

“I’d prefer an older lady who’s already raised a brood of her own.”

“Someone who knows how to be a mom?”

“Exactly.”

Candy thought about how excited she’d been about becoming a mom. She also thought about the ever-present ache of losing the life in her womb. Nearly four years had passed, but she still felt the loss, especially since her miscarriage had been directly associated with her divorce.

But rather than let herself sink too deeply into those old memories, she said, “I’m sure you’ll find the right nanny.” She didn’t doubt he would screen them carefully.

“But first I need to find a house. The idea is for me to live in the main house with the nanny and the baby. Then later, after Meagan comes home, she and her daughter can live in the guesthouse.”

By now, they were standing at the white picket fence that surrounded Candy’s guesthouse. “It’s nice of you to consider their future.”

“I can’t very well leave my sister to flounder by herself. I’m not making excuses for her, but part of the reason she embezzled money was to support her boyfriend. And then he goes off and ditches her, with a babe in her belly.”

“It’s probably better that he shrugged off his responsibility. She doesn’t need a guy like that around.”

“If I ever see his lazy ass again, I’m going to pummel the living crap out of him. It’s what big brothers are supposed to do.” With a tight squint, he defended his threat of violence. “He’s got it coming from me.”

“No doubt he does.” If she were in his position, she would feel the same way. She gave him a second to clear his thoughts, then asked, “Are you ready to see the guesthouse?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

She opened the gate, focusing on the sale of her property. “The tenant moved after I put it on the market, so it’s vacant now. But if you decide to rent it out between now and when Meagan comes home, finding a new tenant will be easy. I’ve never had any trouble keeping it occupied.”

“I probably wouldn’t rent anything out for a while. I’ve got too much else to think about.” He glanced at the landscape. “You’ve done a great job of maintaining all of this.”

“Thank you.” The courtyard showcased a three-tiered fountain, next to a stretch of grass with plants and flowers. She ushered him inside. “It’s one bedroom and one bath.”

“I’d need to turn it into a two-bedroom.”

“There’s plenty of space for an addition. The people I bought it from considered making it bigger. They even looked into getting the permits.”

“That’s good to know.”

She held back while he wandered around, letting him get a feel for it.

Afterward, he said, “It’s really nice. I think Meagan would like it. But I still have to see the main house, so I’ll reserve my judgment until after you show me everything.”

Candy nodded. She didn’t expect him to decide on the spot.

Still standing beside the window, he gazed out at the fountain. “It seems so surreal.”

She knew he meant his situation, not the setting. Caught up in his reflective mood, she asked, “Has Meagan chosen a name for the baby yet?”

He turned around, the water framed behind him. “Ivy. Ivy Ann Quinn.”

“That’s pretty. I like the way it sounds.”

“Ivy Ann is from a book about a princess Meagan read. All little girls should be princesses, right?”

“Definitely. But they don’t all have to be beauty queens.”

“You were Miss Teen Los Angeles when we were going out.” He said it softly, as if he were taking a romantic trip down memory lane.

To combat the gentleness in his voice, she replied, “I was always Miss Something-or-Other.” Her mom had forced her into competitions at a very young age, and if Candy didn’t win, she got pushed even harder. “Big bouncy hair, frozen smiles and glittery ball gowns.” She winced at the image it created in her mind. “What a nightmare.”

“But you still worked your tail off to make your mom proud.”

“What can I say? She relished that environment. She also loved bragging about her tiara-topped daughter to her friends.” To emphasize her point she made a crownlike circle with her hands, lifting it ceremoniously onto her head.

“I was guilty of bragging, too. Telling my buddies how hot my Miss Teen girlfriend was. But I shouldn’t have done that, I suppose. Especially since I knew how much you hated being in those pageants.”

She lowered her hands. “I hardly ever admitted that to anyone.” But she’d confided in him. She’d trusted him with her secrets back then. “You were good at listening.”

“And now you’re listening to me talk about my problems.”

“You just need to settle into the idea of being an uncle.”

“I certainly never expected it to happen like this, with Meagan being a single mom.” He shrugged. “But marriage doesn’t make much sense to me anyway.”

It shouldn’t have made sense to her, either. But Candy wanted to get married again someday. She wanted to get it right next time. “Some couples are happy. Dana and Eric are.”

“Then they’re lucky. Because I don’t think it works for most people. After Ella died, my dad had the nerve to tell my mom that he’d never loved her.”

Feeling as if she’d gotten the wind knocked out of her, Candy clutched her middle. After she’d miscarried, Vince had said the same thing to her.

After a bout of silence, he said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be laying my mom’s old troubles on you. What’s done is done, and she’s gone now.”

Yes, his mother was gone, but Candy remained, affected by what he’d said. But before her emotions got the best of her, she lightened her mood, rather than dwell on things that couldn’t be undone.

She felt especially better when Tanner glanced over and smiled. He just had that way about him.

“Ready to show me the rest of the place?” he asked.

“Yes, of course.” Together, they headed for the main house, with Candy returning his smile.

Chapter Two

As the tour continued, Tanner tried to fix his attention where it should be, but he was having trouble concentrating on what Candy was saying. Something about the house being built in the 1930s? About it being a renovated bungalow with three bedrooms and two full baths?

Mostly he was noticing her. She’d always reminded him of an exotic creature, with her long-limbed agility and catlike wariness. She was beautiful, but she could be skittish, too.

They’d dated for six months. They’d been inseparable but they hadn’t gone to the same high school. She’d attended an all-girls academy, an environment that made her shy around boys.

As a beauty queen, she’d hidden behind the persona she’d created. But she was different in real life. Even now, he could see fragments of the girl she’d once been: the awkward manner in which she tugged at her clothes, the way she broke eye contact.

He couldn’t help but be intrigued by her. Her chestnut-colored hair was sleeker than it used to be, worn straight and falling softly to her shoulders. Her clothes were simple: a fitted T-shirt paired with black leggings—or whatever those impossibly tight things were called. Her lean, athletic shape wasn’t hard to miss. And with her being a yoga instructor, he suspected she was beyond flexible. But she’d always been able to get into bendy positions. In the talent competition of the pageants, she used to perform modern dance.

The girl with the sugary name.

He used to call her all sorts of silly things: gumdrop, taffy, peanut brittle, gummy bear, lollipop. But his favorite had been cotton candy, especially when she wore pink. Did she still wear that color? Or had she outgrown it? Seventeen years had passed. A lifetime of memories.

She led him through the back door and into the kitchen, and he suspected that this was her prized room in the house, with its butcher-block island and bright white appliances. An antique cart in the corner was crowded with spices, pots and pans, old salt and pepper shakers, and other culinary knickknacks.

No doubt she liked to cook. It even smelled like cookies. It appeared as if a candle was creating the fresh-baked aroma, but it still struck him as homey, with the desired effect being the same.

She definitely seemed domestic. Even at a young age, she’d been marriage-minded. Back when they were together, she’d been determined to save herself for her future husband. She’d thought it was a romantic notion. And now she was divorced.

He wondered about the type of guy she’d married and what had gone wrong, but he sure as fire wasn’t going to ask her, no matter how curious he was.

His thoughts continued to be scattered as Candy walked him all over the house, pointing out architectural details and decorative features.

Once they were in the second guestroom, she said, “This could be Ivy’s nursery. It’s already painted in pastels.” She motioned to the walls. “Lilac trimmed in yellow.”

He checked out the color theme, and she smiled, quite sweetly, as if she was picturing the baby snuggled up in this room. Seeing her expression gave him comfort, reminding him of how special she was. “Did I ever thank you for being there for me? When everything happened?”

“You were my friend. My boyfriend. I wanted to help you through it.”

“I know.” Behind her, the light from a set of etched glass windows was bathing the potential nursery in a warm glow. “But I just wanted to clarify that if I didn’t tell you how much it meant to me then, I’m telling you now.”

“You don’t need to.” She kept her voice soft. “Really, you don’t. But I appreciate it.”

“I don’t want to go backward in time. But ever since Meagan asked me to become Ivy’s guardian, I keep sliding into the past.”

“And now, of all things, you run into me.”

“It’s strange, isn’t it? Especially since we have a friend in common that we didn’t even know about.”

“Did you tell Eric that your sister is in prison and that you’ll be taking care of her baby?”

He shook his head. “That wasn’t something I was inclined to mention while we were getting caught up. I probably should have, though. You can tell him if you want to. You’ll probably talk to him before I will. Or you’ll talk to Dana or whatever.”

“Does Meagan know that you’ve been thinking about Ella?” she asked.

“No. I couldn’t say that to her. It wouldn’t be right to burden her with it. And if it’s crossed her mind, she hasn’t said anything to me about it, either. But I think she made peace with what happened to Ella a long time ago. She talks about our sister as if she’s an angel looking down on us. But maybe it’s because Meagan was so young when Ella died that she saw it in a softer way.”

“Kids are supposed to be more resilient.”

Tanner shifted his stance, glad that Meagan didn’t share his fears. “We discussed other aspects of me becoming Ivy’s guardian, like how taking care of a baby is going to affect my lifestyle. I warned her that I don’t know anything about being a single dad. Or any kind of dad.”

“You’re not the father. You’re the uncle.”

“Not according to tradition. In the old Cheyenne way, being an uncle is the same as being a father, and it’s especially important if the dad is unavailable. In the early days, the word for father and uncle was one and the same. Tshe-hestovestse.”

She flashed another of her sweet smiles. “That’s nice. I like that.”

Tanner didn’t. To him, it just intensified his role in his niece’s life. “I bought a bunch of baby books.”

She moved a little closer. “You did?”

“Yes, but I haven’t read them yet. Still, I figured it would help to know the stages and what to expect. It wouldn’t be fair to Ivy to leave everything to the nanny. I don’t want my niece to think I’m treating her like a leper. Babies can probably sense that kind of stuff.”

“I’m sure they can.” She was looking at him as if he’d just bewitched her.

Teasing her, he replied, “Is this how women are going to react to me now? Am I going to become a major chick magnet because I have a baby?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re acting all dreamy over me, Candy.”

“I am not.” She got downright indignant, squaring her shoulders and jutting out her pretty little chin. “I’m just standing here.”

“Making goo-goo eyes at me.”

“You’re full of baloney.”

He shrugged, then laughed. “I was just kidding around.” It was his twisted way of cracking a joke, of making light of the chemistry that still existed between them.

She made a face at him. “You always did have a rotten sense of humor.”

“At least I haven’t lost that side of myself. With everything that’s going on, I could be crying in my beer.”

“Are you kidding? You practically are.”

Touché, he thought. She’d got him there. He rolled his eyes, and they both managed a genuine laugh.

He returned his attention to the pastel-colored walls, going back to where the conversation first started. “I don’t know anything about decorating a nursery.” He didn’t have a clue about that sort of thing. “When the time comes, I’ll have to get someone to help me pick out the furniture, just to be sure I don’t screw it up.”

“Maybe you can order a complete set, with everything already going together.”

“That should work.”

“It will, Tanner. It’ll all work out.”

“Thanks.” He appreciated that she was offering positive affirmations. He needed as many good vibes as he could get. Then he took a second look at her and said, “You seem like you should’ve had kids. With you knowing so much about them.”

She cleared her throat. “I spend a lot of time with Eric and Dana’s son.”

That made sense, of course. But she still seemed as if she should’ve had some of her own. He wondered why she hadn’t, but he decided not to push the issue or pry into her personal affairs.

Next up was the master bedroom, and as soon as Candy led him to the place where she slept each night, being in the proximity of her silk-draped bed hit him square in the chest.

But why wouldn’t it? Not only had they never been together in that way, he hadn’t even been allowed in her room when they were kids. Her mom had been superstrict about that. But her mom wasn’t part of the equation anymore. Candy and Tanner were adults now.

When their gazes locked, she began fussing with her clothes, resorting to her nervous habit. Clearly, she was feeling the heat, too.

He tried to think of something to say that would ease the tension. But nothing came to mind.

She started a choppy conversation instead, prattling on about the room: the walk-in closet, the built-in window seat, the French door leading to the backyard.

“It produces a nice breeze,” she hastily said.

“And a beautiful view,” he replied, trying to glance past her and failing. Candy was the beautiful view he was talking about. He admired the way she looked, surrounded by the feminine trappings of her room. A candle was burning in here, too, like in the kitchen. Only it was something floral, a light, fluttery scent mimicking the flowers she grew in her garden. He didn’t know one bee-kissed posy from another, but he remembered giving her a corsage when he’d taken her to his junior prom. But mostly what he remembered was the sweetly sinful dress she’d worn. Red, like the color of fire.

“Where do you live?” she asked suddenly.

Her question threw him off-kilter. “What?”

“You never mentioned where you live now or why you can’t have the nanny and Ivy move in with you there, at least until Meagan comes home.”

He snapped back to reality. “I live at the stables in a bachelor-type pad above my office. I’m going to keep it for when I need a quiet place to be alone.” He quickly added, “Or to date or whatever.”

“That would be better, I suppose.”

“For me, it is.” Curious about her future, he asked, “Are you planning on buying another house?”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t going to mention this, but there’s no point in hiding it. I could never afford another house. After my divorce, I bought this place with a small inheritance from my grandparents, but I got in over my head.” She made a tight face. “I’m starting to fall behind on the payments on my first mortgage, and I owe a balloon payment on my second and don’t have the money for that, either.”

“I’m sorry.” He could see how distressing it was for her. It also explained why her ex wasn’t involved. She hadn’t owned the house with him.

“I’m down to a part-time job now. Enrollment is low at the studio where I work and some of my classes had to be cut. I’ve been looking for another part-time job to make up the difference, but I haven’t found anything yet.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again.

“I’ll get through it. Eric and Dana offered to let me stay with them after this place sells so I can take a little time to get on my feet and not burn through the money. Not that it will be that much. I messed up my equity by taking out that second loan.”

“How close are you to foreclosure?”

“The bank hasn’t started the proceeding yet, so there’s still time. But it concerns me.” She swallowed, as if a lump had formed in her throat. “I never imagined being this broke.”

“I understand. I’ve been through some tough times, too. My mom loaned me the money for the down payment on my stables, and she took a huge risk on me. It was a run-down facility, and building it into a successful operation didn’t happen overnight. It was touch-and-go there for a while. I was really worried that I was going to lose everything, including her investment in it.”

“What’s it like now?”

“It’s everything I envisioned it should be. We offer full-service boarding, riding lessons and trails to Griffith Park. The public can rent horses from us, of course, and go on guided tours of the trails, but we also provide rentals for the movie industry. It’s like the stables I worked at when I was a kid, except way nicer. We cater to both English and Western riders. We host equestrian events, too.”

“It sounds wonderful. I’m glad for you, Tanner.”

“Thanks. I hope things improve for you.”

“For now, I just need to sell my house.”

Deciding to be direct, he said, “I like this place. It has a lot going for it, but I don’t know if I’m going to make an offer. I still have other properties to see.”

“I understand, and I appreciate you letting me know up front. A lot of people have gushed over it, but then they disappear without a word.”

“I’ll let you know, either way.”

“Thank you.”

They exited her bedroom, and she walked him out to the porch.

Neither of them leaned forward for a hug. The emotion connected to this reunion was too heavy for a lighthearted embrace, and they both seemed to know it.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t hunger to take her in his arms or breathe in the scent of her skin or put his mouth against hers. If she was the kind of woman who was prone to affairs, he would seduce her, just to satisfy the longing. But he sensed that Candy wasn’t that kind of woman. That deep inside, she was the same proper girl he’d left behind.

Before the moment got ridiculously quiet, he repeated his promise to keep in touch. “I’ll call when I make a decision.”

“Okay.” Her gaze lit softly on his. “Talk to you later.”

“You, too.” He almost smoothed a strand of hair that blew across her cheek, but he caught himself, keeping his hands at his sides. Saying goodbye shouldn’t be this hard.

He descended the steps and strode out to his truck. By the time he climbed into the cab and glanced back at the house, Candy was no longer on the porch. But it was just as well. Tanner didn’t want to see her standing there, tempting him to feel things he didn’t want to feel.

* * *

Later that evening, Candy sat on the sofa with her legs tucked beneath her and her smartphone on speaker. She and Dana were in the midst of a conversation, with Candy relaying the events of the day.

“Tanner seems the same, but different.” A swoon-worthy boy who’d grown into a powerful man. Her heart was pounding just thinking about him. “It was a gripping reunion, that’s for sure. His life is even more mixed-up than mine.” She repeated his tale, going all the way back to when they were teenagers.

Dana reacted with sympathy. “That’s so awful for his family, to lose a baby. And now his other sister being in prison and being forced to be separated from her child. I can’t imagine how she must feel.”

“You wouldn’t have to imagine it. You wouldn’t have embezzled money from your job. But I feel sorry for her, too. She was such a sweet little girl when I knew her.”

“Tanner certainly must be a decent guy. I mean, let’s face it, not many men would do what he is doing. Eric was petrified of marrying me and becoming a new father, as you well remember. And here Tanner is going to be a father figure to his niece.”

“I agree that what he’s doing is admirable. But he’s beyond scared.” Candy blew out a sigh. “He’s concerned about everything, including how raising his niece over the next two years is going to affect his dating life.”

“Why? Is he a player?”

“I have no idea how much he plays around.” Nor did she want to envision him with a slew of women at his beck and call. “But he definitely likes being single. He made that clear. He’s even keeping his apartment at the equestrian center to make dating easier. I guess he doesn’t want to bring someone home to where his niece and the nanny are going to be.”

Dana went silent, as if the cogs in her pretty little blond head were turning. Then she said, “Why am I getting the feeling that his dating life bothers you?”

Candy’s pulse quickened. Should she admit that she was still attracted to him or keep that bit of information to herself? She opted for an evasive answer. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do. Come on, fess up. Give me the skinny.”

She should have known better than to think she would get away with this. Fooling Dana was like trying to fool a wise old owl, even if Dana was younger than Candy. “All right, fine. There was definitely some rekindled heat between us.”

“Well, thank goodness for that.” A big sappy smile sounded in Dana’s voice. “Do you realize that he’s the first man you’ve been attracted to since your divorce?”

“Yes, and he’s someone I used to date. Starting up with him again would be a disaster.” A road that was better left untraveled.

“Maybe so, but at least you’re getting your libido back.”

She didn’t see where that was going to help, not if it left her fantasizing about him. She needed to be careful. Because if she let her hormones drive her, she just might do something she would regret. Even now, as she touched a finger to her lips, she could conjure the long-ago flavor of his kiss.

“I think he’s going to buy your house.”

Distracted, Candy nearly bit the tip of her finger. She was still dreaming about the taste of Tanner’s kiss. “You do? Why?”

“I just felt all along that something good would come of this.”

“You always think something good will come of everything.” Dana was a naturally positive person. She didn’t have to try to be happy; she just was. Candy worked heart and soul to feel that kind of inner bliss. “But I hope you’re right. If he buys it, then Ivy will be growing up in my house, and that’s a nice thought. I also like the idea of it becoming the place Meagan shares with her daughter.”

But what about Tanner? she asked herself.

How did she feel about him being part of the mix? Did she want him—this beautifully complicated man from her past—drinking coffee in her kitchen or showering in her tub or sleeping in her room?

Yes, heaven help her, she did. As romantically frazzled as her connection to him was, Candy was intrigued by the notion of Tanner living there, too.

Chapter Three

The sun shined in the sky, reminiscent of the happy drawings Meagan used to do. But the crayon-colored weather didn’t improve the setting, and neither did the other families gathered on picnic-style benches. The chain-link fence and watchful eyes of prison guards ruined it. As much as Tanner loved his sister, he hated visiting her here.

Struggling not to frown, he glanced across their bench, where she sat attired in her unflattering uniform. Meagan was a level-one inmate, which meant that she was the least dangerous kind of offender. At the moment, she was considered special needs because of her pregnancy.

But she wasn’t glowing, the way an expectant mother should. Shadows dogged her eyes, and her long dark hair hung limply down her back. She kept her hand on her swollen belly, rubbing it from time to time.

Was she trying to comfort Ivy? Her due date was two months from now, and providing there were no complications, she would be allowed to stay in the hospital twenty-four to forty-eight hours after giving birth, before the baby would be taken away and Meagan would be returned to the prison population.

Tanner wished that he didn’t know so much about the system or about how newborns were brought into it. He wished his sister had never committed a crime and that he wasn’t beholden to help raise her child. But that was the way it was, and he had to learn to cope with it.

“I found two houses that I’m considering,” he said. “I just need to make a decision between them, and I don’t know which one to pick.”

“The choice is yours.” She sounded cautious about caring too much, as if it was too far in the future for her to grasp. “It’s going to be your house.”

“It’ll be yours and Ivy’s, too.” And he wanted her to feel as if she was part of the process. “I didn’t take any pictures. I should have, but I just got so overwhelmed with it all.”

“It’s okay. Just choose the house you like best.”

Trying to stir a better reaction out of her, he said, “The first one is on a really nice piece of property with a flower garden, a big green lawn and fruit trees. The guesthouse in the back has its own yard. It even has a fountain.”

She leaned forward, her interest piqued. “That sounds pretty.”

He thought about the owner and how pretty she was, too. “It’s weird, though, because it belongs to an old girlfriend of mine.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Since when did you have a girlfriend? I thought you just...”

Screwed around? He decided not to fill in the blank. It was already perfectly clear as to what she meant. “It’s Candy, from when I was a teenager. I’m not sure if you remember her, but you liked her when you were a kid. In fact, you more or less idolized her.”

Meagan laughed a little. “Of course I remember her. She was like Miss America or something. Mom used to talk about her all the time. There are even some pictures of the two of you in one of those old photo albums Mom put together. I paged through them after Mom died.”

“I didn’t know there were pictures of us around.” But he hadn’t gone through the albums. He wasn’t keen on reminiscing. Of course he’d been doing it since he’d run into Candy, letting his mind stray in all sorts of directions.

Meagan’s voice cut into his thoughts. “As far I could tell they were from a school dance.”

When Candy had worn the red dress? Now he was curious to see them, to refresh his memory about that night in greater detail, but he wasn’t about to go digging through the storage shed where Meagan kept their mother’s belongings. He missed his mom, but being around her things didn’t give him comfort, the way it did for his sister. “If they’re from a school dance, then it must be my junior prom. That’s the only dance we went to. So, how did we look?”

“She looked like she just stepped out of a magazine.”

He didn’t doubt it. He’d been wildly proud to show her off, introducing her to anyone she hadn’t met before. “And what about me?”

“Are you kidding? You looked like a total goof.”

“Gee, thanks.” He rolled his eyes. “Spoken like a true sister.”

Meagan shrugged. “I wanted to grow up to be just like her.” She twisted her stringy hair. “Did I accomplish it? Is she a mess these days, too?”

“She’s still beautiful, and so are you.”

“Spoken like a true brother.” She glanced away, heavy with emotion. “A lying brother.” She returned her gaze to his, still resting a hand on her stomach. “Does Candy have kids?”

“No.” He noticed how many children were visiting their loved ones in this awful environment, though, and every time he brought Ivy back here to see Meagan, it would be a constant reminder that his niece would be one of them.

“So, she’s not married or anything?”

“She’s divorced.” From the husband he wondered about. The man who’d become the mystery Tanner shouldn’t care about solving. To keep Meagan from asking more personal, Candy-related questions, he went back to discussing the real-estate purchase. “The only concern I have is that her guesthouse isn’t big enough. It’s only one bedroom, so I’d have to hire a contractor to add another one.”

“Is that a major ordeal?”

“Candy said getting the permits wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Would the addition cost a lot of money?”

“That depends, I guess, on how you evaluate it. The other house I’m considering has a two-bedroom guesthouse already on it. But the overall price of the property is more.”

“So it balances out the same?”

He nodded.

“Tell me about the other house and what you like about that one.”

“Besides the guesthouse? It’s less maintenance. It wouldn’t require as much yard work. It’s newer, too. But it doesn’t have the charm, either. The guesthouse on Candy’s property has that storybook-type architecture.”

“Like the magic cottages in the stories Mom used to read to me?” She sighed, behaving like the dreamy kid she used to be. “I loved those stories. I’m going to read them to Ivy, too.”

His heart clawed its way to his throat. “Maybe I should buy Candy’s place.”

She snapped out of her gentle musings. “You don’t have to do that for me. Like I said before, you should choose the one you like best.”

“Truthfully, I don’t have a preference. I’d rather choose it for you and Ivy, and I think Candy’s place would suit you and your daughter.” The other house seemed dull by comparison. “I could see Ivy running around in the yard when she’s a little older, darting through the flowers and trees.”

“Oh, that’s sweet. I like that.”

“I like it, too.”

“Thank you, Tanner. For everything you’re doing for me and my baby.”

“Just keep your promise about staying on the straight and narrow, and we’ll be fine.”

“I will. And what I said about you looking like a goof in the pictures with Candy wasn’t true. You were as handsome as always, and the two of you made a cute couple.”

“Don’t worry about it. How I looked back then is of no consequence now. Nor is the type of couple Candy and I used to be. All I’m doing is buying her house, not getting involved with her again.”

“Don’t you want to at least be friends with her?”

Did he? “I don’t know. Having a past with someone is complicated.”

“Mom used to say that Candy was good for you.”

Cripes, he thought. Did that have to keep surfacing? Wasn’t it enough that he’d already told Candy how his mom had felt? “You remember her saying that?”

“I remember her saying all sorts of things. She went on about the same stuff for years. But I didn’t mind. I liked that Mom trusted me enough to say what was on her mind. It made me feel more grown-up.”

Everyone was grown-up now, he thought, including him and Candy. Was he was wrong about the complication of being friends? If living in her house eased his mind, then wouldn’t having her as a friend do the same thing? Maybe his mom wasn’t so far off the mark about Candy being good for him.

And maybe he was grasping at straws, using his old girlfriend as the baby buffer. With Ivy’s impending arrival creeping up on him, he was obviously too confused to know what to think.

Meagan shifted in her seat, a breeze riffling her shirt and pulling it closer to her oversize bump.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked.

“Nothing.” He didn’t doubt that she was as scared as he was, maybe even more so. She was having a child that she was barely going to know. He reached across the table, encouraging her to take his hand. His jailbird sister and the little person in her womb.

* * *

Dana was right, Candy thought. Tanner was going to buy her house. He’d made an offer on the phone, and they’d discussed the price and the terms, and now he was coming over to bring a written copy of the agreement and a check for the deposit.

As much as she was going to miss her beloved home, she was happy about the sale. It gave her comfort to know that he and Ivy and Meagan would be the family associated with it.

Still, for her, starting over somewhere else was a daunting thought. But, she reminded herself, she would be staying with Dana and Eric for as long as she needed their help, and their generosity was a godsend, a much-needed opportunity to get her finances in order before she ventured back out on her own.

When the doorbell rang, signaling Tanner’s arrival, she calmly answered it. This time, she wasn’t going to overreact to her attraction to him.

He was dressed in street clothes instead of riding gear, but that didn’t detract from his appeal. Those slate-gray eyes bore straight into hers, giving her a sexy shiver.

So much for not overreacting.

Was she affecting him in a sexy way, too? Even though her appearance was something she downplayed, she wanted him to notice her. A double-edged sword, she thought, as he entered the house and made her heart go bump. Her newfound libido was getting in the way.

But there were other factors involved, too, like the way her ex used to react to her. Vince was a photographer, and he was always critiquing the angles of her face or the lines of her body. Her mom was notorious for that, too. But not Tanner. He’d never told her how to look or act or feel. Mostly, he’d just smiled his approval.

Like now.

Her heart bumped again, and she offered him a seat at the dining room table. He gave her that body-warming smile, and she noticed that he had a manila envelope in his hand.

“Where’s Yogi?” he asked.

“She’s on a playdate with a friend.”

His smile shifted to a sideways grin. “Your pet lives a cool life.”

She warned herself to get down to business. Either that or make Tanner her pet, too. “Before I look over the paperwork, can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, water, juice?”

“Coffee sounds good. I take it black.”

She headed to the kitchen and brewed a single cup for him and tea for herself. She decided to put some muffins on a platter, too, arranging them just so.

Candy enjoyed being a hostess. One of the things she would miss most about her house was the parties she used to have here, particularly the outdoor gatherings. She’d designed her yard for entertaining guests, creating a homey atmosphere. She hoped Tanner would make good use of it, too.

She brought everything to the table. He thanked her for the coffee and took a sip.

She sat next to him. “Would you like a muffin? They’re orange spice and oatmeal. I baked them last night. They’re made from whole-grain flour.” She’d also put applesauce in the batter to keep them moist. “It’s a healthy recipe.”

“Sure. I’ll try one. So you’re the natural-food type? I remember when you used to eat french fries and drink milk shakes.”

“I still indulge in junk food now and then, but mostly I try to eat healthy. I’m a vegetarian now.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. You never liked burgers. You used to wince when I ordered mine rare.”

She winced accordingly, and he smiled once again. Mercy, she thought. A young, handsome, wealthy bachelor, soon to have an infant in tow. He’d been right about being a chick magnet. Even his fear of raising the baby would probably work in his favor. She didn’t doubt that women would be clamoring to come to his emotional rescue.

Was Candy turning into one of those women?

To keep herself from making goo-goo eyes at him—something he’d accused her of doing the last time he was here—she reached for the envelope he’d left on the table.

She opened it, and he bit into a muffin. He drank more of his coffee, too.

After she read the four-page purchase agreement, Tanner handed her the check for the deposit, and they both signed the paperwork. Everything they’d discussed was in there.

She said, “I’ll open an escrow account first thing in the morning.” It was too late to do it today. But once it was done, the escrow office would handle the rest of it, representing and protecting both parties involved. Candy had been through this before, only last time she’d been the buyer. Still, she understood the process.

He finished the muffin. “This is really good, by the way.”

“Thanks.” She was glad that he was enjoying the snack she’d made.

He reached for another muffin and broke it in half, dropping crumbs onto his napkin. “I saw Meagan this weekend, and she helped me decide between this place and another one. I described your guesthouse to her, but I also told her that I could see Ivy running around in your yard. It was a nice image for both of us.”

It warmed her soul to hear it. So much so, she wanted to lift her hand to his jaw and feel the masculine warmth of his skin. But she didn’t, of course.

Keeping things light, she said, “I wonder if Ivy will look like Meagan. She was such a cute kid.”

“She remembers you, how gorgeous she thought you were and how much she wanted to be like you. She even mentioned that there are some pictures of you and me in an old photo album. From what she said about them, I’m guessing they’re from my junior prom.”

Suddenly Candy felt seventeen again, or as close to it as a thirty-four-year-old could get. “That was a fun night.” Happy and starry and romantic.

“From what I can remember, your dress was red and the front of it was...” He made a curved motion.

She was surprised that he recalled something so specific. But she had a vivid recollection of it, too. “That was the first time I didn’t mind wearing a ball gown.” Because she hadn’t been gliding across a stage, being judged for her poise and grace. “It had a sweetheart neckline. That’s a popular design.”

“It looked spectacular on you. It revealed just enough cleavage to drive a poor boy like me wild. I think my tongue was lolling out of my mouth. When I wasn’t sticking it down your throat.”

Feeling far too free, she laughed. “The perils of youth.”

He laughed, too. “I called you Red Hots that night, after those spicy little red candies.”

“I was always some sort of candy to you.”

“The perils of your name.”

She smiled. “So it seems.”

“You really did look hot in that sweetheart dress.”

“It was certainly our fanciest date.” She hadn’t taken him to her junior prom because she’d had a pageant the same day, and those competitions had always come first. She hadn’t gone to her senior one for the very same reason. But by then, she and Tanner had broken up. Curious, she asked, “What was your other prom like?”

“What other prom?”

“Your senior one. Did you go? Was it everything it was supposed to be?”

“It was okay, I guess. I took a girl who was the party type, but that’s what I was into by then. Mostly we got drunk and passed out in the hotel room all of us had rented.”

“All of you?”

“The group I went with. It wasn’t a lone date, like yours and mine. And if it’s any consolation, I had a horrible hangover the next day. Oh, and I got cussed out by my dad. I don’t remember what it was about. I just remember him yelling at me over the phone.”

Candy barely knew Tanner’s father. He’d traveled for work and was hardly ever home. But when he was there, she’d noticed how the family had to jump to his tune. Obviously, it had only gotten worse after the divorce. “You’re going to be better with Ivy than he was with any of you.”

“I’m sure as hell going to try. Maybe I can get some pointers from Eric. He’ll understand the father/uncle thing. It’s probably the same in his tribe.”

“When do you plan to talk to him?”

“I don’t know. But I’d like to meet Dana, too.”

She had a brainstorm. “I can arrange for the four of us to get together. Maybe I can have a barbecue here next Sunday, if everyone is available. They can bring Jude, their son, so you can get used to being around a baby. Or a toddler, in his case. He’s around fifteen months. But he’s still within the age range that Ivy will be while she’ll be under your care.”

“That sounds great. I agree that it might take a little pressure off me to be around their son. I don’t know anyone else who has a baby.”

“I’ll call them tonight, and if they can come, then I’ll text you and let you know what time to be here on Sunday.”

“Sounds like a plan. I can bring some steaks for us meat eaters to toss on the grill, if that’s okay.”

“Dana and Eric are both meat eaters, so I was going to provide something for the carnivores, but if you want to do it, I don’t mind. I’ll make plenty of salads and side dishes.” She paused to think about what was in store for her. “If this barbecue happens, it’ll be my last hurrah.” Her final party at the house. “As soon as it’s over, I’ll have to start packing and putting things in storage. That thirty-day escrow is going to smack me upside the head if I’m not ready for it.”

“And that baby is going to knock me upside mine if I’m not ready for her.” He stood up, ending the visit. “Hopefully I’ll see all of you on Sunday.”

Candy came to her feet, as well. “I hope so, too.” She wanted to say goodbye to her house in a festive way, but she also wanted to make things easier for Tanner, giving him and Ivy a chance to flourish here.

Chapter Four

On the day of the barbecue, Tanner went to the market and picked up three porterhouse steaks. While he was at the store, he considered a hostess gift for Candy.

Maybe an assortment of candy in honor of his old nicknames for her? No, that wouldn’t do. She was too much of a healthy eater now. Besides, he didn’t want to make this about the past.

A bottle of wine? He shook his head. She might not even be serving alcohol at this get-together.

A bouquet of flowers? That didn’t seem right, either. She could pick flowers from her yard and put them in a vase if she wanted to. How about a potted plant, instead? Once again, he nixed it. A plant would be in the way while she was in transition from the move.

Finally it hit him: seeds. She could plant them when she was resettled and ready to start a new garden. Flowers, fruits, herbs, whatever he could find.

Pleased with the idea, he paid for the steaks, then checked his phone and located a nursery. Luckily, it was only a few blocks away.

He drove there, parked his truck and went into the main building, where he found an impressive display of seed packets. He selected them at random, hoping to get a nice variety.

He looked around and noticed a gift bag, already equipped with a bow, so he grabbed that, as well. Once he paid for everything, he put the seeds in the bag, ready to see Candy.

On his way to her house, he wondered if they were becoming friends, if this was the start of something new and fresh. And if it was, how would it affect the heat between them? Would their attraction get in the way? Or would they be able to rein it in?

By the time he turned onto her street and parked his truck, he was as confused as ever, unsure of what to expect when he was around her. But he wasn’t going to let it bog down his brain. Part of the reason she’d arranged the barbecue was to help him get comfortable in an environment where a baby was involved, and he was determined to do that.

He didn’t see Eric’s, car so he assumed that he and Dana weren’t here yet. There were quite a few other vehicles parked on the street, though. This was the type of neighborhood with lots of activity, especially on weekends.

After exiting his truck, he gathered his purchases, climbed the porch steps and noticed that the front door was open. Was that an invitation to enter without ringing the bell?

Splitting the difference, he knocked on the door frame, then poked his head in and called out, “It’s Tanner.”

No one replied. But maybe Candy was in the backyard, setting things up.

He stepped inside and Yogi came around the corner and flashed her big brown eyes. An untrained dog would have run out the door and down the street. This one obviously knew her boundaries.

“Hey, girl,” he said. “Where’s your mistress?”

She turned and looked in the direction of the kitchen.

Impressed, Tanner patted her head. It was like talking to Lassie. “Thanks. I’ll go on in there and give her the steaks I brought.” Yogi sniffed the market bag, and Tanner smiled. “I’ll give you some of mine after it’s cooked, if you’re allowed table scraps.”

On his way to the kitchen, he put the gift bag on the dining room table. He would give it to Candy in a little while, rather than hand it to her right away.

Upon entering the kitchen, he saw her at the counter, shucking corn. The butcher-block island was filled with food she’d already fixed: a relish platter, potato salad, diced fruit, cheese and crackers, chips, dips.

She was facing the window with her back to him. She was also listening to a music device that was clipped to her clothes and plugged into her ears.

She danced while she worked. A soft sway of her hips. The song must have been light and easy. He could have watched her all day. She was wearing a fitted top, khaki shorts and sandals. The bareness of her legs left him wanting more.

More skin. More of everything.

Guilty, he glanced around for the dog. Sure enough, Yogi was observing him while he admired Candy. Tanner made a sheepish expression. It was bad enough that he couldn’t control his attraction to her, let alone getting caught by a Labrador.

“Go tell her I’m here,” he said, making a motion he had no doubt the dog would understand.

Yogi did exactly what he asked and went over to Candy and nudged her leg.

Candy turned and spotted him, removing the buds from her ears. “Oh, my goodness. How long have you been there?”

“Not long.” Tanner tried to behave as if he hadn’t been ogling her. Thank goodness the dog couldn’t talk. “The door was open. I assumed it was okay.”

“It’s totally okay. But I lost track of time.” She glanced at the microwave clock.

He glanced at the clock, too. It was 2:11. The invitation was for two. “When do you think Eric and Dana are going to get here?”

She dusted the corn silk from her fingers. “They called a while ago and said they were going to be late. They wanted to be sure that Jude got his nap before they brought him over. Otherwise he gets more hyper than he already is.”

Jude was the kid who was supposed to make the baby thing easier, but he was starting to sound like a holy terror.

“He’s always into something,” Candy continued. “Perpetual motion, like his mother. But you’re going to adore him. Everyone does.”

Tanner decided he would just have to wait and see. He held up the market bag. “I brought the steaks. I promised Yogi a few bites of mine if she’s allowed.”

“She is, and I’m sure she’ll be eternally grateful. She doesn’t understand my tofu ways.”

“Can’t say as I blame her.” He looked at Yogi. She was dividing her gaze between him and Candy, watching them like a tennis match. He lifted the steaks a little higher. “Is it all right if I put these in the fridge?”

“Oh, here, let me do it.” She came forward and reached for the bag. “Where are my manners, just leaving you standing there like that?”

He didn’t mind standing there, as long she was nearby. He gestured to the center island. “Everything looks great.”

“Thanks. Making party food is fun.” She put away the steaks. “If you’re hungry, you can snack while we’re waiting for Eric and Dana.”

“That’s okay. I can wait.” The chips and dip were tempting, though. He was a sucker for guacamole, the spicier the better, and he suspected hers would have a nice little kick.

Still at the fridge, she asked, “How about some lemonade? It’s freshly squeezed.”

“Courtesy of the tree in the yard? I have no idea what I’m going to do with all of those lemons after I move in. Maybe I’ll bag them up and bring them to you.”

She poured him a glass. “I’d be glad to take them. I have a slew of recipes that involve lemons.”

He accepted the drink. “I don’t do much cooking. I plan to rely on the nanny for that. But I guess I’ll have to learn to fix a few meals when Ivy is old enough to eat solid food.” He shrugged, smiled. “To keep her from starving on the nanny’s days off.”

She smiled, too. “It’s easy to cook for little kids.”

“Unless Ivy turns out to be a picky eater.”

“Is Meagan a picky eater?”

“My sister is a picky everything. No, wait, strike that. She has no discretion when it comes to men.” Rather than get worked up about the baby’s deadbeat dad, he abruptly said, “I brought you a little something.”

“You did?”

“I left it on the dining table. I’ll go get it.”

He grabbed the gift bag, came back and handed it to her.

“This is lovely,” she said, looking at the bag.

“It came like that.” A floral design, topped with a curlicue bow. “I can’t take credit for it.”

She opened the bag and uncovered the seed packages. “Oh, Tanner, these are perfect. Thank you.”

“I figured you could plant them when the time felt right. I imagine you’ll want to have a garden at the next place you live.”

“I definitely will. Eric and Dana have a garden in their backyard that was inspired by mine. I can enjoy theirs while I’m staying with them, but I can’t stay there forever. I’ll need to create new roots for myself.” She sorted through the seeds. “I wonder what these combinations mean.”

“Mean?”

“Just about every plant or flower has a meaning. It’s called floriography. In the Victorian era, people used to communicate through the bouquets they exchanged. They used flower-language dictionaries to help them decipher the codes. I just started learning about it, and I’ve been thinking about planting my next garden that way, by grouping specific plants and flowers together to create messages.”

“That sounds fascinating. I like that idea.”

“Not all of the dictionaries were the same. Some flowers had several different meanings, depending on what dictionary was being used.”

“That could get confusing.”

“I suspect that some of the messages were deciphered incorrectly.” She studied the seed packages again. “I have a book about floriography. Should I look these up?”

“Sure.” Why not? He couldn’t begin to guess what sort of code would be unmasked. “I chose them randomly, so who knows what will surface?”

“The book is over there.” She headed for the antique cart in the corner. “I think it’s on the bottom shelf.” She bent down and scanned a grouping of books. “Here it is.”

Before she got started, he asked, “Will you look up the ivy plant and see if it’s in there?” He couldn’t help but wonder about the name Meagan had picked for her daughter.

Candy went straight to a glossary in the back. “Let’s see. Oh, here we go. Ivy. The first sentiment is ‘wedded love.’ But it also means ‘friendship.’”

He made a face. “Talk about a contradiction in terms. A man sends a woman a wreath of ivy because he regards her as a friend, and she assumes that he wants to marry her.”

She laughed a little. “That would be a disaster. But I prefer ‘wedded love.’ Most women would, I suppose.”

Most marriage-minded women, he thought, and apparently some divorced ones, too. He was already curious about her failed marriage, and now it was driven even deeper into his mind. But why wouldn’t it be, especially after the importance she’d placed all those years ago on being some future guy’s wife?

She shook the seed packet of a flowering shrub and said, “Let’s see what this means.” After checking the glossary, she pursed her lips. “It says, ‘I am dangerous.’”

“Is that supposed to apply to you or to me?”

“To you. The person giving the plant.” She searched his gaze, her eyes locking onto his. “So, are you, Tanner?”

Dangerous? A man capable of creating peril? How was he supposed to respond to something like that? “I guess it depends on how you define it.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t try to figure it out. Maybe it’s better to just take it at face value.”

And assume that he was? “What do the rest of the seeds mean?” Mundane things, he hoped. He didn’t like feeling that his character was on the line.

She went back to the book. “The next one is ‘protection from danger.’” Her voice turned light. “Oh, my goodness, how funny is that?”

Oddly funny. But he was grateful for the reprieve. “First I tell you I’m dangerous, then I offer you protection from danger. I’m quite a guy.”

“You certainly have a way with floriography.”

“So it seems.”

“Should I keep going?” she asked.

“You might as well.” He was too curious to stop now.

Again, she consulted the book. “Now you’re asking me to dance.”

“I am?”

“Yes. It says, ‘Will you dance with me?’”

“I saw you dancing by yourself earlier.”

Her cheeks flushed. “That was embarrassing.”

“I thought you looked cute. And there’s no need to be embarrassed around me. I’ve seen you dance by yourself before.”

She gave him a pointed look. “Performing on stage is different from assuming that you’re alone in your kitchen.”

He shrugged, trying to get himself off the hook. “As long as we’re talking dances, do you remember what kind of flowers that were on the corsage I gave you when I took you to the prom?”

“Yes, I remember. A girl doesn’t forget the first time a boy gives her a corsage.” She glanced at her wrist, as if the ornament was still there. “It was a white carnation with baby’s breath.”

“And what do those mean?”

She checked the glossary. “White carnations symbolize innocence.” After a slight pause, she added, “That’s what baby’s breath means, too.”

“Go figure. A dangerous boy and an innocent girl.” He was beginning to enjoy these messages, to see them in a whole new way. “Maybe there is something to this flower-language stuff.”

She closed the book with a soft whoosh, fluttering its pages. “You’re only saying that because I got stuck with the innocent mantle.”

“Would you rather have a wild mantle?” He waggled his eyebrows. “Just tell me what flower symbolizes a wanton woman, and I’ll give you one of those the next time I take you dancing.”

“You aren’t taking me anywhere, smarty.”

“According to the floriography, I already asked you to dance.” He bowed like a gentleman caller who was going to waltz her around the kitchen.

She laughed. “Go use your charms on someone else.”

“Don’t be hasty.” Still bent at the waist, he peered up at her. “Have you forgotten my offer of protection?”

“From the dangerous cad that you are?” She moved away from him. “I think it’s time for me to finish cleaning the corn.”

“Sure. Go ahead. Just let me suffer here alone.”

She rolled her eyes and returned to the sink. “I’m sure you’ll survive.”

All jokes aside, now he wanted to take her dancing. He wanted to sweep her off to bed, too, to lose himself in her innocence or wildness or whatever role she chose to play. Of course, he’d already surmised that she wasn’t the play-around type. That didn’t stop him from wishing otherwise, though.

Now Tanner needed a diversion, something to take his mind off doing bad things to her. “I think I’ll grab some chips and dip.”

He prepared a plate and stood off to the side, trying to clear the sexual toxins from his pores. But it didn’t work. The spices in the guacamole were as sizzling as he’d assumed they would be, making his blood hotter.

She went back to the corn, leaving him to his own devices. He drank the rest of his lemonade, wishing he could douse himself with it instead.

Luckily, Eric and Dana and their son soon arrived, and Tanner gladly redirected his focus.

He and Eric shook hands, and introductions were made. Dana said hello and offered a big smile. She was a shapely blonde who appeared to be in her mid-to-late twenties, whereas Eric was in his forties. Tanner hadn’t expected an age difference. But it didn’t matter. They looked natural together.

As for Jude, he was a cute little pistol, with his father’s Native coloring and his mother’s bright blue eyes. He squirmed and laughed and tried to leap out of Dana’s arms to get to Candy.

“Canny!” he squealed in his toddler speak.

“Jude!” she replied with equal enthusiasm and reached for him. Just as quickly, he was looped around her, puckering up for a kiss. Smack. Smack. The exchange was deliberately loud and admirably sweet.

“He adores her,” Dana said with pride.

Tanner merely nodded. He couldn’t seem to stop watching them. Jude rested his head against Candy’s shoulder and flashed a set of devilish dimples. In that cozy instant, Tanner wondered, once again, why she hadn’t had kids of her own. But mostly he wondered about her ex and why their marriage had gone south.

“Is everyone ready to barbecue?” Candy asked, adjusting the imp in her arms.

“Yes, let’s do it,” Dana replied, reaching for a platter.

Eric helped carry the food, too. He also offered to fire up the grill, and he and his wife went outside together. Yogi followed them out the door. Somewhere between the floriography and Eric’s family arriving, Tanner had lost track of the dog.

And now he and Candy were alone in the kitchen with the other couple’s child. Jude was still nuzzled against her shoulder, using it like a pillow.

The boy cocked his head and pointed to Tanner. “You?”

“Me?”

“He wants to know your name,” Candy said.

Tanner cleared his throat. He didn’t know how to have a conversation with a toddler. Too many years had passed since Meagan was little, and as vivid as his memories about Ella were, she was too young to have started talking before she died.

He gave it his best shot. “I’m Tanner.”

“Tanny,” the boy replied.

Canny for Candy, and Tanny for him. Was Jude lumping them together in his young mind? Should he correct him?

Tanner looked to Candy for help. But she was biting back a grin, as if she thought it was funny. He was outnumbered. He’d probably been outsmarted, too. For all he knew, Jude was a prodigy who could speak like a scholar.

The three of them went outside to join Eric and Dana, and the barbecue got under way.

Eric cooked the steaks. He also placed the tofu kebabs Candy had fixed for herself on the grill.

When they sat down to eat, Jude reached for his mother, then his father, then went back to Candy, taking turns on each adult’s lap. Tanner was getting dizzy just watching him. It was like musical chairs without the music.

As he watched the scene unfold, he felt slighted that he’d been left out. Yet he was relieved, too. He had mixed emotions about being part of Jude’s hold-me circle. He wasn’t sure if he could’ve handled it. But that didn’t stop him from analyzing every move the little tyke made.

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