Читать книгу The Bachelor's Baby Dilemma - Sheri WhiteFeather - Страница 9

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.