LITMIR.BIZ

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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.

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