The Bachelor's Baby Dilemma

“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.

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