at the picture and said, “Those embody friendship. But they can mean sadness and someone needing protection, too.”
“All of that works.” The sadness Meagan had been feeling that day, the friendship Garrett had offered, the protection she’d needed from her crazy life with Neil. She doubted that Garrett knew any of this. Still, the fact that he’d given her a flower with those meanings gave her goose bumps.
Candy took back the iPad and set it aside. “Isn’t it funny how things like that present themselves?”
“Yes.” A strange kind of funny. Now she wished that she hadn’t disposed of the daisy. If she’d held onto it, it would have been stored with the rest of her belongings. Tanner had kept Meagan’s things for her, along with items that had belonged to their mother.
Feeling far too emotional, she glanced at her daughter. Ivy was still playing with the dog, stretching out on the floor and lifting her stubby little legs in the air.
Candy watched the child, too. Then she said, “Tanner and I are going to set the date for the wedding. As you know, we’ve been waiting to get married so you could be there, and now that you’re home, we figured we should start planning it. I want you to be one of my bridesmaids, and I promise I won’t make you wear an ugly dress.” The bride-to-be smiled. “We’ll choose something that you feel glamorous in.”
Meagan hadn’t felt glamorous in a very long time. “What about a dress for you? It’s going to be your special day. That’s the dress that really matters.”
“Will you help me shop for it?”
“Yes, of course. I’d love to. And I’m honored that you want me to be in your wedding.”
“Ivy and Yogi are going to be in it, too. They’re both going to be flower girls. I figured that they could walk down the aisle together, but if Ivy falters and runs ahead, that’s okay. Tanner and I want the ceremony to be fun.”
Meagan smiled, warmed by the thought. She glanced at her daughter again, overwhelmed by how beautiful she was. “That’s sweet, and I’m sure Ivy will love it.”
Candy sent her a comforting look. “It won’t be long before she gets comfortable staying at your house, Meagan.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes, I’m sure of it. You’re an amazing mother, and she’s going to need you more and more as time goes on.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“Do you want to stay for dinner tonight?” Candy asked. “Or would you rather go back to your place and unwind?”
“I’d like to stay.” Being in a family setting felt good, and Meagan knew how important it was for her to spend as much time with Ivy as possible. “After dinner, I can bathe Ivy and read her a story and tuck her in.” They weren’t living together yet, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be part of her child’s bedtime. “I should probably start doing that every night, so she gets used to me putting her to bed.”
“That’s a great idea.” Candy shifted her gaze, glancing in the direction of the kitchen. “I’ll make a chicken-and-rice casserole for you and Tanner and Ivy.”
“That sounds good. But what are you going to eat?” Her brother’s fiancée was vegetarian.
“I’ll whip up a spinach soufflé. Of course you guys can eat that, too.”
“Does Ivy like spinach?”
“It’s one of her favorites.”
“That’s good to know.” Meagan was just learning how to interact with her daughter on a daily basis and that included becoming accustomed to her food habits. “I can help with the meal. I’m out of practice, but I like to cook.”
“Did your mom teach you?”
“Yes.” Meagan turned toward the fireplace, where a framed photo of her mother was, amid a grouping of other pictures. “I miss her every day.”
Candy sighed. “I had a difficult relationship with my mom when I was growing up, but things are good between us now. She adores Tanner and Ivy. She can’t wait for me to have kids of my own, too. Whenever she babysits Ivy, she mentions it.”
“I’m glad that Ivy is inspiring her to want grandbabies.” Meagan knew that Candy had been pregnant once and had miscarried, but that was years ago, when she was married to someone else—a man who hadn’t treated her right.
In that respect, Meagan and Candy were alike. They’d both survived controlling relationships. But now Candy had Tanner, the love of her life and the person she was meant to be with.
If the possibility existed, Meagan hoped that someday she would find someone special, too. But at this stage of her life, she was a single mother and brand-new parolee, taking one step at a time on the road to redemption.
* * *
In the evening, when Meagan’s brother came home from work, Ivy was thrilled to see him.
The instant he opened the door she dashed over to him, calling his name as she knew it. “Tanny! Tanny!”
He scooped her up and gave her a loud smacking kiss. The child giggled and looped her arms around his neck.
Meagan lingered in the background and watched the exchange. At six-three, Tanner was a striking man, with short black hair and slate-gray eyes. Today he was dressed in Western riding gear. He was a darned fine uncle. He’d earned Ivy’s love and respect.
Candy heard the commotion and came around the corner, moving forward to greet her fiancé. He kissed her, as well, only it wasn’t as noisy as the playful peck he’d bestowed upon Ivy.
“Hey, sis,” Tanner said, when he noticed Meagan standing there. “How’d the job stuff go?”
She stepped forward, keeping her response simple. “Good. I’ll be starting on Monday.”
He smiled and shifted Ivy in his arms. “You’re going to do great.”
Putting on a brave front, she returned his smile. But deep inside, her nerves were fluttering, a reminder of how working at Garrett’s resort was making her feel. “I’m certainly going to try.”
“Meagan is staying for dinner,” Candy said. “She helped me cook. We’ve got casseroles in the oven.”
“Cool.” Tanner sounded pleased. “We can all hang out together.” He put Ivy on her feet, and the child toddled off to dig through a basket of toys that was in the living room.
Tanner disappeared, probably to shower and change, and Candy bustled around, setting the table and filling the water glasses.
“Can I help with anything else?” Meagan asked her.
“No, thanks. I’ve got it under control. You can just relax.”
“Okay. Then I’ll stay right here.” Meagan sat on the floor next to her daughter, using the extra time to try to keep bonding with her.
Ivy
