Single Mom, Billionaire Boss Read online

  “All right.” She didn’t want to make waves, even if it was for working too hard. “I’m taking a break right now, talking to you.”

  “I suppose you are.” He swept his gaze over her. “So how are your lunch visits with Ivy? Is she enjoying the day care?”

  “Yes, she’s settling in beautifully. She’s excited to go to work with me and play with her new friends at school. But she keeps asking me about the horses. She wants to see them.”

  “Then bring her here and show her around.”

  “That would be okay?”

  “Sure. You can bring her here today, if you want to, after your shift.”

  “She would love that.” Meagan dusted her hands on her jeans, debating whether to tell him how interested her daughter was in him. But for her child’s sake, she went ahead and said it. “Ivy hasn’t just been asking me about the horses—she’s also been asking me about you.”

  “She has?” He sounded surprised. “What did she say?”

  “She’s been wondering why you haven’t come back to the day care to see her.”

  “Really?” He squinted, but he smiled a little, too. “I thought about checking up on her, but I didn’t think it was my place.”

  “Are you kidding? She would be thrilled. She keeps asking, ‘Where Garry?’ Apparently, you made quite an impression with how attentive you were to her. I also think you remind her of Tanner. Your hair is the same color as his, and you have a similar height and build. She’s really close to him, so it would stand to reason that she would feel comfortable around you, too.”

  “If you bring her here after you get off work, I’ll probably be here anyway, finishing up my ride, as late in the day as it is now. Then we can all look at the horses together.”

  “Okay. Sure.” Meagan’s heart hadn’t quit pounding, and now it was really racing up a storm. Doing something “together” with Garrett and Ivy seemed sweetly intimate. Her fantasies about him had begun to progress in ways she’d never expected. “I want Ivy to meet Ho-Dad most of all.”

  “He certainly likes you.” Garrett glanced at the horse and then back at her. “I’m going to go for my ride now. I’ll catch you and Ivy later.”

  “Yes, later.” She watched him walk away, much too excited about seeing him again.

  Four

  When Garrett returned to the barn, Meagan wasn’t there. But he figured she was probably picking up her daughter and would arrive soon. He gave his horse to one of the other stable hands and waited out front.

  He was flattered that Ivy had been asking about him, but should he really be doing this?

  No, he thought, he shouldn’t be. But he couldn’t ditch Meagan or her kid. That would be cruel to the child. And to Meagan, too.

  But he wasn’t supposed to give a damn about Meagan. He was only doing this for Ivy, he told himself. She deserved all the breaks she could get.

  And Meagan didn’t? His mother would argue the point. Even Jake and Max weren’t as pissed about the embezzlement as he was. But his foster brothers hadn’t wanted to date Meagan, either. They’d barely even known her. It was different for Garrett. She’d tricked him into liking her.

  Was she tricking him again? Or was he just overreacting to the past? He honestly didn’t know.

  Meagan arrived and pulled into the parking lot. While she parked her car, he stood in the dirt, releasing the air in his lungs and gearing up for this little get-together he’d initiated.

  Meagan exited the vehicle and removed Ivy from the backseat. As soon as the toddler saw him, she shot him a chubby-cheeked smile. She was wearing the same frilly pink boots he’d seen her in before.

  “Garry!” she said, as he moved closer to her.

  “Hello, Princess Ivy,” he replied.

  She extended both arms, and he assumed that she wanted him to pick her up. He looked at Meagan, making sure it was all right with her. She nodded, and just like that, he was holding Ivy, as if he’d been doing it ever since she was an infant.

  “See horsies?” she asked him.

  “Yes. We’re going to see them.”

  They entered the barn, and Ivy oohed and ahhed over everything. Even horse turds excited this kid. She squirmed a lot, like children her age typically did. Garrett had to keep a secure hold on her. He even danced her around a bit, making her laugh.

  As they stopped at Ho-Dad’s stall, he wondered what it would be like to get this close to Meagan, to dance with her, too, which was about the worst thought he could’ve had.

  Dancing with Meagan was off the table. Way off the table. No way in hell was he going to put himself in a situation like that. He was supposed to be over his interest in her.

  “This is Ho-Dad,” she told her daughter. “He’s my favorite.”

  “Him a daddy?” Ivy asked, leaning forward in Garrett’s arms to check out the big bay.

  “No, that’s just his name,” Meagan replied.

  Ivy made a perplexed face. “Him no daddy?”

  “No, sweetheart, he’s not. Geldings are boys, but they aren’t daddies.”

  Ivy decided otherwise. “Yes, him is.”

  Garrett exchanged a glance with Meagan, and they both smiled. Ho-Dad was as low-key as it got, a far cry from the stud Ivy was making him out to be.

  “Do you want to pet him?” Garrett asked her.

  She nodded, and he explained how to stroke the horse’s neck, but she already knew. Her uncle Tanner must have taught her. She was cautious and gentle, which was a valuable lesson. Some horses spooked when you came at them. Ho-Dad, however, loved being touched. You could go right for his nose, and he wouldn’t care. He thrived on any kind of affection.

  She called the gelding “Daddy” while she petted him.

  And suddenly Garrett thought about the man who’d fathered Ivy and what a jerk he was, cutting this precious child out of his life. But he wasn’t going to say that to Meagan, at least not in front of Ivy.

  Yet somehow that didn’t stop him from blurting out the truth about his own missing father. “I’ve never met my dad.”

  Meagan turned to look at him. “You haven’t?”

  “No. He was a college student at Oklahoma State, which is near the area where my mother is from. They dated for about a year, but when she got pregnant, he didn’t want any part of it. He left town soon after that, and she never saw him again.”

  “Does she know where he went?”

  Garrett shook his head. “She didn’t try to track him down, but she assumed that he transferred to another school somewhere. It’s tough to say where he is now or if he ever got married or has any other kids. But I don’t care. I’m not interested in knowing him.”

  “I don’t blame you.” Meagan crinkled her forehead. “Do you think your mother loved him or was it more of a casual relationship?”

  “I have no idea. She never talked about it, and I never asked.”

  “My mom loved my dad, far more than she should have. She used to cry about the divorce, even years later, wishing he would come back to her.” She paused. “I think her desperation influenced me in the way I took to Neil and all of the crazy stuff I did for him.”

  Garrett was curious to know more about her relationship with Neil, but he didn’t question her about it, not while he was holding the other man’s child.

  Ivy stopped petting Ho-Dad and put her head on Garrett’s shoulder. He adjusted her to a more comfortable position, letting her use him as a pillow.

  Meagan watched how gently he handled her daughter and smiled. Garrett felt her admiration all the way to the pit of his stomach.

  “Why were you in foster care?” she asked after a pause.

  He quietly replied, “My mother was sick when I was a kid, and there were times that she couldn’t take care of me.” He gave her the condensed versio
n, keeping the painful details to himself. He’d spent a good portion of his childhood worrying that his mom was going to die.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Is she well now?”

  “As well as can be expected. She has an autoimmune disease, so sometimes she still suffers from it.”

  “Does she live with you?”

  “No. She lives at the hotel. She likes it there.” He frowned. “I shouldn’t be telling you all of this about her.”

  “Why? Because you’re concerned I might contact her? I promise that I won’t. But did you relay my message to her?”

  “Not yet.” He had too much else going on. “I’ll do it after I get back from this next trip.”

  “I appreciate that. I really want your mom to know how grateful I am to her for her involvement in all of this.”

  “Yeah, I know.” But “all of this,” as she put it, was getting more complicated than he’d bargained for. Already he was sharing details about himself that he hadn’t intended to reveal.

  He changed the subject to something less personal. “Have you given any more thought to getting back on a horse?”

  “I’m still considering it.”

  “You should ride Ho-Dad. You’ve already established a rapport with him, and he’s a gentle old soul. He’d be a great mount for you, starting over the way you would be.”

  “That’s good to know. Because he would be my first choice, too.” She gazed at Ivy nuzzled against Garrett. “She looks content.”

  He warned himself, for the umpteenth time, that he was getting closer to Meagan and her daughter than he should be. “Yes, she does. But maybe you should take her now.” He transferred Ivy into her mother’s arms, hoping the separation would help.

  But it didn’t. When it came time for them to leave, he didn’t want them to go.

  He walked Meagan back outside. By now, the child was nodding off, her head drooping forward.

  “It must be nap time,” he said.

  Meagan nodded. “She can nap just about anywhere. She’s fussier at bedtime. She cries if she’s not in her crib at Tanner and Candy’s. I live in a cottage in the back, but Ivy hasn’t moved in with me yet.” When they got to Meagan’s car, she double-checked the buckle on the car seat, making sure it was latched. “For now, I’m tucking her in each night at their house, so she gets used to me being the one who reads her a story and puts her to bed.”

  He glanced at Ivy. Her eyes were completely closed. “She sure is a sweet kid.”

  “Thank you.” Meagan smiled. “And thank you for spending this time with us. It meant a lot to Ivy, and to me, too.”

  Damn. This goodbye was drilling a cozy little hole inside his heart. “Be safe on your way home.”

  “We will.”

  She got behind the wheel and started the engine. After she drove away, he remained at the stables, immersed in a stream of warmth he didn’t want to feel.

  * * *

  Meagan spent Saturday afternoon with Candy at a bridal salon, where Candy was hoping to find a wedding dress. Dana Reeves was there, too. She was a happy-go-lucky blonde, a self-proclaimed “bohemian” with a fresh and fun nature. She was also Candy’s best friend and the matron of honor.

  The date had been set for three months from now, and there was a lot of preparation in the works. The ceremony would be held at Tanner’s stables and riding academy, where there was plenty of outdoor space, as well as a banquet hall that had been built for special events.

  Meagan and Dana were waiting for Candy to come out of the fitting room. A salesgirl—or consultant, as they were called here—had gone in there with her and was helping with all of the buttons, lace and bows. Candy had already tried on a batch of gowns and none of them had been quite right, so she was trying on another round of dresses for them to view.

  “I’ve never been to a bridal shop or participated in a wedding before,” Meagan said.

  “Really?” Dana smiled, her blues eyes sparkling. “How exciting this must be for you.” She shifted in her seat. “Did you know that Candy hosted my wedding?”

  “No, I didn’t.” All Meagan knew was that Dana’s husband’s name was Eric, and they had a young son they called Jude. He was the kid who’d come up with the Canny and Tanny nicknames that Ivy used. “Was it at the house where she and Tanner are now?”

  “Yes, in the garden. But it was before she sold the place to him or they started seeing each other again.”

  Meagan nodded. Tanner had purchased the property from Candy when he was looking for a house with a guesthouse that would accommodate Meagan after she got out of prison. At the time, Candy had been going through a financial struggle and couldn’t afford to keep her home.

  Dana smiled once again. “I like thinking of you being in the guesthouse. I used to live there, too. I was Candy’s tenant way back when. That’s how we met.”

  “I wasn’t aware of that.” Meagan hadn’t considered how Candy and her BFF had gotten to know each other.

  “For me it was a magical place, like an enchanted cottage.”

  “It does have that vibe.” Meagan couldn’t deny that she felt that way about it, too. She just wished that Ivy was staying there with her. But in time she would be. Then it would be even more enchanted.

  “I brought Eric there on our first date.” Dana all but swooned. Beneath the store’s bright lights, her pale yellow hair was shining. Her fair skin seemed almost iridescent, too. “It was one of the most romantic nights of my life.” Dana leaned closer. “Maybe some of it will rub off on you.”

  Meagan felt the other woman’s shoulder brush hers, as if the “rubbing off” was happening already.

  Naturally, her mind drifted to Garrett. Every time she thought about the paternal way in which he held Ivy, she could barely breathe. Exchanging glances with him left her breathless, too. She used to wonder if he was as attracted to her as she was to him, but now she was pretty darned sure that he was.

  Maybe it was better that he was going to be gone this coming week. Maybe she could use that time to start riding again and try to free her mind. Of course, once he returned, she would probably get all fluttery over him again.

  Dana watched her for a second and then said, “I hope Candy finds just the right dress.”

  Grateful for the change of topic, Meagan asked, “Did you wear a traditional gown at your wedding?”

  “No. But Candy helped me shop for it. We went to vintage stores because I wanted to keep the cost down. And I love those old styles. It was a cocktail dress from the 1970s, with multicolored jewels on it in the shapes of daisies.”

  Meagan’s heart bumped in her chest. “Daisies?”

  “Yes. I got these really cool hairpins to match, too. And then Eric surprised me with an Edwardian daisy-cluster ring.” Dana held out her left hand. “See? It goes with my wedding band. He had them soldered together.”

  “It’s beautiful.” The ring consisted of a series of natural-cut diamonds forming a single daisy, reminding Meagan of the flower Garrett had given her. Only the ring looked to be an English daisy, whereas the variety she’d received had been a gerbera. “Candy taught me a little bit about the floriography she’s been studying.”

  “It’s interesting, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” Meagan had discovered that Candy was going to use white roses in her wedding. They represented unity and love.

  A few minutes later, the bride-to-be emerged from the fitting room. She stepped up onto the platform to show them the silk dress she was wearing, and Meagan and Dana gasped in unison.

  The strapless gown had a mermaid silhouette, with a sweetheart neckline, a keyhole design in back and lace embellishments. The design was stunning on Candy: classic elegance with a court train.

  “I love it,” Dana said.

  “Me, too,” Meagan chimed in.

 
; “So do I.” Candy swirled, making the hem swish. “I just found my dress.”

  “You most definitely did.” Dana got teary eyed.

  Meagan’s eyes misted, too. “You’re going to be the most gorgeous bride ever. My brother is going to love how you look in it.”

  “Thank you.” Candy gazed at herself in the three-way mirror. “It needs a nip here and tuck there.” She glanced at the consultant, who stood nearby, ready to help. “But you’ll take care of that.”

  “Yes, we most certainly will” came the woman’s reply. “And you can order a matching jacket for it, if you want.”

  “I should probably do that, with it being a winter wedding.” Candy turned back around. “I’m so excited.”

  “As you should be.” Dana approached the platform, gazing up at her friend. “Now all you need is something borrowed and something blue.”

  Candy seemed to think about it for moment. Then she replied, “I can slip a blue rose into my bouquet. All white roses, except for one blue one.”

  “I’ve never seen a blue rose,” Meagan said. Not that she was an authority on what colors they came in. She was just learning about flowers only now.

  “They’re not found in nature,” Candy told her. “Horticulturists have been working on it for years, but the results always look sort of purplish, rather than a deep, rich blue. So if I want that type of pigment, it’ll have to be dyed.”

  Curious to know more, Meagan asked, “Do they have a floriography meaning?”

  “Not in the Victorian dictionary, but they’ve acquired one since then. The unattainable dream.” Candy swayed in her dress. “Only I’ll be realizing my dream by marrying Tanner, so adding a blue rose to my bouquet will signify something truly extraordinary for us.”

  “That’s a wonderful sentiment.” Meagan loved the idea. Everything about it just seemed so right. But it was especially exciting when Candy decided that the rest of the women in the bridal party should also carry one. It made Meagan feel as if someday something extraordinary could happen to her, too.

  * * *

  When Garrett returned from his trip, he stopped by his mom’s penthouse to see her. She lived on the top floor of the hotel, with a view of the ocean. Her place was cluttered with knickknacks: scented candles, polished stones, glass figurines in the forms of fantasy creatures. Everywhere he looked, he saw dragons, fairies and unicorns. She practiced the old Cheyenne ways, but she dabbled in metaphysical-type stuff, too. In that regard, she was a bit of an enigma. Then again, so was he. His beliefs were as abstract as hers, but that was how she’d raised him.