“Did you have fun today?” she asked. “What did you and Clara and Lily do?”
“Mr. Teddy showed us the goats,” Ivy said. “Tiny baby ones, too.”
Eden smiled. “Baby goats?”
“They make funny sounds. And crawl.” Ivy looked at Lily. “Better than Lily.”
Lily smiled at Ivy, reaching out to grab Ivy’s hand. She adored her big sister.
“What else did you do?” Eden asked.
“Feed them,” Ivy said, poking Lily’s nose with her pointer finger. Lily giggled, closing her eyes every time Ivy touched her nose.
“What do they eat?” Eden asked, smiling at her girls.
“Corn,” Ivy said. “We having corn, too. Come on.” She wriggled out of Eden’s hold and grabbed her hand. “Come on. Dinner’s ready.”
“Oh.” Eden stood, shifting Lily to her hip, and followed Ivy across the main living room and through a thick wooden door.
Clara was setting the long wooden table while Mr. Boone was placing cups on the place mats.
“Can I help?” Eden asked, struck once more by the crackling dynamic between Teddy Boone and her more-mother-than-nanny.
“No.” Clara frowned at her. “You sit and let us take care of you.”
Eden counted seven plates. “We’re not eating in the dining room?” she asked. “I’d hate to intrude on your family.”
Teddy Boone laughed. “No intrusion. It’s mostly me and my daughter, Renata, these days. Archer sometimes, when he remembers to eat. The rest of my sons have wives and kids. Lots of kids.”
“But no granddaughters,” Clara said, shaking her head.
Eden laughed. “How many?”
Teddy brought a large pitcher of tea to the table. “Let’s see. Hunter and Josie have one so far. Fisher and Kylee have two. And Kylee’s little brother, Shawn. And Ryder and Annabeth have three. Doc had told Annabeth they were having twins and one was a girl. I can’t tell you how relieved Ryder was when they were both boys. Not sure he could handle being daddy to a girl—he used to be quite the ladies’ man, you see.”
“So you have five children?” Eden asked, bouncing Lily on her knee.
Teddy nodded. “Four boys, one girl. Renata and Fisher are twins. You’ve met Renata?”
She nodded. “She’s very nice.”
“She is that.” Teddy beamed with pride. “She’s her mother made over. Never met a stranger. Never had a mean word to say about a person.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t think them every once in a while,” Renata Boone said as she entered the kitchen. “Thanks for singing my praises, Dad.” She hugged her father and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Eden watched, moved by the show of love and appreciation between father and daughter. She and her father had been close when she was little. But the last few years Jason Monroe had changed. Now he didn’t believe in giving out praise or attention unless it was warranted. And apparently, Eden had yet to earn either. Something she was determined to change. She saw how it was between her father and brother, how easy their relationship was. If she kept trying, kept working, she’d have that, too—she just couldn’t give up.
“Who are these two adorable young ladies?” Renata stared down at Ivy. “You are without a doubt the cutest thing I have ever seen.”
“Tank you,” Ivy said. “You pretty.”
“Thank you,” Renata answered. “So are you. I’m Renata. Who are you?”
“I’m Ivy.”
Renata held her hand out. “Nice to meet you, Ivy. I can tell by looking at you that Eden’s your mom. Pretty momma, pretty babies.”
Ivy nodded. “And that’s Lily, my sister. She can’t crawl yet. And she doesn’