For the Love of Ivy - Cindy Kirk Page 0,51

demanded.

“The decision was based on personal issues,” Seth said.

“Seth has a daughter,” Adam volunteered. “She’s seven or eight.”

“Ivy’s seven.” Lauren smiled the way she always did when Ivy’s name came up.

“Ah, you have a child.” Edmund shook his head. “The death knell of most careers.”

“I wouldn’t trade my daughter for any degree.” Seth spoke slowly and deliberately so there could be no mistaking his meaning. “I’m sure you understand.”

“I was older than you are now when Lauren was born.” Edmund sounded affronted that Seth would even compare their situations. “Both Margaret and I were well established in our careers. Even so, Lauren’s birth had an impact.”

Seth opened his mouth to ask Edmund if it was worth it, but shut it without speaking. After listening to Lauren’s father all evening, he wasn’t sure the response he’d get would be a positive one.

“What my father is trying to say is it’s not a choice he’d have made.” Lauren placed her fork on her plate.

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Lauren.”

“I’m only speaking the truth. You’ve told me since I was a little girl that you never wanted me. You said as much tonight.”

“I admit that when your mother found out she was pregnant, I had reservations.” Edmund spoke as if he was discussing a mathematical equation rather than his daughter. “A prudent person considers all options. But we’re proud of you and the direction your life is taking.”

Seth found it interesting that Edmund felt it worth considering all options when faced with an unwanted pregnancy, but not when it came to his daughter’s career preferences.

“Thank goodness she didn’t go the hausfrau route, eh, Edmund?” Adam joked.

“A daughter of mine would never settle for such a pedestrian lifestyle.” Edmund lifted one hand in a dismissive wave. “If she did, she wouldn’t be my daughter.”

Lauren spent the next three days trying to put the dinner with her father out of her mind. Only once during the disastrous evening had Edmund shown any real interest in her, and that was when he’d been extolling the virtues of the position he’d handpicked for her. Otherwise he’d mostly ignored her.

Thank goodness Seth had offered to join them. With the handsome cowboy by her side, her father’s behavior hadn’t hurt as it usually did. Lauren’s only regret was that she hadn’t told Seth how much his support had meant. She’d thought to do it over breakfast, but he’d left early the next morning to attend a cattleman’s convention.

The rancher who was originally supposed to speak had come down with laryngitis and Seth had been asked to fill in. Before he agreed, Seth had asked Lauren if she felt comfortable handling Ivy on her own. She assured him she’d be fine. The little girl had made a quicker-than-expected recovery and was now walking easily on her rocker-boot. It wouldn’t be long until she was independent again. That knowledge made Lauren determined to savor every minute of their remaining time together.

This love of children was something new Lauren had discovered about herself. She’d never thought much about kids. Before her stint as Ivy’s nanny, she’d have said she wasn’t sure she wanted children. Or marriage. But her time with the Anderssen family had profoundly changed her.

Right now, her favorite seven-year-old was in the family room reading while Lauren and Kim Sizemore sat at the kitchen table lingering over cups of tea. Kim’s phone message this morning requesting a counseling session had been as unexpected as Seth’s call to go out of town. With Seth gone and only her and Ivy’s schedule to work around, Lauren had called the accountant back and told her to come right over.

The session had ended but Lauren sensed something still preyed on the woman’s mind.

Kim broke off a piece of shortbread cookie. “I heard Seth is coming home today.”

“He should be here by suppertime.” Lauren couldn’t stop the smile that rose to her lips.

Kim took a sip of tea and gazed at Lauren over the rim of the cup. “Loretta Barbee mentioned he was out of town. How long has he been gone?”

“He left the day before yesterday.” The fifty-five hours he’d been gone so far—not that she was counting—had felt like an eternity. How insane was that?

When Anna and Stacie had talked about missing their husbands, Lauren had been skeptical. So they were gone for a few days. Big deal. Her mother didn’t see her father for months at a time. Missing him had never been an issue.

Lauren missed Seth with a longing bordering