The Lion and the Ladybug — Jill Penrod

When eight year-old Leo Jansen watches Meg Kenton move in across the street, he has no idea the bossy girl will become his best friend. She is pink and sunshine and boldness, and while Leo's family falls apart, her world is his sanctuary. Then she leaves for two years that becomes four, and Leo's life goes to pieces.After Meg returns, lonely and doubting her worth, she looks for the boy who used to be her friend. She finds a young man she doesn't recognize, a mean, rough troublemaker who can't stand her. Yet she's drawn to him, and she asks God to help her reach the old Leo she used to know. She's certain he's still in there somewhere.But Leo is guarding dangerous secrets, and should Meg get too close, she'll figure them out. If he doesn't do something to get rid of her, the last strands of his existence will come apart. And yet he wants to be the boy she's looking for, not the monster he needs her to see. With the help of the garden and Meg's parents, who understand all too well the hardships of growing up, maybe Meg can save Leo's life, and he can turn around and rescue her heart.The Lion and the Ladybug is book two in the Terry's Garden series, tales about a love that touches generations and a garden where God heals broken hearts.