“Hmm.” Ivy shifted slightly next to him and made a sighing noise that indicated she was coming out of her slumber.
Jack couldn’t help feeling disappointed. He enjoyed watching her sleep. Still, when those blue eyes opened and immediately locked on him, he was ready to move on to the next phase of their morning. “Hey, honey.”
She offered up a sleepy smile. “Hey. So ... what did you think of Aruba?”
“I think I liked Hawaii better, but it was nice.”
“Yeah.” She stretched her arms over her head and then rolled so she was practically on top of him. “I like the dream honeymoon shopping.”
“Me, too.” He stroked his hand down the back of her hair. She always looked as if she’d been stuck in a wind tunnel upon waking. She wasn’t fond of the look, but he couldn’t get enough of it. “I liked the fruity drinks.”
“Yeah. They were good.” She kissed his bare chest and then rested her cheek on top of his heart. “I’m kind of mad.”
The swift conversational shift threw him. “About Aruba? It was just a suggestion.”
“Not that.” Her fingers danced lightly over his skin. “I’m mad about my mother.”
Jack tried to swallow his sigh ... and failed. He should’ve expected this. “I thought her apology was nice. It seemed heartfelt.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “Not that. I was fine with that ... although she could’ve groveled for your forgiveness a bit more. I’m talking about the way she was with me.”
“Ah.” Jack’s lips quirked. “You mean when she looked up ways for you to avoid getting in a confrontation with the other community service people and suggested not making eye contact and rolling into a ball on the ground should an altercation break out?”
“Pretty much.”
“I thought it was kind of funny.”
“You would.” Ivy was feeling petulant when she lifted her head again. “She was kind of mean.”
“I think she’s worried and she sometimes says things before thinking about them when fear takes over. I know someone else who shares that trait with her.”
Ivy made a face. “Are you saying I’m like my mother?”
Her dour expression told him he was in the danger zone. “Of course not. You’re nothing like your mother. Perish the thought.”
“Oh, whatever.” Ivy moved to roll off him, but he held tight. “Now I’m mad at you. Let me go.”
He held firm. “I love you and you need to get over this thing with your mother. She’s not always easy. Neither are you, though, and it’s not every day that a mother finds out her daughter was convicted of a crime. It’s not like it was in the newspaper or anything ... although, I can’t figure out why Max didn’t tell her.”
“He didn’t tell her because he wanted to wait and drop the bomb when I was there for maximum effect.”
“That sounds like a conspiracy theory.”
“Is it a conspiracy if they really are out to get you?”
Amused, he lightly pinched her rear end. “You are my favorite person in the world. Have I ever told you that?”
“You might’ve mentioned it a time or two.”
“Well, you are. I absolutely adore you.”
It was hard to stay angry with him when he said things like that. She knew he meant it, too, and that made her feel lucky. “I love you.” Her expression was serious as she held his gaze.
“I love you, too.”
“You’re still annoying.”
He laughed. “I’ll try to be better.”
She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss and then pushed his hands away. “I’m starving. How do omelets sound for breakfast?”
“Great ... as long as you don’t yank out any of those morels you have in the freezer to jazz them up.”
“I guess I can take pity on you.”
“That would be delightful.”
JACK AND IVY WERE SHOWERED AND CLEANING up after breakfast when there was a knock at the door. They exchanged a look, surprised.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Jack queried.
Ivy shook her head. “No. Maybe it’s Brian.”
“I don’t think so. I’m not expecting him to pick me up this morning.” Jack grabbed a towel to dry off his hands and headed for the door. When he opened it, his happy mood shifted in a heartbeat. “Detective Archibald.” Disdain practically dripped from his tongue.
For his part, Archibald — who was alone — looked amused rather than offended by the greeting. “Detective Harker. I didn’t think you would be here. I assumed you’d already left for your shift.”
“I hate to be a disappointment.” Jack didn’t move from his spot in the doorway. “Can I help you?”
“I certainly hope so.” Archibald’s tone was brisk as he held up a folder. “I have some photos I want your girlfriend to look at. They’re potential suspects.”
“Fiancée,” he automatically corrected.
“What?” Archibald furrowed his brow, clearly confused.
“She’s my fiancée, not my girlfriend,” Jack supplied. “As for showing her photos, what good is that going to do? She didn’t see a face.”
“No, but she saw eyes. I figured maybe she might be able to identify someone, or at least get a feeling from one of the photographs.”
Jack hesitated. He wasn’t opposed to Ivy helping with the investigation. Of course, Archibald’s bad attitude wasn’t exactly an enticement for cooperation either. He glanced over his shoulder and found Ivy watching the scene with an impassioned face. “It’s up to you,” he said. “If you want to look, it’s probably not a bad idea. If you don’t want this idiot in our house, though, I don’t blame you.”
Archibald’s eyes took on a hint of ice. “Oh, you wound me.”
Jack was matter-of-fact. “You’ve insulted my future wife several times now. I’m not going to force her to talk to you if she doesn’t want to. Quite frankly, I can’t force her into doing anything anyway. She’s her own woman and will make her own decisions.”
“That’s ... so lame,” Archibald muttered, shaking his head. “I mean ... that’s just the lamest. Do you say things like that because it makes her more likely to put out?”
Jack moved to shut the door in the detective’s face, but Ivy called out to stop him.
“Let him in,” she insisted, wiping her hands on a towel and inclining her head toward the kitchen table. “Show me the photos. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll look.”
“Great.” Archibald shot Jack a triumphant smirk and then strolled through the door. He was feeling good about himself, to the point where Jack wanted to shake him, but the Shadow Lake detective maintained his cool. “I have what’s called a photo lineup here.” He removed a glossy print from the folder. There are six photos on it. Please tell me if any of the faces look familiar.”
“I know about photo lineups,” Ivy pointed out. “I am engaged to a detective.”
Archibald snorted. “Yes, because Shadow Lake is such a hotbed of activity.”
Jack knew it wasn’t necessary to toot his own horn, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. “I spent years as a detective with the Detroit department. I’m willing to bet I’ve solved more major crimes than you’ve even seen. As for Ivy, she’s been around me enough to know the lingo. You don’t have to treat her like an idiot.”
“I wasn’t treating her like an idiot.” Archibald was calm despite Jack’s obvious annoyance. “I was simply making sure that she was aware of what was happening. That is my job.”
“Just ... show her the photos.” Jack moved to stand next to Ivy as she studied the six mug shots. Her expression was hard to read, but he was fairly certain he didn’t see any recognition sparking.
“Who are these people?” she asked after a beat, her eyes slowly tracking from one face to the next. “Were they associates of the victim? Is she still alive, by the way?”
“She is alive,” Archibald confirmed. “As for these individuals ... I can’t say who they are. That’s not how this works
. I simply need to know if you recognize any of them.”
Ivy’s annoyance was on full display, but she managed to rein it in long enough to take a second pass at the photos. Finally, she shook her head. “I don’t recognize any of them.”
Archibald didn’t contain his disappointment. “Are you sure?”
Ivy nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“Look at their eyes,” he prodded, insistent. “What do you see when you look at their eyes?”
“They’re just eyes.” Ivy couldn’t stop her frustration from bubbling up. “I’m sorry. I looked at his eyes. I really did. It’s just ... I was terrified at the time. None of these people feel familiar.”
“It’s different when someone isn’t right in front of you,” Jack reassured her as he rubbed his knuckles up and down her spine. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay,” Archibald countered. “There’s a woman fighting for her life in the hospital who doesn’t think any of this is okay.”
“And that’s not Ivy’s fault,” Jack spat.
“So you say. The problem is, her story leaves a little bit to be desired and since she’s got a record ... .”
Jack was officially at the end of his rope. “I’ve explained about her record and I’m not going to do it again. She’s a flipping hero and I’m sick of your attitude. Get out of our house.”
Archibald kept his eyes on Ivy and ignored Jack. “Ms. Morgan, this is very important. Are you sure it’s not number six? I think you’ll find, if you look very closely, that number six is your guy.”
Jack was incensed. “You can’t run a photo lineup like that. You’re tainting it.”
“Don’t tell me my job,” Archibald shot back.
“I don’t think you even know how to do your job.” Jack extended a finger and pointed toward the door. “Get out of our house.”
“Fine.” Archibald’s eyes flashed with an emotion that Ivy couldn’t quite identify and he reclaimed his file. “You could save us a lot of time if you would simply be cooperative.”
“It’s not her job to confirm something you’ve decided is the truth whether it is or not,” Jack hissed. “She told you she can’t identify any of them.”
“Maybe that’s because she’s protecting them,” Archibald suggested. “Have you ever considered that? I know she’s your girlfriend and you’re convinced you love her, but are you sure she feels the same way about you? Maybe she’s involved with our suspect and they were working this together from the start.”
Jack jabbed his finger at the door. “Get. Out.”
Ivy crowded closer to Jack in an effort to soothe him. He was more upset than she was.
“It’s sad that you can’t see what’s right in front of you,” Archibald said as he moved toward the door. “I mean ... it’s really, really sad.”
Jack waited until the front door slammed shut to viciously swear under his breath. Then he put his arms around Ivy and offered a hug. “I’m sorry. He is a terrible cop. You don’t deserve this. I’m going to file a report with the state about his attitude.”
Ivy immediately started shaking her head. “Don’t do that. He’ll only target me harder as retaliation.”
Jack hesitated but ultimately nodded. “Fine. If he approaches you again, though, I want to know about it.”
“I promise.”
IVY WAS ALMOST RELIEVED WHEN IT was time to go to work. Jack was still fuming about Archibald’s visit but doing his best to pretend otherwise. He put on a brave face for her, but it wasn’t very convincing ... especially for a woman who knew him better than anybody else.
Michael was already working behind the front counter when Ivy arrived at her nursery. It was located on the back side of her property so she could walk to work through the woods. He greeted her with a bright smile, which promptly disappeared when he sized up her sour expression.
“Before you give me too much grief about your mother—”
Ivy waved off what he was going to say. It ultimately didn’t matter. “Jack already smoothed that over. He says I’m being unreasonable. Actually, he said he recognized a lot of similar personality quirks between Mom and me — which I believe is an insult, but he says otherwise — and basically told me to get over it.”
Michael cocked an eyebrow, amused. “And ... are you over it?”
Ivy held out her palms and shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably not. I have other things on my mind, though.”
“Like what? Wait ... are you worried about your community service? I know your mother made a big deal about what could happen, but she watches too much television. You can’t believe what she says. Your community service is going to be nothing like what she’s seen on television.”
The statement was enough to make Ivy frown. She wondered if Jack thought the same way as her father did when it came to her getting her police knowledge from television. Did that mean she was like her mother again? Perish the thought.
“I am worried about community service,” she grudgingly admitted. “The idea is freaking me out. I mean ... big time. I knew I was breaking the law when I saved Maisie, but for some reason I thought I would get away with it. I’m humbled — and totally embarrassed, for that matter — to have gone through the court system.”
“You saved a life,” Michael reminded her pragmatically. “Maisie would very likely be dead if you hadn’t broken the law. You should be proud of what you did.”
“Even though they’re going to make me dress up in a jumper and pick up trash along the highway?”
“Even though.”
She held his gaze for a moment and then moved closer to him. Even though she was an adult, there were times she wanted the comfort of her daddy. Michael was always the one she went to when she was upset as a child. That wasn’t likely to change. “I’m afraid and ashamed because I think it’s going to reflect poorly on Jack. It already is.”
Michael patted her back, letting loose a rueful smile. She was a tough girl — er, woman — and had always hated appearing vulnerable. When she finally did give in and embrace overwhelming emotions, it was always a tumult rather than a spring mist. Frankly, he was surprised she’d held out as long as she had.
“How is this reflecting poorly on Jack?” he asked reasonably.
She told him about the early morning visit from Archibald. When she was finished, he was frowning, and she could practically feel the anger radiating off him.
“That doesn’t sound very professional,” he said finally.
“Jack agrees. He’s livid. He wants to file a complaint with the state.”
“And you don’t?”
“I don’t want to draw more attention to myself. I mean ... he could make life very difficult for me and I’m already on probation.”
Michael frowned. “That’s not like you. You’ve always been the type to fight injustice when you see it.”
“That was before I got community service and ruined Jack’s reputation. You should’ve heard this detective, Dad. He’s basically making fun of Jack because his fiancée is a jailbird.”
Michael absently brushed Ivy’s hair away from her face. “Are you sure that’s not perception? I mean ... does Jack feel that way or are you projecting your feelings on him?”
Ivy balked. “I’m not projecting.”
Michael cocked his head and waited.
“Fine. I might be projecting a little.” Ivy was rueful. “He has to be embarrassed, right? He’s a detective and his future wife has been through the court system. She now has a record.”
Despite the fact that Ivy was deadly serious, Michael couldn’t stop himself from chuckling. “Oh, I love you.” He planted a firm kiss on her forehead. “You’ve always been the sort to fly off the handle at difficult times. Your mother does it, too.”
Ivy’s lips curved down. “That’s not what I want to hear right now. It feels like an added slap.”
His laughter continued. “You’re so funny.” He tweaked the end of her nose before sobering. “Ivy, Jack loves you. He’s
proud of the fact that you put yourself on the line to save Maisie even though she’s hardly a friend. He’s not embarrassed by you. He never could be. That’s not who he is.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “You sound like him.”
“That should be good for your marriage because you sound like your mother and we’re still happy together more than thirty years after the fact.”
“But—”
“No.” Michael was firm as he shook his head. “You need to calm own. I understand you’re dealing with a lot right now, but everything is going to be okay. In a few months, this community service will simply be something to laugh about. You’ll see.”
“And that poor woman who was shot and the jerky detective?”
“That’s nothing to laugh about. It will work itself out, though. Trust me.”
Because she needed the mental break, Ivy nodded in resigned agreement. “Okay, but if I go to jail and get shivved, I’m totally blaming you.”
“That totally seems fair.”
6
Six
Ivy settled into work because she needed something to take her mind off things. She spent a good two hours in the greenhouse before exiting ... and running straight into her aunt.
“Hey.” Ivy was still distracted by what happened during Archibald’s visit. “Do you need a plant or something?”
Felicity didn’t immediately answer and when Ivy finally lifted her eyes she found her aunt glaring at her.
“Oh, geez.” Ivy made a distressed whining sound in the base of her throat. “Not you, too. I really can’t take this. It’s not as if I planned on getting arrested. It just sort of ... happened.”
Instead of immediately responding, Felicity folded her arms over her chest and regarded Ivy with unreadable eyes.
“What?” Suddenly Ivy felt very exposed. “I know it seems like Jack should be able to get me out of trouble, but he can’t and he’s really upset about it. I’m upset, too, because I’m afraid this is going to reflect badly on him. You don’t think he’s going to want to end things because he can’t have a jailbird for a wife, do you?”
Wicked Reunion Page 5