Wicked Whimsy

by Lily Harper Hart

“Because he was hurt.”

  “But why do we have to stay?” Josh queried. “Can’t the hospital just call and tell us if he dies? I don’t see why we have to wait here.”

  Uneasiness sat like an anvil on Ivy’s diminutive shoulders as she eyed Josh, an emotion she couldn’t quite identify causing annoyance to flare. “No. We can’t leave and wait for a call. Besides that, Max isn’t going to die.”

  “You don’t know that.” Josh barely showed any emotion as he met Ivy’s steely gaze. “My father said my mother wouldn’t die … but she did. My father said he wouldn’t leave me after that … but he did. You can’t stop people from leaving you.”

  The leading edge of Ivy’s anger dissipated when she realized, in Josh’s world, people almost always died. He didn’t know any different. That wasn’t his fault. He didn’t realize what he was saying. “Max isn’t going to die.” She had faith that was true. “I’m sorry for what happened to you, but this is an entirely different situation. Max is going to be okay.”

  “I hope you’re right. I like him.”

  “I know I’m right.” Ivy was firm. “Now, you’re going to have to sit here and wait with us. I’m sorry but … we’ll figure things out as soon as we get word on Max.”

  “That’s fine.” Josh tilted his head to the side as he smiled. “As long as we’re together, I’m fine with anything.”

  JACK ARRIVED NOT LONG after Ivy gave Josh a coloring book – something he sneered at – and demanded he keep himself busy. The boy, however damaged, was starting to grate. She could understand why so many people referred to him as “needy.” He clearly couldn’t handle being on his own for an extended period of time.

  “You made it.” Ivy was relieved when she saw Jack, hopping to her feet and throwing her arms around his neck. “I wasn’t sure if you would be able to get away.”

  “Nothing in this world could keep me from you in a situation like this.” Jack calmly rubbed the back of Ivy’s neck as he searched the waiting room. “Where are your parents?”

  “Over there.” Ivy pointed at the corner where Michael dragged Luna upon her arrival. She was so worked up that Michael was convinced she would cause a scene and he was trying to calm her down.

  “Are you okay?” Jack kept his fingers busy. He could feel the knots of tension in Ivy’s back and he was determined to give her what she needed even if she fought the effort.

  “I’m fine. I’m not the one who was hurt.”

  Jack knew that wasn’t true. “Have you heard any news?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Well, I’m sure it will happen soon.” Needing to offer love and support, Jack pulled Ivy into his arms and swayed back and forth as he studied the lobby. It was filled with people waiting to hear word about Max. Some of the people Jack didn’t recognize. It was clear they were from the lumberyard. They were obviously as worked up as Ivy and the rest of the Morgan family. “It’s going to be okay.” He kissed Ivy’s forehead before flicking his eyes to the sofa, surprise rushing through him when he caught sight of Josh. “Hey, buddy. What are you doing here?”

  Josh was a kid caught in an untenable position. He merely shrugged when meeting Jack’s gaze, his discomfort at the situation obvious. “Max took me to the lumberyard for the day. I was with him when it happened.”

  “He took you to the lumberyard?” Jack’s eyebrows migrated north. That was news to him. “I didn’t know he was doing that.”

  “He wanted to help.” Ivy’s voice cracked as she struggled to hold it together. “We thought it was a good idea. We had no idea this would happen.”

  “Oh, it’s not your fault.” Jack thought his heart might break at her expression. “Don’t blame yourself. It’s okay.”

  Ivy clung to him as the tears overflowed. She fought to keep from giving in to her fear for so long that she thought she’d won the war. It was obvious by the sobs wracking her body, though, that wasn’t true. “I need him to be okay.”

  “He’s going to be okay.” Jack kissed her brow and cheek as he tightened his grip on her. “You’ll see. His head is too hard to crack.”

  “You’ve got that right,” Brian said, appearing at his partner’s side and giving Ivy a sympathetic smile. “Max will be okay. I’ve known him for a very long time. He’s not going to fall victim to something as simple as sliding logs.”

  “I hope so.” Ivy pressed her head to Jack’s chest. “We were together this morning. We spent hours having a morel-hunting competition. I won and he was furious. I promised to make his favorite mushroom gravy to ease the sting of the loss.”

  “You guys are so weird.” Jack barked out a laugh. “I never knew morels were such a big deal until I moved up here. I don’t get it.”

  “Morels are a way of life up here,” Brian explained. “As far as Michiganders in this part of the state are concerned, there are only two types of people. There are morel lovers and people who should be booted from the state.”

  Jack scowled. “Nice. How come I only think you’re saying that because I don’t happen to like morels?”

  “Because you’re not that bright.” Brian winked to let his partner know he was kidding. “As for the morels, now that I’ve heard that story I know Max will be fine. There’s no way he’ll allow Ivy to be the ultimate winner. That’s not how he’s built.”

  “That’s true.” Ivy was weary so she simply let Jack hold her while standing in the middle of the lobby, not caring in the least who was watching them. “We have to get Josh back to the home. I have no idea how long we’re going to be here with Max, but we can’t keep him here for this.”

  Josh immediately balked even though Ivy thought she uttered the words in a low enough voice that he wouldn’t hear. “I want to stay here with you.”

  “You can’t,” Ivy protested. “I might be here all night.”

  “Then I want to stay all night.”

  “That’s not possible, buddy,” Jack said, hoping he sounded pragmatic rather than annoyed. He honestly wasn’t sure which emotion was fueling him. “We can’t keep you. We’ll get in trouble. You have to go back to the home.”

  “I’ll take him,” Brian volunteered, taking Jack and Ivy by surprise.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Ivy argued. “We’re the ones who collected him from the home. It’s our responsibility to take him back.”

  “I want to take him.” Brian’s tone was firm, making Ivy realize he wasn’t going to back down. “It will be good for Josh and me to spend some time together. I have a few more questions about what happened that day in the woods and we can get them out of the way this afternoon.”

  Josh looked less than thrilled at the prospect. “Do I have to?” He turned a pleading set of eyes to Ivy. “Can’t I just stay here with you?”

  “I wish you could,” Ivy replied. “It’s not healthy for you to be here, though. I wasn’t joking when I said that we might be here all night. I can’t leave Max.”

  “But … why?” Josh wrinkled his nose. “What good will it do for you to stay here? You can’t help him.”

  “No, but I can be here for him.”

  “That doesn’t help.” Josh’s belligerence was on full display. “Trust me. I was with my mother, but she died anyway. The same will probably happen to Max.”

  The words were like a kick in the gut to Ivy. “You don’t mean that.”

  “I do.” Josh was solemn. “I’ve seen it happen.”

  Jack recognized when a conversation was about to go off the rails and he was determined to keep that from happening. “We’re all very sorry about what happened to you. Max’s situation is different, though. I happen to think it’s a good idea for Brian to take you back to the home.”

  “We’ll be in touch,” Brian promised, resting his hand on Josh’s shoulder and giving the boy a pointed look. “We’ll tell you when Max is doing better.”

  Josh looked as if he wanted to argue further, but a quick glance at all the stern faces surrounding him was proof that was a bad idea. “Fine.”
He heaved out a long-suffering sigh. “Let’s go back to the home. I can’t wait to go back to the worst place in the world.”

  Brian refused to let Josh bait him. “There are worse places. Trust me. Now … come on. This isn’t a healthy place for you to be.”

  “I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals.”

  “That’s why it’s time to get you out of here.” Brian refused to back down. “Let’s go, kid. I’ll buy you some ice cream on the way out of town.”

  Josh brightened considerably. “Can I have whatever I want?”

  “Yup.”

  “Then let’s get out of here.”

  Fourteen

  Dr. Martin Nesbitt headed straight for Ivy and Jack when he hit the lobby. Michael and Luna scrambled in that direction, causing him to raise an eyebrow when everyone crowded around him.

  “How is he?” Jack asked, keeping his arms tight around Ivy in case the news wasn’t good. “He’s going to be okay, isn’t he?”

  “He should be fine,” Nesbitt replied, smiling in a reassuring manner. “He has a concussion and needs to be monitored for at least twenty-four hours, but he’s regained consciousness and other than a few bumps and bruises, he’s pretty much his normal self.”

  Ivy exhaled heavily. Even though she was trying to put a brave face on her fear, part of her was terrified that Max would never recover. “He’s really okay?”

  “He’s hitting on the nurses.”

  Despite the serious nature of the situation, Ivy couldn’t stop herself from giggling. “That sounds just like him. I’m sure he’ll milk this for weeks.”

  “I’m sure he will, too,” Luna agreed, pressing her hand to the spot above her heart. “He can milk it for as long as he wants as far as I’m concerned. I’m just glad he’s going to be okay.”

  “He should be fine,” Nesbitt reiterated. “I am keeping him here overnight for observation. He’s not happy about that, but I figured you would handle making him fall into line, Luna.”

  “Oh, I’ll definitely handle that. I’m staying with him, too. He may be an adult, but he’s still my baby.”

  Michael smiled indulgently at his wife. “We’ll both stay with him.”

  “I can make that happen,” Nesbitt said agreeably. “If you’re around he’ll have no choice but to behave himself.”

  “What about after tonight?” Ivy asked, her mind already working. “Should he be at home alone? He can stay with us if he needs to be watched.”

  “He should be fine,” Nesbitt countered. “I doubt very much he’s going to want to stay with you. When I was asking him questions to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, you were one of the first people I brought up. Do you know what he said?”

  “I’m sure it had something to do with me being the best sister in the world,” Ivy answered without hesitation, causing everyone to chuckle.

  “Close.” Nesbitt grinned at her. “I asked who Ivy Morgan was. He said she was his baby sister and she thought she was the queen of the world because she found more morels than him this morning. He also said she gets a goofy smile on her face whenever her handsy fiancé is around and he can barely watch without throwing up. I doubt very much he’s going to want to stay with you given that.”

  “Ha, ha.” Ivy rolled her eyes, although she was so happy with Max’s prognosis that she couldn’t put a lot of effort behind it. “Can I see him?”

  “I don’t see why not.” Nesbitt gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Your parents are spending the night with him but keep your visit to a minimum. I want him to sleep as much as possible over the next twelve hours. Max should be back to his usual annoying self after that, though. You only need to take it easy on him for a little bit.”

  “She’ll take it easy on him for at least a week,” Luna warned, giving her daughter a pointed look. “She’s going to let Max run her ragged if he needs it.”

  “Yes, mother, I’m aware of how your mind works when one of us is sick,” Ivy supplied. “You don’t have to worry. I’m going to spoil Max just as much as you.”

  “Good.” Luna beamed. “You should go in and see him now. After that, I want his room to be a quiet place for him to rest and relax.”

  “Perhaps you should have him do some meditation,” Ivy suggested, internally grinning at the thought. Max hated being quiet and their mother’s idea of spiritual meditation was akin to torture for him. “I think that would really benefit him and his head injury.”

  Luna’s smile was so wide it threatened to swallow her entire face. “That’s a great idea.”

  “I’m glad you approve.”

  JACK WENT WITH IVY to visit Max, mostly because he wanted to be there in case Ivy started crying thanks to an emotional breakdown that he was convinced was going to happen regardless but also because he wanted to ask him a few questions. The minute he laid eyes on the older Morgan sibling, though, Jack knew he wouldn’t press him too hard on the accident.

  “You look awful,” Ivy announced, striding to her brother’s bedside.

  “Thanks, Ivy,” Max said dryly, his face ridiculously pale against the shock of dark hair feathered out against the pillow. “That’s exactly what I want to hear.”

  “She didn’t mean that,” Jack said hurriedly. “She’s been worried about you.”

  “Oh, I meant it.” Ivy sat in the chair closest to the bed. “You look like an accountant spending time on the beach for the first time in a decade you’re so white.”

  “That’s … heartening.” Max smiled as he rested his hand on top of hers. “I’m sorry if I worried you.”

  “It goes along with the job of being a little sister. You worry about me, too.”

  “All of the time,” Max confirmed. “Like, for example, when you were here almost a year ago after you were shot. That was no fun. This is no fun either, but I swear I’m going to be okay.”

  “I wasn’t shot shot,” Ivy countered. “I was only shot a little.”

  “That’s not how I remember it.”

  “Me either,” Jack muttered, his cheeks flushing with shame at the memory. Ivy was shot on what was essentially their second date and instead of standing with her while she recovered he ran like a coward. He still wasn’t over it, although Ivy didn’t appear to be holding a grudge. “Let’s not talk about that,” Jack insisted.

  “Let’s not,” Max agreed. “It makes me want to punch you and I don’t think I’m up to doing that today.”

  “Today?” Ivy made an exaggerated face. “You’re going to be under Mom’s special care for at least a week. You’d better brace yourself for that.”

  “She’ll let it go once I return to work.”

  “I don’t know how soon that’s going to be,” Ivy hedged. “Glenn said OSHA is going to have to clear things before you can start up again. I’m guessing that’s going to be a few days.”

  “I’ll get on them tomorrow.” Max didn’t look overly worried, but Ivy could sense the nerves coursing through him. “It will be fine.”

  “Do you know what happened?” Jack asked, moving to stand next to Ivy’s chair. “My understanding is that a strap holding together some logs broke free and that’s how you were injured. I would think that’s not a normal occurrence.”

  “No, definitely not normal,” Max agreed. “I’m not sure what happened. I test those straps every week. Anything that looks like it’s going to give gets tossed. The good news is, it wasn’t the really big logs we get for log cabin builds. It was a smaller pile.”

  “I don’t know that I feel better about that,” Ivy noted. “You still could’ve been killed.”

  “I wasn’t, though. I’m too handsome to die.” Max winked for good measure. “I’m going to be fine. I was more worried about Josh. The doctor didn’t know what happened to him. Please tell me he wasn’t too traumatized.”

  “I think the problem is that Josh is traumatized by previous stuff,” Jack answered. “He seems … weird … sometimes. I think he’s screwed up in the head when it comes to normal human reactions.”<
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  “Can you blame him?” Max challenged. “He’s lost his mother and father.”

  “And an infant sister who died of SIDS,” Jack added. “He lost the sister first and she simply slipped away in her sleep. Since there’s no acceptable explanation for why something like that happens, I’m guessing Josh has been struggling with questions ever since.”

  “From what you told me, I’m guessing his mother and father were struggling to find answers themselves and let him fall by the wayside as they shut down a bit,” Ivy added. “I don’t blame them. They were going through a lot and it was understandable how distracted they were. However, I don’t think they did Josh any favors.”

  “How was he with you at the lumberyard today?” Jack asked his future brother-in-law, genuinely curious. “Did he give you any grief? He wasn’t thrilled when Brian announced he was taking him back to the home. I thought he was going to melt down and start screaming at one point, but he managed to hold it together.”

  “He wasn’t bad,” Max supplied. “He wasn’t exactly happy and ready to do cartwheels – he kept asking about Ivy and why she wasn’t spending time with him – but he wasn’t a monster or anything. I will say he has a curious mind. When I distracted him with equipment and the wood-bundling process certain orders go through, well, he was fascinated.”

  That didn’t surprise Ivy in the least. “He was the same way at the nursery. Plus, the day we took him back to the cottage, he told us his father liked to show him how things on car engines work. I’m betting Abraham realized he had a scientific mind and tried to keep it engaged.”

  “Yes, well, I think Abraham was probably looking for anything he could find to keep Josh distracted,” Jack countered. “I talked to Abraham’s mistress today and she told me Josh walked in on her and his father – not naked but clearly in the midst of a heavy conversation – and he didn’t take things well. He totally freaked.”

  Ivy was horrified. “Abraham took his girlfriend to his house knowing Josh could stumble across her at any time?”

  “No, Melanie was in the hospital and Abraham called his mistress to end things and Josh walked in on it,” Jack clarified. “I don’t have time to tell the whole story – Dr. Nesbitt warned us we couldn’t stay in here too long – but the mistress says that Abraham was trying to make things right for his family.”