by Iris Blobel
"If I tell you, will you let me sleep?"
"Promise."
"No."
The answer surprised her, especially as it had been spoken without hesitation.
"Did you say no to shut me up?"
"I did indeed, but obviously it didn't work."
There was an unfamiliar noise and suddenly his bed light was on. She looked over as he leaned on both elbows, staring towards her. He looked so incredibly sexy with no shirt on and his hair scruffy.
"Yes," he finally said. "Yes, there was a girl once who I thought I would spend the rest of me life with."
"What happened?"
"That wasn't part of the deal," he said and from the distance, she was sure there was a frown on his face.
She chuckled. "You're awake. You might as well tell me. I mean after all, after tomorrow you'll never see me again."
As soon as the words had been spoken, her eyes filled with tears again.
"Yeah, right," he said quietly and turned the lights off again.
Ivy lay back as well. A thousand thoughts were running through her head when he finally spoke.
"Her name was Ally. High school sweetheart. Mine that is… or was, I should say." He stopped, and Ivy didn't dare to break the silence or even ask any questions. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to hear the story now that he had started.
"We were going out for about four or five years," he continued. "She constantly talked about family and having one of her own. Her parents were in Sydney, big guns in business. Ally lived with her grandparents in Hobart. She was longing for a family. I get that now."
The last words were so quietly spoken, Ivy hadn't been sure whether she'd heard right. There was no doubt about the pain in each word, though. The pain was loud and clear.
"I had a family – parents, cousins, aunties, uncles. She loved them and loved being around them," he went on. "I'd never understood the big deal. I'd never understood her determination to be married. We had something great. The need for a little piece of paper didn't compute in my head."
Ivy heard his big sigh, and her heart ached. Did she leave him because he didn't want to marry her?
"One night she'd talked again about marriage and wanting children. I had started up me business not long before. The discussion was heated, and she went for a walk to calm down later that evening. That night she was hit by a drunk driver."
Ivy's tears rolled down her cheeks, and it took her a lot of effort to not to sob aloud.
"Ally came out of the coma a few weeks later. She'd survived but is now a quadriplegic and requires respirator assistance through a tracheostomy tube to breathe. They moved her to a Sydney nursing home for full time care. I visited her a couple of times, but—"
He didn't finish the sentence, and he didn't need to. Ivy had a feeling where this was heading.
"Now you're feeling guilty that you didn't care enough, that you didn't want to get married, and so you never get close to a woman again."
It was more a statement than a question, she noticed. How much she would have given at that moment to crawl into his bed and hug him. Hug him until all his guilt would leave him alone.
"I'm tired," he said suddenly. Ivy knew better not to push it, but it took her a long time to find sleep.
Chapter Ten
Jared's mood was still at an all-time low when they arrived in Salt Lake City the next day. He had hardly slept the previous night with his mind going over and over what he had done wrong in the relationship with Ally. Why had she been so adamant about marriage? Of course, he had wanted to marry her. She'd been the love of his life, but he'd wanted it to be right and on his terms. Now that he was thinking about it, he wasn't able to remember his terms. Was it truly something as simple as he wanted to build the business? Or as simple as he had been scared?
The picture of Ally lying with all the tubes, not being able to talk or correspond with him, had haunted him for years. Mark had been his solid rock and prevented him from reaching for alcohol as a hideaway. He owed him so much. Ally's parents and grandparents had understood when he'd told them he hadn't been able to come again. He'd had to move on. Ally's grandmother, Elisa, had taken his hands into hers and had nodded with a simple smile. A small gesture that had said it all.
"Stop!" Ivy shouted suddenly.
Jared jolted in his seat, but immediately knew the problem. He'd turned into the wrong lane and was driving against the traffic. Easing the motorhome to a stop by the side of the road, he let out a heavy sigh. His heart was thumping in his ears. Turning to Ivy, he took a deep breath and then said, "Thanks."
She locked her eyes with his, and they remained silent for a long moment. Jared broke the silence first. "Okay, let's get in the right lane. Can't believe I did that."
"You were a thousand miles away," she explained quietly.
He nodded, because she was right and there was nothing to add to it.
It didn't take him long to do a U-turn and get back into the traffic. Once his heartbeat had settled to a normal rate, he asked Ivy. "What did you say last night about Mia?"
She stared at him. "Mia?"
A slow nod. "Yes, Mia. You were initially a bit concerned that you're travelling with a teenager through the States."
"Oh." She paused. "That."
"What did you mean?"
"I'm sorry, Jared. I suppose I judged you when I shouldn't have."
A touch of anger rose within him. "What kind of guy do you think I am? I mean, I've known Mia since she was seven or eight."
He noticed his voice was booming in the motorhome and took a deep breath. It wasn't fair, but his emotions were wearing him out.
"I said I'm sorry," Ivy said. "I did say initially."
Yes, she had. He raked his hand through his hair and let out a along breath.
"She's a gorgeous girl, more like my goddaughter, little sister or anything along that line. No way, I mean like no way would I—"
He stopped, unable to even put the unthinkable into words. Mia!
"Sorry," she said again, and her voice sounded so fragile he looked over. She was near tears.
"I'm sorry, too," he said, letting out a long breath. "Emotions are a bit on a wild chase here."
"When does Mia arrive?"
He checked the clock on the dashboard. "One and a half hours."
"How about you drop me off at the train station in town? Are you able to check the distance?"
He chuckled. "Not while driving."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her reach for the GPS and quickly grabbed her hand. "Honey blossom, if ya take this thing away from me, droppin' ya off at the train station will be the least of your concerns."
Raising his brows towards her as to ask whether she understood, he let go and grabbed his phone. "Check it out on here."
It took her only a few seconds to figure out his phone, and he shook his head to himself, wondering whether he'd be the only one in this world clashing with new technology.
"About fifteen minutes," she said.
He nodded as he turned into one of the main roads. "Tell this thing," he said as he pointed to the GPS, "how to get me there."
With the same ease, she quickly pushed the screen a couple of times, and he had his new directions.
"Okay. Train station it is."
****
Half an hour later, he parked at the station, but neither of them moved.
"Will ya be all right?" he asked without looking at her.
"Of course I will," she replied with a fake enthusiasm. "Remember, I'm only going to do some shopping."
He choked back a chuckle as he stared out the front window. There was a buzz around the place he hadn't seen for a few days. He'd enjoyed the quietness of the small towns they'd stayed in and this was already making him uncomfortable.
When he heard the door, he quickly opened his and went around the motorhome to help her with her bag.
"Are you always taking your clothes with ya when doing the shopping?" he asked i
n a bad attempt to lighten the tense moment.
"Better be prepared, than left in an icky situation."
He laughed. Not knowing how to handle the whole thing, he rubbed both hands over his face. When he closed his eyes, all he saw was her face. Not Ally's face as he always had, but Ivy's. He moved his hand from his face and cupped hers, tilting her head back so that she met his eyes.
"You look after yourself, will ya?"
He kissed her, pouring all his emotions into that one kiss. That last one.
Without meeting her eyes, he broke the kiss and rushed around the motorhome to get back inside, angry with himself, the world and all else in it.
****
Even though Ivy had sworn to herself that she wouldn't look after him—she did. As if the kiss hadn't hurt her bruised heart already, seeing him leave left her devastated as the sad realisation she'd never see him again sunk in. Ivy would never have his lips on hers again, never feel his hands on her skin, and she’d never hear him call her ‘Honey blossom'. Tears fell freely as she turned and walked towards the main streets of the city. Even though she had thought she'd be immune to men on her way to the top, within a few days she'd fallen hard for Jared. So hard, in fact, that the landing hurt so much she felt like crawling into a bed and never getting out again.
With heavy feet and a heavier heart, she walked towards a bench and sat down. She looked around, deep inside hoping for Jared to come back, but she knew he had to be at the airport in a little while for Mia. A small smile tugged at her lips. She would've liked to meet his Australian friend. With a deep sigh, she picked up her bag and placed it on her lap. She grabbed some tissues she'd pinched from Jared's RV, knowing too well that she would need them, and wiped her face. Then she dug a little deeper and retrieved a letter she'd received from a friend years ago with her mother's phone number. It had her mother's address in it as well. Ivy didn’t recall why she'd always hung up on her mom when she'd called. She couldn't remember why, and now she wished she hadn't. Looking around, she wished she had a handy phone like Jared's in which she could quickly locate the address. With one smooth motion, she stood and walked towards the train station. Surely, someone would be able to help her there.
A few hours and a few car rides later as a hitchhiker, Ivy stood in front of the house that was the address in the letter. Ivy looked around. It wasn't a big house, but humble. It was blue brick and well looked-after, with a small yard at the front, a garage to the side and, from what she was able to see, a big garden at the back of the house. She loved the setting and the area. Warmth spread through her, knowing her mother had made it out of their old trailer. One step after the other, without rushing, she walked towards the front door. She knocked gently. Her heart raced beneath her skin as she heard steps in the house coming closer. The door opened, and she stared into unfamiliar eyes.
"How can I help you?" the man asked.
Startled, she stepped back a bit. "I'm looking for Rose Bennett."
The man opened the door a little bit wider and studied her. Ivy felt uncomfortable and wished she had someone else with her. Preferably Jared. Thinking of him made her throat tighten.
"Who are you?" the man asked, but without any malice in his voice.
She looked up at him. "Apologies, I'm Ivy Bennett, Rose's daughter."
He paled and then held out his hand. "Nice meeting you Ivy. I'm Dale. Would you like to come in?"
That scared her a bit. Why did he pale? No way would she step into a house with a stranger. She sighed inwardly, remembering how she had driven with a stranger through two or three states. Despite that, she shook her head. "Is Rose home?"
"No. Are you sure you wouldn't like to come in?"
She nodded.
"Fair enough. Is anybody with you?"
"Dale? Please, just tell me where I can find my mother."
He scratched his forehead. "Honey, Rose died about three months ago from a massive heart attack."
Chapter Eleven
Within only a few minutes, Jared arrived at the airport where he quickly located a parking spot. He found his way inside with ease and went to the arrival gate.
Leaving Ivy behind had almost been as hard as saying goodbye to Ally. His misery was like the weight of steel on his shoulders. It did surprise him how quickly she had weaselled herself into his heart. How quickly he had become fond of her. He still remembered the touch of her skin from the day in the pool. She'd looked so sexy, but at the same time so fragile. The latter had made it easier for him not to go that one step further. Now he fumed that he hadn't given Ivy his number or even address.
Or something.
Instead, he would never see her again.
With a few long strides, he figured the way through the hall when suddenly his phone rang.
"Yep, hello."
"How are you?"
Surprised by his buddy's call, he asked, "Mark? What's up?"
"Have they arrived, yet?"
"Not sure. I've only arrived at the airport this minute." He looked around. "The big board indicates she's landed. Not sure whether she went through immigration in LA already."
"No worries. Let me know when they come through."
"Will do." Jared checked his watch and then walked a bit further down the hall. "How's life back home?"
He heard Mark's sigh and couldn't help himself but chuckle. "That bad?"
"Actually, it's been really good the last twenty-four hours. It's like the hurricane has moved on." Mark paused for a minute and then said, "Just don't tell Mia that. She'll kill me."
Jared laughed.
"So how's the travelling going?"
"Lovin' it. It's been great so far."
But that was about all Jared was going to say. He hadn't really figured out how he felt about Ivy, so for the moment it was a closed book.
"Gotta go, mate, the first people are comin' through."
"I owe you, mate. Big time. Let's hope they behave."
Jared shut the phone and stared towards the interrupted stream of people coming through, and as he waited, he replayed the conversation with Mark in his head. And again. And again.
They?
He shook his head and was pretty sure he'd misunderstood. Who would they be, after all? Amused by his own silly thoughts, he went back to waiting.
Then, after only a few minutes more, the door opened and Mia stepped out. He stared in her direction, momentarily stunned and speechless. They had arrived.
****
Mia was glad to finally get out of the plane. It'd been a long journey, even longer with him sitting next to her the whole way. She was still furious that Mark and Sophie had come up with a ridiculous idea like this.
"Need help with your bag?" Josh asked.
"No," she replied firmly.
His chuckle was nearly drowned out by the noise of the other passengers, but she did hear it and turned to glare at him. Yet, that wasn't a good idea, because stopping her focus on retrieving her bag resulted in it coming straight down and onto her head. The pain and embarrassment were instant. The man in front of her let out a low laugh and said something in some awkward American accent so that she had no idea what he had said. Josh placed his hand on her head and gently rubbed it.
"You okay?"
She shook her head. Of course, she wasn't okay. What kind of stupid question was that? She'd survived an hour's flight to Melbourne, only to be tortured by fourteen long and boring hours above the Pacific Ocean. She didn't even bother counting the flight hours to Salt Lake City. Mia was tired, exhausted, steaming out of both ears because Sophie had convinced Josh to come with her, and now… now she'd put embarrassed on the list as well. But, she was a Levesque. No matter how hard things were, she'd be tougher.
"Of course I'm okay," she said with all the dignity she could find. "I'd appreciate if you could leave your hands where they belong – as far away from me as possible."
"Ouch!" he replied with a smile, but she ignored him, took her bag, and let out a sigh of relief wh
en the doors finally opened. It took her a long while, however, until she got to them to exit the plane. Mia couldn't wait to see Jared and was thankful when she spotted him immediately in the arrival hall.
"Hi Jared." She waved her hands and rushed towards him.
"Mate, how are ya?" Jared took her into an embrace.
"Much better, now that I've arrived. This was pure horror. I mean honestly, sitting down for such a long time. Ack!"
"Josh. How are you, mate?"
It was on Mia's lips to answer for him and say something along the lines of, Actually I should be home, but instead she heard him saying, "Great. Can't wait to get driving."
Driving?
She put some distance between her and Jared and stared at Josh. And then at Jared, who seemed equally surprised.
"Drivin'?"
"Yup, got the drivers licence. Dad let me practise the last few days!"
"They drive on the wrong side here, mate."
Josh nodded excitedly. "I know! But, how hard could that be?"
"Oh, get off your big horse, Josh," Mia chimed in.
Jared let go of her and raked his hands through his hair. She stared at him and noticed Josh did too.
"Could someone explain to me what's goin' on here?" he finally asked.
"We've broken up," Mia said quietly.
"Soph reckons this is a good idea to talk things through," Josh explained.
Mia hadn't liked the idea though. "She's got no idea. Soph didn't even tell me. All of a sudden he—"
"Hold it," Jared interrupted and let out a long deep breath. "I know I asked, but let's get to the motorhome and then to the campground. Ya have to get this sorted quickly, ‘cause if you bicker all the way, I leave ya at the side of the road. Clear?"
Josh nodded.
"It's not my fault," Mia mumbled.
"Let's hit the road, guys. It gets dark here quickly."