“Okay.” Jack bit into his burger and methodically chewed, forcing himself to remain patient while Ivy gathered her courage.
“Even ten years ago the pageant was a big deal,” Ivy began. “I never understood it. I always thought I was safe. I mean … you’ve met my mother. A pageant is the last thing she would be interested in.”
“That was my initial thought.”
“She got baited to do it,” Ivy explained. “Maisie’s mother pushed her, saying things like it must be easy to have a ‘troubled’ daughter so Mom had a ready excuse to keep me out of the pageant. She shouldn’t have risen to the bait, but she did. She can’t help herself sometimes. She’s easy to bait.”
“That must run in the family,” Jack teased, attempting to ease the heaviness of the moment.
“Yeah, I guess.” Ivy scratched a nonexistent itch on her nose, mostly so she had something to do with her hand.
“Honey, just spit it out,” Jack prodded. “I swear it’s going to be okay. You’re going to feel better when you do.”
Ivy wasn’t so sure, but it was too late to turn back. “I argued with my mother, kicked up a fuss because I didn’t want to be involved. She put her foot down because she didn’t want to lose face with Maisie’s mother. That was so unlike my mother I couldn’t help being ashamed of her … and I told her that.”
“I see.” Jack rested his hand on top of Ivy’s as a form of solace. “Teenagers often say things to their parents that they don’t mean. You should’ve heard some of the things I said to my mother when I was seventeen.”
“I apologized after. She understood. She apologized, too. We got over it.”
“What didn’t you get over?”
“It sounds so stupid … .”
“Tell me, honey.” Jack’s voice was almost a growl.
“So we did a week of practice and everything and I wasn’t interested in it,” Ivy said. “I really am rhythmically challenged. I wasn’t making that up. Ava and Maisie were on me constantly because I had trouble learning the dance steps. Even when I got them right I looked like a moron.”
“I like it when you dance, especially because you put your head right here and actually let me lead.” Jack patted the spot above his heart and smiled.
“It’s a different type of dancing.”
“I know.”
“Oh, geez. I don’t know why this is so hard for me to say. It’s ridiculous but … at some point I became competitive and wanted to win. That’s when Maisie and Ava turned from bullies to outright predators.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“They took photos of me in the dressing room,” Ivy started, licking her lips. “This was before everyone had a cell phone. They brought in a camera, but I didn’t see. It was one of those ones with the little chips you inserted. You remember those, right?”
Jack nodded, his stomach twisting as he swallowed hard. He had a feeling he knew where this story was going to go and he didn’t like it one bit.
“I didn’t know they took the photos. Even then I wore long skirts and was mostly covered all the time. I was an idiot and didn’t realize what they were doing.”
“Did they show the photos to anyone?”
“Each other. All the other girls. They threatened to show them to the boys – essentially make them available for everyone – if I didn’t drop out of the pageant. They also said they were going to make sure the judges got copies because … well, just because, I guess.”
Jack ran his tongue over his teeth to give himself a few seconds to gain control of his emotions. “And what did Simone have to do with this?”
“She gave them the idea. Apparently she got a girl she thought was unworthy to be in the pageant to drop out by doing the same thing her year. Of course, that’s when film was still around so she actually had to get her photographs developed.”
“Why didn’t you tell the police?” Jack was incensed.
Ivy widened her eyes, surprised by his reaction. “I did. Well, I did after. That’s not all there is to the story.”
“I figured.”
“I was angry when I found out,” Ivy explained. “Actually, I was embarrassed and ready to cry when I first found out. It turned to anger once I slept on it, though.”
“What did you do?”
“I broke into Maisie’s house and found the memory card. Because I had to be certain, I also took her computer and threw it in the lake to make sure the photos were gone. I guess she could’ve emailed the photos – that was fairly prevalent then – but she didn’t think to do it and I lucked out.”
“But?”
“But I was caught at the lake and Maisie’s mother tried to press charges,” Ivy replied. “My mother came to the station and got into it with her when she found out. Maisie’s mother thought it was funny when she heard what Maisie did, but Brian didn’t think so and said he would be more than willing to press charges against me for vandalism but then that would mean he had to press charges against Maisie and Ava for what they did, too.”
Jack held back a smile. That sounded like Brian. He would’ve been offended on Ivy’s behalf. He also would’ve worked overtime to make sure nobody knew about the photos because it was what Ivy wanted.
“I was embarrassed,” Ivy continued. “I didn’t want people to know. I know I told you that I lost the pageant, but I didn’t even show up for it on the final day. I thought everyone knew and I decided to hide instead. My father ended up taking me out to a movie and shopping to get me away from everything, but when I came home Max couldn’t stop gushing about the pageant and how great Maisie and Ava were.”
“Honey, why didn’t you tell him what happened?”
“How could I?” Ivy’s voice broke, causing Jack’s heart to crack. She almost never cried. In fact, he could count on one hand the number of times he’d borne witness to legitimate tears. He caused one set of them and would never forgive himself. What he saw now was enough to make him want to hunt down Ava and Maisie and punish them after the fact.
“It was embarrassing,” Ivy said. “I didn’t want anyone to know, especially Max. If he found out … if his friends found out … they would’ve been terrible to him.”
“He would’ve survived and I know him. He would’ve wanted you to tell him.”
“It wasn’t his fight. Besides, after it was over, I just wanted to forget it.”
“Come here.” Jack grabbed Ivy around the waist, ignoring the way she protested as he carried her to the chair at the edge of the living room and sat in it. He gently ran his thumbs over her cheeks to wipe away the tears before tugging her to him and resting his chin on the top of her head. “I’m sorry you went through that. I’m not sorry you told me. How could you possibly think I would find that story funny?”
“Because it’s so pathetic,” Ivy answered. “I’m still holding a grudge over childish antics from ten years ago.”
“It’s not pathetic. It’s illegal. I wish you had pressed charges so those little guttersnipes went to jail.”
“Brian said, because of their ages, that it wasn’t a foregone conclusion and he let me make the decision.”
“And you just wanted it to go away.” Jack heaved out a sigh as he smoothed her hair. “Ivy, what happened to you wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right. It’s also not pathetic for you to hold a grudge. I get it.”
“You don’t think I should let it go?”
The question caught Jack off guard. “I don’t know. On one hand, I wish you would because I think you would be happier if you did. On the other, I’m a vindictive soul and I want you to unleash holy hell on all three of those women.”
He was so vehement Ivy couldn’t stop herself from giggling, the sound warming Jack to his soul.
“You’re right. I do feel better about telling you,” Ivy volunteered. “Why do you think that is?”
“Because you wanted to tell me all along.” Jack pressed a kiss to her forehead. “It’s okay. I’m glad you told me. I don’t think you’re pa
thetic. I’m angry on your behalf. I also get your pageant hate.”
“It will be over tomorrow,” Ivy said. “Once it is, I don’t ever want anything to do with it again.”
“I don’t blame you. I think we can both say goodbye to this particular festival in the future. We’ll start our own tradition next year, host our own Festival of Love right here at the house.”
“That sounds like a way for you to get me naked for a week … and in a way, I like that idea compared to what happened back then.”
“That’s exactly my plan.” Jack readjusted his arms so they were both comfortable. “Ivy, I love you. You’re extremely strong. That story doesn’t make me feel differently. I want you to know that.”
“I know. I feel like a goof for hiding it.”
“You should.”
They lapsed into comfortable silence for a second, Jack finally breaking it. “Do you want to eat a mountain of junk food and watch a bad scary movie with me?”
Ivy brightened. “That sounds like my kind of night.”
“Somehow I knew that.”
“You always know exactly what I need. I hope that never changes either.”
“That makes two of us.”
Nineteen
Jack left Ivy in front of the barn early the next morning, planting a firm kiss on her lips and promising to do his best to be with her when the pageant kicked off. He obviously couldn’t vow to be there no matter what, but Ivy knew he would try.
Jack was melancholy as Brian drove to Traverse City, his gaze focused out the window and his mind busy. When his partner first came to town, Brian was well aware of his quiet nature. Once Jack met Ivy, that seemed to disappear. Now it was back with a vengeance.
“What’s going on with you?”
“What do you mean?” Jack ripped himself from quiet contemplation and focused on Brian. “Nothing is going on.”
“You’re more introspective than usual.”
“Oh, well, I just have some things on my mind.”
“Things to do with the case?”
Jack offered up a rueful smile. “I should probably say yes but … no. I was thinking about Ivy.”
Brian snorted. “When aren’t you thinking about Ivy?”
“Very rarely. This is different, though.”
Brian chewed on the inside of his cheek as he waged an internal debate. Finally, he decided to ask the obvious question. “Did she tell you?”
“Yes.”
“I guess I owe you twenty bucks, huh?”
“No. It’s not funny. I shouldn’t have bet on it. I don’t want your twenty dollars.”
“Wow.” Brian let loose with a low whistle. “I guess she really did tell you. I thought maybe she would give you a version of the story that left out a few of the important bits. I’m guessing that didn’t happen.”
“As far as I know, she told me all of it.”
“Which is?”
“She told me about the photos. She told me it was Simone’s idea. She told me about stealing the camera chip and Maisie’s laptop, about throwing them in the lake, about almost getting arrested. I’m pretty sure she told me all of it.”
“That’s all of it, as least as far as I know,” Brian confirmed. “I’m sure you think I should’ve done something to ensure that Maisie and Ava ended up in jail – at least for a weekend or something – but ultimately I did what I thought was best for Ivy.”
“I know that and I’m not sure I would’ve done anything differently in your position,” Jack said. “She would’ve been embarrassed. The whole town would’ve found out and taken sides. Since Maisie and Ava were popular, they would’ve won the popular vote with the teenagers.”
“So … what’s wrong?”
“Max.”
Jack’s one-word answer took Brian by surprise. “Max?”
“She didn’t tell Max because she was embarrassed and Max came home gushing about that pageant and she’s still bothered by it,” Jack explained. “She doesn’t want to be bothered by it. She’s furious at herself because of it. She’s still massively annoyed, though.”
“I don’t think anyone else ever told Max either.”
“He doesn’t know. I asked him.”
“So how can she be angry with Max given that fact?”
“She knows it’s not rational and yet she can’t stop herself,” Jack said, licking his lips. “I want to help her, but I’m afraid I’ll take over if I’m not careful. I need to give it some serious thought.”
“You can’t fix things between them. It’s not your place.” Brian was being pragmatic even though he knew it would irk his partner. “You’re her fiancé but he’s been her brother a lot longer. You need to stay out of it. They’ll fix things on their own.”
“I know that but … she’s miserable.”
“And you’re miserable by proxy,” Brian noted. “I get it. I sympathize. You still can’t do it. Stay out of it.”
“I’ll give it some thought.”
“You’ll give it some thought and then ignore it,” Brian lamented. “I see where this is going. Just remember that I warned you and if it blows up in your face, I don’t want to hear about it.”
“Duly noted.”
THE GIRLS ARRIVED ON time for their dress rehearsal, Ivy going through a mental list to count no-shows. She came up with three right away: Sadie, Peyton, and Mackenzie.
“Do you know where the others are?” Ivy asked after stopping Bridget Sizemore before she could join the practice.
Bridget shrugged, seemingly uninterested. “No. I didn’t know I was supposed to be watching them.”
“You’re not,” Ivy said, forcing a smile. “I was just curious.” She sidled over to Hannah, who appeared to be showing great interest in one girl’s evening gown, and forced herself to remain light and calm as she spoke. “Hannah, can you run practice this morning?”
“I thought we were doing a dress rehearsal,” Hannah said, straightening.
“We are. I thought it couldn’t hurt to run through the opening number a couple of times, though. Some of the girls are at a disadvantage because they only learned the routine yesterday.”
“Oh, well, that makes sense.” Hannah shrugged. “I can definitely run through it again. I think it’s a great dance. It’s just … I think a couple of the girls are missing.”
“I noticed that, too,” Ivy said. “I’m going to try and track them down. They’re probably out at the festival and got distracted or something.”
“It is a full day of it,” Hannah agreed. “They probably got distracted by boys. I’m not much older than them and it still happens to me.”
Ivy smirked. “I’m a bit older than you and it still happens to me. I get it.”
“Yes, but you’re going to be married to the hottest guy in town,” Hannah noted. “You don’t look at boys. You’ve got a man.”
“I happen to agree, but make sure you don’t say that in front of my brother,” Ivy instructed. “He won’t take it well if he finds out you think Jack is hotter than him.”
“Oh, Max is plenty hot, but there’s something hotter about a man who wants to make a commitment,” Hannah said. “You got lucky.”
“I think that almost every day now.”
JACK AND BRIAN MADE sure that Aubrey’s parents were locked inside her room, the blinds closed, and then headed toward the nurse’s station. They’d purposely picked a room at the corner of the hallway, one that was set away from the hustle and bustle of the floor, to entice their would-be killer. They’d also borrowed a deputy from the local sheriff’s department to masquerade as a nurse at the central station.
“Your name is Amanda, right?”
The woman nodded. “That’s right.”
“We’re going to be hiding in the room across from the one we set up as bait,” Jack supplied. “We have cameras inside and one of our officers in the bed. She’s going to be facing away from the door so she’s not readily identifiable. If someone comes up and asks for Aubrey’s room, you
give them the one at the end of the hall and then radio us. We’ll take it from there.”
“I understand.” Amanda, who looked to be in her late twenties, let loose with a sunny smile. “This is kind of exciting.”
“I don’t know about that, but it’s what we have to work with,” Jack said.
“No, it’s exciting.” Amanda wrinkled her nose as she smoothed her flaxen hair. “I’m not even upset it’s happening on Valentine’s Day weekend. Maybe after we’re done we can get a drink or something. I mean … if you have time.”
Jack was caught off guard by the invitation. “Oh, well, thank you. I have plans for this evening, though.”
Amanda didn’t bother to hide her disappointment. “Oh, that’s too bad.”
Brian snorted. “Oh, geez. It’s like I’m partnered with George Clooney or something.”
Jack made a face. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Wherever we go, the women throw themselves at your feet. It’s disturbing.”
Amanda’s eyes fell, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, I don’t care about that,” Brian said, waving off the girl’s apology. “I’m used to it. You’re wasting your time, though. This one is so taken he should wear a sign around his neck.”
“You’re married?” Amanda cast a surreptitious look at his naked ring finger. “I didn’t realize.”
“Not yet,” Brian replied. “He’s engaged, though, and he’s so sickeningly schmaltzy with his woman that I kind of want to pop him in the face sometimes, especially since I’ve known his fiancée since she was about five.”
“Do you have to spread my private business everywhere?” Jack asked as they moved down the hallway. “That was an overshare.”
“Everything you and Ivy do is an overshare,” Brian countered. “Speaking of that … what are you doing tonight?”
“I’m taking her to Bellaire for some nice Italian. I keep forgetting that the diner has exactly one dish she can eat for dinner.”
Wicked Hearts (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 9) Page 17