“The thing is, I thought you moved to another city,” she continued. “You always enjoyed the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan area. I had no idea you moved to the middle of nowhere.”
“How did you even find out where I was?”
“Your mother. I ran into her at the grocery store about two months ago.”
That figured. Jack knew his mother always liked Holly, at least on a surface level. Her initial meeting with Ivy didn’t go well, but they grew to respect one another by the end of his mother’s visit. His mother wouldn’t think twice about gossiping about his new life with Holly, though. She wouldn’t understand how uncomfortable it was for others involved.
“I see.” Jack ran his thumb over his lip. “Well, Mom doesn’t understand why I moved here. She spent a lot of time trying to get me to move back before she visited. Now she understands why I’m staying.”
“Does she?” Holly arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “That’s not how it seems to me. She kept talking about wanting you home.”
“I am home.” Jack was firm. “I love it here. I love Shadow Lake. I like the people. I like that it’s quiet.”
“And yet look at this house.” Holly gestured toward the rental, disdain evident. “It doesn’t even look as if you live here.”
“That’s because I don’t live here.”
“Oh.” Holly pursed her lips. “This is the address your mother gave me. If you don’t live here, what are you doing here?”
Jack didn’t feel he owed Holly answers, but she seemed so confused he offered them anyway. “I rent this house – for another six weeks anyway – but I live somewhere else. I’m only here to pick up my fishing gear.”
“Fishing gear?” Holly didn’t hold in her chortle. “You fish?”
“I do.”
Holly sobered when she realized Jack wasn’t teasing her. “Do you like it?”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t dislike it. I like how quiet it is. I’ve never actually caught anything – and I wouldn’t know how to clean it if I did – but I like relaxing. Fishing is a great way to relax.”
“Uh-huh.” Holly wasn’t convinced. “So, if you don’t live here, where do you live?”
She’d been digging all along. Jack recognized that. She wanted information on his life. He had no idea how much his mother told her, but he had a feeling Holly knew a lot more than she was letting on. Jack saw no reason to hide anything.
“I live with my fiancée.”
Holly didn’t react at all. “So that’s true, too, huh?”
Jack nodded. “It is.”
“You’re engaged.”
“I am.”
“Does she have pink hair? When your mother told me you were engaged I thought she was messing with me – perhaps at your behest because you wanted to keep me away out of a misguided attempt to protect me or something – but I see now she was telling the truth. I guess she was telling the truth about her hair, too.”
Holly wasn’t the first person to have a negative reaction to Ivy’s flamboyant hair. His mother was extremely upset when she saw it. Jack, however, had grown to like it. The pink streaks danced under the sunlight and the color fit Ivy’s personality to a tee. It was part of her, and he loved everything about her.
“I happen to like her hair.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
“I don’t owe you any answers.” Jack rested his hand on his hip as he regarded the woman he dated for almost two years. He knew more about Ivy two weeks after meeting her than he ever knew about Holly. He knew he was partially to blame for that, but he didn’t exactly look back on the relationship with fondness. “What are you really doing here, Holly?”
“I wanted to see you.” Holly swallowed hard. She looked to Jack as if she were fighting off tears, but he refused to be cowed by them. She always could call up tears no matter the mood of the room. She was a master at it. “I wasn’t lying about the conference. I decided to take a chance to see you while I was in the area.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean?” Holly’s eyebrows migrated up her forehead. “I wanted to see you. I thought maybe … if you saw me … it would snap you back to reality. I know you pretend to be happy up here, but you belong south. We can still make things work.
“You said some hurtful things to me at the end – both before and after you were in the hospital – but I’m willing to look past that,” she continued, tucking a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. “If you’re willing to work, I’m willing to work. It’s not too late.”
Jack was dumbfounded. “Holly, I don’t want to hurt your feelings but … .” He had no idea how to finish the sentence without doing exactly that.
“We can give it another go. I still care about you a great deal.”
“Holly, I don’t care about you.” Jack realized too late how harsh the words sounded. “That came out wrong. I mean that … um … I don’t care about you the way you want me to care about you.”
“Because of this woman?”
“Ivy. Her name is Ivy.”
“Ivy with the pink hair. How cute.” Holly’s expression was dark. “She’s the reason your feelings have changed.”
Jack opted to nip this particular train of thought in the bud. “Holly, I never had feelings for you. I don’t say that to be harsh, but I never loved you.”
“You think you didn’t.”
“I know I didn’t,” Jack corrected. “I love Ivy with my whole heart. I know what love is thanks to her. I never felt anything but mild attraction for you, and that came and went with your moods.”
“Excuse me?” Holly was done playing nice. Jack recognized the switch in her demeanor almost instantaneously. This was the woman he recognized. The nice façade she put on for him before was nothing but an act. “Are you saying I’m moody?”
Jack refused to answer the question. “I’m saying that I don’t know why you’re here,” he replied. “That’s true. I have no idea why you’re here. When we broke up, which was before I was shot, I meant what I said. We’re not compatible. We never were.”
“But … I love you.” Holly’s lower lip quivered. “I’ve always loved you.”
Jack didn’t believe that for a second. “You don’t. You never have. You loved the idea of me. You made me out to be something I wasn’t, though. I was never going to be the attentive husband you seemed to need. I mean … we had a dating schedule. We were never spontaneous. That’s not how a real relationship works.”
“I see.” Holly’s tears miraculously disappeared. “Is that what you see in this woman? She’s spontaneous so that makes her somehow better than me.”
“Ivy.” Jack’s frustration came out to play. “Her name is Ivy. Stop calling her ‘this woman.’”
“I don’t care what her name is!” Holly exploded. “I don’t give one flying crap what her name is. I don’t want to know her. I just want to know why. Why is she so much better than me?”
Jack felt helpless. “Because she wants me to be who I am. She doesn’t try to change me.”
“I never tried to change you.”
“You did, and here’s the thing: We weren’t compatible, but you deserved more than I was willing to give you. I didn’t want to offer anything to you because I knew right from the start that we wouldn’t last. That’s on me, and I am sorry for that. I didn’t think you cared about me all that much either so I didn’t take your feelings into consideration. I’m sorry about that.”
“You’re sorry?” Holly’s eyes flashed with an emotion Jack couldn’t put a name to. “You’re sorry, but you’ve fallen in love with a woman who has pink hair and you never cared about me. You think I deserved more, but you never wanted to be the one to provide it. Do I have things about right?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say.” Jack felt inexplicably weary, a day of stacking bags of soil finally catching up to him. “This is my home, though. This is where I’m happy.”
“With a woman who doesn’t want to change
or challenge you.”
“I didn’t say that.” Jack felt defensive on Ivy’s behalf. “She challenges me every single day. She doesn’t try to change me, though. You’re right about that. The thing is, we got together in the first place because she helped me be a better man. I’m not the guy you used to know.”
“So she did change you.” Holly’s expression was thoughtful. “She changed you and then snagged you.”
“No.” Jack vehemently shook his head. “I changed because I was shot and life no longer made sense to me. I came here, was lost and afloat, and then she found me. We grew together. She didn’t change me.”
“It sounds as if you’re making excuses.”
“Well, I’m not.” Jack knew there was no way this conversation would end well so he was keen to put an end to it. “I’m sorry you went out of your way to visit me. It wasn’t necessary, though. I’m good. Actually, I’m better than good. I’ve never been this happy.
“I have no idea what my mother told you, but believe me, we’re going to have a talk about it,” he continued. “I didn’t want you to get hurt again – if that’s even what happened the first go around – but I don’t want you to think I’m unhappy. There’s no fissure to be exploited. There’s nothing you can do to get between Ivy and me, so don’t try.”
Holly’s face twisted into something ugly. “Is that why you think I’m here? To try to ruin your happy life with your girlfriend?”
“I don’t know. I just want you to be aware you can’t ruin it. We’re content … and we’re right where we’re supposed to be.”
“I’m glad for you.” Holly straightened her shoulders and slapped a cool smile on her face. It was dismissive and remote. Jack was happy to see it because it meant she would do her best to save face … and then immediately get out of town. That’s what he wanted. “I’m glad you’ve found happiness. I hope it continues.”
Jack matched her chilly tone. “You, too. I hope you have fun at your conference. Take it easy on the ride home. It’s a long drive.”
“I’m sure I’ll manage.”
“I’m sure you will, too.” Jack watched her stride toward her car. “I’m sorry you came all this way only to be disappointed.”
“Oh, I’m not disappointed. I learned a valuable lesson.”
“Well, anyway, I hope things turn out well for you.”
“Whatever.” Holly threw open the car door. “I hope you have fun in your small-town and with your unchallenging woman. I think this place suits you now that I have a chance to give it some thought. I simply never realized how much you belonged in a boring place like this.”
Jack refused to engage in an argument. “Have a nice life.”
“Right back at you.”
Four
“What are you doing today?”
Jack drained his coffee next to the sink the next morning and washed the mug by hand before returning it to the cupboard. He was in a relatively good mood – Holly’s visit notwithstanding – and yet he hadn’t told Ivy about the strange interaction.
He felt guilty for not doing it right away and now he’d let it go long enough that she would question his motivations for keeping it quiet. He had no idea why he did what he did – other than embarrassment for dating the woman for so long when he didn’t care about her – and now he felt like a jerk for not trusting Ivy with the truth. It was too late to go back, though, so Jack hoped he could put it behind them without making things worse.
“Max is coming to the nursery to help me out,” Ivy replied, seemingly lost in her own little world as she tugged on her sneakers. “He says he wants to spend quality time with me, but I’m betting he wants to be close to the house since Shannon will be here taking measurements for the bulk of the day.”
Jack smirked. He couldn’t help himself. “I can’t believe he hasn’t asked her out yet.”
“Yes, well, I threatened him with great bodily harm if he did. If he wants to date and then break her heart after she’s finished with the basement renovation, I can’t do anything about that. Until then, he’s in a no flirting zone.”
Jack snorted. “I don’t think Max believes in no flirting zones.”
“Well, he’s going to this time.”
“I wish you luck with that.” Jack moved over so he stood in front of Ivy and tilted up her chin so he could give her a kiss. He meant for it to be soft and playful, but it turned insistent in the blink of an eye.
“Wow.” Ivy blinked several times in rapid succession as they parted. “What was that for?”
Jack shrugged, uncomfortable with her serious gaze. “Maybe I just love you. Have you ever considered that?”
“After that kiss, I’m considering staying home all day and pretending to be sick. Do you want to stay with me and play doctor?”
Jack’s insides unclenched as he stared into her beautiful face. He wasn’t lying when he told Holly that Ivy changed his world. She did … and then some. She was the answer to a question he didn’t even know he needed answered. From the moment he met Ivy she began filling in the holes in his heart and she didn’t stop when love started overflowing from inside of him.
She was his everything and he would never be sorry for that.
“I love you.” The words rushed out. “You know that, right?”
Ivy’s smile turned from playful to baffled. “I love you, too.”
“Good.”
“I am a little worried that you’re so intense this morning.” Ivy grabbed his hand and gave it a hard squeeze. “Are you okay?”
Jack nodded without hesitation. “I’m great.” This time the kiss he gave her was softer, an easy joining of two strong-willed personalities. “I’m just sorry I have to leave you for the day.”
“Well, if you’re good, maybe we can spend all night in bed with our leftovers,” she suggested, getting to her feet. “How does that sound?”
“Like the best offer I’ve had all day.”
“The sun is barely out.”
“It’s still a great offer.”
“I’ve been known to have them.”
“Which is only one of the reasons I love you.”
JACK WAS STILL HUMMING when he entered the office he shared with his partner Brian Nixon thirty minutes later. He felt lighter after spending time with Ivy – although the guilt wasn’t buried all that far beneath the surface – and he was eager to get through the day so he could enjoy the night.
It seemed Brian had other things on his mind.
“I got a report last night,” Brian announced, tossing the file in Jack’s direction before the man even sat at his desk. “I thought you’d want to read it.”
Jack arched an eyebrow, amused at Brian’s abrupt greeting. “Good morning to you, too.”
“Read it.”
Jack’s smile slipped when he realized Brian wasn’t kidding around. “What’s wrong?” He was all business when he flipped open the file, his heart skipping a beat when he realized what he was looking at. “Who reported this?”
“Ava Moffett.” Brian’s irritation was on full display, mostly because he hated gossip and those who spread it. “I’m pretty sure she wanted it out there to cause problems.”
“I see.” And, because he did, Jack felt the wall of guilt he tried tamping down rushing back to catch him by the throat. “This isn’t what you think.”
“So you didn’t meet a strange woman at your rental house and spend time alone with her last night?” Brian challenged, eyebrow cocked. He’d known Ivy since she was a small child – was good friends with her parents, in fact – and he felt protective of her. The fact that Jack was seen with another woman in a private setting was enough to set his teeth on edge. “Did you cheat on Ivy?”
Jack was appalled. “Of course not.” He slapped the file down on his desk. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Ava made it sound like the interaction was intimate and personal.”
“Yeah? Well, um, Ava likes to cause trouble and we both know it.”
; “That doesn’t mean she was wrong.”
Jack licked his lips as he worked overtime to regain control of his temper. “Her name is Holly Doherty. I knew her when I lived in Detroit. We dated for a bit, although we broke up before I was shot.
“She was heading to Traverse City for a banking conference and decided to stop in and see me,” he continued. “She ran into my mother and learned I was engaged and living up here. She tried to see me after I was shot, but I wasn’t in the best mental place and was sort of mean to her.
“Basically she just wanted to see how I was doing and make sure things were better for me,” he said. “It wasn’t a big deal. We talked for like ten minutes and then she continued on to Traverse City.”
“Oh.” Brian let loose a heavy sigh. “I … well … huh. Ava made it sound as if you guys were all over each other.”
Jack couldn’t help being offended. “That really sounds just like me, doesn’t it? I spend all my days looking for ways to sneak around on Ivy, after all.”
“You don’t.” Brian was contrite. “You’re the exact opposite. In fact, there are times I wish you would stop talking about Ivy because you’re so sappy about her.”
“So why did you think I would cheat on her?”
“I don’t know.” Brian felt foolish. “Ava was sure that something was going on and I thought it was weird because you moved in with Ivy and I couldn’t figure out why you would bother to go back to the rental.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I returned to the rental because Max wants to go fishing after work today. He wants that to be our new bonding exercise or something and I needed my equipment.”
Brian furrowed his brow. “Max wants to bond while fishing?”
“Yeah, I thought it was weird, too.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “It was a fluke I even ended up at the rental. Holly was on the front porch when I pulled in and it was awkward and uncomfortable. It was the exact opposite of sexy and flirty, no matter what Ava put in her report.”
Wicked Wishes (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 10) Page 4