Wicked Fun: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 7-9

by Lily Harper Hart

  “The last thing I want is to make you sick,” Jack corrected, his eyes momentarily filling with worry as he studied her profile. “Are you really sick?” He mimicked Felicity’s earlier movement and touched the back of his hand to Ivy’s forehead. “Maybe I should take you home and put you to bed.”

  “Yeah, because that sounds restful for her,” Brian muttered, staring at the wall over Felicity’s shoulder. “You’re supposed to let sick people sleep … not whatever you plan on doing with her.”

  Jack ignored the dig. “Does your throat feel scratchy?”

  “No. My stomach is upset. That’s all.”

  “Maybe you have the flu. I will just bet it’s because you insist on sleeping with your bare feet poking out of the covers in the dead of winter even though we live in a drafty house.”

  “Or maybe she’s simply making herself sick because she doesn’t know what else to do,” Felicity suggested, snagging Ivy’s mug and adding more tea to it. This time she picked a mint blend to boost Ivy’s immune system. “My guess is that she’s worried she’s ruined everything forever and it’s taking a toll. Of course, that’s merely supposition because I know that my girl has a martyr complex.” Her eyes twinkled as she handed the fresh mug to Ivy.

  “Our girl,” Jack automatically corrected, cupping the back of Ivy’s head as he stared into her sea-blue eyes. “You haven’t ruined everything. You’re going to get what you want. You’re simply not going to get it when you should’ve gotten it.”

  “I’m not making myself sick because I’m a martyr,” Ivy argued. “I’m just … things are weird. I don’t know how to explain it. I’m honestly not making myself sick over that.”

  Jack wasn’t easily convinced, but he decided to let it go for the time being. “Okay, tell me what happened with Ricky Hughes.”

  “I have no idea what happened with Ricky Hughes and I’m really not sure what to think on that front,” Ivy admitted. “He had to follow me, right?”

  Jack was thinking the same thing, but the last thing he wanted was a terrified girlfriend so close to Christmas. “I don’t know. This is a busy shopping corridor. It could’ve been a coincidence.”

  Felicity snorted in response. “No, there’s no way. He had attitude about witches and witch stuff. He made that perfectly clear. Plus, well, he seemed to get off on unnerving Ivy.”

  Jack tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I knew something was wrong the minute I saw him due to Ivy’s reaction,” Felicity explained. “She’s got attitude but isn’t often openly rude for no reason.”

  “She was to me when we first met,” Jack argued.

  Brian and Felicity snickered.

  “She was feisty that day, but she was only rude when you tossed a bunch of attitude in her direction first,” Brian argued. “You forget, I was there and saw everything.”

  “See! I told you I wasn’t rude.” Ivy puffed out her chest. “I think you’re remembering that day wrong.”

  “I think that day is seared into my memory forever,” Jack corrected. “Now, drink your tea. You’re going to bed early tonight so don’t even bother to argue. I don’t want you sick for Christmas.”

  “Why?” Ivy didn’t bother to hide her morose nature. “It’s not as if I’m going to have a merry Christmas now.”

  Jack struggled to keep from laughing, taking a moment to collect himself before continuing. “You’re going to have other gifts. Stop being a pain.”

  “Whatever.”

  Jack turned his attention to Felicity. “What did you think of Ricky Hughes?”

  “At first I was struggling to understand why he was here, but it didn’t take long to sort things out,” Felicity replied. “I can’t say I definitively know why he was here. I can say that he took perverse pleasure in upsetting Ivy, though. That much was obvious. He only backed down when she told him she took his photograph and texted it to you.”

  “That was really smart, by the way, Ivy,” Brian noted. “You kept your head under pressure. Good for you.”

  “That was smart,” Jack agreed. “I’m struggling really hard to remind you that it wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t insisted on going out when you initially agreed to stay in, though.”

  Ivy refused to let Jack’s tone bother her. “Or maybe if I stayed at home he would’ve gotten in the house and done something else because I was isolated and alone,” she suggested. “Have you ever considered that?”

  Jack’s stomach twisted at the thought. “Okay, you have a point.”

  “She does,” Brian said. “The question is: What are we going to do about it?”

  “YOU’RE GOING to make me sit in the car like a dog?”

  Ivy was incensed two hours later when Jack put her car into park and pocketed the keys. They were near the burned-out tree lot – Jack insisting on riding back to town with Ivy to make sure nothing happened – and Brian suggested a brief stop at the tree lot because there was something he wanted to check before returning to Shadow Lake. Jack was only too happy to oblige … and then try to cut Ivy out of the action.

  “Ruff, ruff.” Jack made cute barking sounds as he patted the top of Ivy’s head. She didn’t muster even a hint of a smile, though, and he realized his mistake when it was too late to take it back. “You didn’t find that funny, huh?”

  “I want to go home.” Ivy extended her hand. “Give me my keys.”

  Jack immediately started shaking his head. “No. You’re going to wait here for me. I promise it won’t take long.”

  “I’m not sitting here in the cold.”

  Jack cast a dubious look between the keys he clutched in his hand and the engine. “If I give you these keys, are you going to take off and leave me here?”

  “Of course not.”

  Ivy answered a bit too quickly for Jack’s comfort. “Honey, if you take off and leave me here, we’re going to have a heck of a fight. In fact, we’re going to have such a big fight that it could delay you getting your ring for a very long time.”

  Instead of mirth – or even a small flash of anger like he expected – Ivy’s expression reflected hurt and it tugged at Jack’s heartstrings.

  “Ivy … .”

  “Just go.” Ivy crossed her arms and rested the side of her head against the passenger side window.

  “I’m not doing this to punish you,” Jack offered, trying a different tactic. “I swear I won’t be long. I don’t want you going back to the house by yourself after what happened with Ricky. I … do you understand that? It’s dark.”

  “I said I was fine.”

  Ivy sounded anything but fine and Jack couldn’t help but worry. “We’re going to talk about this when we get home tonight,” he said. “I’m sorry you’re upset but … I’m afraid to leave you alone right now.”

  Ivy knew how hard it was for a man like Jack to admit he was frightened. That was their biggest obstacle when starting out, after all. As angry as she was, the last thing Ivy wanted was to torture the man. “Hurry up. The longer you take, the colder I’m going to get.”

  Jack leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Please hurry, though. I’m already getting cold.”

  That was enough to seal it for Jack. He shoved the key into the ignition and waited until the engine roared to life, taking time to point the heat vents at Ivy before reaching for the door handle.

  “If you leave me here, we really are going to fight.”

  “I have no intention of leaving you here. I’m hungry. I expect you to buy me dinner in town before heading home.”

  “I think that can be arranged.” Jack smiled as he pushed open the door, ducking his head back inside before disappearing into the darkness. “Honey, there is one caveat to the ‘don’t leave me’ order.”

  Ivy was tired, but she managed to muster the energy to arch an eyebrow. “What is that?”

  “If someone approaches you out here, you get behind the driver’s seat and
go if it’s necessary,” Jack ordered. “You don’t stay here and risk yourself just because you don’t want to leave me behind. I have Brian to give me a ride.”

  Ivy nodded. “I’m okay, Jack.”

  Jack nodded but pointed toward the door. “Lock this as soon as I’m gone.”

  Jack waited on the other side of the door until he heard Ivy engage the locks, blowing her a kiss before jogging to meet Brian at the main walkway. Brian cast his partner an amused look as Jack spared one more glance for Ivy before walking into the main office building.

  “Are you worried she’s going to leave you here?”

  “Only very mildly,” Jack replied, pointing toward the safe in the corner. “We should’ve checked this earlier. I don’t know why we didn’t think to do it.”

  “I’m not sure either, but Norman Fell’s dead body threw everyone for a loop,” Brian replied, dropping to his knees in front of the safe and tugging on the door. “I think we’re going to have to do this the old-fashioned way.”

  “That’s a very old safe,” Jack noted. “You probably won’t even need a stethoscope to hear the clicks.”

  Brian bobbed his head. “Good point.” He leaned his head closer to the locking mechanism and slowly began to turn the dial. “If you’re not worried about Ivy leaving you, what are you worried about?”

  “Nothing.” Jack answered automatically, but he recognized the lie the second it passed his lips.

  “What?” Brian repeated, spinning the dial back in the other direction.

  “Do you think I’m really making her sick?”

  Brian offered up a hoarse chuckle. “Oh. That’s why you’re upset. No, I don’t think you’re making Ivy sick. I think everything is conspiring to make her sick. She’s dealing with a lot right now.”

  “So … should I give in and propose?”

  “Is that what you want to do?”

  “I want her to be happy and not sick.”

  “I also think you want to give her a special proposal and that’s not going to happen while all of this is weighing on us,” Brian countered. “Here’s the thing, son, you can’t give in to her every whim because you’ll create a monster if you do. Ivy is a good girl. She’s going to be okay.”

  “She’s dealing with so much right now, though,” Jack argued. “We’re all of a sudden sharing a roof, planning renovations, and looking forward to a proposal down the road. That’s on top of the fact that she could’ve been shot at the mall the other day, she did witness a man getting shot and sat next to him while he died, she was visited by the man’s widow, and now might be have a weird stalker who has ties to not one but two dead men.”

  “Well, when you put it like that.” Brian spun the lock dial a final time and tugged open the safe. The door slid open, revealing empty shelves. “I think that’s pretty much what we figured, huh?”

  Jack nodded, the bare shelves not surprising in the least. “So, is one man behind all of this or are multiple men working together?”

  “That’s only one of the questions we have to grapple with,” Brian corrected. “We also have to figure out motive. Is it just money? Is something bigger going on here? Why turn on Dorian Jackson and Norman Fell if they were involved?”

  “Those are some big questions,” Jack agreed, bobbing his head.

  “Well, we’re not going to find any answers tonight.” Brian dusted off his hands as he stood. “You need to take Ivy home and spend some time with her. I think you’ll feel better in the morning.”

  “Will I?” Jack was hopeful that was true. “I don’t like this, Brian. I didn’t want to say anything in front of her, but the odds of Ricky Hughes stumbling across Felicity’s shop by accident can’t be great.”

  “Oh, no,” Brian agreed. “He was definitely following her. The only thing I can figure is that Ricky – and whoever he is working with, if anyone – believes that Dorian Jackson told Ivy something before he died.”

  “He didn’t, though. He said one word. Mitchell.”

  “And we still have no idea what Mitchell means,” Brian said, shaking his head. “I don’t know what to tell you other than to go home and spend some time with Ivy. I honestly think it will make you feel better.”

  Jack honestly believed it would, too. That was the problem. “And tomorrow, when it comes time to leave her on her own again?”

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Brian replied. “We can only tackle one problem at a time, son. Tonight your only problem is making Ivy feel better. We’ll deal with the rest in the morning.”

  Brian made it sound easy. Jack knew it was going to be anything but easy under the bright light of a new day.

  Sixteen

  “How are you feeling, honey?”

  Jack didn’t bother to hide his concern as he rested the takeout boxes on the kitchen table before shrugging out of his coat. Ivy had been in the car – exactly where she promised to be when he left her – upon his return. She was quiet for the ride back to Shadow Lake, though, allowing Jack to pick something out for her to eat at the diner as she lost herself in her head.

  “I’m not sick, Jack.” Ivy said the words with a strong voice, but even as she uttered them, she couldn’t help feeling a bit weak. “I think I’m just tired.”

  “You’ve been through a lot.” Jack struggled with the effort it took not to pull her down on his lap and begin force-feeding her. “I got you comfort food. Tomato soup, a grilled cheese sandwich, and a slice of pie for dessert.”

  Ivy flashed a smile for his benefit. “That sounds good. What did you get?”

  “The same thing.”

  Ivy arched an eyebrow. “You didn’t get meat? You love meat.”

  “I don’t need meat,” Jack replied. “I wanted something quick. You’re really starting to worry me.” Jack pressed his hand to Ivy’s forehead again. “You’re still warm.”

  “I think you and Aunt Felicity share something of a mother hen mentality,” Ivy said, kicking off her boots before sitting in her regular chair. “I’m fine. I’m honestly just tired. Ricky Hughes’ appearance surprised me. It didn’t make me sick.”

  “I know that.” Jack sat next to her, his eyes contemplative as they washed over the angular planes of Ivy’s face. “Am I making you sick?”

  Ivy stared blankly at Jack for several beats, his words sinking in slowly. “If I say yes, will you give me my ring?”

  “I … .” Jack worked his jaw, unsure how to answer.

  Instead of pushing him to get what she really wanted, Ivy merely shook her head. “You’re not making me sick. The situation is making me sick. I feel as if … something … is closing in on me. I know that probably doesn’t make sense to you, but I don’t know how else to describe it. I had the same feeling right before we realized people were shooting in the mall.”

  “Can you expand on that?” Jack asked, rubbing his fingers over Ivy’s knuckles as she rested her palm on the kitchen table. “Do you think someone is watching you? Do you think you sense something bad is about to happen?”

  “I don’t know.” Ivy opted for honesty. “I felt something yesterday, though. It was an overwhelming urge to get out of the house. That’s why I insisted on seeing Aunt Felicity.”

  Jack tilted his head to the side, considering. “Your instincts are always good. I want you to follow them until this is over. Do you understand?”

  Ivy nodded without complaint. “I understand.”

  “We’re in something of a pickle here, honey.” Jack handed Ivy the pickle slices from his container, earning the first real smile she’d mustered since he met up with her at Felicity’s store. The simple expression was enough to untie the knot in his chest. “We’re going to have to talk about your safety tomorrow morning. It’s going to make you angry.”

  “I know.” Ivy opened her container and grabbed half of her grilled cheese, dunking it in her tomato soup before taking a bite. She swallowed before speaking again. “You’re not making me sick, Jack. I understand I did this to myself.
It’s not your fault.”

  “It’s no one’s fault,” Jack clarified. “Things got away from us a little bit over the past few days. I maintain that if you hadn’t been put into that situation at the mall, you wouldn’t have freaked out about what was possibly in the folders because you needed something to focus on and we’d still be on track for a Christmas engagement.”

  “Please, don’t say things like that. Now I really am going to get sick.” Ivy dropped her sandwich in the container. “Maybe I’ll take a bath.”

  “No, you’re going to eat your dinner.” Jack tapped the edge of the container for emphasis. He wanted her to know he was serious. “I love you, Ivy. You know that, right? I know you said you did earlier, but I want to make really sure.”

  Ivy nodded without hesitation. “I feel it. Here.” She tapped her chest lightly. “I feel it there even when you’re not around.”

  Jack was absurdly touched by the words. “All of this is going to work out,” he promised, lowering his voice. “Everything is going to be okay. I swear you’re going to get what you want.”

  “I know.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I have faith.”

  “Since when? You’ve been trying to trick me into giving you your ring at every turn since you found out about it.”

  “I haven’t really been trying to trick you,” Ivy clarified. “I merely think making a joke about it is easier so I don’t accidentally cry.”

  “If you cry I’m going to give in,” Jack offered.

  “I know. That’s why I haven’t cried even though I kind of feel as if I really want to do it.”

  Jack swallowed hard. “Ivy … .”

  “I don’t want to cry about the engagement,” Ivy offered hurriedly. “Okay, well, I do. I don’t want to cry about it the way you think I do, though. I’m mad at myself, but you’ve been nothing short of a saint when it comes to putting up with me. If you think I don’t recognize that, you’re wrong.”

  Jack ran his knuckles down her soft cheek. “Sometimes I think you’re a saint for putting up with me. I’m not trying to torture you. Er, well, not really. I’ve been enjoying your attitude regarding the proposal some, but only because it makes me feel wanted. The last thing I want is for you to feel unwanted. If I’ve done that … .”