“Son of a … .” Jack gripped his hands together, squeezing so tightly that Brian worried he might rip off his own fingers.
Instead of playing in to their dramatic game, Brian merely cleared his throat and drew Ivy’s attention to him. “I need to know what happened. I understand you two have … something … going on here. I still need to understand why you did what you did.”
“I can’t explain it and you’re going to think I’m crazy no matter what,” Ivy said. “I saw something in my head. It happened when I touched Mackenzie’s shoes. Things went a little fuzzy in my brain. I almost tripped, but Max caught me.”
Brian was calm. “And then what happened?”
“Then? Then I saw something in my head.”
“What?”
“I saw Mackenzie drinking from her water bottle and getting sick,” Ivy replied, nervously licking her lips as she tried to remain calm. Odds were that Brian would think she was crazy and call the men with white jackets to haul her away. There was nothing she could do about it so she opted to tell the truth. “I just reacted. I didn’t know what else to do. I slapped the bottle away and told everyone to stay away from it.”
“Where is the bottle now?” Brian asked, glancing around.
Ivy pointed toward the bench at the edge of the room. “It rolled under there.”
“Okay.” Brian smiled. “Hang tight for a second.” He left Jack and Ivy alone as he searched for the bottle, seemingly relieved to be out of the line of fire.
When it was just the two of them, Ivy scalded Jack with a dark look. “I’m mad at you.”
“I know.” Jack barely managed to contain his frustration. “I’m sorry. I can’t treat you differently.”
“Oh, really? Did you threaten to send Simone to the health clinic, too?” Sarcasm practically dripped from Ivy’s tongue.
“That’s different,” Jack argued. “This is the second time this has happened in as many days.”
“You’re not my king.”
“That’s funny, because I often think you’re my queen.” Jack leaned closer. “I’m not going to let you turn this into a fight because you don’t want to go to the clinic. You’re going to the clinic.”
“No, I’m not.” Ivy crossed her arms over her chest and defiantly stared down Jack. “I’m not telling them about this. Neither are you. It’s my business.”
“Our business,” Jack corrected. “We’re an us now … and I’m afraid.”
The earnest look on his face was enough for Ivy to reassess her attitude. “I’m not sick. I might be crazy, but I’m not sick.”
“Honey … .”
“I found the bottle,” Brian said, not glancing at either of them as he interrupted their conversation. “Look at his.” Brian, wearing gloves, tipped the bottle so Jack could study the bit of liquid left at the bottom.
“It looks a little … yellowish,” Jack said after a beat.
“And antifreeze is yellow,” Brian said.
“Which means there’s probably antifreeze in there.” Jack wasn’t surprised as much as relieved. As long as Ivy was seeing real things during these little fits, however scary, he could handle what was to come. “You saved Mackenzie, Ivy.”
“It looks like you really did,” Brian agreed. “We’re going to have to send the bottle to the state lab for confirmation, but you did a good thing here.”
Ivy rubbed her cheek and nodded. “Okay.” Her voice was tiny. “Mackenzie said Simone gave her the bottle.”
Brian arched an eyebrow as he stared at Jack for a moment, something unsaid passing between them. “Okay,” Brian said after a beat. “We have a new plan. The girls are being released – at least for the moment – and Simone is coming in for questioning.”
“What about me?” Ivy asked.
“You’re going home,” Jack answered. “You’re going home, making yourself some tea, and then resting until I get there.”
Ivy opened her mouth to argue but snapped it shut when Jack offered up a firm headshake.
“You’re going home,” Jack repeated. “If you push me too far, I swear I will toss you over my shoulder and haul you to the clinic myself. You might be angry – and even kick and scream – but I will do it.”
Ivy stared at him for a long beat, anger pulsing off her in tsunami-like waves. “Fine,” she said after a few moments of deliberation. “We’re going to talk about this when you get home, though.”
“I can’t wait.”
SIMONE PUT UP A FIGHT when Jack and Brian explained they were taking her to the station for formal questioning. At first she tried whining to get out of it, ultimately faking tears and acting as if Jack and Brian were submitting her to torture rather than questions.
When that didn’t work, she demanded a lawyer. Once it was explained to her that she would have to sit in a cell until the lawyer arrived, she changed her mind and started pouting. When she realized that wasn’t going to work, she opted for belligerence.
In the end, it was a long three hours of questioning that ended with Simone swearing up and down she had nothing to do with the potential poisoning. She pointed out she gave all the girls bottles of water and only one was tainted. She also rationalized that Mackenzie wasn’t a frontrunner so there was no gain to trying to knock her out of the pageant.
Sadly, without hard evidence to go on because the bottle had to go to the state lab, Jack and Brian had no choice but to cut her loose.
“What do you think?” Brian asked as he stood next to the window and watched Simone scurry away in the darkness.
“I think she’s a pain the ass,” Jack replied, not missing a beat.
“Not that.” Brian chuckled. “That’s a given. Do you think she’s capable of poisoning teenagers to make sure her daughter is crowned the Lady of Love.”
“Please tell me that’s not the actual title,” Jack said.
“I wish I could.”
“This town is nutty sometimes.” Jack rolled his neck and stared at the ceiling. “I’m not sure what to believe. On one hand, I think Simone is capable of almost anything. On the other, this seems so … fantastical … that I don’t know what to make of it.”
“Speaking of fantastical … .” Brian awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other as he cleared his throat. “I don’t want to make things worse here or anything but … what’s going on with Ivy?”
Jack bristled at his partner’s tone. “There’s nothing wrong with Ivy.”
Brian held up his hands in a placating manner. “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with her,” he clarified. “I asked what was up with her.”
“Oh.” Jack had the grace to be abashed. “I don’t know what’s up with her. She’s … dealing with some stuff.”
“I figured that out on my own,” Brian said dryly. “This isn’t the first time this has happened, is it?”
“I … .”
“It’s not even the second time,” Brian pushed forward, refusing to let Jack shut down. “She’s seeing things, isn’t she?”
“Twice now,” Jack confirmed. He wasn’t keen on sharing Ivy’s private business, but Brian was his partner and he needed someone to unload on. “Yesterday, seconds before Aubrey went down, Ivy saw it. She knew it was coming.”
“Okay.”
Jack was incredulous. “Don’t you think that’s freaky?”
“I think that Ivy has always had a special strength that most people don’t understand,” Brian replied, choosing his words carefully. “I’m not that surprised. This is hardly the weirdest thing that’s happened since you two got together.”
Jack balked. “What does us getting together have to do with anything?”
“Well, I don’t want to tell you your business, but I would say that you two getting together has everything to do with this,” Brian supplied. “Think about it, son. Ivy was withdrawn and hidden away before you. She was friendly enough, don’t get me wrong, but she didn’t have the courage to open herself up for anyone.
“Then you came al
ong,” he continued. “You two fought like crazy and then you fell hard for each other. Right away, things started happening. You shared dreams. Don’t give me that look. You told me about the dreams yourself.”
“I know that.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s just … do you think I did this to her?”
“Did this to her?” Brian cocked an eyebrow. “I think you’re an idiot if you look at it that way. I happen to believe that Ivy was always like this and the only reason it’s coming out now is because she’s no longer hiding.
“You gave her the strength to be who she is without regret or fear,” he continued. “This isn’t a bad thing. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not something we should be spreading around. It’s not a bad thing, though.”
“What do you think it is?”
Brian held his hands palms out and shrugged. “Magic?”
“And you’re okay with that answer?”
“Ivy is a good girl and you two have made each other ridiculously happy,” Brian replied. “I happen to be fine with that answer. The question is: Are you?”
“I love her more than anything,” Jack replied. “I don’t care if she can see things … or sense things … or even talk to beings that aren’t really there. I do care that she’s freaking herself out over this – and no matter what she says, that’s exactly what she’s doing – and I care that she’s sad and worried.”
“Have you considered that she’s taking her cues from you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Son, your face is an open book,” Brian said. “Ivy loves you, but this is happening to her. She’s spending all her time worrying about how you’ll react rather than looking inward and studying what’s happening to her. That can’t be healthy.”
Jack worked his jaw. Brian’s words made sense in an odd sort of way. “I didn’t really think about it.”
“Well, think about it,” Brian said. “She’s going to be your wife. For better or for worse, you’ll be taking this part of her on, too. I’m going to guess that doesn’t bother you all that much. Sure, it’s new and you’re grappling, but it doesn’t change the way you feel about her, does it?”
Jack shook his head. “Nothing ever could.”
“I know. I think you need to tell her that, though, so she knows.”
Could it be possible that Ivy didn’t know? The thought made Jack uncomfortable. “What about the case?”
“We’ll meet for breakfast at the diner tomorrow and make a plan for the case,” Brian replied. “Hopefully we’ll have test results back from the state lab by then. I’ll ask them to put a rush on things.”
“Thank you.” Jack moved toward the door. “I’ll talk to Ivy. We’ll all have breakfast together tomorrow. We’ll figure this out.”
Brian’s smile was kind. “Just talk to Ivy. I’m more worried about things smoothing out between the two of you than forcing her to help with the case. It’s going to be okay.”
“I know it will.” This time, the smile Jack offered up was small but legitimate. “As long as I have her, things will always be okay.”
“Oh, well, good. The schmaltz is back.”
“Get used to it.”
“I’m working on it. Go home. Spend time with Ivy. We’ll pick another plan of attack tomorrow.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
Ten
The house was dark when Jack arrived. He sat in his truck, staring at the quiet cottage for a full five minutes before exhaling heavily and heading inside. The first thing he noticed when he walked through the door was a blanket and pillow stacked at the foot of the couch. It was clear Ivy expected him to sleep there rather than in their bed.
Fury pooled in his stomach as Jack stalked toward the bedroom. He pulled up short when his hand closed around the door handle, though, his mind busy with a myriad of potential outcomes should he force the issue. Ultimately he retreated to the living room, stripped out of his jeans and shirt, and planted himself on the couch.
The couch wasn’t overly long so it was uncomfortable for his tall frame. Still, he shifted until he got as comfortable as possible … and then proceeded to stare at the ceiling. This was the second night in a row he was forced to sleep on the couch. The first was because he and Ivy got comfortable together. Even though they were crowded and cramped, that was a much better scenario than this.
He hated sleeping alone.
Before Ivy, he slept alone most nights – especially after he was shot – and he was fine with it. He didn’t trust anyone enough to close his eyes and sleep with them in the same room and women were finicky about being kicked out right after sex. Since his former partner was the one who did the shooting, Jack had issues with trust. Ivy changed all that.
Jack felt comforted knowing that Ivy was next to him while he slept. He could feel her. Even though they didn’t dream walk as much as they did initially – they both believed real dreams were important, too – their bond was unshakable. Even though Ivy was angry and hurt, Jack knew they would make it through this trial. They were too strong together to crumble while apart.
Of course, that gave him an idea. Remembering the frequency with which they used to dream walk, Jack slowly closed his eyes and sucked in a cleansing breath. Ivy said she was the one who supplied the power for their dream-walking adventures. She also said Jack was the one who inadvertently called to her when it first started. That’s exactly what he was going to do tonight. He was going to call to her, and if she didn’t come, he would find a way to stalk her in sleep until she relented and forgave him.
He could think of nothing else but getting back in her good graces.
“Ready or not, honey, here I come.”
IT TOOK IVY FOREVER to fall asleep. It was early when she decided to lock herself in the bedroom. Alone. It wasn’t so much that she was closing Jack out as much as she was turning inward. She needed to think. Her anger with Jack’s reaction at the barn was simply a convenient way to get time alone … even if it ultimately hurt them both.
She took a dose of cold medication before going to bed, hoping that would enable her to sleep through Jack’s return. He was liable to be angry, maybe even pick a fight, but he wouldn’t if she was already asleep. Ivy knew it was cowardly, but she couldn’t help herself. She needed a spot of solitude, and that’s why she escaped in dreams before Jack returned home.
Ivy wasn’t surprised when she woke in a dreamscape. She did some of her best thinking in dreams, and she hoped this one would be no different.
The breeze was a soft kiss on her skin when she opened her eyes, her lips curving when she recognized her fairy ring. The place was real – a spot in the woods about half a mile from her house – and she visited often when the weather permitted. Suffice it to say, the weather never made for comfortable visits in February.
“Oh, it’s pretty.” Ivy lifted her face to the sky and smiled as the sun hit her. It felt like summer, even though she knew it was an illusion and would wake to snow in the real world. “I can’t wait to come here for real.”
“Are you talking to yourself?”
Ivy jolted at the sound of Jack’s voice, swiveling quickly to find him stretched out on a blanket. He had what looked to be the makings of a picnic next to him, and his expression was hard to read as he watched her.
“What are you doing here?” Ivy asked, stepping forward. She was barefoot, which was not recommended in the woods, but since it was a dream she paid little heed to her lack of footwear. “Are you really here, or did I conjure you?”
“What do you think?”
“I … um … don’t know. That’s why I asked.”
“Come sit over here.” Jack patted the empty spot on the blanket. “We need to have a talk.”
“Oh, geez.” Ivy made a disgusted face. “You’re really here.”
“That’s quite the welcome, honey.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Ivy said hurriedly. “It’s just … I don’t want to have some deep and meaningful conversati
on. My brain is already busy enough.”
“I know that. We’re still going to do it. So … come here.”
“Fine.” Ivy wasn’t happy, but she could hardly run from him … even in dreams. He came to her for a reason. She needed to acknowledge and accept that reason. Ivy heaved out a sigh as she sat on the blanket, being careful to keep from touching him as she leaned back on her elbows and stared at the blue sky. “Beautiful day, huh?”
Jack pursed his lips to keep from laughing at her avoidance technique. “Everything about this dream is beautiful.” He never moved his eyes from Ivy’s face when he said the words.
“I’m sorry I locked you out,” Ivy started.
“I don’t think you are. That’s only part of the reason why I’m here, though.”
“You found me in a dream on your own. That’s pretty impressive.”
“It probably wouldn’t have been possible if, deep down inside, you really didn’t want me to find you.”
“Do you think that’s true?”
Jack nodded. “I think you wanted me with you as much as I wanted to be with you. I also think you’re too stubborn to admit it.”
“I’m not stubborn.”
Jack snorted. “You’re the most stubborn person I know.”
“You’re way more stubborn than me.”
“Oh, puh-leez.” Jack made an exaggerated face before sobering. “I was serious about talking. We need to do it.”
“I know.” Ivy was pained. “I don’t know how to explain what happened. If you expect me to do that, I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for this,” Jack chided. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“It doesn’t feel that way.”
“That’s because you have a martyr complex.” Jack moved his hand to Ivy’s hair and slipped a strand behind her ear. “Brian said something interesting to me tonight. Do you want to know what that is?”
“If it involves a straightjacket, the answer is no.”
Jack widened his eyes. “Is that what you’re worried about? Do you believe that I’ll somehow convince everyone to lock you up?”
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