“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Simone supplied. “Max will take me home. Isn’t that right?”
Max looked caught, his eyes briefly locking with Jack’s as he silently pleaded for help. Jack refused to step in.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Jack said, stooping over to collect the garbage bags. “We’re done here. There’s no reason for anyone to hang around.”
“Great.” Simone clapped her hands as she turned to Max. “And you thought we were done for the evening. It must be your lucky night.”
“It must be,” Max said, his eyes following Ivy as she turned on her heel and stalked toward the house. “Ivy … .”
She didn’t answer, or turn around.
“Leave her be,” Jack said, his voice low. “She needs time.”
“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Max protested. “I just … she was upset.”
“You don’t have to make excuses to him.” Simone wrinkled her nose. “Who you date is your own business.”
Max never tore his eyes away from Jack. “Will you talk to her?”
“Talk?” Jack barked out a hoarse laugh. “I don’t think there will be a lot of talking tonight. Throwing things? Screeching? Yeah, I think that’s what I’m in for.” Jack transferred both garbage bags to one hand and used his free one to clap Max on the back. “I want to thank you for this. We had big plans for romance and quiet. I don’t think that’s in my future.”
“That’s what happens when you date a witch,” Simone sang out.
Jack pretended he didn’t hear her as he turned to follow Ivy. “I’m really starting to get sick of this stupid pageant and all the drama associated with it,” he grumbled as he moved toward the house.
“It’s not a stupid pageant,” Simone called after him.
“It’s definitely a stupid pageant.”
JACK HAD FEW OPTIONS when he walked into the house. Ivy, her face lit with fury, sat on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest and glared at the dim fireplace.
Jack took his time, carrying the garbage bags through the kitchen and slipping them into the big containers at the back of the house before returning. He discarded his coat and gloves, slipped off his boots, and watched Ivy with a studied gaze. She was absolutely livid. She steamed cold sometimes, like when she was really angry, and that’s how she looked now.
Instead of addressing her right away, Jack strolled down the hallway and headed toward the bathroom. He started the water, picking a high temperature before pouring some of Ivy’s clove-scented bubbles into the water.
He then moved to the bedroom, stripped out of his clothes, and strode into the living room naked. For the first time since Max and Simone left, Ivy reacted to something external and widened her eyes at Jack’s nude form.
“Are you just giving up on romance tonight?” she asked dryly.
“No, but I’m not going to coddle you either.” Jack moved to Ivy and, with little preamble, yanked off her coat. He then proceeded to remove each item of clothing. Ivy didn’t put up a fight, but she didn’t exactly help either. Within three minutes, they were both nude and Jack swung Ivy up in his arms before he walked down the hallway.
“What are you doing?” Ivy was understandably confused.
“Taking a bath. That was what we talked about over dinner.”
“That was before my brother betrayed me,” Ivy argued. “I don’t want to take a bath.”
“You’re taking a bath.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“I’m not. In fact … .” Ivy screeched when Jack practically tossed her in the tub, sputtering as she surfaced and shoving her wet hair out of her face. “You could’ve killed me by doing that!”
Jack chuckled as he grabbed two towels from the cupboard and dropped them on the floor next to the tub. He shoved Ivy forward so she had no choice but to make room behind her, letting loose with a long groan as he got comfortable and situated Ivy so she could rest her head on his chest.
“There we go.” Jack smiled brightly. “This is much better than whatever you had planned, isn’t it?”
Ivy glowered at him. “We’re going to have a long talk about this later you … Neanderthal.”
Jack forced out a laugh. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“You won’t be when I’m done.”
“Oh, honey, you won’t even remember why you’re mad when I’m done. Now … shh. Put your head down and enjoy the water. This is only the first step on our trek to ultimate romance.”
Ivy offered up an exaggerated face. “That was unbelievably schmaltzy.”
“I know. You’ll learn to live with it.”
Ivy’s expression softened, although only marginally. “We’ll learn to live with it … together.”
“You’ve got that right. Now … do as I say. I’m in charge tonight.”
Ivy’s scowl was back. “We’re definitely going to talk.”
Fifteen
Jack was all smiles when he dropped off Ivy for pageant rehearsals the next morning. After her initial reluctance, he wore down her defenses and they had a pleasant evening together. In the bright light of day, you couldn’t tell the house was ever vandalized. He was thankful for that because Ivy seemed determined to remain in a good mood as they headed for town.
“You didn’t need to drive me,” Ivy said as she gathered her things. “I’m perfectly capable of driving myself.”
“Maybe I like playing chauffeur,” Jack said, grabbing the case of bottled water from the back of the truck and heading toward the barn. “Have you ever considered that?”
“I think you’re worried about me taking off and doing something stupid.”
“I would never worry about something like that,” Jack lied. “You always keep your head, even when you’re angry, and you never run off half-cocked.”
He was so earnest when he delivered the words Ivy couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “That sounds nothing like me.”
“Which is exactly why I drove you.” Jack watched as Ivy unlocked the barn door and then followed her inside. The building was empty – it would be for another hour or so – and he found the structure cozy when it wasn’t filled with screeching teenagers. “For the record, I wasn’t worried about you going after Simone. I’m pretty sure you’re over it.”
“I wouldn’t use that word, but she clearly couldn’t have been the one to vandalize the house. That doesn’t mean Sadie didn’t, of course. Heck, she could’ve done it under orders from her mother, for all we know. Simone had the best of alibis, though, didn’t she?”
Jack didn’t miss the edge in Ivy’s voice. “Honey, your brother is an adult. He’s allowed to date whoever he wants. If he’s truly attracted to Simone … .”
“He might be attracted to her, but he doesn’t particularly like her,” Ivy said, cutting off Jack before he could get a full head of steam and admonish her for trying to run Max’s life. She expected him to take that tack the night before, but he wisely skirted the issue. “You saw his face when he got out of the truck. He was ashamed.”
“I think he was embarrassed,” Jack clarified. “He told me before he left the barn that he had no intention of dating Simone again. That must have changed when he came across her in the parking lot as he was leaving.”
“Which was probably on purpose on her part.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Oh, I know.”
Jack wasn’t in the mood to risk a fight so he merely tapped Ivy’s chin to get her attention and then planted a lingering kiss on her mouth before she could open it again. “I love you. You need to back off from your brother, though. He’s clearly trying to deal with this on his own and you’re not helping matters.”
“I love you, too.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re wrong about Max, though. His problem is that he’s too nice of a guy and Simone is using that to her advantage. I have every intention of fixing that … and I’m going to do it toda
y.”
“And how are you going to manage that?”
“I’m calling in reinforcements.”
Jack had no idea what to make of the simple answer. Ivy didn’t act as if she was about to go off the rails but there was a smug air about her that made Jack worry. “What do you have up your sleeve, honey?”
Ivy slipped out of her coat, revealing a bohemian tank top to go with her knit leggings. Jack particularly liked the way she looked in the leggings. When the weather cooperated, she preferred cargo pants or ankle-length skirts. He’d never been a fan of long skirts until Ivy. Now he liked them … mostly because he liked to imagine what she was wearing under them. The leggings molded to her lower body, though, and it was a nice change of pace.
“I’m not wearing sleeves today,” Ivy pointed out. “Clearly I can have nothing up them if I’m not wearing them.”
Jack didn’t believe her for a second. “Very cute. I still want to know what you’re planning.”
“Why do you assume I’m planning anything?”
“Because I know you and you’ve got ‘I’m going to win’ written all over your face,” Jack replied, unruffled. “Now, I like your competitive streak on a normal basis. I’m not sure how I feel about it given the current circumstances, though.”
“It’s a pageant, Jack.” Ivy lightly patted his face. “I’ll be perfectly fine. Besides … don’t you have work to do?”
She was being purposely evasive. Jack recognized the signs. “Tell me right now. I’ll call in sick to work and sit here all day if you don’t.”
“That will make the girls uncomfortable.”
“It will make you uncomfortable, too, and that’s my aim.”
The corners of Ivy’s mouth tipped down. “Fine. I figured I needed help if I wanted to change things up so I called for people to help me.”
“Who?”
“Hannah Landry and Aunt Felicity.”
Jack arched an eyebrow, surprised. He opened his mouth to press her further on the issue and then changed course. “I actually think that’s a really good idea.”
Ivy’s eyebrows winged up. “You do?”
“I do,” Jack confirmed, bobbing his head. “Hannah knows a lot about the pageant and is clearly still interested in the whole process. She’s closer in age to the girls and they might be more willing to listen to her.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“As for Felicity, she has a soothing approach and she’ll stroke some egos,” Jack continued. “Also, she’s good with you. If you’re upset, she’ll calm you down. I like this better the more that I think about it.”
“Well … bully for you.”
Jack grinned as he smacked an affectionate kiss against her lips. “I’ll try to stop by for lunch if I can swing it. If anything happens – anything at all that seems out of the ordinary – I expect you to call me.”
“Sir, yes sir.” Ivy mock-saluted.
“I know you intended that to be sarcastic, but it totally turned me on.” Jack gave her a small wave as he headed for the door. “See if you can steal one of the practice tiaras and we’ll play king and queen of the manor later.”
Ivy wanted to admonish him, but he was too adorable to come down on. “I love you, Your Majesty.”
Jack chuckled. “I love you, too.”
“OKAY, WE’RE GOING TO CHANGE things up going forward.” Ivy clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention as Felicity and Hannah took up positions to her left and right. “First, I want to welcome all of the new faces. We have a lot to cover before the pageant hits – I mean … a lot – but I think it’s going to be okay.
“We’re cutting everything down to one opening number and then all anyone has to focus on is their individual talent, evening gown, and interview question,” she continued. “We’re starting the morning with the opening number. Then Hannah, Aunt Felicity, and I will be around to work with you guys individually on the other stuff.
“We also want you guys to practice the opening number by yourselves this afternoon,” she said. “We’ll finish up the day with another hour of practice on that since some of you are at a disadvantage because of what happened.”
“I want to thank you for opening up the pageant for everyone, Ms. Morgan,” Peyton offered. “It means a lot to those of us who were cut out before.”
“Call me Ivy … and it’s fine. You never should’ve been cut out in the first place.”
“Says you,” Sadie muttered under her breath. “I still think they should be gone.”
Ivy had to remind herself that Sadie was a teenager and all teenagers are unbearable from time to time. Just because Ivy hated Simone, that didn’t mean she could take out her angst on Sadie. Ultimately it turned out that Ivy didn’t have to take anything out on Sadie because Felicity was in the mood to do it for her.
“I don’t think anyone cares what you think, dear.” Felicity had a warm spirit and giving soul, but she disliked Sadie on sight. Ivy saw it in the way her aunt’s back went up when the girl made fun of her skirt. “Either get with the program or get out of the barn. At this point, I don’t care which.”
Sadie balked. “You can’t talk to me that way.”
“I just did.”
“You don’t have the power to kick me out either,” Sadie argued.
“No, but I do,” Ivy said. “We’ve all had it with your mouth, Sadie. If you want to be part of the pageant, you need to tone it down. I understand you’re posturing because your mother used to be in charge, but that’s not going to fly here.”
Sadie made a disgusted face. “My mother says she’s going to be back in charge before the end of the day.”
“Your mother is deluding herself. It’s not going to happen so … suck it up or shut up. Pick one and do it well.”
“Ugh!” Sadie stomped her foot on the floor. “I hate you.”
“I heard your mother is the prime suspect in Aubrey’s poisoning,” Peyton said slyly. “Some people are even saying that she’s going to jail for it.”
Ivy had no problem with Sadie being put in her place, but she wasn’t keen on bullying. “Who said that?”
“The police.”
“Oh, really?” Ivy arched a challenging eyebrow. “Which police officer said that?”
Peyton must have realized her mistake too late to take it back because she looked properly abashed. “It’s just something I heard.”
“Well, don’t repeat it. None of us need empty gossip. Sadie, you’re in charge of running through the opening number the first time. Everyone watch Sadie. Once she’s done, we’ll start the work of teaching the steps to everyone. Okay? Let’s get to it.”
She’d only been with the girls for thirty minutes and Ivy was already tired when she trudged to the wall and leaned against it. Dance routines weren’t her thing – she considered herself rhythmically challenged – but she knew that they couldn’t escape without one. That meant it was necessary and she had no choice but to sit through hours upon hours of the same song and the same moves.
Ivy was lost in thought as she watched the girls. Hannah jumped right in, her hips swinging to the music as she effortlessly picked up on the dance. Felicity was much more muted, but she seemed interested to see the process. For her part, Ivy felt isolated on the other side of the room. The feeling only got worse when she felt Max move in beside her.
“Why are you here?”
Max recognized the bitter tone right away. He was expecting it. He even considered faking sick so he could steer clear of his sister, which he recognized as cowardly but potentially necessary, but Jack’s worry about Ivy’s safety propelled him to finish what he started. If Jack was right and Ivy was in danger, Max would never forgive himself if something happened because he didn’t show up for his watch.
“I have sets to finish,” Max replied. “The pageant is almost here so I’m running out of time.”
“I would’ve thought you’d be spending the day with your new girlfriend.”
“She’
s not my girlfriend.”
“Whatever.” Ivy pushed herself away from the wall. “I’m not going to pretend I’m happy about what happened last night, Max. We have to get through it, though. Go ahead and finish your work. I’ll be … busy with my own stuff.”
“Ivy, we need to talk.” Max’s voice was soft.
“Later. I can’t deal with you now.”
Max watched her go, his heart tearing a bit. He hated the distance between them but now was not the time to fix it. No, for the time being, all he could do was work and watch her. They were his only options.
FELICITY FOUND MAX PAINTING something that looked like a pink flamingo an hour later. She’d watched Ivy and Max for as long as she could bear. They studied each other, sadness in their eyes, but only when the other couldn’t see it. Felicity had dealt with her niece and nephew long enough to know that it was time for some tough love.
“What’s with the flamingo?”
Max shrugged as his aunt hunkered down and made herself comfortable. “I have no idea. It was Simone’s vision.”
“And Simone is your new girlfriend?”
Max made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “She’s not my new girlfriend. We’ve had dinner twice. Don’t believe anything Ivy has told you about her.”
“Ivy has told me a great deal. She’s extremely worked up.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“She’s also extremely hurt, although she hasn’t used that word and pretends otherwise.” Felicity let loose with a very “aunt-like” movement and smoothed Max’s dark hair. “She likes to pretend she’s strong … like you.”
Max balked. “What do you mean? Why would she possibly be hurt?”
“Max, you’re a very bright boy and yet you miss obvious signs all the time,” Felicity noted. “You shared the same roof and yet Ivy’s childhood was very different from yours. You both had fun and hung out, but your school life was filled with friends and parties. She was considered an outsider.”
“That’s not my fault.” Max swallowed his guilt at the same time he tried to maintain his temper. “I didn’t treat her that way. In fact, I went out of my way to see she was included.”
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