by Molly Harper, Stephanie Haefner, Liora Blake, Gabra Zackman, Andrea Laurence, Colette Auclair
“You’re probably right,” he said, swallowing hard. “Judging by your songs, you’re an expert on getting things stuck in you. How many men in LA have you slept with, Ivy? Or is it easier to count the ones you haven’t gotten to yet?”
Ivy’s lower lip trembled for only a moment. Then she marched up to him and slapped him hard across the face. He took the stinging blow, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of knowing it hurt. Instead he smiled widely. That only made her face turn a deeper shade of crimson.
“Welcome home, Ivy Grace.” With that, he tossed some cash onto the table, gave a wave to his friends, and left.
Chapter Four
After a fairly unsuccessful night on the town, Ivy had called a cab and left Pepper at Woody’s talking to Emmett. She intended to go home, shower off the inch of makeup Pepper had painted on her face, and call it a night.
It didn’t take long to realize that she was far too wound up to sleep. Instead, she went out onto the screened porch with her notebook and a tall glass of lemonade mixed with sweet-tea-flavored vodka. She managed one song while she sat watching the last fireflies of the season disappear into the trees.
Kevin would not approve, but she’d had a miserably aggravating day. She wasn’t going to sit down and write about love and puppies. Instead, she’d written about what she’d seen in Blake’s eyes this afternoon at the pier and again at Woody’s. He’d wanted her, and he’d taken no pains to hide that fact. Ivy could still feel the tingle that danced across her skin as his gaze raked over her body. Without a touch, he’d stoked a fire deep in her belly that had ached miserably all afternoon.
And then, at the bar, he’d opened his mouth and ruined everything. Ivy didn’t care if he wanted her, or even if she wanted him. It wasn’t going to happen.
That’s where the song began. It was about being blatantly wanted by a man, seeing the need in his eyes as they devoured every inch of her body . . . and about knowing there was no way in hell she would ever let him hit that.
She titled it “Do You (Want Me?)” and she was pretty pleased with it. She’d funneled all of the day’s irritation and confusing emotions into the lyrics and it flowed pretty easily. It was still rough, but it had single potential as an anthem for any woman being harassed at a bar by a guy who is too clueless to know it isn’t going to happen.
There ain’t no way in hell I’m ever gonna—
Do you . . . want me baby?
’Cause I ain’t gonna—
Do you . . . think about me at night?
The next morning, she’d polished the song like a shiny gem. If she closed her eyes she could hear the music in the background and envision singing it onstage. Later that afternoon, she’d tried the chorus out with the acoustics of the small shower while she got ready for Sunday dinner at her parents’ house. It sounded great—the perfect Ivy Hudson song.
For now, she’d revel in the glory of that and not focus on the “new sound” she was supposed to be coming up with or the fact that her ex had seen her pretty much naked and called her a slut in front of the whole town.
So far this had been an enlightening weekend, to say the least, and she was happy to make it to the safety of Sunday and the upcoming workweek. Hopefully then, everyone in town would be focused on their jobs and forget about the rock star hiding out at Willow Lake.
Although she’d busied her mind with the new song, the past kept creeping into the forefront. Before yesterday, she hadn’t seen Blake since the night of the Auburn party almost six years ago.
After they’d survived their first year apart while he was at college and she was finishing high school, Ivy had thought things would get easier. Instead, they’d ended up at different colleges, their schedules got busier, and she could tell he was starting to feel neglected. When Auburn locked up the SEC Championship, the team threw a huge party and he’d asked her to come. Unfortunately, she had an evening choral performance that same night. It was her final for the class and there was no getting around it. With a three-hour drive between their two campuses, she hadn’t relished the idea of driving that late. But when she got done early, Ivy decided to go and surprise him. And surprise him she did. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw her. He was mid-fondle with the cheerleader, seconds away from a “touchdown,” and had nowhere to go or hide.
She was devastated. She’d run from the room and he’d chased after her, catching up just as she reached her car. To this day, she wasn’t quite sure where she’d summoned the strength, but she’d kneed him in his very sensitive and recently handled junk, told him they were through, and jumped into her car.
The last thing she saw was his pained expression in her rearview mirror as she tore off back to Tuscaloosa. She didn’t know if it was the pain of losing her or the nuclear explosion in his crotch that she saw flash in his eyes. It didn’t matter. He deserved both.
Ivy had fantasized about the moment she’d see Blake again for years. How she’d look, what she’d say . . . but that all crumbled when he stepped off that boat and she dove into the bushes. She didn’t know how to handle seeing him. And she certainly didn’t know how to handle the way he looked at her.
Even with six years of bad blood between them, Blake still wanted her. She supposed she should be pleased that she still had the power to crank his tractor. She just didn’t know what to do about it now.
Blake was undeniably handsome, with classic features and short brown hair that begged a girl to run her fingers through it. Even his knowledge of that fact couldn’t ruin it. Ivy had expected him to look as good as she remembered, but the years had done wonders for him. He’d filled out substantially from his thin, athletic days. He had been muscular in high school and college, but still had the build of a boy on his way to becoming a man. The NFL’s rigorous training program had transformed him. Now he was all man, with broad shoulders; thick, muscular arms; and a square, hard jaw. His skin was tan from hours outside and the faint laugh lines around his eyes gave him character.
It was a huge change from the pretty boys she’d gotten used to in LA. That whole town was crawling with metrosexual men who spent more time doing their hair than she did. Ivy’d had to adapt or she wouldn’t have ever dated.
But seeing Blake again reminded her of what men could really be like. He was rough around the edges, and she’d liked it. Add that she was a sucker for a pair of baby blues and his mere presence tested her resilience. Thank goodness his smart mouth always interfered before she did something stupid.
It was an emotional pendulum. Her brain kept flipping from their run-in at the cabin to their fight in the bar. His smirk as he noticed her predicament. The roll of his eyes as her song came on the jukebox. His approval of her mostly naked body. His easily spouted insults. His refusal to go for the jugular when she was virtually unarmed. His lack of hesitation when they were on even footing and surrounded by his supporters . . .
Part of her had hoped she would come home to find him looking like a cast member of Duck Dynasty. It would’ve been easy to ignore him then. But his looking like he did made it hard to focus on why she couldn’t like him anymore. Hopefully, she could get through the next few weeks without spending a lot of time with him. Her mother had told her when he got the job as the assistant football coach at the high school last summer. If she had any luck at all, he wouldn’t have a role in any of her fund-raisers. Tomorrow she would find out for sure. Today was about barbecue and family time.
Ivy had to use her GPS to find the new house. She’d paid off her parents’ mortgage on the house she’d grown up in, a small, 1960s-era brick rancher with two bedrooms and one bath. It was tiny by modern standards, but well maintained, and just enough for their little family. She’d offered to help her parents buy a new place, but they’d refused. Then, a year and a half ago, they’d put the rancher up for sale and used the money along with their savings to buy land and build a new home.
She felt terrible about it, but she hadn’t seen the new place yet although they
’d moved in a year ago. As she drove down a small country road, she realized she was heading toward Lydia’s family home. The entrance to Whittaker Farms was a mile up the road, but nearly everything you could see to the right of the highway belonged to them.
Her parents had mentioned they’d built out this way, but she hadn’t realized how close they were to her old stomping grounds. Her mother had always admired the area when she drove Ivy out to the farm for parties and sleepovers, so she shouldn’t be surprised.
The GPS announced that her destination was on the left. Pulling her car into the gravel driveway, Ivy paused to look at the bright yellow two-story farmhouse with the wraparound porch. It was charming, exactly what her mother had always wanted. She drove around the house, parking behind the two-car garage. The old house had a one-car garage, but her father had closed it in when she was a kid and used it as a studio to teach private music lessons.
This one was just for cars, she noted as she saw a small building away from the house with a sign that said MUSIC LESSONS over the door. Finally, her mama wouldn’t have to listen to the tortured strains of a freshman tuba player.
Off the back of the house was a large, partially screened-in wood deck. Ivy got out of her car and bypassed the back door for the stairs to the deck. Her daddy was there, poking around at the grill with his back turned to her.
Trent Hudson had been the stereotypical band geek in his day. He was tall, thin, and wiry, no more than a hundred and forty pounds after a good meal. He wore thick glasses and had a cowlick in his dark hair that refused to lie down.
But even then, it was no mystery why her mother fell for him. When her daddy picked up a musical instrument, he might as well be a rock star. He had the stage presence of Mick Jagger, the guitar skills of Eddie Van Halen, and the wicked smile of Jon Bon Jovi. He could play any instrument, look at any sheet of music and perform it flawlessly.
Ivy was fairly certain that she got not only her musical talent but also her ability to charm an audience from her father. Why he opted to stay in Alabama and teach marching band instead of going to Nashville and breaking into the music business was a mystery she’d never solve.
She did have a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the hot brunette in the kitchen. The back door opened just then and her mother stepped out with a plate of marinated chicken breasts.
Sarah’s eyes lit up as she noticed Ivy standing on the porch. “Hey, baby.” She handed Trent the chicken and came over to give Ivy a hug. “You found us! I’m so glad you could make it today. I can’t believe you haven’t seen the house yet.”
“Of course I made it, Mama.”
Her dad threw the chicken on the grill and closed the lid before coming over. “Sneaking up on me, are you?” He wrapped Ivy in a big hug and readjusted his Alabama ball cap. “How are you, Peaches?”
“I’m good, Daddy.”
He smiled wide and threw his arm around her shoulder. “Good, good. How do you like the cabin?”
“It’s perfect. You chose well. Aside from the view.”
Trent laughed and walked back over to the grill. “I thought you always said the mansion was beautiful.”
“Yeah, well,” Ivy said, “that was before all the unpleasantness. I see you built this place across from Whittaker Farms. I’m noticing a trend.”
“Yes, we’ve deliberately chosen our home sites to make you uncomfortable. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, isn’t that what they say?”
“You’re just messing with me.”
“I know. We chose this spot because it was for sale at a great price. It’s a little ways out of town proper, but we both just love having the space. Sarah, honey, why don’t you give her the tour while I finish up dinner?”
“Sure,” her mom said with a smile, ushering Ivy through the French doors into the great room. “Now I’m sure this won’t be anything as glamorous as those Hollywood Hills homes, but we’re pretty excited about how it turned out.”
The great room was a combination family room, kitchen, and dining room. It had high ceilings and a large stone wood-burning fireplace on one wall. The dark hardwood floors, whitewashed cabinets, and mottled tan granite countertops came together for a homey feel. Most of the furniture was older, but the updated surroundings had given it a new life. The combination of old and new made the house seem comfortable and familiar.
“Our master suite is through here.” Sarah gestured toward the open door of the room. “I got a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. I was so excited and wouldn’t you know, I’ve only used it twice?”
Ivy followed her into the hall and up the stairs to the second floor.
“There are two more bedrooms and a bath up here. One is a guest room and the other is my sewing room. We’ve also got this big bonus area we aren’t sure what to do with yet.”
The large open space had a television in the corner and her daddy’s old recliner parked directly in front of it. There were various musical instruments on a nearby bookshelf and leaning against the wall. “Did Daddy claim this space or did you banish him here?”
“The windows downstairs make it hard for him to watch the game, so he watches up here. Fine by me, of course, with all the yelling. And his instruments, yes, well, these are the extras. Most are in the backyard. I presume you saw Daddy’s music studio back there?”
“I’m sure you’re loving that,” Ivy said.
Sarah laughed. “You have no idea.”
They heard the door slam and Trent shouted up the stairs, “Hope you guys are hungry! I’ve cooked up a storm.”
Ivy frowned. “Dad cooked?”
“No. You know how it is. I make the potato salad, the coleslaw, the baked beans, the rolls, and the cobbler and marinate the meat. He throws the meat on the grill and takes credit for the whole thing.”
Chuckling, they headed downstairs to the screened-in patio to eat.
They were a few bites into their meal when her dad spoke up. “You should stop by and visit my kids while you’re here. I have varsity marching band first period, although that might be too early for you. They’d die to meet you in person. I think most of them still think I’m lying when I tell them you’re my daughter. They look at this scrawny musician and can’t imagine I’d produce something as lovely and talented as you.”
“Well, that scrawny musician attracted a pretty lady,” Sarah said, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek. “And together, we created the ultimate genetic combination—a beautiful, talented musician.”
“And from what I hear,” her dad added drily, “a magnet for trouble.”
Ivy paused, her forkful of coleslaw in midair. “Trouble? Me?”
“Getting locked out of the cabin naked?”
Ivy frowned at her father. She was hoping her parents hadn’t heard about that little incident. “I was not naked. And I’m sorry about the window. I’ll get it fixed before I leave.”
Her dad looked at her in confusion. “What window?”
“Never mind,” she said dismissively.
“There was also the thing at the bar last night,” her mother noted.
“That was hardly a thing,” Ivy argued. Why did her parents have to know everything? Small towns. It was a wonder she’d managed to do anything as a teenager without them finding out. Her mother’s shop was closed today, which meant they’d heard about it at church. Perfect. “The thing with Blake was bound to happen, and it wasn’t that bad, considering. And the thing with Lydia . . .”
“You and Lydia are at it already?” her mother interrupted with a sigh. “I’d hoped you two had grown out of all that.”
“She started it!” Ivy argued, suddenly feeling fifteen again. “I was minding my own business and having a drink with Pepper. Lydia got in my face. So not my fault.”
“Sounds like the sixth-grade drama continues.”
“Sixth grade? What about all the grades after that? And for the record, Lydia is the one who decided we weren’t friends anymore. Suddenly, everyth
ing I did just seemed to bother her. And it still does, apparently.”
“Ivy,” her mother said, reaching out to cover Ivy’s hand with her own, “we all have our challenges and battles. But you are first and foremost a southern lady, and you need to act like it. You’ve only been home two days—we can’t have you in bar fights! People talk.”
“Why don’t they talk about how mean Lydia is?”
“You have to be the bigger person. Understand that she does all this because she’s jealous of you. She has been since you got that solo in the sixth-grade Christmas pageant.”
“What?” Ivy had never heard this.
“Her mother told me how broken up Lydia was about it. She’d been taking voice lessons and practiced for weeks. Then you tried out on a whim and got the part instead. She got her feelings hurt over it.”
“You’re telling me I went through six years of drama with Lydia because she decided I didn’t deserve to sing the verses of ‘It Came upon a Midnight Clear’ instead of her?”
“Apparently,” Sarah said with a sigh. “Things seem more dire at that age than they really are.”
“I don’t know, being labeled as white trash is pretty dire at any age.”
“You aren’t white trash!” her mother said, aghast.
Ivy chuckled. “Are you sure? She’s called me Thrift Shop since seventh grade.”
Sarah frowned. “Girls are so cruel to each other. Maybe I should call her mother.”
“Ugh, Mom. No. Just let me deal with her myself.”
“Okay,” Sarah agreed reluctantly. “Just try not to make a scene.”
Ivy didn’t answer, putting a bite of chicken in her mouth instead. She’d certainly try, but she wasn’t promising anything.
Blake was supposed to have dinner with his family, but he made an excuse not to go. He wasn’t interested in sitting at the dining room table while the whole Chamberlain clan playfully ribbed him about Ivy’s return. Instead, he drove to the high school and left his cell phone in his truck.