“MAX!”
Ivy broke into a run when she saw her brother sitting on the bottom step of her porch. He was on his feet, enveloping her in his own hug, within seconds. “You scared me, pop tart.”
“Don’t call me that,” Ivy growled.
Max tilted her face back so he could study it, the unmistakable sign of dried tears on her cheeks throwing him. “Did he … ?”
“He never got his hands on me,” Ivy said, her voice cracking. “I … I left you here. I made him chase me into the woods. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Do you think I’m going to be mad at you for keeping us both alive?” Now Max was the one struggling to hold back tears. “You saved us both, pop tart.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Okay.” Max pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Where is Jack?”
“He’s coming,” Ivy said. “I hit Heath with a tree branch a couple of times. Then I kicked him. He … um … landed in a specific spot.”
“What does that mean?” Brian asked, alarmed. “Is he seriously hurt?”
“Not in the strictest sense of the word.”
“I need you to be more specific, Ivy,” Brian said. “What exactly is going on?”
Jack picked that moment to shove Heath out of the woods in front of him. The second Brian saw Heath, his mouth tipped up at the corners. “Is that … ?”
“I remembered where the Poison Ivy was and purposely knocked him down there,” Ivy said. “I thought he deserved it.”
“Why does Jack look so upset?”
“I forgot to tell him what Heath was on before he cuffed him,” Ivy replied, her expression rueful. “It’s all over his hands again.”
Max barked out a hoarse laugh, slinging an arm around Ivy’s shoulders as he watched Jack lead Heath to the waiting police car. “Do you have any lotion left?”
“I made some more after he took the last bottle. I feel kind of bad. He ran after me and now … .”
“He’ll survive, Ivy,” Max said. “He was a lot more worried about you than the Poison Ivy.”
“It’s still my fault. It’s happened twice.”
“Go get the lotion,” Max said. “He looks miserable.”
By the time Ivy came back, Heath was leaning against the car and he was screaming about the “fire of a thousand suns” burning his skin. Ivy kept her lips pressed firmly together as Jack extended his hands and watched her squirt the lotion onto them. He rubbed his hands together, sighing as the lotion did its work and relieved the itchiness. All the while he never took his eyes off of Ivy’s face.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Ivy said. “I … are you okay? I’m so sorry this happened. Again.”
“You don’t look sorry,” Jack said. “You look like you’re trying to keep yourself from laughing.”
“That’s a horrible thing to say. I … .” When Ivy lifted her eyes to meet Jack’s she saw he was the one grinning. “You’re messing with me.”
“Oh, honey, I wouldn’t ever mess with you.”
The term of endearment tugged on her heart. It also brought her back to reality. “I guess I’ll be seeing less of you now that this is over.”
“I guess,” Jack said, his voice low.
“That’s probably best,” Ivy said. “There will be fewer … impulses.”
“Yeah,” Jack agreed, his expression wistful. “I meant everything I said. I don’t have anything to give you. I really wish I did, though. I just … you deserve more.”
“I don’t expect anything from you,” Ivy said. “You went above and beyond tonight. You … saved me.”
“You saved yourself,” Jack countered. “You beat him. I just transported him.”
“I’ll leave the lotion here,” Ivy said, taking a step back. The glassy sheen of her eyes was almost enough to bring Jack to his knees. “Put it on as often as you can.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“What about me?” Heath whined.
“You can suffer,” Ivy said, moving away from Jack without another glance. She squared her shoulders and headed toward the house. “I’ll find something to feed you, Max.”
Max watched her walk into the house, and when she disappeared, he turned his attention to Jack.
“That was disappointing,” Brian said, following Max’s gaze. “I thought for sure there would be some kissing or something.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Max said. “They’re nowhere near being done.”
“How can you know that?”
“Because they’ve spent time together now,” Max said. “They’ll be miserable without one another.” He clapped Brian on the shoulder. “There are just some things you can’t fight.”
“And you think this is one of those things?”
“I know it is,” Max said. “Take care of him. He looks morose. I’ll go handle my sister. Fifty bucks says they can’t go a week without seeing each other.”
“You want to bet on your sister’s love life? That’s low.”
“A hundred bucks?”
“You’re on.”
Twenty-Seven
Jack studied Ivy through his windshield, watching as she stretched on the grass next to the basketball court. She was getting ready to go on a run, but he had different ideas.
They weren’t good ones. He knew that. Three days without seeing Ivy was all he could take, though. He was opening a door here. Odds were that neither of them would be stepping through it today – but it was still a step.
He just wanted to see her smile.
Ivy lifted her head when she heard a door slam shut, her heart rolling with pleasure when she saw Jack striding toward her. He was clearly off duty if the shorts and T-shirt were any indications. He also had a basketball in his hand and a challenging look on his face.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to shoot a few hoops,” Jack said. It was a lie – but only a little one. “I didn’t know you would be here.”
Ivy narrowed her eyes, suspicious. She wasn’t sure she believed him. “You’re going to shoot hoops alone?”
“No,” Jack said. “You’re going to shoot them with me. I believe we have an outstanding bet. That’s what we decided, right?”
“It is,” Ivy hedged. “I just … are you sure you want to do this?”
Her meaning was clear.
“We’re just playing basketball right now,” Jack said, serious. “I kind of thought we could shoot for a little bit, talk, and just … hang out.”
Ivy tilted her head to the side, considering. Was that enough? She decided quickly. It was enough for now. This would give them a chance to get to know one another without too much pressure. “What do I get if I win?”
“I thought you wanted me to weed your garden?”
“I do,” Ivy said, hopping from the grass to the pavement. “I hate weeding.”
“What do I get if I win?”
“I’ll do all your landscaping for you,” Ivy replied, not missing a beat.
Jack arched an eyebrow. “You will?”
“I have good taste. You’re going to need me.”
Jack grinned and bounced the ball to her. “You go first.”
“I’m warning you that I’m really good.”
“So you’ve told me,” Jack said. “Shoot.”
Ivy lifted the ball and threw it up from beyond the three-point line, smiling as it swished through the net without touching the rim. “See.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Jack said, chuckling as he retrieved the ball. “You’re good at everything you do.”
“I am,” Ivy agreed. “Tell me about Heath. What’s going on there?”
“He confessed,” Jack replied. “He says God made him do it, though, so he’s clearly going to try and use insanity as a defense.”
“Will that work?”
“Not likely,” Jack said. “This will take months – years maybe – to wind through the courts. You know you’re going t
o have to testify, right?”
“I figured. I’ll be fine. I’m strong.”
“You’re definitely strong,” Jack said, lining up his own shot and letting the ball go. He grimaced when it rimmed away.
“That’s an H,” Ivy said, jogging over to retrieve the ball before moving to the right side and drilling another shot.
Jack scowled. “I think you have home court advantage.”
“Stop your whining,” Ivy chided, retrieving her own ball and handing it to him. “Tell me about Chad.”
“That’s been shifted over to the state police,” Jack said, eyeing the rim and throwing up the ball. “Son of a … .”
“That’s an O.”
“Thank you, Ivy,” Jack said. “Anyway, Chad is in custody and the state police found the pot field. There are some human services groups working on finding a place for all the women to live.”
“What’s going to happen to the compound?”
“I have no idea.”
Ivy moved to the free throw line and turned so her back was to the hoop. She used both hands to flip the ball over her shoulder, and when it swished through the net again Jack’s heart sank. He had a feeling he was going to be weeding her garden – although the idea wasn’t altogether unwelcome. “You’re unbelievable.”
“I try,” Ivy said, smiling sweetly. “Your turn.”
Jack grimaced. He knew there was no way he was going to make the shot, but he believed in being a good sport. He took up his position and tossed the ball over his shoulder. It was so wide it missed the backboard.
“That’s an R.”
“It’s an N,” Jack corrected.
“We’re playing Horse,” Ivy said.
“No, we’re not,” Jack said, grinning. “We’re playing Honey. Something tells me I’ve already lost.”
Ivy arched an eyebrow. “You don’t know that. Somewhere down the line, you might think you’ve won.”
“I’m looking forward to that,” Jack said.
It didn’t surprise him to find that he honestly was looking forward to it. For now, baby steps were enough, though.
Up Next
Detective Jack Harker is living in his dreams – only they’re really nightmares.
Ivy Morgan wants to help, especially since she’s become a frequent visitor in his subconscious – only she doesn’t know how.
When a battered teenage girl shows up in Ivy’s greenhouse, the duo must put aside their misgivings and constant miscommunication so they can try and help.
Sixteen-year-old Kelly Sisto is living in a nightmare of her own, and whether through trauma or refusal, she can’t tell Ivy and Jack what happened to her.
Shadow Lake’s favorite witch and newest police transplant have their hands full with Kelly, but it’s their hearts that are getting away from them.
When the truth of Kelly’s sad life is finally revealed, everyone is in danger, and they’re going to have to work together if they want to survive – and find a happy ending.
Wicked Dreams is available here.
Author’s Note
I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending, so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.
As a heads-up, Ivy Morgan’s witchcraft growth will be coinciding with her relationship growth. That means she’ll be learning more about her powers and beliefs at the same time Jack does. I hope you enjoy their romance.
If you’re interested in upcoming releases, follow me on Facebook and Twitter. I do not spam. I don’t believe it and, as a reader, I find it annoying. Only new release information and special sales promotions will be posted.
This book is available for lending. Please do so.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Books by Lily Harper Hart
Hardy Brothers Security
Deadly Intentions
Deadly Intuition
Deadly Illusions
Deadly Proposal
Deadly Prospects
Deadly Ever After
Deadly Honeymoon
Deadly Questions
Deadly Addition
Deadly Vacation
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Storm
Deadly Dealings (Coming October 2015)
Deadly Christmas (Coming November 2015)
Deadly Desperados (Coming December 2015)
A Maddie Graves Mystery
Grave Homecoming
Grave Insight
Grave Delight
Grave Misgivings
Grave Concerns (Coming Winter 2015/2016)
An Ivy Morgan Mystery
Wicked Days
Wicked Dreams
Wicked Times (Coming Winter 2015/2016)
A Harper Harlow Mystery
Ghostly Interests
Ghostly Issues (Coming Winter 2015/2016)
Wicked Days Page 20