“Where did you go?” Daxon asked. “I was thinking about Mr. Weiker, wishing he were here to do what he always did, give direction on what to do next. To help me to see what’s inside—but Dax, I realize now that the information was always there inside me, he just helped me find it. He may not be here, but it’s still there inside me, and you’re here and Aqua and Blake, and for the first time in a long time I feel hope.”
No one had called him ‘Dax’ since his mother had passed, a woman he loved more than any other. That Ivy had called him a nickname so near and dear to him meant the world. His heart swelled, and the desire to protect her grew stronger, yet he acknowledged the small voice inside telling him to take it slow.
“There is hope, Ivy. Our plan is strong, and you are right, we are all here for you and we will continue to be.” He paused and extended his hand, tucking her long golden locks behind her ear, and then he took both hands and held her face. For the first time she didn’t look away, and the uncertainty flickered only briefly in her eyes. He decided to risk it. “You’re exhausted, and you need some rest before we go out tonight.” She pulled back slightly and he dropped his hands. “Don’t fight me on this, Ivy. Let’s all get a quick bite to eat, some rest, and then let’s go have some fun at Evie’s. Deal?”
“Deal,” she agreed to his surprise.
Aqua walked in with protein bars. “None of us will eat tonight if we have too much now. How does a protein bar sound?” she asked as she tossed one to each of them.
“Perfect,” Ivy agreed, grabbing the water bottle beside her, and then Daxon’s. “Let’s go, husband.” She said as she turned and walked toward the guestroom.
* * *
“I have to say, that went better than expected,” Blake finally spoke once they were in their bedroom.
“I had hope, Blake, but nothing could have prepared me for what we just witnessed. I can’t imagine how exhausted Ivy must be, because I’m completely wiped out and for the most part I was a spectator.”
“You do look tired, babe. I’m worried about you…”
“Don’t, Blake, really. I’m much better now that Ivy is with us, and I feel good, really good about our plan. Hopefully this has been the most challenging part of the process and the rest will go more smoothly. Today was a huge breakthrough and I’m not foolish enough to think that Ivy won’t continue to resist at times—she’s very independent and never had plans to marry. There are so many layers there, but you know, I can’t help but think that as tragic and terrible as all of this is, and I would never wish what she has gone through on anyone, that in some way good will come from this. Do you think it’s possible that Daxon and Ivy will stay together?”
Blake hesitated; he knew things that Daxon had shared with him that he didn’t feel he could divulge, even to Aqua. “I don’t think any of us can know that for certain right now, but for the first time I can tell you that I think it’s at least a remote possibility.”
“She is attracted to him.”
“Yes, that much is obvious, but as you and I know, it takes more than attraction to make a relationship work. I think Ivy has some things to work through…”
Aqua yawned. “Yep, we all do,” she agreed as her breathing evened out. Blake noted the dark circles under his wife’s eyes and couldn’t suppress the worry he felt. Ivy was family to Aqua, and worrying about her had nearly made Aqua sick in the past. They had to make this plan work, not just for Ivy’s sake, but for Aqua’s too.
Love is such a strange thing, he thought before he dozed off; it feels more incredible than any other feeling on earth, yet makes one more vulnerable at the same time. He remembered asking his father how he would know someday that a woman was the right one for him, and the frustration he felt when his father told him that ‘he would just know.’ Now he understood what he’d meant, and there was no other way to explain it beyond what his father had said. Some things have to be experienced to be known.
Chapter 9
They arrived at Evie’s Diner only to find it was closed to the public for a private function. Ivy couldn’t help but feel that it was a bad sign that their first outing was side railed.
Aqua, however, rose to the occasion and suggested they head for Wicked Waters, instead. Kull Kacey, the owner of the Burnt River saloon, greeted them at the bar and put the beer-of-choice in front of Blake and Daxon within seconds of their sitting down at the bar.
“So, you’re a regular here, huh?” Ivy asked Daxon as she nudged his arm.
“You must be the infamous Mrs. Jones,” Kull’s gruff voice shot over the bar. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said as he reached across the bar to shake her hand. “What can I get you to drink? And you, Aqua?”
Ivy hesitated, her fear of drinking or dulling her senses spiking to the surface. “I’ll take a light beer, please. Maybe a Coors Light?”
“Coors Light it is.” He said glancing over at Aqua.
“I’ll do the same, Kull. Thanks.”
Kull poured two light beers from the tap and placed the glasses in front of the women.
“So, you’ve been at Oxford, huh? How is it being back in the US?”
“It’s great. I’ve missed Burnt River—and of course, Daxon—and it’s exciting to start our new life together here.” She put her hand on Daxon’s, and he leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“Being apart was tough, but we’re both excited about our new beginnings here, Kull.”
“Thought any more about joining Blake’s practice?”
Laughing, Daxon asked, “Did Blake put you up to that?”
Blake held both hands up in innocent protest and Aqua laughed.
Ivy looked confused, so Kull offered, “It’s a long-standing joke that Blake is trying to get Daxon to join his practice, but Daxon said he wouldn’t make any commitments without you being here with him; so now that you’re here, what’s the verdict?”
Several people at the bar appeared to stop their conversations and listen in.
“Ivy just got here, Kull, so there’s no decision yet. I’ll fill in as needed for now, and we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds.”
“Fair enough. Just don’t wait too long, Daxon. Blake is busy and Burnt River could use another good doc like you, and I don’t offer praise easily.”
“Thanks, Kull. That means a lot coming from you.”
Several people came up to the bar to say hello and meet Ivy. They laughed and Ivy and Daxon recounted the story of how they met, and where Ivy and been and evaded the questions of what they would do next.
By the time Ivy and Aqua finished their first beer, the guys had finished their second. Daxon could see that the stress was wearing on Ivy and asked for the check.
Kull held his hand up in protest. “Tonight was on me. Congratulations you two, and welcome to Burnt River, Ivy.”
“Thanks, Kull. I appreciate it.”
They were heading toward the door when a voice called out, “Kirsten? Kirsten Bell is that you?”
Ivy froze and Daxon placed his hand on her elbow, gently urging her toward the door.
“No wait, you!” the voice called out. Aqua turned around. “Jade, is that you?”
“Oh, hi Aquarius, I wasn’t talking to you—isn’t that Kirsten Bell?”
Ivy turned around, “I’m sorry. Were you talking to me?”
“Yes, I am talking to you. Kirsten, right?”
“No, I’m sorry, you have mistaken me for someone else. I’m Ivy, Ivy Jones,” she smiled and stretched out her hand to shake Jade’s.
Jade ignored it. “I could have sworn you were Kirsten Bell. You sure?”
Ivy narrowed her eyes at the woman. “I’m fairly certain I know who I am—good night.”
With that, the four of them left the saloon and walked to the car in silence.
The moment they were out of the driveway, Daxon asked, “Who was that?”
Ivy didn’t offer anything, so Aqua jumped in. “I can’t believe that just happened. How could I n
ot have thought about the fact that someone might recognize Ivy—or Kirsten—from when she spent a semester with me and my family during high school?”
“That is a rather important fact, Aqua.”
“I realize that now, Daxon, I just didn’t think of it before this. Ivy looks completely different, or at least I think she does, and who would have thought that Jade Frankel would be at Wicked Waters tonight? I haven’t seen her since high school.”
Ivy still hadn’t uttered a word. Daxon took her hand in his, it was shaking. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, “You okay?”
She nodded yes, but he knew otherwise. They rode the rest of the way home in silence, and by the time they reached the driveway, Ivy was no longer shaking.
They walked into the living room and Daxon announced, “Debrief in ten,” then he took Ivy by the hand and led her to their room.
Once inside, he led her to the bed and she sat down, her head hanging down, defeated.
“I had a feeling something was off. When our plan for Evie’s Dinner fell apart, I had this feeling that it was a bad sign. Daxon, she recognized me! I lied to her, and I don’t think she believed me. This has to work—but what if it doesn’t? If he gets word or even hears the name ‘Kirsten Bell’ in conjunction with Burnt River, he’ll come here.” Her voice was shaking and by the time she finished, her body was beginning to shake, too.
Daxon sat beside her and pulled her into his side, his arm wrapped tightly around her. She voiced all the questions he had been asking himself, and right now, he didn’t have any answers. He stroked her hair, held her tight, and eventually the shaking stopped. He checked his watch. “Let’s go talk with Aqua and Blake.”
The mood in the living room was as somber as it had been in their bedroom, but Daxon knew they needed to answer the questions they could, and anticipate what this could mean.
“What are your thoughts, Aqua?” he asked first.
She hesitated, the struggle to find the right words clear on her face. “I’m kicking myself for not anticipating this,” she started. When Ivy began to protest, she simply held her hand up. “No, Ivy, this was my plan, and my responsibility, and I failed to anticipate this scenario. Jade has always been a loud mouth and a bully, and it’s unfortunate that we ran into her, but we did. We have to take precautions as a result. Ivy, I think you need to make sure your makeup is always on when you’re in public, and we can even try some contouring methods to try to change the structure of your face cosmetically. That will help. Beyond that, we have to follow the plan as constructed. If we back away from being in public, it will raise suspicion. We have to move forward as if nothing has changed. You actually are Ivy Jones—it’s all true.”
“I agree, Aqua. We need to stay the course, and I may reach out to a few of my SEAL buddies to see—“
“No, no. I’m adamant about this. The more people who know I’m here the harder it becomes for me to remain hidden. We can’t involve any more people in this.”
“Ivy,” Daxon insisted. “The whole point of this is for you not to remain hidden. It’s hiding in plain site, you’re my wife and you have a completely defensible and believable identity to back this up. You’re not running any more. Do you understand?”
She nodded, but she clasped her hands to stop them from shaking. Daxon knew they could not leave it like this. They needed a backup plan just in case, and that wasn’t something Ivy could hear right now.
“Aqua, can you put your feelers out tomorrow to see how long Jade is here for? You said she works in a different state, right? If needed, let’s see if we can find a reason for her boss to call her back.”
“Beyond that, tomorrow morning we’ll regroup at zero nine hundred to review how we think the night went apart from Jade, and fill in any holes that we need to before heading out to Evie’s for lunch tomorrow. Sound like a plan?”
Blake looked at Ivy, who appeared to be in shock. “A hot shower and toddy might be in order,” he said, looking at Daxon, who nodded.
“I can take care of the toddy, and could use one of those myself.” Aqua offered.
“No,” Ivy whispered. “I don’t want any alcohol. I can’t.”
Aqua looked at Daxon with despair, it was as if they had taken twenty steps back in the last few hours. With a deep breath, Aqua walked to Ivy and knelt down in front of her. “Look at me. Ivy, look at me!”
Ivy dragged her eyes up to look at Aqua. “If I were you right now, what would you advise me to do? What would you want me to do?”
Ivy shook her head. “You’re right. Sorry, I gave in to it didn’t I?” She took a deep breath with eyes closed, and when she opened them she stood up. “I’ll help you make that toddy, okay?”
“Deal,” Aqua smiled and took her friends hand, leading her toward the kitchen.
“What is a toddy anyway?”
Chapter 10
The next morning Ivy woke with a groan, and rolled onto her back, gradually stretching her body. Something felt different. Her eyes popped open and she looked to her left where Daxon was resting on his elbow, just looking at her.
Suddenly she realized she was naked beneath the blankets, and then it all came rushing back. She blushed and Daxon chuckled.
“Did I—did we—“
“No beautiful, we didn’t. I would never take advantage of you.”
She moaned again as the toddies and the shower to follow came rushing back to her…Daxon rubbing Miri Weaver’s magical shower gel all over her body. She was incredibly turned on and tried to entice Daxon, but he had stoically refused, and methodically rubbed the stress from her shoulders before rubbing her dry with a towel and putting her to bed. That was the last thing she remembered—until now. She pulled the covers closer to her neck.
“You do realize I was in the shower with you last night, right?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
He laughed again. “Your modesty is endearing.”
“My head hurts.”
“It’s the toddies.”
“Yes, I know. Remind me not to drink them again.” She dared to glance over at him. “Are you going to just lie there smiling at me?”
“Probably.”
His chest was bare and for a moment she wondered if he were naked too, but then she shook her head pushing those thoughts from her mind, and then she regretted shaking her head.
“You’re a doctor. Help me,” she stated with a smile turning up the corner of her lips.
“We have a few options available to you today, Mrs. Jones,” he said as he traced the curves of her face, pausing before he went further.
She felt her body leap in response and pulled the covers tighter.
“Based on that,” he said, kissing her forehead, “let me see if I can find some aspirin and water—just what the doctor ordered.”
As soon as he left the room, Ivy bolted up in bed, immediately regretting that she had, but she ignored the throbbing in her head, grabbed some clothes from the closet and raced into the bathroom locking the door behind her. Turning both shower heads on full blast, she let the water beat on the tension in her muscles, reaching for the shower gel and hesitating. What if there is something magical in Miri Weaver’s products? What the heck—whether there was or wasn’t—they felt so good there was no way she was going to resist them.
Fifteen minutes later she was dressed and heading for the kitchen when she overheard Blake and Daxon’s voices coming from the office. She paused, straining to hear what they were saying.
“Ivy, is that you?” Aqua called from the kitchen.
Darn. “Yep, it’s me. I’m on my way,” she answered.
Daxon peered around the corner. “Your aspirin is on the kitchen counter, I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Okay, thanks.” She waved, continuing her trek toward Aqua.
She reached for the aspirin immediately and the glass of water Daxon had left beside it.
“That bad, huh?”
“I thought toddies were suppose
d to make you feel good?”
“They do—with most people, but I think the fact that we hadn’t eaten dinner combined with the fact that you have had little to no alcohol lately combined for a bit of an unusual reaction.”
“Please tell me I didn’t make a fool of myself.” She pleaded after swallowing the pills.
Aqua giggled and Ivy’s eyes grew large. “Seriously, Aqua, don’t play with me. Did I make a fool of myself?”
“Apart from the fact that you sucked down toddy number one, Daxon cautioned you to skip toddy number two and you threw caution to the wind… other than that? Nope. You didn’t make a fool of yourself.”
Ivy moaned.
“What’s that I hear, another moan from the patient?” Daxon joked as he side behind Ivy and enveloped her in a big bear hug.
She was torn between resting in his arms and whacking him for joking about it. “I’m not your patient, I’m your wife, remember?”
Aqua and Blake exchanged glances. “Blake, grab the eggs, will you?”
“How can I help?” Ivy insisted.
“You can sit on the bar stool and relax. You, however, Daxon, can get the bacon from the frig.”
“We’re all going to weigh a ton if you keep feeding us like this, Aqua.” Ivy protested.
“Really, Ivy? You’re going to go down that road?”
“Okay, okay, forget that I mentioned it.” She dropped her head into her hands. “I will never drink another toddy again,” she said, another moan escaping her lips. Her hand went to her belly. “I’ll be right back.”
“Daxon? She looks a bit peaked. Do you think she’s okay?”
“I’ll check on her.”
By the time Daxon reached her, she was retching into the toilet. He put his hand on her back and rubbed. When she stopped, he helped her to her feet and she leaned into his strong frame. “Here, I’ll help you to the bed.”
“No, I need to brush my teeth,” but just the thought of mint toothpaste sent her back to the commode.
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