“I’m not afraid of you,” Oliver fired back. “You’re just ... a little boy who can’t even commit to what he wants. Oh, yeah, I heard your conversation as you were walking out here. You don’t ask permission to marry a woman. You tell her you’re going to marry her and don’t give her an option to say no.
“As a side note, marriage is a mistake,” he continued. “If you want a kid, there are better ways to get one. I wish I’d never married Dana. I want Jenny, but she tied me to Dana in ways that made it impossible to have a happy life.”
“That’s a sad commentary on you,” Max said. “It won’t be that way for me. I meant what I said, though. If you take a single step toward my sister, I’ll end you.”
Rather than quake in fear, Oliver smirked. “That’s bold talk.”
Max cocked his head in acknowledgement. “There are two of us and only one of you.”
“As far as you know,” Oliver sneered.
“He’s right,” Ivy offered. “He could have a cohort out here with him. In fact, you know what? Maybe it’s time Serena came out, too.” She slid her eyes to the right and waited. “We already know you’re out here. It makes no sense for you to pretend otherwise.”
The woods were silent, as if holding their breath, and then another figure moved out from behind a nearby tree. Unlike Oliver, Serena looked ridiculously shocked.
“How did you know?”
“Process of elimination really,” Ivy replied. “We’ve been trying to figure out how Oliver knew where the shelter was located. We figured it had to be someone who had delivered something there, or one of the construction workers, because the other possibilities were too dark to consider.”
“The other possibilities?” Serena’s lower lip trembled, but otherwise she remained completely frozen.
“Well, it could’ve been one of the other women. I was absolutely horrified at the prospect, but we considered it. The other thing we considered were workers, although not really. I thought you were a good person and it never even crossed my mind that you were guilty. Of course, I wasn’t working alone and that’s how your name got thrown into the mix.”
“Oh, no?” Oliver’s tone was mocking. “Who were you working with?”
“That would be us,” a male voice announced from the spot behind Oliver, causing the nervous man to reach for his pocket. Jack was expecting the move, though, and he grabbed Oliver’s hand and forced it up before he could pull his weapon. “Let’s not get violent, shall we? I think we’ve had enough of that.”
Serena’s face was so white at the appearance of the police that she turned and prepared to run. Brian was waiting for her, though, and his pointed weapon had her immediately raising her hands. “I surrender.”
“That’s good,” Brian said blandly. “I would hate to have to shoot you.”
“Nobody wants that,” Serena agreed weakly. “I just ... you should know, he forced me to do this. It wasn’t my idea. He made me work with him. He threatened my life. I’m just another victim in this.”
There was no sympathy reflected back from Brian’s eyes. “We talked to your uncle.”
Serena swallowed hard. “So what? He delivers linens at the shelter.”
“He does, and he does it at your behest,” Brian agreed. “He likes a good tax write-off.”
“He’s an interesting man,” Jack noted as he forced Oliver to his knees and reached for his cuffs. Max stood close to make sure Jack had backup in case Oliver put up a fight. For his part, though, Oliver looked completely defeated.
“Yes, he’s a fabulous man,” Serena drawled. “He’s so fabulous he wouldn’t even help his own niece. If he had, I wouldn’t have ended up in that stupid shelter. I can promise you that.”
Ivy’s stomach constricted. “I thought you wanted to help them.”
“Oh, grow up.” Serena rolled her eyes. “I only took on that position because I thought I could earn some good will from it. I believed if I was philanthropic and people talked me up that I would be able to parlay it into a better job.
“That position maxes out at forty grand a year and it doesn’t even come with health benefits,” she continued. “I can’t make it on forty grand a year. I mean ... have you seen my uncle’s house? He lives in a mansion. That’s what I want.”
“While I don’t happen to agree with your uncle’s take on life, there’s a very important point you’re missing,” Brian noted. “He earned that money. He might be a self-important jerk — and an obnoxious tool to boot — but he still earned that money. He built a business from the ground up and he put in the work. What work have you put in?”
“I work,” Serena protested. “I put in long, hard hours at that shelter. I deserve everything I’ve got ... which is precious little at this point.”
“And it’s going to be even less,” Jack offered as he used his hand to keep Oliver on his knees, even as the man offered up minimal struggle. “Not so fast. Where is your mother?”
“How should I know?” Oliver spat. Now that reality was starting to sink in, he found he was ready to fight. Unfortunately, Jack had him in a prone position and there was no way for him to regain his footing. “She’s not my responsibility.”
“Did she leave town?” Jack persisted. “Is she staying with a relative? How about a potential suitor?”
Oliver snorted. “Like anybody would date her.”
“We’ll find her,” Brian reassured his partner. “You can leave that task for me and go on your honeymoon without worry. I promise.”
“I never had a doubt in the world,” Jack said on a grin. The expression slipped when he turned his attention back to Serena. Brian hadn’t yet put her in cuffs, and it was obvious the woman was still trying to figure a way out of her situation. “You sold the whereabouts of the women in your care to the people who wanted to hurt them the most. We’re talking women who were beaten and mistreated, terrorized.”
“I didn’t terrorize anyone,” Oliver protested. “I’m the victim in all this.”
“Shut up.” Jack glared at the back of the man’s head. “You’re the worst sort of person. You get off on terrorizing others, those smaller than you, those weaker than you. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, though. Something tells me you’re going to get the same treatment in prison.”
Jack turned back to Serena and pinned her with his darkest look. “On top of that, you sold the location of my future wife to him, told him she might be an obstacle, and were more than willing to let her die during a struggle with this animal. You’re almost worse than him.”
Oliver started struggling in earnest, but he had nowhere to go. “I’m not going to prison. I don’t belong there. You know who does? My wife. That’s who belongs there.”
“You can tell your story to a judge,” Jack offered. “He might believe you ... although I’m doubtful.”
“A judge?” Serena looked horrified at the thought. “You can’t arrest me. Him you can.” She inclined her head toward Oliver. “He threatened me left and right. I can testify against him. That will help, right?”
“We don’t need you,” Brian pointed out. “We have plenty of people to testify against Oliver. He’ll be going away for a long time.”
“But ... I can’t go to prison.” Serena was adamant. “Prison isn’t for people like me.”
“People who break the law?” Ivy challenged. “I think that’s what prisons were created for.”
“That’s rich coming from you,” Serena shot back. “I mean ... you only started working at the shelter because you broke the law. I guess you would know.”
Ivy worked her jaw but didn’t say anything.
“Ivy had to play her part for a case to hold together,” Jack argued. “She’s not a bad person.”
“Of course you would say that,” Serena muttered. “Maybe I need to get a cop in my pocket like her. That might make things easier.”
“He’s not in my pocket,” Ivy raged. “He’s ... a good man.”
“Oh, thank you, honey,” J
ack drawled. “You don’t have to stand up for me, though. She’s delusional. I mean ... she was selling the location of battered women to murderous men. It doesn’t get any worse than that.”
“Right.” Ivy recovered quickly. “You’re absolutely right. She’s a bad person.”
“I’m not going to prison,” Serena snapped. “I just ... it’s not going to happen. If I have to, I’ll call my uncle. He’ll find a lawyer for me and everything will be okay.”
“Your uncle already knows what’s going down,” Brian said. “We told him when he was filling us in on your previous money-making schemes. When he said there was a reason he couldn’t hire you, he wasn’t joking. You’ve had a colorful past.”
“That doesn’t mean I belong in prison,” Serena insisted. “I was a little naughty. It was nothing major.”
“Tell that to Dana and Jenny,” Ivy spat. “I don’t think they were traumatized by you being a little naughty.”
“Well ... maybe Dana shouldn’t have married such a loser. I mean ... he beat her for years. She only recently decided to leave him. That’s on her.”
Fury bubbled up inside of Ivy and grabbed her by the throat. “You’re disgusting.”
“And she’s going to jail,” Brian insisted, removing his cuffs from his belt. “Don’t get worked up. She won’t be able to hurt anyone again.”
“Never,” Jack agreed, tugging on the back of Oliver’s shirt to help him stand. “This guy won’t either. It’s over, honey. We worked together and ended it ... and this time nobody was ever in any real danger.”
“Yeah.” Ivy absently scratched the side of her nose. “Is it wrong that it feels like a letdown because of that?”
“Yes,” Brian and Jack answered in unison.
Oliver made one more attempt to flee. When that didn’t work, he pinned Jack with a desperate look. “I’ll tell the world about your girlfriend. I was out here the other day and heard her talking to air. She acted as if it was a person, or a ghost. If you don’t let me go right now, I’ll spread the word far and wide.”
“Oh, yeah?” Jack didn’t miss a beat. “What word are you going to spread?”
“I’m going to tell them she burned me ... and threw me across the room with her mind. Also that she thinks she talks to ghosts. They’ll find out she’s some sort of mutant.”
“That sounds fun.” Jack wasn’t bothered in the least by the threat. “I’m sure the judge won’t fall for your attempt at an insanity plea.”
“That’s not what this is!”
“It sounds that way to me.” Jack stopped in front of Ivy long enough to wink. “I have to take this garbage to jail and question him, but how about we lock ourselves away tonight? Just you and me. Nobody else.”
“That sounds perfect.” Ivy beamed at him. “It is our last night together before the wedding after all. Tomorrow you’re sleeping at the hotel, in the room next to your mother, so we can follow the tradition of not seeing the bride the night before the wedding.”
“I still think that’s a stupid tradition.”
“Blame my mother.”
“That sounds good.” Jack leaned in and kissed her. “You’re okay, right?” His voice was soft.
“I’ve never been better. I’m marrying you.”
“You bet your cute behind you are. It’s almost here, honey. There’s no stopping us now.”
Ivy could only smile. Nothing ever could’ve stopped what was obviously inevitable. Jack was her forever, and she was ready to embrace it.
19
NINETEEN
They moved the wedding to the fairy ring.
In the end, it just felt right. Ivy believed the spot was magical and Jack knew she was magical. He wanted her to have everything she wanted, and that meant they would kick off their forever in the fairy ring.
The wedding itself would be small, only friends and family. His mother and sister were there, although when they found out they would have to hike through the woods for the ceremony, they weren’t happy.
“This is ridiculous,” Margaret Harker muttered as Jack led her through the trees. They’d parked on the road to cut down on the walking but that hadn’t stopped his mother from complaining.
“This is Ivy’s favorite spot in the world,” Jack replied, for what felt like the fiftieth time. “We’re keeping the ceremony short. You’ll be able to sit and get comfortable at the reception hall.”
“Which is a barn,” Margaret groused in a low voice.
“That’s where all the parties are held here.” Jack couldn’t hide his amusement at his mother’s discomfort. “It’s actually a nice venue. You’ll enjoy yourself.”
“Yes, but ... we’re in the woods.” Margaret stopped long enough to pin her son with a dark look. “I need you to tell me why.”
He smoothed the front of his tux and debated how to respond. Ultimately, he went with the truth. “Because this is where we fell in love.”
Margaret worked her jaw. It was obvious she wanted to find a way to change his mind. She didn’t bother, though. She knew her son. He would dig his heels in to make this happen. There was no talking him out of it.
“I want to tell you that this is a mistake,” she said. “I want to convince you to pack up your things and move back down by me. You’re not going to listen, though.”
“No, I won’t.”
“Because it’s not a mistake.” Margaret was resigned. She loved Ivy — no, really — but she missed her son a great deal. Despite what she wanted for herself, he’d been thriving in Shadow Lake. This is where he fit in, with a pink-haired Bohemian woman who made his heart sing. He relaxed with her, as he never did in the city. This is where he belonged ... and always would.
“It’s not a mistake,” he agreed. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I love her with everything I have. This is what I want ... and it’s definitely going to happen.”
Margaret made a tsking sound with her tongue. “Then I guess I can stand through a ceremony in the woods.”
Jack reached over and squeezed his mother’s hand. “Thank you. I appreciate you coming.”
“You’re my son. Of course I came.”
“And now Ivy will be your daughter.”
Margaret shifted her eyes to her daughter Denise, who looked as annoyed with their surroundings as she felt. “Won’t that be fun?”
Jack chuckled. “It will be an adventure to be remembered.”
THERE WAS NO MIRROR IN THE WOODS, BUT Ivy found it didn’t matter. She felt strong, together, and ready for anything. She’d stared at her reflection in her wedding dress a hundred times. She knew how she looked, and she knew what Jack would see when he saw her approaching.
She was content with it all … and happy.
“Jack and Max are in their spots,” Michael announced as he appeared on the other side of the sheet they’d draped to protect Ivy from prying eyes before the ceremony.
“How does he look?”
“Max looks great,” Michael teased. “He was born to wear a tux.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “I was talking about Jack.”
“Oh, well, he looks good, too. I’m not one for judging other men, but he seems handsome ... if you’re into that sort of thing.”
Ivy chuckled as she ran her hands over her hair one last time. “Does he look nervous, though?”
“Are you asking if he’s going to bolt?”
“He won’t bolt.” Ivy was certain of that. “He wants this as much as I do.”
“He definitely does.” Michael leaned in to brush a strand of hair away from Ivy’s face. “You really are a beautiful bride.”
Tears, unbidden, clogged Ivy’s throat. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“No, thank you for being the best daughter a man could ever want.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and blew out a sigh. “I don’t want to give you away.”
“You’re not. You’re just sharing me with Jack.”
“Maybe I don’t want to do that either.”
Iv
y giggled. “It’s going to be okay. This is going to work out for all of us.”
“I certainly hope so.” Michael peered around the sheet again. “Amy is in position, too. Did you hear she’s going to take over as director of the shelter? She’s really excited about it.”
“I heard.” Ivy smiled to herself. “Actually, it was my idea. Jack and Brian made it happen, though. They recommended her, and since nobody wants the shelter to shutter — even temporarily — the judges all banded together and voted her in during an emergency session yesterday. They all think Amy will do a marvelous job.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think she’s going to be perfect. This is what she was born to do.”
“I happen to agree.” Michael extended his arm. “Are you ready to get married?”
“Yes.” Surprisingly, she felt no nerves as she linked arms with her father. “I was made for Jack. I’m definitely ready.”
UNDER THE DAPPLED LIGHT OF THE overhead trees, Jack and Ivy joined hands. The majority of their guests were waiting for them at the barn, music and dinner on the menu, but the intimate wedding was only for family and their closest friends. Ivy knew Jack did it for her, because she didn’t want to stand in front of people she didn’t love and be the center of attention. She simply wanted to be the center of his world, so that’s what he gave her.
“I believe Jack and Ivy have written their own vows,” the pastor said from his spot in front of them. He looked to Jack first and nodded.
Jack sucked in a breath and never moved his gaze from his bride’s beautiful face. “Part of me thinks I should start with ‘I never thought we would make it here,’ but I know that’s not true. I always knew we would make it here.
“Maybe not from that first kiss — because the poison ivy was doing weird things to my head — but from the first moment I acknowledged I had feelings for you, I knew this would be how it ended for us,” he continued. “You are the best person I know. You’re beautiful ... and smart ... and you have a really sarcastic mouth that I just can’t stop kissing.”
Ivy Morgan Mystery 18 - Wicked Wedding Page 19