“And it’s nice to see you, too,” Felicity teased as she strode into the room. She went straight for Ivy, sliding around the couch so she could get a better look at her niece’s ankle. “Oh, no.” Empathy welled up in her. “That looks like it hurts.”
“It’s fine.” Ivy’s eyes flashed as she glared at Jack. “I’m going to kill you later. You’ve been warned.”
Even though he knew she was deadly serious, Jack couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “That will be a much more believable threat when you can actually move from one room to the other. Also, before you get yourself worked up, you should realize I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I had to get someone in here or I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.”
“Oh, that is such a load of hogwash.” Ivy threw her hands in the air. “I’m perfectly capable of sitting on the couch by myself.”
“Uh-huh.” Jack wasn’t convinced. “And how about when you have to go to the bathroom? What about lunch?”
“I’ll skip lunch.” Ivy folded her arms over her chest and jutted out her lower lip. “That means I won’t have to go to the bathroom.”
“Yes, well, I don’t want you to sit around and suffer.” Jack was firm. “I know you’re angry. I’m well aware that you’re going to sit around and burn me in effigy the entire day. I accept this and love you all the same.”
Ivy worked her jaw. His words should’ve placated her, but she was too angry. He’d sprung this on her out of nowhere and arranged it in such a manner that she had no choice but to acquiesce.
“I’m going to give you a second to absorb this,” Jack offered, gesturing for Felicity and Dorian to follow him into the kitchen. “There are a good ten bags of peas in there.” He pointed toward the freezer. “She needs to keep that ankle elevated all day. There are crutches over there for when she has to go to the bathroom. She needs to stay down as much as possible, though. She can’t get up and wander around.”
Felicity was obviously amused by Jack’s serious countenance. “I’ve got it. You don’t have to worry.”
“I love her more than anything. I’ve also met her. She’s going to be a bear. Of course I’m worried.”
Felicity had always found delight in the way Jack handled Ivy. Her niece was used to getting her own way on a regular basis, and while Jack liked to dote on her, he also gave her doses of tough love when it was necessary ... and it was clearly necessary today. “I’ve got it, Jack.” She patted his shoulder in a comforting manner. “I understand you’re worked up over what happened yesterday. I would be, too. I know how to handle Ivy, though.”
“It’s not just Ivy.” He lowered his voice and peered around Felicity’s shoulder, frowning at Ivy as she glowered back at him from the couch. “I don’t want her alone. Someone chased her at the nursery yesterday. She hasn’t really talked much about that part yet and I’m not sure she realizes why it happened.”
Dorian’s face was a blank. “Why did it happen?”
“Because of what happened at your store,” Felicity replied, not missing a beat. She honestly didn’t need things spelled out for her. “Jack is worried that someone thinks she could be a witness and wants to hurt her.”
Jack bobbed his head without hesitation. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about. I need her safe while I figure out who is doing this.”
“How can you figure it out?” Dorian queried, confused. “It’s not your jurisdiction, is it?”
“It’s not,” Jack agreed. “That doesn’t mean I’m not going to figure it out. Ivy’s life depends on it, so there’s nothing I won’t do to keep her safe.”
The look Dorian shot him was appraising. “You’re right, Fel, I do like him. You said I would, but I wasn’t sure. To me, Ivy will always be four and begging to go on another adventure. This one, though, he’s definitely worthy of our Ivy.”
Felicity’s eyes twinkled. “I told you. Not only that, he’s pretty much the only person who doesn’t allow Ivy to run roughshod over him. He knows when to push back ... even if it makes her unhappy.”
Jack’s eyes drifted back to Ivy, unbidden. “She’s pretty unhappy right now. I need her safe more than happy, though. I’ll handle the happiness when this is all over.”
“She’ll be fine, Jack,” Felicity promised. “Why do you think I brought Dorian? She’s going to want to grill him. And, since he’s relatively new in her life because she can’t remember him, she’ll be on her best behavior ... for at least an hour or two.”
Jack grinned at the way she phrased it. “You’re a good aunt.”
“You’re going to be the absolute best husband.”
“I hope so.” He straightened his shoulders, blew out a sigh, and moved to the couch. “I have to head out. I know you’re angry, but I’ll try to stop by around lunch to check on you all the same.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Ivy refused to meet his gaze. “I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can. You’re the most important thing in the world to me, though. Sometimes I need to take care of you whether you want it or not. This is one of those times.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead even though she tried to evade him. “I love you,” he whispered. “Just remember, I’m doing this because I need to. I’m not doing it because I’m trying to punish you. I hope you eventually see that.”
He was a little misty when he pulled back. Ivy didn’t miss the way his eyes glistened and it gave her pause. Finally, she couldn’t hold out in the face of his obvious misery.
“I love you, too,” she growled, her bad attitude on full display. “That doesn’t mean I’m happy about any of this ... and I’m totally going to make you pay when you get home tonight.”
A small smile played at the corners of his lips. “Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to it.” He gave her another kiss, this one hard and right on the mouth. “Be good for your aunt. I’ll be home early if I can swing it.”
“I’m still mad at you, Jack,” she called to his back.
“That’s okay. I like making up. I’ll have that to look forward to all day.”
Oddly enough, Ivy was mildly placated by the words. She felt exactly the same way.
BRIAN WAS ALREADY AT HIS DESK WHEN Jack came striding into the office.
“You’re late,” the older detective announced.
“I had to get Ivy settled.” Jack refused to apologize for taking care of his future wife. “Felicity is watching her today. She’s not supposed to put any weight at all on that ankle. I needed backup to make sure she was okay.”
“You wanted to make sure she wasn’t alone,” Brian corrected, his gaze speculative. “Do you think Felicity was the best choice? It seems to me that Max might be better because he can fight off whoever might show up.”
“Ivy is mad at Max right now for tattling on her. She would make his life hell. Besides, Felicity isn’t alone. She has a gentleman with her.”
“A gentleman?”
“Dorian.”
“Oh, well ... .” Brian trailed off, thoughtful. “That’s actually a good thing. Ivy might behave in front of him because he’s an outsider.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.” Jack blew out a sigh and rolled his neck. He had something important to discuss with his partner and he didn’t know how it was going to go over. “So ... here’s the thing. I am bothered by the fact that Archibald was in town. I’ve worked out the timeline. He could’ve chased Ivy into the woods, given up, and had plenty of time to head over here to try to give himself an alibi.”
Brian’s eyebrows migrated north on his forehead. “You think Archibald chased her into the woods?”
“I think it makes as much sense as anything else.”
Brian worked his jaw. “I would argue, but I was thinking the same thing,” he admitted after a beat. “I don’t like the guy. He’s argumentative, shows bad judgment, and is clearly obsessed with Ivy.”
“He’s definitely obsessed,” Jack agreed. “I don’t want him near her. I think
he might be behind all of this and that’s why he’s so fixated on Ivy. He did look a little disheveled when he was here yesterday, as if he’d been running around in the woods and terrorizing my woman.”
Brian snorted. “She’s not going to stay your woman if you call her that.”
“You know what I mean. I don’t think the timing was accidental. I think he’s a legitimate danger to Ivy, and I’m not going to let him hurt her. Not again.”
To give himself time to consider the statement, Brian decided to redirect the conversation. “How is Ivy’s ankle?”
“Still swollen. The doctor says she should be okay, but she has to rest for a full week. She’s not exactly happy about it.”
“I don’t blame her.” Brian was thoughtful. “How do you want to do this? We can’t poke our noses into their case without risking our badges.”
“I know. We’ve got to be really careful. I can’t do nothing, though. She’s my whole heart.”
Brian took pity on his partner. “I know she is. Believe it or not, I love her, too. We still need a starting off point.”
“The files John Winters got for me,” Jack volunteered. “There might be a clue hidden in them.”
“And these are all personnel files?”
“Yeah. You saw how annoyed Archibald was when he found out I’d been digging into his past. That means there’s something there to find.”
“I guess,” Brian nodded after a beat. “Okay. I’m agreeing, but only because we don’t have anything else going on. If this turns weird and strange, though, I reserve the right to pull the plug.”
“Fair enough. I can’t turn my back on this now, though. Ivy is in real danger. I need to keep her safe.”
“I happen to agree. Let’s do this.”
17
Seventeen
Ivy wanted to be petulant about her circumstances, but the opportunity to watch Dorian and Felicity interact was too good to ignore.
“How about some tea?” Felicity suggested about an hour after Jack had left for work. “I think you could use a bit of relaxation.”
Ivy shot her a wry look. “This reminds me of when I was a kid and hurt the same ankle and Mom and Dad didn’t think they could leave me alone, but they both had work so they made me stay at your store with you.”
Felicity smiled. “I happened to enjoy those days very much. I always loved spending time with you and Max.”
“I can see wanting to spend time with me. Max is another story.”
She snorted. “Why are you fighting with Max?”
“Because he’s a butthead.”
“Ah, so the same reason as always.” She made her way toward the kitchen. “Dorian, do you want some tea?”
Ivy slid her eyes to the man, who seemed entranced with the cottage. So far he’d spent all of his time wandering around looking at things.
“That sounds lovely.” He beamed at Felicity and then shifted his attention to Ivy. “You’ve done a marvelous job with the decorations.”
“Thank you.” She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say to him. “I wish I could remember you. It feels weird that I spent so much time with you and yet there’s a big gap in my memory.”
“I wish you could, too. What about Max? Does he remember me?”
“What makes you think I even talk to Max? I’m not exactly happy with him these days.”
“Because Max has always been your best friend, and whatever he’s done to annoy you will fade to the back of your memory before you even realize it’s happening.”
“Max remembers you some,” Ivy replied after a beat. “He’s older than me, though ... and dumber.”
Felicity made a sighing sound as she put a kettle on the stove and pinned her niece with a quelling look. “Why don’t you leave poor Max alone? He seems to have his hands full these days with Amy and JJ. Don’t you think that you owe him a break?”
“Who is JJ?” Dorian turned away from the shelf that held Ivy’s homemade candles and a myriad of framed photographs featuring her and Jack.
“JJ is his girlfriend’s son,” Felicity replied. “He’s a lovely boy ... and she’s a great woman. I expect wonderful things from them, including great-nieces and nephews.”
Ivy made a face. “What about me? Don’t you expect great things from Jack and me?”
“Of course. That’s a given, though. The second Jack entered your life, your course was set. Max’s was a bit more ... convoluted.”
Ivy knew it was a compliment, but she was still annoyed with her brother. “I hope Amy leaves and makes him cry.”
“You do not.” Felicity’s tone was mild. “Dorian said you wanted a painting framed. Where is it? I’ll get it so he can take a look at it.”
“It’s in the basement, in the closet off the main room.”
“I’ll be right back.” She flashed a smile that was purely for Dorian’s benefit and headed toward the door that led to the stairs. “Don’t say anything interesting while I’m gone.”
Ivy watched the intimate smiles with interest, waiting until she was sure her aunt was out of earshot to ask the obvious question. “Are you guys dating already?”
Dorian’s lips curved in amusement as he turned his attention back to her. “Would that bother you?”
“No. I’m the one who tracked you down, even though you were back in the area and didn’t bother to check on her.”
He let loose an exaggerated sigh. “You are exactly the same. When there’s something you can’t let go of, you hold on like a dog with a frisbee.”
“That doesn’t sound complimentary.”
His laugh was deep and rich. “It wasn’t an insult. You don’t have to worry about that. As for your aunt and me, well, we’re just getting to know one another again. I don’t know that you can put a label on it.”
Ivy pursed her lips. “If you were absolutely forced to put a label on it, though, how would you describe it?”
His laugh was gregarious enough to take over the entire room. “Ah. I really did miss you.” He moved over to the couch and sat next to Ivy, making sure to stroke Nicodemus, who was watching him with suspicious eyes. “You want a definition, huh?”
“That would be nice.”
“We’ve only been in each other’s lives again for twenty-four hours.”
“And yet I’m hurt so I have nothing to focus on but you.”
“Good point.” His expression was hard to read. “We’re going to dinner on Friday. If that’s dating in your mind, then we’re dating.”
Ivy was intrigued. “Did you spend the night together?”
Dorian’s eyes went wide. “Wow. You go right for it, don’t you?”
“I don’t believe in beating around the bush.”
“Fair enough. We did not spend the night together. We did, however, spend the entire day catching up and shared a meal. We talked well after the dinner hour, and she called me this morning to see if I was interested in helping her with babysitting duty. I, of course, was more than happy to oblige.”
Ivy snorted. “You have a way about you, don’t you? I can see why she’s held a torch for you all these years.” The minute the words were out of her mouth, Ivy regretted them. “I mean ... um ... crap. You can’t tell her I said that. She’ll skin me alive.”
Dorian’s laugh was back. Apparently he was always amused, something Ivy liked about him. “Your secret is safe with me.” He patted her hand. “So, tell me about this Jack. I only got a few minutes with him, but he seems like a good man. I know that your aunt absolutely adores him.”
“How much time do you have? I’m not all that happy with him right now either.”
“I have all day.”
“Then you’d better brace yourself. I’m in a complaining mood.”
“Fair enough. Lay it on me.”
“ANYTHING?” BRIAN ASKED AS HE PLACED a mug of fresh coffee on his partner’s desk. Jack had been fixated on his computer so long he was afraid that he’d fallen asleep with his eyes open.
; “There’s a lot in here,” Jack replied on a sigh. “I mean ... a lot. The thing is, some of it seems weird.”
Brian cocked an eyebrow. “Do you want to be more specific?”
“I don’t know that I can. It feels ... off. That’s the best word I can use to describe it.”
“I’m going to need more details.”
Jack grabbed his coffee and sipped. “Okay. He’s got like thirty things in here, but they’re in a weird order. Like he’s accused of striking a superior officer, but he supposedly did that before he stole from the evidence room.”
“He did this in Bellaire?” Brian furrowed his brow. “What did he possibly steal from their evidence room?”
“Not in Bellaire. He has a few things on his record in Bellaire, but they’re relatively minor. Like, for example, he got in an argument with another detective and threatened to hit him. He also threatened to run over a suspect with his car.”
“Those aren’t minor things.”
“No, but compared to what he supposedly did when he was a state trooper, they’re definitely mild.”
“State trooper.” Brian made a face. “That still seems odd to me, although I know it’s true. I told you the story I knew about shooting the suspect.”
“Yeah. He did that in Bellaire. Then he was transferred out to Alpena, wherever that is, before joining the state troopers for a year.”
“Alpena is to the east.” Brian was thoughtful as he ran the information through his head. “What else do you have?”
“Well, when he was a state trooper, he was accused of writing false tickets. He was put on I-75 speed traps and yet the tickets he handed out didn’t match up with the information being recorded from the gun.”
“So, he was falsifying the speeds for bigger tickets?”
“That’s what it says.”
“You’re losing me. You’re almost acting as if you no longer believe he’s the world’s worst police officer.”
Wicked Reunion Page 16
