Wicked Delight

by Lily Harper Hart

  Jack finished his coffee — there was only one gulp left — and tossed the empty cup into a nearby trash receptacle before wrapping his arms around her. “Just tell me,” he whispered. “We’ll figure it out. I promise. There’s no reason to be upset.”

  Ivy wished she could believe that. “Oh, there’s a reason to be upset,” she intoned. “That producer guy came to the nursery today and asked me to be on his television show.”

  To her utter surprise, Jack barked out a laugh. “I know. He told me when we were questioning him. He offered me big piles of money if I could change your mind.”

  Suspicion etched across Ivy’s pretty face. “And you’re fine with him asking me? We’re engaged, for crying out loud.”

  “I’m not fine with him asking you,” he corrected. “Not even a little. If you date other men, I’m going to turn into a mass murderer.”

  “Ha, ha.” She poked his stomach. “I thought you would be upset.”

  “I was furious when I first heard,” he admitted. “I thought it was a gross invasion and I wanted to shake that little man until something that made sense started falling out of his head.”

  “But?”

  “But Brian pointed out that it was actually a compliment. The fact that the producers want to pay you double what they were willing to pay Éclair means I picked an awesome woman to spend my life with.”

  Ivy knit her eyebrows, frustration bubbling up. “So ... you’re fine with it because it makes you look good?”

  Jack’s eyes twinkled. “Pretty much.”

  “Well, I’m not fine with it.” Ivy’s temper came out to play. “I’m so far from fine with it that I need my own ZIP code right now. I mean ... it’s not funny.”

  Jack’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as she unleashed her outrage.

  “It’s not funny, Jack,” she repeated, poking her finger into his side over and over again. “I’m not just a piece of meat for men to fight over. Also, our relationship is not something that can be used and abused in that manner.”

  Jack instantly sobered. “Hey, I’m not saying I think it’s a good idea. There’s nothing in this world that could get me to participate. I don’t care how much money they offer. I don’t share ... and you’re my future.”

  Ivy folded her arms across her chest and waited. She was still agitated enough that she imagined popping his head like a zit.

  “I love you more than anything and I have no intention of sitting back and watching you date,” he continued. “You know that so stop making that face. I find it interesting that they asked you. That’s all I’m saying.”

  “And why is it interesting?”

  “Because it was supposed to be about rich people dating other rich people. The second they lost their well-to-do woman, they decided to focus on you. Why is that?”

  “Because there’s a lack of women in Shadow Lake? How should I know?”

  “Because you shine brighter than any other star in the vicinity,” he answered, guileless. “You steal hearts at every turn. It’s a compliment to you ... even though we would both rather die than participate.”

  “I think you just like it for your ego,” Ivy countered. “You’ve already won the ‘big prize.’” She used air quotes and rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t ultimately matter. I told him to stuff it.”

  “I know you did. That’s why he came to me to change your mind. He graciously suggested that we might still end up together after all the dates.”

  “Ugh.” Ivy slapped her hand to her forehead. “I hate these people. I hate what they stand for. I hate the stupid cameras.”

  “You don’t have to worry about the stupid cameras,” he noted, grabbing her hand and grinning. “You shut them down. Ironically, that only made them want you more. I told them it was never going to happen, though, and Donahue agreed to step back.”

  “Oh, really?” Ivy shook her head, disgusted. “If he decided to step back, why did he send a cameraman to follow me through the woods?”

  Jack’s smile slipped. “What do you mean? A guy followed you in the woods?”

  “Yeah, and he had a camera.”

  “I will kill him,” Jack hissed, all earlier traces of mirth eradicated. “I will wrap my hands around his neck and ... .”

  Ivy held up a hand to quiet him before he lost himself in a bloody fantasy. “I was at my fairy ring when I realized I was being followed. I wasn’t alone. Susan was there and ... I was talking to her.”

  Jack snapped to attention. “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  “I ... you ... .” He trailed off, concern flooding his eyes. “Do you think he saw her?” he asked finally.

  “I don’t know. He seemed nervous. When I called him out, he took off running.”

  “That could be because he was afraid you would hurt him.”

  “Maybe. I’m still afraid. What if he puts that footage on television?”

  “He can’t.” Jack was certain of that. “You didn’t sign a release. In fact, you didn’t sign a release for the seance last night. Donahue brought up the fact that he needed you to sign off for them to use any footage of you.”

  “Does that mean they can’t broadcast it if I don’t?” Ivy was hopeful.

  “It means they’ll pixelate you,” Jack corrected. “I asked the same thing. I thought that might solve our problems. Still, that’s better than what we’re dealing with right now. As for the guy who followed you, don’t worry. I’ll track him down and get the footage. He can’t use that if you didn’t sign a release.”

  Ivy exhaled heavily as she rubbed her forehead. “That’s good. That’s really good.”

  Jack cupped the back of her neck and rubbed at the tension pooling there. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’ll make sure these idiots know that if they set foot in the woods by our house again they’ll be arrested. What they pulled today is not okay.”

  “Yeah, well ... .” She instinctively leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t know what I did before you.”

  “I do. You walked around barefoot and barked orders at anyone who crossed your path.” He rubbed his hands over her back in an effort to soothe. “It’s going to be okay, honey. I’ll find this guy right now and make it all go away.”

  “Thank you.”

  “That’s what I’m here for.”

  “You do a lot more for me than just that.”

  “Right back at you.”

  JACK MANAGED TO TRACK down the cameraman in question relatively quickly thanks to Ivy pointing him out. Then, because the last thing she needed was for him to fly off the handle and start breaking equipment, he took a full five minutes to collect himself before approaching.

  The cameraman saw him coming and blanched. “Oh, geez.”

  “Yeah.” Jack towered over the cameraman, who swallowed hard but refused to cower. “What’s your name?”

  “Why does that matter?”

  “Because I prefer having a name for the individual I’m talking to.”

  “And what if I don’t want to tell you?”

  “Then I’ll go to Donahue and explain how the show is no longer welcome to film here thanks to you.”

  The man’s mouth dropped open as he gaped at Jack. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Try me.”

  He blew out a sigh. “Chuck Dawson. My name is Chuck Dawson.”

  “Well, Chuck, it’s nice to meet you.” Jack extended his hand in greeting and waited.

  Still nervous, Chuck glanced around to see if he was part of some elaborate hoax. Finally, he accepted the handshake. “If this is about your girlfriend ... .”

  “Fiancée,” Jack corrected, his eyes flashing. “Ivy is going to be my wife, and in only a few months.”

  “I’m sorry. Your fiancée.” Chuck held up his hands in mock surrender. “I wasn’t following her because I wanted to do anything bad to her or anything. Roy simply wanted to make sure we had B-footage because ... well, we always need that sort of thing when it comes to
a production like this.”

  “Yeah, well, here’s the thing ... Ivy isn’t part of your production,” Jack pointed out. “She doesn’t want to be filmed. She didn’t sign a release. That means you can’t film her.”

  “But Roy said that she would change her mind and he didn’t want to miss the perfect opportunity to get her in her preferred habitat,” he protested. “The viewers will eat up the fact that she had to work an awful job before finding the man of her dreams and being swept off her feet by a rich dude. It’s a modern Cinderella story ... and women love Cinderella.”

  Jack made a face. “First off, if Ivy is a Disney princess, it’s the one from Brave who does her own thing. That’s who she is. Secondly, Ivy loves that nursery. It’s her business, and she’s not afraid to get a little dirt under her fingernails. That’s what sets her apart from a lot of people.”

  “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it,” Chuck said hurriedly. “I mean ... I think it’s great that she wants to get dirty. Men love a dirty girl. Wait ... that came out wrong.”

  Despite the serious nature of the conversation, Jack snorted. “Listen, I don’t want to make a big deal about this, but I have issues whenever anyone follows my fiancée. She has a right to feel safe on her own property. What you pulled today was not okay.”

  “I was just doing my job.”

  “It’s not your job when Ivy hasn’t signed a release. I’m going to need that camera.”

  Chuck balked. “I can’t give you the camera. That’s a twenty-thousand-dollar piece of equipment. I’ll lose my job ... and maybe even get locked up. There’s no way I can give you that camera. I’ll just delete the footage myself.”

  “And what if I don’t think I can trust you to do that?”

  “It’s not a big deal.” Chuck was desperate to get away from Jack as he licked his lips and glanced around. “There’s nothing good in the footage anyway. I mean ... it’s kind of boring to watch a woman walk through the woods by herself. Then, when she got to those mushroom things, she started talking to herself and that was only mildly interesting.

  “I’m not saying she’s crazy or anything,” he added hurriedly. “I talk to myself all the time. She clearly thought she was alone and decided to have a conversation with herself. That’s perfectly normal.”

  Despite himself, Jack was relieved. If the cameraman thought Ivy was talking to herself, that was definitely better than the alternative where he figured out she was holding a conversation with a ghost. Still, he wanted to dig a bit further. “Did you hear what she said? I mean ... was she talking about me?”

  Chuck seized on the opportunity. “I bet she was talking about you. I can’t be sure. She was too far away. I have no idea what she was saying.”

  “Well, it doesn’t matter.” Jack kept his face impassive. “You’re going to delete that footage. In fact, if I see that footage show up anywhere, you’re going to have bigger problems than you can possibly imagine. Do you understand?”

  Chuck swallowed hard and bobbed his head. “I understand. I’ll get rid of the footage right now. It’s already gone, man. Just ... don’t rip my head off or anything.”

  “No promises until I’m convinced you’ve done as I asked. Now ... get to it. Don’t make me wait around.”

  THIRTY MINUTES LATER, JACK REJOINED Ivy under the willow tree.

  “It’s done.” He kissed the back of her neck as she leaned into him, relief positively pouring out of every pore.

  “Are you sure?” She turned to face him. “He erased the footage?”

  “I watched him do it,” Jack confirmed. “The good news is that he thinks you were out there talking to yourself.”

  Ivy’s forehead wrinkled. “How is that good news? It makes me look like a loon.”

  “It’s good news because I told him you were talking about me and played the protective boyfriend role to the letter.”

  “You are my protective boyfriend.”

  “Yeah, well ... .” He grinned as he leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose. “It’s okay. I made sure that he was aware you hadn’t signed a release and that I would make his life hell if he didn’t erase the footage. It’s done. You’re in the clear.”

  “That’s a relief.” Ivy rested her head against Jack’s chest as he stroked the back of her hair. “I was really afraid there for a bit that I hurt our future.”

  “Oh, honey, no matter what happens, we’re still going to have a great future. I shouldn’t have put that much fear in you. That wasn’t fair. Even if someone catches something on camera, we’re going to be fine.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Definitely.” He swayed back and forth, sharing his warmth with her for a bit. Eventually, he turned his attention to the town square, which was getting busier by the second. “What’s going on here?”

  “Mr. Donahue has decided to move on from the idea of me as his star,” she replied, swiveling so she could see the action. “He stopped by to give me one last chance while you were over threatening the creepy stalker.”

  “Chuck,” Jack volunteered. “His name is Chuck ... and he’s scared to death of me. I’m encouraging that because it works to our advantage.”

  “Well, while you were talking to Chuck, Donahue swung around to make sure I didn’t want to be a star. He explained they’re on a timetable and I have to agree today if I wanted to embrace life as a star. I said it was never going to happen and he was going to have to find someone else and five minutes later the action started ramping up.”

  “And what is this?”

  “A new competition angle,” Jordan announced, ducking under the tree and joining Ivy and Jack.

  Jack swore viciously under his breath. He hadn’t noticed the man loitering and he didn’t like the idea of anyone listening to his conversations with Ivy. “Where did you come from?”

  Jordan held up a cup of a coffee. “I needed caffeine. Don’t worry, I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything. I saw you guys over here and decided to join you.” His eyes twinkled as he turned them to Ivy. “I’m very sad that you didn’t agree to be the new star of the show. I thought for sure you would eventually give in.”

  “I’m not the type to ever give in,” Ivy countered.

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Jack muttered, causing Jordan to grin.

  “You guys are adorable together,” he enthused. “I can see why you don’t want to risk dating other people. Why would you want to throw away what you already have?”

  “We have no intention of throwing anything away.” Ivy was firm. “What’s the new competition angle you mentioned?”

  “They’re opening up auditions to area females today,” Jordan replied, inclining his chin toward an excited Maisie and Ava as they appeared on the scene. “Anyone in the area who is interested and between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine can audition. A new star will be picked right away and then we’re going back to the dating format.”

  Ivy had no idea what to say. “Oh, well ... that sounds interesting.”

  “It sounds ridiculous,” Jordan corrected. “We don’t have a lot of options, though. We really wanted to make you our centerpiece, but it’s clear you’re not going to soften in time to make that work.”

  “I’ve got news for you, pal, she never does anything she doesn’t want to do,” Jack offered. “There’s no force on Earth that would’ve made her acquiesce to being on that show.”

  “Because of you?” Jordan asked curiously. “Is she so devoted to you that she wouldn’t dare look at another man?”

  “That’s not what I said.”

  “It’s the truth, though,” Ivy interjected. “I have the one man in the world I care about. He’s all I want and we have a future carved out. There’s no changing that. Nothing in this world is more important to me than Jack.”

  “Oh, thank you, honey.” Jack beamed as he kissed her cheek. “I feel the same way about you.”

  “Seriously, you guys would be great for television,” Jordan prodded. “All you have to do is
pretend you just met. All that chemistry you share will ooze out on screen.”

  “I would prefer our chemistry ooze out at home,” Jack replied, opting for honesty. “I think this new plan of having the women compete for the starring role is a great idea.”

  “You do?” Ivy was dubious. “How come?”

  “Because I can’t wait to see Maisie and Ava try to kill each other for a shot to be on television.”

  Ivy brightened considerably. “That is something to look forward to.”

  “Isn’t it, though?”

  Fourteen

  “May I ask you something?”

  Ivy stuck close to the town square for the bulk of the afternoon, mostly because she wanted to watch the action, but also because she couldn’t shake the idea that something was about to happen. Most of the time she spent alone, an unpleasant look on her face, but her glare wasn’t enough to keep Jordan and Blaine away. It was the latter who questioned her now.

  Slowly, Ivy tracked her eyes to the handsome man who sat at the picnic table with her. “I don’t know,” she replied after a beat. “Is it going to be a question that irritates me?”

  He shrugged. “Probably not. I mean ... I don’t see why it would. You’re kind of prickly, though, so anything is possible.”

  Ivy made a dubious expression. “Prickly?”

  Blaine grinned. “Like a cactus.”

  He was too charming to dissuade so she sighed and nodded for him to continue. “Knock yourself out.”

  “I watched you with Jack earlier,” he started. “You guys seem ... into each other.”

  Amused despite herself, Ivy’s lips quirked. “Last time I checked we were into each other,” she confirmed. “That’s why we’re getting married.”

  “See, that’s the thing.” He broke off and licked his lips. “My parents have been married for thirty years. They live in Charlevoix because that’s where rich people who deign to live up here reside. They have separate bedrooms. They attend parties together because that’s what is expected, but they honestly can’t wait to get away from one another as soon as an opportunity arises.”