Ivy merely blinked. “Is there a question buried in there?”
“Yeah.” He bobbed his head. “I always thought it was normal for people to dislike each other after they got married. You know, like the marriage itself was a box they had to check off on a to-do list if they wanted to have kids and keep up appearances in front of their friends. You and Jack act as if you really want to be married ... and like each other.”
Weariness threatened to make her snap at him but Ivy reminded herself he’d asked a sincere question — he seemed to be devoid of manipulation at the present moment — and he deserved a sincere answer. That’s why she thought long and hard before she opened her mouth.
“When you love someone, and I mean truly love them, everything else falls away,” she started. “I can’t imagine my life without Jack. I’m not just saying it to say it. He’s my favorite person. I get a little sad when we say goodbye to each other every morning and I’m usually excited for when he gets home from work at night.
“By the time he walks through the door, I’ve often queued up eight different things in my mind for us to talk about, all from my day,” she continued. “More than talking at him, though, I want to hear from him. I want to know what he did with his day.
“There’s give and take and I think if you hit a relationship just right, that give and take isn’t something you have to do as much as something you want to do,” she said.
“You guys are always excited to see each other, even if you haven’t been apart for a full day. I mean ... when you tracked him down here, he immediately went over to you. Something was wrong, but you guys worked together to fix it.”
“How do you know something was wrong?”
“You have one of those faces where it’s impossible to hide what you’re feeling.”
Ivy smirked. “Oh, well ... .”
“I think that’s a good thing. That’s why I wanted you to be part of the show. I thought you would be a breath of fresh air.”
“Except I don’t want to be part of the show. I already found the man I want to be with.”
“How would being on the show change that? Jack could be one of the contestants and you could ride off in the sunset with him anyway.”
“After spending time with a bunch of other men in a way that’s disrespectful to Jack.”
“I ... did not think about it that way.” Blaine’s lips curved. “You guys really do love each other. It’s nice.”
Ivy slid her gaze to a spot across the way, to where Brian and Jack were talking to Waltrip yet again, and nodded. “It is nice. You should give it a try sometime.”
“Maybe I will.”
“YOU LOOK LIKE YOU’RE having deep thoughts,” Jack noted an hour later as they sat in a booth at the diner and ate. They were both exhausted, which meant cooking at home seemed like work they didn’t need.
“I am having deep thoughts,” Ivy admitted. “I don’t know what to make of them, though.”
“Try me.”
“Okay.” She sucked in a breath. “I’m starting to wonder if the bulk of the people involved in this stupid show are soulless. No, don’t give me that look. I’m being serious. I mean ... Jordan and Blaine seem okay. Er, well, kind of. They’re not great at understanding normal human emotions either, though.”
“I think they’re okay,” Jack countered. “They were simply raised a different way from you and me. They want attention from others because they haven’t found a person who can make attention obsolete.”
Ivy wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying.”
He chuckled. “When I’m with you, it doesn’t matter who else is around because all I care about is you. I want to talk to you, touch you, listen to what you have to say. All the attention I need is from you.
“They haven’t found anyone they want to get attention from,” he continued. “That means there’s a hole in here.” He tapped his chest, in the space above his heart. “When you’re trying to fill that hole, you do some crazy things ... like go on a television show and make a fool of yourself even though you don’t care about the premise.”
Ivy was officially intrigued. “Did you have a hole in your heart when you came here?”
He nodded without hesitation. “I knew it, too. I thought it was because of what happened. You know, being shot and left for dead. That changed everything for me, but it wasn’t the only cause of the hole.”
“What caused it?”
“Loneliness.” Jack’s smile was rueful. “I took pride in my job before everything happened. I lived and breathed it. I didn’t have the one thing human beings crave above all else, though. I didn’t have love to balance it out.
“I recognized the hole when I moved, but I thought it would never be filled,” he continued. “You started filling it that first day. You started smoothing the edges. You ... made me feel more than I ever thought possible.”
Ivy was unbelievably touched by his words. “That was kind of schmaltzy, but I totally want to get naked with you anyway because of what you just said.”
He laughed. “I kind of want to get naked with you, too. I think we should hang around a bit tonight and watch the show, though. I’m curious who is going to win the coveted spot that Éclair vacated.”
“Why?” Ivy split a roll in half and shoved one side into her mouth while continuing to talk. “That sounds really boring.”
Jack grinned. “Is it any wonder I love you? Who else can boast a woman who talks with her mouth full and still looks beautiful?”
Ivy ignored the dig as she swallowed. “I missed lunch because of what happened in the woods. Shoot me.”
“I think I’ll keep you instead.”
“Go back to what you were saying about the competition for the show,” she prodded. “Why do you think that’s important?”
“Because that spot could be motive for murder,” he replied simply. “I mean ... think about it. I heard Donahue talking. The two women who were with Éclair are in the running for the spot. Her friend, Evian, who I had the pleasure of talking to earlier. She’s dumb as a box of rocks, by the way. The assistant is also in the running. Valerie. She was complaining about being out of money and wanted you to take over the spot so she could be your assistant. She’s fairly obnoxious, by the way, so you might want to stay clear of her.”
“I don’t mind obnoxious people,” Ivy noted. “Heck, sometimes my favorite people are obnoxious. Look at Max.”
“Good point. Still, she’s a special kind of obnoxious.”
“Do you think she killed her boss?”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m having trouble figuring out who would want to kill her simply for a spot on this show because the prize doesn’t seem big enough for murder. Obviously someone else felt differently. I have to figure out who but ... I just don’t get it. Would you kill someone for a chance to be on a television show?”
“No, but we’re private people. We like being introverts, locking ourselves up in the cottage, and wasting an entire weekend doing nothing but watching television, hiking in the woods, and being with each other. I think that makes us odd compared to most other people.”
“I guess.” Jack rubbed his chin, then pushed his uneaten meatloaf around on his plate. “That’s assuming that professional jealousy was even the motive,” he added after a beat. “There could’ve been plenty of other motives. Maybe whoever killed her simply didn’t like her. Maybe she was blackmailing someone and this was their revenge. Maybe she wandered outside and ran into a random psychopath and said the wrong thing to him. I just don’t know.”
Ivy leaned back in her seat and rested her feet on top of his. Since they were alone, they had to sit on opposite sides of their booth, but they still enjoyed touching. “We’ll figure it out.”
She sounded so sure of herself Jack could do nothing but smile. “Oh, yeah? How can you be sure?”
She shrugged. “I have faith. We always figure it out. That’s what we do.”
�
��Yeah. We do.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Have you made up with your aunt yet?”
Ivy scowled. “You know I haven’t.”
“Don’t you think you should?”
“She’s the one who was being difficult. I’m totally innocent.”
Jack folded his arms over his chest and waited.
“I am,” Ivy hissed, her eyes flashing. “I was in the right on this one. I didn’t do anything wrong. Do you know how rare it is for me to be able to say that?”
He shrugged. “I think you’re always perfect.”
“Okay, dial back the schmaltz.”
Jack chuckled and changed tactics. “As someone who has flown off the handle a time or two, I understand that’s what happened with your aunt. She got caught up. Why can’t you just forgive her and move on? She’ll be back to herself as soon as this production leaves town.”
“That can’t be soon enough. Although ... I’m kind of looking forward to watching the competition tonight now that you mention it.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I’m betting that Maisie and Ava start a hair-pulling contest before it’s all said and done and I love it when they make fools of themselves.”
“See. There’s something to look forward to.”
“Definitely.”
JACK AND IVY MADE SURE TO keep to the sidelines of the action as they made their way from the diner back to the town square. It was getting dark, but the area was illuminated with bright lights and a lot of activity.
“Wow.” Ivy pulled up short, her fingers linked with Jack’s as she started counting bodies. “I think the entire production is here.”
“I think they’re turning Éclair’s death into a spectacle,” Jack said. “They’re using it as a crutch, sanitized death for the masses. I don’t like it.”
Ivy slid her eyes to him. “We don’t have to stay.”
“We do.” He released her hand and stroked the back of her head as he prodded her to cross in front of him. “I need to see who wins the title ... and how the losers react. I don’t know what else to do.”
Ivy stared at him for a long beat and then nodded. “Okay. We’ll watch and see how it goes.”
Jack led her to a picnic table and took a seat, settling her close at his side. She rested her cheek against his shoulder as the production in front of them took shape.
“I don’t understand why we have to know trivia answers to be on a dating show,” Maisie complained, irritation positively wafting off her as she planted her hands on her narrow hips. “That doesn’t make sense. It should be based on who is prettiest.”
“Then we know you would lose,” Ava barked back. “You wouldn’t even be in the top five if we were going on looks.”
“You wouldn’t even be in the top hundred,” Maisie shot back.
“There aren’t even a hundred contestants,” Ava reminded her. “There are ten of us ... and I’m at the front of the pack.”
“There are ten contestants,” Jack mused, holding Ivy’s right hand between both of his as he rubbed her fingers and knuckles. “Do you know any of the faces?”
“I don’t know those two,” Ivy replied, pointing to the left.
“That’s Evian, the friend, and Valerie, the assistant.”
“I don’t want to go off on a tangent but ... Evian and Éclair? Doesn’t that seem like a cruel joke to play on the world?”
Jack grinned as he pressed a kiss to the palm of Ivy’s hand. “I’m glad you said it instead of me. What about the other women?”
“I know a few faces,” Ivy replied after a beat. “That’s Lauren Daughtry. She’s Rose Daughtry’s daughter.”
“And Rose is the one who organizes all the barn dances, right?”
Ivy nodded in approval. “That’s Evie Sherman. She works at the pharmacy. That blonde standing kind of behind Ava is Melanie Waters. She works on her father’s farm ... and I had no idea she was built like that. I’ve only ever seen her in overalls. Now I know why so many seasonal workers head out to the Waters farm first. They want to work with her.”
Jack chuckled. “She’s built rather impressively,” he agreed. “I’m not sure how she rides a horse with those ... endowments, but I bet it’s quite the sight.”
Ivy slid him a hateful look. “You’re sleeping alone tonight.”
“Oh, don’t be that way, honey,” he teased on a laugh. “I happen to think you’re built ten times better.”
“Oh, you’re full of it.” Even though she feigned annoyance, she didn’t pull away. She enjoyed sharing his warmth too much to put distance between them. “You’re definitely sleeping on the couch.”
“If I do that, who will get up in the middle of the night to cover your bare feet?”
She snickered. “The fact that you still do that a year later is all sorts of weird.”
“I think it’s kind of sweet.”
“I definitely think you guys are sweet,” a third voice announced, causing them both to jolt as Jordan came around the back side of the table and joined them on the bench. “Seriously, you guys could be a Lifetime movie you’re so adorable. You should get into some Christmas hijinks or something. That would totally complete the picture.”
“We had Christmas hijinks,” Jack said. “They ended with a ring and a proposal.”
“Of course they did.” Jordan made a clucking noise with his tongue as he shook his head. “You guys are something else.”
“We are,” Jack agreed.
They lapsed into amiable silence for a time, the trio watching the women compete in what could only be described as the world’s wackiest beauty pageant. They were expected to strut up and down an invisible runway, answer pageant questions, and be measured for skimpy bathing suits and potential evening gowns. Ivy found the entire show disgusting. Jack, who had long ago lost interest in the specifics, was busy studying faces to see if he could identify a killer.
Finally, almost an hour after they arrived, Donahue strode to the middle of the square. He held a microphone and beamed at the women as he slowly circled for the benefit of multiple cameras.
“He seems to be enjoying his moment in the sun, too,” Jordan noted, causing Jack to cast him a sidelong look.
“He does,” Jack agreed. “I wonder if that would’ve happened if Éclair hadn’t been killed. I mean ... is the producer usually in front of the camera like this?”
“Not at all.”
“That’s something to think about,” he muttered.
“I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight,” Donahue intoned, gravitas wafting off him as he adopted a serious expression. “The loss of Éclair Sheridan cannot be weighed in money or viewership. Her death is a tragedy, one we’re still trying to wrap our heads around.
“This is Hollywood, however,” he continued, flashing a rueful smile. “The show must go on. That means we need a new leading lady. I don’t doubt that Éclair is somewhere watching the show, perhaps sitting on a cloud in Heaven and tacitly giving her approval. That’s what I’m hoping for.
“As for the women who came out tonight, you all offer something unique and it’s been a difficult decision,” he said. “We need someone who can captivate a camera and steal hearts. That’s not an easy combination. Still, a decision had to be made. So, without further ado, I give you your new Hearts on Fire star.”
The main light hopped from face to face in the line of women until it veered away and jumped to the opposite side of the town square, landing squarely on Ivy.
“And there she is!” Donahue’s smile was so wide it threatened to swallow his entire face. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Ivy Morgan. She’s the new face of Hearts on Fire, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome her to the family.”
Fifteen
“What?”
Ivy immediately hopped to her feet, her face flushed with surprise ... and rage.
Donahue’s smile never wavered. “You won. You should be so proud.”
“But she
didn’t even compete,” Maisie whined from behind the producer. The lights had been completely killed in that area so she was speaking from the shadows. “She wasn’t one of the contestants.”
“And if she was, we would’ve creamed her,” Ava added. “She is not Hollywood material.”
Ivy couldn’t agree more. “Jack ... .”
Jack squeezed her hand as he slowly stood, his eyes lasering on Donahue, who wisely refused to make eye contact. “Honey, it’s going to be okay. It’s not as if they can make you participate.”
“Why wouldn’t she want to participate?” Donahue challenged, his eyebrows flying up his forehead. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“It’s a bunch of nonsense is what it is,” Ivy shot back. “I told you earlier that I’m not doing this. Why won’t you listen?”
Jack rubbed his hand up and down her slim back to soothe her. “Honey, why don’t you take a walk for me, huh? I’ll handle this.”
Ivy was incredulous. “I’m not going for a walk. I’m going to strangle him.”
“Just ... go for a walk.”
“No!” Ivy was beside herself. “I told you I didn’t want this, Jack. You’re the one who said ... well, you know what you said. Why are you so calm?”
“I’m not calm. I simply don’t think the world can take both of us flying off the handle at the same time. Apparently it’s your day to freak out, so I’m going to hold it together.”
“I’m not freaking out!”
Max, who had been watching with the other men from the sidelines, stepped forward. He seemed to have read the situation from afar, and he looked worried. “I’ll take her for a walk,” he volunteered. “That way she won’t be alone with a killer out there.”
“I think that’s a great idea.” Jack was secretly relieved. He’d forgotten that Ivy might be in danger if she took off on her own. Max was offering him the simplest solution. “You don’t have to take her far ... just get her away so she can vent.”
Max nodded without hesitation. “I’m on it.” He strode to his sister and grabbed her arm. “Come on. We’ll head over toward the grocery store. It’s closed and you can swear as much as you want and people won’t be able to hear you.”
Wicked Delight Page 14
