Ivy Morgan Mystery Box Set 5

by Lily Harper Hart

  Jack was philosophical. “I had to try.”

  “Well, it’s not going to work. I’m still mad at Max. I can’t help it. The way he treated us last night ... it was unfair. We didn’t earn his wrath.”

  “Ivy, when someone you care about is in danger, sometimes human reactions don’t follow a set plan,” he hedged. “Max thought Amy died. That had to shake him. Heck, it shook me and I barely know her.”

  Ivy thought back to the way her heart pounded and her stomach threatened to revolt. “Yeah. I didn’t know what to make of it. I felt as if I was mired in quicksand and there was no way out. It was like I was trapped in an echo chamber and I didn’t know how to comfort my own brother.”

  “Your brother is not a perfect man. He’s still your best friend. He was upset last night. He was manic. How do you think I would’ve responded under the same circumstances? If I thought you were dead on the ground and then you turned up, you couldn’t pry me off you with a crowbar. I would be angry at the people who let you walk alone in the dark and created the situation, too.”

  Ivy immediately balked. “We didn’t create the situation. I’ll agree that we probably shouldn’t have left her alone to walk to the main building by herself. That wasn’t smart. She’s okay, though, and Max is treating us like criminals. It’s stupid ... and I don’t like it.”

  “I’m sure he doesn’t like it either.”

  “Why are you taking his side?”

  “Because I know how crushed I would’ve been if that had been you and I’m open to giving him the benefit of the doubt. I happen to think he’s going to be better this morning — maybe not apologetic, but definitely better. You can’t hold this against him. Do you have any idea how awful I would be under the same circumstances?”

  Ivy could’ve lied. She thought about it, although only briefly. She knew exactly how Jack would’ve reacted because she would’ve responded in the same way. She would’ve been a mess. The fact that Jack had a point about letting Max off the hook bothered her, though. “I’m not playing nice until he apologizes.” Her tone was firm. “I mean it.”

  “Well, then it should be a stressful and uncomfortable day.” He kissed her forehead. “I, for one, am looking forward to it.”

  Ivy ignored him and snuggled closer. “Five more minutes and then we can go out and greet the day. I’m as eager as you to hear more about Stacy Shepherd.”

  Jack doubted that was true, but he let the comment pass. Ivy was as keyed up as Max. She just didn’t realize it.

  It was going to be a long day.

  IVY AND JACK WERE ALREADY sitting in front of a fresh fire drinking coffee and tea when Max let himself out of the tent he shared with Amy. She was still inside waking herself up — she was a slow starter in the mornings — and she insisted Max greet his sister and future brother-in-law sans her watchful stare. Max had a feeling that was because she wanted them to get any residual arguments out of their systems before she joined them.

  Honestly, he didn’t blame her. He wasn’t exactly proud of his reaction the previous evening.

  “Hey,” he muttered as he shuffled closer to the fire. “Is that coffee?”

  Ivy hiked an eyebrow as she slid him a sidelong look. “I don’t know. Do you think it’s coffee?”

  “Oh, geez.” Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and stared at the sky. “If you guys are going to start fighting, tell me now because I need to add bourbon to my coffee. I can’t take a morning of snarking.”

  “You live with Ivy,” Max pointed out. “She snarks at you over breakfast every single day.”

  “Yes, but she’s cute when she does it,” Jack shot back. “I don’t happen to find you as cute as I find her.”

  “That’s probably a relief.” Max, uncomfortable, shifted from one foot to the other. “So ... um ... about last night.”

  Ivy’s expression never changed as she focused on her tea. She wasn’t a coffee drinker so she brought tea bags to fuel her caffeine habit. “If you start yelling at us, I’m going to wrestle you down and fill your mouth with dirt,” she muttered.

  Jack shot her a quelling look. “Don’t pick a fight with your brother. He’s trying to apologize.”

  “I’m not trying to apologize,” Max argued hurriedly. “It’s just ... I might have been a little loud and obnoxious last night. I stress might.”

  Jack maintained his cool. “And that’s not an apology?”

  “No.” Max was firm as he shook his head. “I’m not sorry for what I said. Not even a little. I happen to believe that you were in the wrong for letting her leave the campsite without an escort.”

  Jack sighed. “I actually agree with that. If you’d done the same to Ivy, I would’ve melted down and been a lot worse than you were last night. I acknowledge that and apologize. I shouldn’t have let Amy go alone. I honestly wasn’t thinking.”

  “You couldn’t have known what would happen,” Max offered. “It’s just ... I’ve never felt that way before.” His expression was earnest enough that it melted some of the icy resolve surrounding Ivy’s heart. “I never felt fear like that before. I guess that’s probably how you felt when Ivy was shot, huh?”

  Jack’s smile dipped. “I wish people would stop bringing that up. It gives me nightmares.”

  Ivy absently patted his arm. “We’ll stop talking about it.”

  “I didn’t agree to that.” Max held a straight face for an extended beat and then his lips curved. “I didn’t mean to take out my frustrations on you guys last night. I realize now that wasn’t fair. It’s just ... I was afraid.”

  Ivy took pity on him exactly the way Jack knew she would. “It’s okay to be afraid, Max.” Her voice was soft. “I’ve been afraid numerous times in my life. You can’t turn on the people who are on your side, though. That’s not fair ... or smart. And, for the record, I’ll always be on your side because that’s who I am.”

  “I know.” Max was relieved as he stepped forward and pressed a light kiss to the top of his sister’s head. The tension that had been dragging at both of them since they woke drifted away. “I’m sorry about everything. I just ... I fell apart. I’ll try not to let it happen again, but I can’t guarantee I’m capable of doing that.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Jack waved off the apology. “I’ve melted down a time or two when it comes to your sister. It happens. I don’t think we need to dwell on it.”

  Max’s grin widened. “Great. I’m glad we’re all in love with each other again.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Jack countered.

  Max ignored him. “So, I was thinking we would have some breakfast and then take a hike past the waterfalls. Amy has never seen waterfalls and she seems a bit antsy this morning. I think what happened last night affected her more than she’s willing to admit. I already told her it was a plan so ... let’s get to breakfast, huh?”

  His expression was so hopeful that Jack couldn’t slap him back, even though he really wanted to. Instead, he waited until Max returned to the tent to speak. “I’m never going to get you alone this trip, am I?”

  “What are you talking about? You romanced my socks off yesterday and we spent five minutes snuggling alone in bed this morning.” Ivy snickered as he pinned her with a dirty look. “Oh, wait. Are you insinuating you wanted to romance me on a private hike?”

  “No, I’m flat out saying it. You made these waterfalls sound as if they were magical. I wanted them to be magical for both of us.”

  “And you don’t think they will be if we bring Max and Amy along for the ride?”

  “I don’t think they’re going to be anywhere near as magical as I initially anticipated. Let’s just leave it at that.”

  “It’s important to him.” She kept her voice low. “He apologized. I can tell he’s still a little nervous. As for Amy, she might actually be traumatized from what happened last night. She got lucky that she didn’t run into Stacy on that hill ... or get mistaken for her ... or accidentally stumble across a kill in progress. She might
be a little shaky and prefer a bigger group.”

  Jack narrowed his eyes. “You’re just making excuses because Max was right about everybody being in love again ... mostly you and your brother.”

  “You make it sound gross.” Ivy leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Don’t make my relationship with my brother sound gross. I don’t like that.”

  “Fair enough. I want time alone just the two of us this afternoon to make up for the morning hike, though. I insist.”

  “I believe I can make that happen.”

  “You’d better or I’m going to beat the crap out of your brother.”

  “Duly noted.”

  EVEN THOUGH HE WAS INITIALLY reticent, Jack found he enjoyed the hike. The park’s main draw wasn’t one big set of falls. It was hundreds of small sets, and he found that he enjoyed watching the waterfall more than he initially envisioned.

  “It’s really gorgeous here,” he noted, shifting. He expected to find Ivy standing next to him but instead he found Max. “You guys must’ve really enjoyed visiting this place when you were kids, huh?”

  Max enthusiastically nodded. “We really. We found it by a fluke, too.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Mom was supposed to book a specific campground that’s farther north when we were kids. She was late even though Dad warned her it would fill up quickly. She found this place on the map and booked without telling him until we were basically on top of the campground and then she pointed and said ‘oh, that’s where we’re staying.’ My dad was confused but pulled in. Then she told him the whole story. He was completely irritated but ended up falling in love with this place. After that we came every year.”

  “I can see why.” Jack bent over and picked up a stone so he could skip it against the slow-moving water. “I’m glad you made up with your sister. She was more upset about what happened than she wanted to let on.”

  Max turned sheepish. “I shouldn’t have yelled at her the way I did. It’s just ... it’s like I lost control of my head. I couldn’t make sense of anything that was happening.”

  “I get that,” Jack acknowledged. “I’ve felt that way about Ivy a time or two. That’s why I didn’t take it personally. Still, she’s your sister. She would never purposely hurt you.”

  “Do you think I don’t know that? I was just overwrought. I don’t know any other way to explain it. I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. I’ll apologize again if you think it will make her feel better.”

  “You don’t need to do that. She’s fine. She’s over having a good time with Amy.” He inclined his chin toward the two women, who had taken off their shoes and were splashing in the shallow water as they conversed. “Just keep it in mind for the future. As for what happened, I was in the wrong. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s over.” Max made a dismissive hand gesture. “Amy is here and whole. She’s still shy — and I’m working on drawing her out — but she’s here. That’s the most important thing.”

  Jack fixed his eyes on the two women and smirked. “It might be good that she’s spending time with Ivy. If anyone can beat the shyness out of her, it’s your sister.”

  Max made a horrified face. “I don’t want her to be like Ivy.”

  “You would be so lucky.”

  “And you’re blinded by love.”

  “There are worse things to be blinded by.”

  “MAX SEEMS BETTER TODAY,” Ivy noted as she walked in the shallow water close to the shoreline. There was nothing she liked better than wading in the tepid water. “I’m glad he calmed down some.”

  “Me, too.” Amy looked legitimately relieved as she crossed in front of Ivy. “I thought he was going to be ranting and raving for hours last night, but he fell asleep the second he climbed into the sleeping bags. Then, when he woke up this morning, he was perfectly fine.”

  “Max is one of those guys who angers quickly but gets over it quickly, too. He’s a good guy.”

  “He’s definitely a good guy.” Amy was earnest as she fixed Ivy with an odd stare. “I care about him a great deal.”

  Ivy smirked. “I figured.”

  “No, I really mean it. I’ve seen you watching me a bit, as if you can’t figure out what he sees in me. I can’t figure it out either. I want you to know that I have legitimate feelings for him. He’s important to me.”

  Ivy was ashamed that she’d made Amy feel out of place. “It’s not that I can’t figure out what he sees in you,” she said hurriedly. “It’s just ... I’ve never seen my brother this way with a woman before.” She opted for the truth. “He’s a good guy, but he hasn’t always had the best taste in women. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t like some of the others ... which you’re not.”

  Amy laughed, the sound warming up the morning air. “It’s okay. I figure it will take us a bit to get to know one another and then we’ll like each other, too. I just don’t want you to dismiss me out of hand before it’s necessary.”

  “I would never do that.” Ivy was sincere as she smiled. “Trust me. I ... .” She trailed off when a man appeared out of the trees. He looked ragged, as if he’d been wandering around for days, and he weaved back and forth as he wandered toward the trail. “I wonder who that is.”

  Amy glanced over her shoulder and frowned. “That’s the man with the dead girl.”

  “What?” Ivy’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  Amy immediately bobbed her head. “I’m definitely sure. Do you know if the police found him yesterday for questioning?”

  Ivy searched her memory of the things Jack told her when he returned to the tent. She’d been sleepy but made a legitimate attempt to listen. “I’m pretty sure they already questioned him. He said he was night fishing, which I don’t necessarily believe. I still think we should tell Jack.” She swiveled and searched for her fiancé, breathing out a sigh of relief when she caught sight of him about fifty feet down. He was with Max and they seemed to be having a good time tossing rocks into the water while laughing uproariously.

  “Jack.” She called out his name with what she hoped was calm abandon. She didn’t want to give the man a reason to panic or run.

  Jack slid his eyes to her, smiled, and then noticed that she was not-so-subtly jerking her finger toward the shore. He slid his eyes in that direction and frowned when he saw what had gotten her attention. The husband of the victim was out and about — which he found surprising since he was under the impression that the police had no intention of releasing him — and he was wandering aimlessly, as if drunk, between the tree line and the water.

  “Who is that?” Max asked, confused.

  “The prime suspect in the death last night,” Jack replied grimly, dropping the rocks he carried. “Come on. Let’s check on the girls and make sure he’s not off his rocker or anything.”

  Seven

  His name was Gordon Shepherd and he’d been married to the victim for three years. Jack was the first to approach him. He’d seen the man the previous evening, but they’d never been properly introduced.

  “Sir, are you turned around?”

  Gordon cocked his head to the side at the intrusion, his lips perpetually curved down. “I don’t know where I am.”

  “I can see that.” Jack moved in front of Max and sent Ivy a stern look. She knew exactly what message he was sending without saying a word. Move and I’ll strangle you myself.

  Since she was nervous, Ivy was fine staying in the water. It served as a barrier of sorts between her and the man and she was thankful for it. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

  Jack was a tall man and Gordon had to tip his head up to look at him when they were face to face.

  “I remember ... I don’t know. It’s all a blur. I keep hoping I’m going to wake up and this will be nothing more than a bad dream.”

  Even though Jack was suspicious of the man, stirrings of pity wafted through him. “Your wife was the one found last evening, correct?”

  Gordon nodded, his lower
lip trembling as he gasped out a breath. “They say she’s dead, but I don’t believe them. I think they’re wrong and she’s out here somewhere. They wouldn’t let me see her, not at all. They said they had to talk to me and they wouldn’t let me see her. She wasn’t there when I got back.”

  “That’s probably for the best,” Jack said gently, exchanging a quick look with Max, who had positioned himself between the women in the water and the confused man. “Did they let you go?”

  “Let me go?” Gordon repeated the words as if they were alien to him and he wasn’t grasping the meaning. “I don’t ... were they supposed to keep me?”

  “I don’t think he’s slept,” Max offered in a low voice. “He seems dazed.”

  “He also smells like a brewery,” Jack supplied. “I think I can guess how he spent his evening.”

  “Would you do any different?” Max was earnest. “If it was Ivy ... ?” He trailed off.

  Since the notion was enough to make Jack want to curl into a ball and shut out the world, he kept his focus on Gordon. “What time did the state police cut you loose?”

  “It was in the middle of the night.” Bitterness tinged Gordon’s words. “They asked me a bunch of questions, treated me like a criminal. They said that they wanted to make sure that something bad didn’t happen.”

  “Did you hurt your wife?” Jack’s question was blunt, but he didn’t care. As a man who loved a woman with every fiber of his being, he couldn’t imagine ever hurting her. If this man killed his wife, he didn’t deserve pity. He deserved something much, much worse. “Did you kill her?”

  “You sound like the cops.” Gordon’s gaze was accusatory. “I would never hurt my wife. I loved her. I mean ... things weren’t always perfect between us. She was bossy like you wouldn’t believe. You have no idea how bossy she was. I loved her, though. I didn’t kill her. Why would I do that?”