“I don’t want to go back to the festival,” Ivy said. “I told you that was a bad luck festival.”
“You’re only saying that because you never won the pageant,” Simone argued. “I won it and think it’s a great festival. Heck, I almost won the pageant twice – only losing out that second time because Peg Lindley cheated on her talent and bamboozled the judges. No one else has ever almost won it twice.”
“Oh, well, how great for you,” Jack drawled. “How does that look on a résumé?”
“I don’t need a résumé,” Simone scoffed. “I’m a cheerleading coach and pageant coordinator. Why would I need a résumé for that?”
“Yeah. I’m done talking to you.” Jack held up his hand to silence Simone and spared a glance for Max. “Can’t you do something to shut her up?”
Max shrugged, noncommittal. “I used to make out with girls to shut them up sometimes when we were teenagers,” he admitted. “I guess I could try it with Simone, although girls were a lot more open to it when we were teenagers.”
Simone made an exaggerated face and stuck out her tongue. “Oh, you would love it if I would make out with you. Admit it.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Max hedged, his face impassive as his eyes lit with amusement. “I’m a fan of living Chlamydia-free these days.”
This time there was nothing playful about Simone’s ugly expression. “I don’t have to take this,” she hissed.
“Then leave,” Jack suggested, rubbing his hand over Ivy’s knee. “None of us want you here.”
“I already told you that Aubrey’s parents asked me to stay with her.”
“Then sit in the corner and shut up,” Jack ordered, rolling his neck as the front door opened to allow his partner, Brian Nixon, entrance.
“I got the call from dispatch,” Brian said, his gaze busy as it bounced between faces. “What happened?”
Jack filled him in on the events of the day, being sure to leave out Ivy’s foray into psychic visions, and when he was done, Brian was confused.
“How is this a criminal case?”
“I didn’t say it was a criminal case,” Jack replied. “I simply had Max call the paramedics. You must’ve been alerted because you’re my partner. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, well, that’s okay.” Brian looked almost disappointed as he sat next to Max. “Any news on her yet?”
“No.” Jack shook his head and squeezed Ivy’s hand. If Brian sensed something else was going on, he kept it to himself. “Hopefully the doctors won’t be too long.”
As if on cue, the doors that led to the back of the clinic whooshed open to allow Dr. Martin Nesbitt entrance. He looked tired as he mopped his brow and scanned the room. “Are you all here for Aubrey Daniels?”
Jack bobbed his head as he got to his feet. “How is she?”
“Alive, but we’re transferring her to a full-care facility in Traverse City,” Nesbitt announced.
“Does she have epilepsy or something?” Simone asked.
“No, as far as we can tell, she was poisoned.”
Jack stilled, his stomach twisting. “I’m sorry but … what did you say?”
“She’s been poisoned,” Nesbitt reiterated. “We ran a blood sample and found ethylene glycol in her system. We believe it was a high dosage and we’re worried about organ damage. That’s why she’s being transferred. We almost missed it because seizures aren’t often associated with antifreeze poisoning, but she might have an underlying condition and we want to be really careful.”
“Antifreeze?” Ivy flicked her eyes to Jack. “How would someone be able to poison her with that without her noticing?”
“I’ll leave that up to you to figure out,” Nesbitt said. “She hasn’t regained consciousness and I don’t expect her to while she’s here. I’m sorry, but she’s not going to have any answers to give you in the immediate future.”
“Thanks,” Jack said absently, rubbing the back of his head as he turned to Brian. “I think that means we need to run back to the barn and do a search. It also wouldn’t hurt to collect all the water bottles and test them.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Brian said. “I guess this is a criminal matter after all.”
“Yeah.” Jack forced a smile as he gazed down at Ivy. “I’m sorry our night got ruined. Do you think you can catch a ride home with your brother? I promise not to be too long.”
Ivy nodded without hesitation. “Do what you have to do. I understand.”
“I’ll be as quick as possible,” Jack said. “Take it easy when you get home. I promise I won’t be far behind.”
“WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH you and Ivy?” Brian asked once the partners entered the vacant barn and began searching through the discarded clothing items and water bottles.
Jack avoided his partner’s studied gaze. “What do you mean? She’s pretty, mouthy, and amazing. That’s always her deal, though.”
Brian let loose with a low growl. “You know, I’m starting to think you say things like that simply to annoy me.”
Jack snorted, the simple act washing away some of the stress he’d been carrying since Ivy’s fainting spell. “She’s just … worked up.” He considered telling his partner what happened. It wasn’t as if Brian was in the dark in regards to Ivy’s abilities. Still, it wasn’t his place. He wouldn’t share Ivy’s secret unless she said it was okay.
“I can tell she’s worked up. That’s why I asked the question.”
“The girl hit the ground hard and Ivy clearly doesn’t like Simone Graham. What’s the deal with that?”
“Simone is a skank.” Brian was so matter-of-fact it caused Jack to bark out a laugh.
“Tell me how you really feel.”
“That’s how I really feel,” Brian said. “Ivy was always a good girl who kept to herself. The boys liked that and developed regular crushes on her. That caused the other girls to go after her because they were jealous. Sometimes they went after her hard. Simone was older than Ivy but, for some reason, that didn’t stop her from competing with Ivy. I can’t explain it. Women are crazy sometimes.”
Jack didn’t like the sound of that. “You know, I like Shadow Lake a great deal and I’m glad I moved here, but one thing the city has over the country is choice when it comes to friends,” he said. “There’s a lot more choice in friends in the big city. You don’t have to conform or be ostracized. You can be who you want to be and still have a good time.”
“I think you’re right.” Brian began collecting water bottles, shoving them in a plastic bag as he moved around the room. “What do you think happened here? Do you think one of the other girls poisoned Aubrey?”
“I don’t know. Ivy made it sound as if this pageant was a big deal. Maybe someone is really desperate to win.”
“Maybe,” Brian agreed. “Maybe she was poisoned at home or something. You said her parents are out of town, right?”
“They’re heading back. We’ll probably have to go to Traverse City to question them since Aubrey is being transferred.”
“We can leave that for tomorrow, or even later than that if need be,” Brian said. “We’ll collect all these bottles, look around, and then drop this stuff at the Michigan State Police Laboratory. Until we know more, there’s not much more we can do tonight. Then, tomorrow, we’ll question the parents and the girls who were present.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Jack searched through a backpack, frowning when he saw the huge pile of makeup items at the bottom. “Who needs this much makeup?”
“Teenage girls are different sorts of creatures,” Brian said. “You’ll find out when you and Ivy have a bundle of sarcasm all your own one day.”
Jack smirked at the thought. “I hope she looks like Ivy.”
“Oh, geez. You’re such a schmuck.”
“And you’re easy,” Jack said, moving to another backpack. “We’re not planning on having kids right away. We want some time to enjoy one another. When it’s time for kids, we’ll discuss the problem with teenage girls
then. Hopefully I can talk her into having a kid that never grows.”
Brian snorted. “If the kid never grows, he or she will never move out and then it will never be just you and Ivy again.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. Good point.” Jack finished his search, ultimately straightening as he stood by the front door. “I think that’s everything.”
“Yup.” Brian tied the bag. “You know this could get ugly if we figure out that another teenage girl tried to kill Aubrey, right?”
Jack nodded. “Everyone in town is going to take sides.”
“Yeah, and we’re going to be stuck in the middle.”
“We can only do what we can do,” Jack said. “Right now, all we can do is get the bottles tested and go home. Tomorrow is another day.”
IVY WAS IN HER FUZZY pajama pants under a blanket on the couch, her hair pulled back in a ponytail so the pink streaks gleamed under the flickering light of the fire, when Jack let himself into the house.
“I thought you would be gone longer,” Ivy said by way of greeting.
“I think my feelings should be hurt,” Jack teased, shrugging out of his coat.
“I didn’t mean that.” Ivy lifted the blanket so Jack could slide underneath with her but stopped him before he could get comfortable. “You’re overdressed.”
Jack cocked an eyebrow, several fun ideas flowing through his head. Ultimately he knew he would have to answer questions before enjoying those ideas so he merely shrugged as he stripped out of his jeans and sweater, keeping his boxer shorts and undershirt in place as he grabbed the edge of the blanket. “Happy?”
Ivy nodded, making a hissing noise when she felt Jack’s cold hands brush against her neck. “Why didn’t you wear your gloves?”
“Because they were in my pocket and I was so eager to get home to you that I was willing to risk frostbite and finger amputations just to be able to touch you.”
Ivy made a hilarious face that made Jack want to kiss her senseless. “That one grossed even me out.”
“I’m starting to gross myself out,” Jack admitted. “It’s not nearly as much fun now as it was.”
“Maybe we should take it back a notch,” Ivy suggested. “We’ve been engaged six weeks now.”
“I’m as excited today as I was when you said yes.”
“Did you think I would say no?”
“Of course not. You’d have to be crazy to pass this up.” Jack gestured toward his loud boxer shorts for emphasis, causing Ivy to giggle. The sound warmed Jack to the tips of his toes and he slipped an arm around her waist and tugged her so she was positioned on top of his chest as he reclined on the couch. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay. You need to stop worrying.”
“That’s never going to happen,” Jack said. “You’re going to need to stop worrying about me worrying because it’s not going to change.”
“Fine.” Ivy rested her cheek on Jack’s chest. “Hmm. Other than your hands, you’re really warm. I wish we could spend an entire day like this.”
“We will,” Jack said, petting the back of her head. “If I remember correctly, we spent the entire week between Christmas and New Year’s Day doing this.”
“And it was the best week ever.”
“You’re easy to entertain.” Jack kissed her forehead. “We should go on a vacation this year.”
“What kind of vacation?”
“I don’t know. What kind of vacation have you always wanted to take but never got around to doing?”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing Alaska.”
Jack wrinkled his nose. “I was thinking somewhere warmer … a beach, where you might wear a coconut bra.”
“I’m never going to wear a coconut bra in public.”
“Just give it some thought.” Jack closed his eyes, letting the warmth from Ivy’s breath lull him. “We’re going to be busy starting tomorrow. We have to figure out exactly who poisoned Aubrey Daniels.”
“It couldn’t have been an accident?”
“I don’t see how, but we won’t know anything until we talk to her parents.” Jack felt as if he was drifting off. He knew he should get up and prod Ivy toward the bedroom, but he was unbelievably comfortable and was not inclined to move. “We collected all the water bottles at the barn. Right now we’re in a holding pattern.”
“I like being in a holding pattern.” Ivy sounded as sleepy as Jack felt. “Did you lock the door?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love me?”
“More than anything.”
“Good. I love you, too. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Right back at you, honey.” He rested his hand on her back, the weight solid and reassuring. “We’ll figure out what’s going on. Please don’t worry. It’s going to be okay.”
Ivy didn’t answer, but she did muster a half-smile as the words washed over her. It was going to be okay. She didn’t doubt it … even deep inside where her small seeds of insecurity lived. They would make it work. Some things were destiny, and they were one of them.
Five
Jack woke in the same position he fell asleep, the fire completely out and Ivy dead to the world on his chest. It wasn’t a particularly comfortable position because his lanky frame was almost too tall for the couch. Despite that, he refused to move because it would mean disturbing Ivy. Instead he merely watched her sleep.
It hadn’t been quite a year since they met and yet everything had changed about his life in that short amount of time. In about ten weeks, it would be their one-year anniversary of when they first crossed paths. He would never forget the day when he took his first shift as a Shadow Lake police detective, and covered his first murder because Ivy discovered a body in the ditch at the front of her property.
When Jack and Brian arrived, Ivy was in an ankle-length skirt and didn’t wear shoes. She paced the driveway, and the first thing Jack noticed was the pink streaks in her hair. Then he was struck by the absolutely lovely lines of her face. Then he immediately told himself that no matter what kind of chemical reaction he was having to her, he didn’t move to the country to find a girlfriend.
Jack was adamant that he wanted to be left alone. The horror of his past was too much for him to deal with so he knew that adding a woman to the mix was a mistake. And yet he couldn’t stay away from Ivy. Her feisty attitude and exaggerated facial expressions tugged on his heartstrings from the beginning. He was intrigued by her and yet determined to stay away.
By the time they started sharing dreams it was already over. Jack’s resistance had been worn down to the point where there was no coming back. He didn’t know it yet, of course, but he was a goner the moment he saw her.
Jack didn’t believe in love at first sight – even now – but he did believe in destiny. He was positive Ivy was his destiny. When he first moved to Shadow Lake he couldn’t imagine a future because it took everything he had to simply tackle the present and get through each day. Now, when he looked at her sleeping face, all he could think about was their future.
It was going to be grand. He had faith.
“What are you looking at?” Ivy murmured, shifting her face but keeping her eyes shut as she stirred.
“How did you know I was looking at you?” Jack asked, curious. “Could you sense that?”
Ivy wrenched open one eye, the clear blue lancing into Jack and causing his heart to flutter. “We fell asleep on the couch and you’re pinned under me. I know you’re awake because you make little whirring noises when you’re asleep. If you’re awake and pinned under me, what else could you be doing but looking at me?”
“Oh, so you’re not magic but smart, huh?” Jack tickled her ribs, causing Ivy to squirm. “Well, Miss Smarty Pants, what was I thinking while I was staring at you?”
“That you’re lucky to have me.”
Jack grinned. “Very lucky.”
Ivy pursed her lips at his melancholy expression. “You’re not going to go schmaltzy before breakfast, are you?”
> Jack stroked the back of her head. “Probably not. I just want another minute of this.”
“Why only a minute?”
“Because in a minute my back is going to go on strike and so is my bladder.”
Ivy snorted, genuinely amused. “While you take care of your back and bladder, I’ll take care of breakfast.”
“That’s a deal.” Jack offered up a soft kiss. “I was also thinking about how it’s almost been a year since I met you.”
Ivy tilted her head, considering. “Not quite but … yeah. In a few months, it will be a year. That’s weird to think about, huh?”
“I don’t know what I did before you.”
“I do. You had a sad and miserable life. I was a ray of sunshine on the day you met me and you still thank your lucky stars each and every moment that I’m in your life.”
“So funny.” Jack made chomping noises as he pressed his face to the hollow by her neck. Even in the morning, after a night of hard sleep, she smelled like licorice. “You smell divine. How come you smell like licorice this month?”
“Anise,” Ivy automatically corrected. “I just like the scent. It’s something that’s more for the fall and winter, though.”
“I like thinking you smell like licorice.” Jack tightened his grip on her. “I do thank my lucky stars that you’re in my life, by the way. Every day.”
Ivy’s expression was hard to read. “I’m thankful for you, too.”
“You didn’t need me like I needed you.”
“That’s not true. I might not have been as isolated as you, but I was still alone most of the time. I didn’t want to change that until you. Then I met you and was terrified to change it. I couldn’t seem to stop myself, though.”
“That’s because we’re meant to be together.”
“So schmaltzy,” Ivy teased, her lips curving.
“You make me schmaltzy.” This time the kiss they shared lingered, although it was just as soft. Finally, when they separated, Jack took them both by surprise when he playfully swatted Ivy’s rear end and shifted. “Now, woman, get in there and make me breakfast.”
Wicked Hearts (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 9) Page 4
