Wicked Wishes (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 10)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Ivy glanced over her shoulder. “Why?”

  “Because that will keep people out.”

  “It’s not the city, Jack,” she reminded him. “People don’t lock everything here.”

  “That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t.”

  “I know but … a locked door isn’t going to stop anyone from breaking into the greenhouse if they really want to do it. The building is almost entirely glass, and the glass is a lot more expensive to replace than some stolen pots.”

  Jack understood what she was saying, but he didn’t like it all the same. “I know. It’s just … an open door is like an invitation to some people. I don’t like the idea of you making it easy for someone to sneak into the building when you’re not here.” He thought of the noise he heard in the bushes and redoubled his efforts. “You would notice broken glass and think better about entering if you saw it. Without the broken glass, you would walk right into the building and potentially run into trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  Jack held his hands palms out and shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe a homeless person would go in there and try to sleep or something.”

  “Just because someone is homeless, that doesn’t mean they’re dangerous.”

  “I know.” Jack rubbed his forehead. “Fine. Forget I mentioned anything. Let’s get home before the rain hits.”

  Ivy stared at him for a long beat before moving to the greenhouse door and opening it long enough for her to reach inside and flip the lock. She pulled the door shut and tested it before snagging his gaze. “Happy?”

  Jack knew she was only placating him, but the turn of events made him less anxious so he nodded without hesitation. “I’m good.” He held out his hand for her to take it. “Now let’s get back to the house. I’m thinking pizza, the fireplace, a hot bath, my massage, and maybe a movie is the perfect way to spend the rest of the day.”

  “You read my mind.”

  “I think we’re almost at the point where we can read each other’s minds.”

  “Does that frighten you?”

  Jack cocked his head to the side, considering. “Not even a little.”

  THEY KNEW THEIR PLANS were going to be ruined – or at least delayed – when they got back to the house and found Ivy’s brother Max standing in the middle of the driveway with a woman who they were starting to get ridiculously familiar with.

  Shannon Hughes was lithe and blond. She had high cheekbones, a narrow waist, and a smile that Ivy knew made Max go weak in the knees. Since Max was always looking for a date, Shannon fit his needs perfectly. She lived two towns over, was a professional designer so she had her own money, and wasn’t a Shadow Lake regular so she’d yet to hear about Max’s lothario ways.

  “Oh, geez.” Ivy made a face when they reached the edge of the property. “I thought we were going to be alone.”

  Jack didn’t bother to hide his amusement. “You want me bad.”

  “I always want you.”

  Jack preened. “Oh, yeah? Right back at you.”

  Ivy patted his arm. “I always want you,” she repeated. “That’s not why I’m upset, though. Max is going to totally foul things up with her if we’re not careful. He runs through women like other people do toilet paper.”

  Jack cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t think Shannon will be a big fan of you equating her to toilet paper.”

  “Then we won’t tell her.” Ivy was resigned as she trudged forward, plastering a bright smile on her face as she approached.

  Shannon returned the smile when she saw the movement and excitedly gripped her design book to her chest as she shifted from one foot to the other. “You guys are here. I wasn’t sure. I saw your vehicles, but no one answered the door. Max said you were probably at the nursery and I was going to track you down there, but then we got distracted talking about … um … stuff. He’s fascinating.”

  “Imagine that.” Ivy cast a derisive look toward her brother and shook her head.

  “Did you hear that, Ivy?” Max’s smile was slow and flirtatious. “I’m fascinating.”

  “You’re … something,” Ivy agreed. “What are you doing here? I would think you’d be busy at the lumberyard now that it’s spring. This is when people start planning their outdoor projects for the summer, isn’t it?”

  “It is.” Max bobbed his head, his eyes never moving from the tantalizing planes of Shannon’s face.

  Ivy waited for him to answer the question, but he didn’t seem eager to do anything but stare. “And you’re here again because …?”

  “What?” Max snapped his eyes to Ivy and frowned. “Maybe I wanted to see you. Did you ever consider that?”

  “Not really,” Ivy said dryly. “Most of the time when you drop by you have an agenda.” Since Max was back to looking at Shannon, Ivy had no doubt what his agenda was. “Whatever. Did you have something to show me, Shannon?”

  “I do.” Shannon bobbed her head and headed toward the house. “I found a laminate for the basement I really think you’re going to like.”

  Since Ivy was now leaning toward carpet, she tamped down a twinge of guilt and followed Shannon, unlocking the door and shrugging out of her coat before offering a warm beverage.

  “I’m good.” Shannon sat at the kitchen table and flipped open her book, smiling as Max sat on her left. “I think you’re really going to like it. I was so excited when I saw it.”

  Jack grinned at Ivy as he ushered her toward the table. She wasn’t good at hiding her emotions. Even though Ivy wanted the basement finished, she had her heart set on other afternoon activities. She would have to tamp down her disappointment for a bit, but Jack was certain they would get to those activities before the end of the day.

  “Come on, honey.” Jack pulled out a chair, waiting until Ivy was seated next to Shannon before taking the spot next to Ivy. “We said we were going to decide on flooring today. Now is your chance.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Ivy stared at the photos Shannon showed her, enjoying the look of the laminate a great deal. She found her determination to get carpet diminishing. “Hmm. It’s nice.”

  “It is,” Jack agreed, rubbing the back of her neck. “I know you were thinking carpet because it gets cooler on the basement level, but the fireplace is being installed next week and that’s going to have a blower. That’s going to keep it warm down there and you can always put rugs out.”

  “That’s true.” Ivy brightened as she considered her options, chewing on her bottom lip as she internally debated. “It’s such a hard choice.”

  “You’re making it harder than it has to be,” Max argued. “Just pick one. Why do women have to be so indecisive?” He turned to Jack for help, as if the amused police officer had the answers to one of life’s oldest questions. “It shouldn’t be this difficult, right?”

  “I’m not listening to you.” Ivy held up her hand to block out Max’s voice. “Give me a few minutes to think.”

  “Whatever.” Max leaned back in his chair, smiled indulgently, and then focused on Jack. “So, you’re actually the reason I stopped by.”

  “Please, the reason you stopped by has blond hair and legs that go on for miles,” Ivy grumbled.

  Max ignored the dig and Shannon was either oblivious to it or a master actress and managed to pretend she didn’t hear it.

  “I’m here to see if you want to go fishing tomorrow,” Max said. “I know you have work, but I thought we could either go early in the morning or after your shift.”

  Jack was intrigued by the offer. “Isn’t it early in the season to fish?”

  “It’s never too early to fish. I know that was your hobby of choice last year and I figured you might need help learning to do it right since you’re from the city.” Max’s grin was impish. “I figure this can be our bonding exercise now that you’re marrying my sister.”

  “I wasn’t aware I needed to bond with you.” Jack cracked his neck as he mulled the invitation. “I guess we could fish together, though. That might be fun.�
�

  “It will be,” Max agreed. “Especially when my father invites you out to fish with him this summer. He loves fishing, by the way, and the only reason he didn’t invite you last summer was because you guys always had so much going on. He already told me that we’re expected to fish in a group, though, so I thought you might want to get a jump on the season so you don’t embarrass yourself.”

  Jack balked. “How could I possibly embarrass myself fishing?”

  “Have you ever caught anything?”

  “Well … .” Jack slid his eyes to Ivy. In actuality, a lot of the fishing he did the previous year was in dreams with her. She was a vegetarian but had no problem fake fishing in a dreamscape. They had a great time together … and never caught a single fish. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to learn a little something about real fishing.”

  “Real fishing?” Shannon knit her brows. “Is there another kind?”

  “Oh, well … .” Jack stumbled over his answer.

  Since Max knew what kind of fishing Ivy and Jack did in their dreams – and was mystified by it – he smoothly covered for them. “My sister distracts Jack when he’s fishing.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. “Jack’s idea of fishing is basically akin to playing a rousing game of wandering hands.”

  “Oh.” Shannon giggled, genuinely amused. “That sounds nice. Jack and Ivy are so great together I can’t help getting jealous whenever I visit for a consultation.”

  “They are great together,” Max agreed. “A little sappy, but great.”

  “I like how sappy they are.” Shannon’s face was animated. “I want someone to be that sappy with me one day.”

  “Really?” Max wasn’t thrilled with the admission. “You don’t think it’s a bit … much?”

  “Not at all.” Shannon vehemently shook her head. “Jack is like the perfect man.”

  Jack snickered at Max’s hangdog expression. “Not so funny now, is it?”

  “Did I miss something?” Shannon was confused.

  “You didn’t miss anything,” Ivy answered. “In fact, I need a little quiet to decide. Jack, why don’t you head over to your old house and get your fishing equipment – something that’s been bugging me for months because it’s like the only thing you haven’t yet moved – and then you’ll be ready for your playdate with Max, huh?”

  “It’s not a playdate.” Max scowled. “Sometimes I hate having you for a sister.”

  Ivy only smiled. “That will give me thirty minutes to figure out what I want to do here. Then we can place the order and get on with our night. You’ll even be able to pick up dinner while you’re out.”

  “I thought we were ordering pizza.”

  “Or you could pick up the food and we’ll have one less distraction,” Ivy said pointedly.

  Jack realized what she was insinuating right away. “Of course.” He got to his feet. “I think that’s a fabulous idea.”

  “I thought you would.”

  Jack leaned over and kissed Ivy’s cheek. “I won’t be gone long. Focus on your decision and just know, whatever it is, I’ll be happy with it because I’m happy with you.”

  Max groaned. “See! That’s not normal. No normal guy says stuff like that.” He turned to Shannon and found her practically melting into a puddle of goo. “Oh, geez. I hate it when you say stuff like that in front of other people.”

  “I like it,” Ivy said. “What I don’t like is you being so loud. Either shut up and leave or … well, just shut up and leave.”

  Max glowered. “I’m in construction. I can help you with your decision.”

  Ivy knew Max didn’t care in the least what kind of flooring she picked for the basement. He wasn’t fooling anyone … except maybe Shannon. “You can stay, but only if you promise to stop being you.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible.”

  “Then leave.”

  Max heaved out a sigh only an older brother with a tempestuous sister could muster. “I won’t be me.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  Jack chuckled as he grabbed his keys from the counter and headed toward the front door. “I won’t be gone long and I’ll have dinner with me when I get back. If you haven’t decided when I return, I’m going to do it for you. That should be motivation enough for a control freak like you to make a choice.”

  “It will be done.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  Three

  Jack was in a good mood when he hit his rental. Technically the house was still his for another six weeks – he signed a yearlong lease when he moved to Shadow Lake – but he only stopped by once a week to make sure the place was still standing. He was more than happy sharing a roof with Ivy. The only thing left of him in the house was his fishing equipment and even that would finally be making the move, which should hopefully put an end to Ivy’s complaining.

  Jack pursed his lips when he parked next to a nondescript gray sedan. It was out of place in the driveway. The house looked abandoned for the most part. He chose it because of its proximity to the river and because he was in search of solitude when he arrived. Solitude only lasted until he met Ivy. After that, all he wanted was her … despite what she thought to the contrary. Sure, their first interactions were tense, but that was because he wanted her even then. He understood that now even though the knowledge was elusive when he first started searching for a reason for his desire to constantly be close to her.

  He pocketed his keys as he hopped out of the truck, stopping next to the car to look inside. It was empty other than a leather briefcase on the floor in front of the passenger seat. Jack had no idea who it belonged to and briefly wondered if the owner sent out a real estate agent in order to put the property on the market. He called Jack two weeks before to see if that would be an issue, but since Jack was never present he didn’t care in the least.

  A hint of movement on the house’s front porch caught Jack’s attention and he tilted his head to the side so he could study the woman who appeared out of the gloom. She stared at him, a smile on her face, and when she moved down the stairs the light hit her in such a way that Jack could finally make out her features.

  When he did, he thought for certain that he’d wandered into an alternative dimension – or perhaps traveled through time – and he legitimately thought he might fall over for a brief moment. Then he collected himself.

  “Holly?”

  “It’s me. How are you, Jack?”

  She looks exactly the same. That’s all Jack could think as she descended the stairs. She looked exactly the same, as if frozen in that one moment, the last moment he saw her, and for some reason she’d followed him to Shadow Lake. Why, though? Why would she show up here?

  Jack cleared his throat to give himself a second to recover. “What are you doing here?” It wasn’t much of a greeting but that’s all Jack could come up with. She shouldn’t be here, not in his new world. She was from the past and he didn’t want anything to do with the past.

  Holly’s smile disappeared as she stood in front of him. “It’s nice to see you, too.” Her sarcastic side was on full display. “Thank you for the warm welcome.”

  Jack held up his hands in a placating manner. “I didn’t mean to be rude. That’s not what I was trying to do. It’s just … I was surprised to see you. That’s all. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or anything.” He felt awkward. Of course, he often felt awkward around Holly, which was only one of the reasons it was a relief when their relationship ended.

  “I’m on my way to Traverse City,” Holly explained, tightening her grip on her coat as she wrapped her arms around her midriff and did her best to ignore the light spattering of rain as it hit her in the face. “I have a conference for the bank. They sent me and I knew I would be passing close to where you live now so I thought I would stop in and see how you were doing.”

  “Oh.” Jack knew his reaction was lame, but it was all he could muster. “I guess that’s … nice. You’re still working for the bank, huh?”r />
  Holly nodded. “I am. They’re talking about making me vice president when my boss retires at the end of the year. It’s a good job.”

  To Jack, working at a bank sounded like quite possibly the worst job ever. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

  “I don’t know that I’m happy,” Holly clarified. “Work is going well, though. I have my routine. I like a good routine.”

  Jack remembered that well. “I’m glad work is going well for you.”

  They lapsed into uncomfortable silence, which Holly was the first to break.

  “How are you?” Holly’s eyes were keen as she looked him up and down. “You look good. I was worried after you left the hospital. I heard you hit rehab hard, so hard people thought you might be pushing yourself too soon. I wanted to check on you but given how our last meeting went, I didn’t think it was a good idea.”

  “No, it definitely wasn’t a good idea,” Jack agreed. “I was angry after the shooting. I wanted to be left alone. Physical therapy and rehab were good for me. I got to focus on getting better and shove everything else out of my mind.”

  “I kept thinking that I would have a chance to talk to you once you cooled down. That never happened, though. Instead you picked up in the dead of night and moved.”

  Jack briefly wondered how long it took her to figure that out. Did she drive past his house every night? Once a week? Was she watching him when he was too busy focusing on himself to notice others? The whole scenario made his stomach flip.

  “It was hardly the dead of night,” Jack countered. “I gave proper notice. There were no hard feelings at work. My captain understood why I had to leave. I needed a change of pace, of scenery.”

  “I thought you might come back. I mean … you left your house empty but didn’t sell it or anything. I thought you might come back eventually.”

  “I sold the house months ago.”

  “Yes, but you left it empty before that. I knew once I saw the ‘for sale’ sign that you weren’t coming back. I had trouble adjusting at first – it seemed so surreal, after all – but then I came to realize that you were happier away from the city.