“What if … ?” Mary moved to snap up her gun, but Brian stepped from behind the Dumpster and grabbed her arm before she could extend it, wrestling her wrist higher in case the weapon accidentally discharged. Mary’s eyes went wide, but it was already over before she could muster another moment of fight.
Jack holstered his gun and slid forward, snagging his handcuffs from his belt and slapping them on Mary’s wrists as she began to wail about being treated unfairly and being framed. He tuned out the noise and glanced over his shoulder to meet Ivy’s gaze as she looked up from the spot where she rested her cheek against his back.
“How do you feel?”
Ivy considered the question. “I’m not worried or tired any longer. I … feel good.”
Jack smiled. “I was hoping you would say that. If all goes as planned, we’ll be able to enjoy our Christmas starting in exactly two hours.”
Ivy cocked an eyebrow. “Two hours?”
Jack’s grin was so wide it swallowed his entire face. “Time me.”
Twenty-Three
“Merry Christmas!”
Luna offered Ivy an energetic hug before braving the building storm later that night. After hours of questions, Ivy managed to snag her groceries and the store manager opened a private line to check her out before shutting down for the holidays.
Ivy proceeded to push her ordeal out of her mind, cook dinner, and then patiently sit through a very long meal while her father and brother ate themselves into a potential food coma. Then, right on schedule, the storm hit and Ivy’s family couldn’t say their goodbyes fast enough. They wanted to make it to their own homes before the roads got dangerous.
“Make sure you call us tomorrow just so I can hear your voice,” Michael said, pushing his daughter’s hair away from her face so he could study her features. She looked strong and calm, but he knew her well enough to know that didn’t necessarily mean anything.
“I’m fine.” Ivy gripped his hand. “I swear it. I didn’t even get hurt a little bit this time.”
“That doesn’t make me forget how badly things could’ve gone.” Michael flicked his eyes to Jack. “Your knight in shining armor arrived just in time, though. Again.”
“I didn’t save her.” Jack, dressed down in simple jeans and a polo shirt, grinned at Ivy’s father. “She had everything under control. She knew I was out there.”
“And how did she know that?” Max asked, slipping into his coat.
“I felt him.” Ivy refused to lie. “I felt him in my heart and knew he was close.”
“Is this like the weird dreams you two share?” Max asked, stopping in front of Ivy and fixing her with a pointed look. “If so, I’m going to tell you what I should’ve told you when your minds started joining. Eww! You’re so codependent.” Max flicked the spot between Ivy’s eyebrows and chuckled.
Ivy rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You should get going. Aren’t you skiing tomorrow?”
“I am, but I’m going to call you to check on you, too.” Max pressed a kiss to Ivy’s forehead, locked weighted gazes with Jack for a few beats and then walked through the door. “Be good … and have fun.”
Jack shut the door behind them, taking a moment to breathe in the frigid air before turning his full attention to Ivy. He found her sitting on the floor in front of the fire, her knees drawn up to her chest and a blanket at her feet.
“What are you doing, honey?”
“I’m making a spot in front of the fire for you.” Ivy patted the open spot next to her and Jack wordlessly took it. Once he was seated, she spread out the blanket on top of them and snuggled in close to his side. “It’s Christmas Eve.”
Jack arched an eyebrow as he glanced over at her face. “I must’ve forgotten. Thank you for reminding me.”
“I don’t need the sarcasm.” Ivy rested her chin on Jack’s shoulder and lifted her eyes to his profile. “I wasn’t afraid today. Not at all. I was worried that some of the other customers might get hurt, but I knew you would get to me … and in time.”
Jack cupped her cheek, his heart filling with love. “How did you know that?”
“The same way you did.”
“Hey, I panicked a bit,” Jack supplied. “Brian wanted to lock me in the trunk for the drive to the store.”
“You didn’t fall apart, though,” Ivy argued. “I didn’t either. I knew you were coming. You were right. I felt your mind brush against mine when I was in the storage room. It bolstered me.”
“I don’t know what to make of it but … I kind of like it. “
“You do?”
“I didn’t know it was possible to be as close with another person as I feel to you,” Jack replied. “I like the way that makes me feel.”
“I like the way it makes me feel, too.”
“Good.” Jack took his right hand and collected Ivy’s left, rubbing his fingers over her knuckles before flipping over Ivy’s palm and dropping a piece of jewelry in it.
Ivy’s eyes widened when she caught sight of the sparkling ring. She swallowed hard as her heart rate increased, blood pounding past her ears, and stared at the white gold bohemian solitaire diamond. The setting was a little Art Deco, a bit odd and like nothing Ivy had ever seen before. She was rendered quite literally speechless.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” Jack asked.
Ivy opened her mouth but no sound would come out.
“Wow. You’re speechless.” Jack found her flummoxed response delightful. “I guess I should take advantage of that, huh?” He kept his hand under hers and let her stare at the ring as he searched for the right words. “I’m not very good with stuff like this – not that I’ve ever proposed or anything, of course – but I’ve never been a man of words.
“You, honey, are the exact opposite,” he continued. “You always have the right words. You always know how to make me feel better. Even when you fire me up and cause my temper to flash, I’m always happy to hear your voice.”
Jack cleared his throat to stave off a potential emotional breakdown. He had no idea he was close to crying until the first tears blurred his eyes.
“I didn’t realize I was going through the motions of a life better left forgotten,” Jack said. “I didn’t know I was missing something so deeply that my soul ached … until I met you. People say it all of the time and I thought it was one of those trite things they spouted off about until I felt it myself.
“You’re my everything, Ivy,” he continued. “You complete me. You make me happy. You make me whole. You’re … the other half of me.”
Ivy finally found her voice, but it was weak. “Jack … I … .”
“Shh.” Jack pressed his finger to her lips. “I’m not quite done yet. Once I am, you can talk to your heart’s content.”
Ivy mutely nodded.
“I love you. I would be really happy if you would be my wife. Before you answer, though, I need you to know what that entails.”
Ivy widened her eyes to comical proportions.
“I need you to live with me even when you’re angry, open yourself to me even when you’re sad, and love me no matter what,” Jack said. “That’s all I’m ever going to need from you. I’m willing to give you everything I have in return. Do you think you can do that?”
When Ivy didn’t immediately answer, Jack shifted his eyes to her. “Now would be a good time to remember you can talk.”
“Oh, well, I didn’t want to step on your toes.” Ivy’s eyes twinkled as she closed her hand around the ring, clutching it close to her heart. “I love you. I can’t wait to be your wife.”
Jack already knew the answer, but the simple declaration was enough to fill his heart with so much love he thought it might explode. “Good. Can I put that ring on your finger?”
Ivy handed the ring to him and then extended the fingers of her left hand, waiting until Jack slid the ring into place before succumbing to the tears.
“Oh, don’t cry, honey. This is a happy day.” Jack wrapped his arm around her. “Pleas
e don’t cry.”
“Sometimes crying is necessary,” Ivy argued. “Like now … when we have forever in front of us. You have to cry so you can clean out the gunk and open yourself up to new feelings.”
“Is that true?”
“No, I just made it up. It sounds good, though, doesn’t it?”
Jack snorted. “It does. Now … give me a kiss.”
Ivy rolled so she was on his lap, one thigh on either side of his hips as she straddled him. “I will. I want to say something to you first, though.”
“What’s that?”
“Merry Christmas.”
Jack grinned. “Merry Christmas. Now kiss me.”
“Just one more thing.” Ivy leaned close. “I knew you would give me my ring before New Year’s Eve.”
Jack chuckled. “You are nothing if not magic when it comes to seeing what’s going to happen.”
“Oh, yeah? What happens next?”
“Happily ever after … and my kiss.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to get started on both of those.” Ivy smacked her lips against Jack’s, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. “Do you want me to get my mistletoe headband?”
“Honey, we don’t need it. Trust me.”
Wicked Hearts
An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book Nine
One
“I’ve decided that I’m going to start introducing you as my future ball and chain.”
Jack Harker’s eyes gleamed with mirth and mischief as he helped his fiancée Ivy Morgan from his truck, grinning when she scorched him with a dark look.
“What? You don’t like that?”
Ivy didn’t know whether to laugh or punch him. Ever since getting engaged six weeks before – a Christmas gift that made both of their holidays the best ever – he’d been warming to his role of instigator. That meant he essentially got a kick out of igniting Ivy’s fiery temper when it came to wedding plans.
“That’s fine,” Ivy said, blasé. “If you want to refer to me as your future ball and chain then I’ll refer to you as my love bunny.”
“You say that like it should bother me, but it doesn’t.” Jack paused long enough to make sure Ivy tugged on her mittens. It was cold in Shadow Lake, the last gasps of winter descending upon northern Lower Michigan and readying to hold the area in a freezing fist for several weeks, and the last thing he wanted was Ivy coming down with a bug or getting a chill. “If you want to tell people I’m your love bunny, I’m fine with it.”
Ivy eyed him for a long beat, dubious. “What if I tell people you’re my love slave and you do whatever I want when we’re alone together?”
“I think that will make me very popular with the ladies.”
Ivy scowled. “You’re already popular with the ladies. Ever since you proposed, I’ve heard whispers that Maisie Washington and Ava Moffett are going to turn up their efforts to snag you. Apparently, they didn’t realize we were serious and now they want to rescue you from my clutches.”
Jack snorted, genuinely amused, and tugged a hat over Ivy’s dark hair. The long tresses were brown, which set off her blue eyes, but streaks of pink also glinted under the muted sunlight. From the moment he saw her, he thought Ivy’s hair was both odd and diverting, and yet he was drawn to her all the same. Now he loved her hair … and the woman herself … and he was looking forward to building a life with her.
That was a big change for a guy who moved to town nine months before, nothing on his mind at the time but doing his job as a police officer and fading into the woodwork. Jack moved to Shadow Lake to get away from his past. He did that. With Ivy’s help, he put away the ghosts that were haunting him. He also found his future and, even though he found it a bit schmaltzy and trite, he couldn’t imagine how he ever made it through a day without her.
“Ava Moffett and Maisie Washington don’t have anything on you, honey.” Jack slipped his arm around Ivy’s waist as they strode out of the parking lot. “You’re all that I want.”
Ivy cast him a sidelong look and smiled. “You’re all that I want, too.”
“I know. That’s why I proposed to you.”
Ivy let loose with a heavy sigh as she glanced down at her left hand. The mitten hid her ring – a solitary diamond that took her breath away when Jack gave it to her – but she could feel the reassuring weight there as she brushed her hand over the delightful bauble. She’d never been much for jewelry, but if she allowed herself a momentary girly indulgence, she was absolutely infatuated with the ring. She found herself constantly wanting to do that “annoying bride” thing and show it off to anyone who would look. She hated herself for turning in to one of those women, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Hey! Where did your mind go?” Jack snapped his fingers in front of Ivy’s face to get her attention, causing her to scowl.
“I’m not a dog,” Ivy complained, her temper flashing.
“I don’t know, I kind of think of you as my little fox,” Jack teased, refusing to let her draw him into a fight. Most people thought they argued far more than was healthy, but those individuals didn’t realize that was simply how Jack and Ivy communicated. They liked to talk – loudly – and then they liked to make up. The making up was usually enthusiastic and cathartic, leaving them closer than they’d been before the fight. One of the things Jack loved most about Ivy was the fact that he didn’t have to pretend to be someone else with her. They loved each other – warts and all – and he didn’t worry that an argument would derail their relationship.
“Ha, ha.” Ivy rolled her eyes. “As for my mind … .” She broke off, thinking about the ring. “You’ll think I’m schmaltzy if I tell you.”
“I happen to like you schmaltzy,” Jack teased, grabbing her around the waist and spinning her so her face was even with his chin, her chest heaving as she fought his strong muscles. “Tell me.”
“I don’t like it when you’re a Neanderthal,” Ivy complained, smacking at his broad chest. “I’m not going to tell you if you won’t let me go.”
Jack knew that was an outright lie. Ivy liked the game as much as he did. “I’m not letting you go until you tell me.”
“And I’m not telling you until you let me go.”
“It seems we’re at an impasse.” Jack’s lips curved as he lowered his mouth to within an inch of hers. “What should we do with our evening now?”
Ivy’s eyes flashed with impatience, but she knew when she was beaten. She rolled up to the balls of her feet, planted a hard kiss on Jack’s lips, and then wiggled her hips to escape while he was distracted by the lip contact.
“You don’t play fair,” Jack chided, wagging a finger as Ivy grinned.
“You can’t say that when you’re usually the one who uses your size as an advantage.”
“I think it’s an advantage for both of us.”
“Whatever.” Ivy was airy. “By the way, I was thinking how ridiculous I am about wanting to show off my ring. I was telling myself that it was an unattractive quality – kind of boastful – and there was no reason to be so girly.”
Jack snorted. “You’re so stinking cute I can’t stand it.”
“Yes, well, I’m also turning into one of those crazy women who wants to show her engagement ring to strangers for no apparent reason,” Ivy said. “I think that I’ve been infected with some sort of mutant virus. The phenomenon is not going away like I thought it would.”
“Well, hopefully it’s something you’ll be able to survive,” Jack teased.
“I don’t know … you might want to run now. It could get worse.”
“No way. I’m right where I want to be.” Jack snagged Ivy’s hand as they walked toward the brightly lit town square. The entire park area was littered with carnival booths, a large bonfire pit serving as the center of attention in the middle of everything, and people were milling about as the festival organizers worked to set things up. “So … tell me what this shindig is again?”
Ivy pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at Jack�
�s use of the word “shindig.” Ever since moving north from Detroit, he’d tried to adapt his language choices so he would fit in better in the country. Unfortunately, all his language choices appeared to be inspired by hokey movies.
“It’s the Shadow Lake Festival of Love.”
“Yes, you’ve mentioned that before,” Jack noted. “I’m not sure what it means, though. I mean … I get that it’s just in time for Valentine’s Day this weekend. Does it mean I get to spend the entire night telling everyone I love you while we hang out at the festival, or does it mean I get to switch you out for a newer model?”
Ivy narrowed her eyes. “You want a newer model?”
Jack grinned and shook his head. “No. I just like it when you get all worked up.”
“And why is that?”
“Because it makes me want to kiss you until you relent and forgive me.” Jack didn’t wait for a pithy response, instead ducking his head to sneak another kiss before Ivy could complain. Intellectually, Jack knew he’d turned into one of those men he used to hate, a guy who doted on a woman so much he was one misstep away from becoming whipped. Jack honestly didn’t care, though. The engagement was new enough that he felt light and floaty and he was enjoying the feeling for as long as it lasted. After that, he would enjoy whatever feeling that followed. For the first time ever, he knew where his life was heading … and he was thrilled with the direction.
“You just like it when you can make a challenge out of things,” Ivy argued.
“Yes, and you’re easygoing so it’s all me,” Jack drawled sarcastically.
“I am easygoing.”
“Honey, you wanted to pick a fight last night because I haven’t relinquished my old house yet,” Jack pointed out. “You were ready to derail our entire night because of it.”
Ivy swished her lips, frustrated. “I still maintain that’s weird. You were so excited to move in with me and yet you haven’t moved all of your stuff yet.”
Wicked Fun: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 7-9 Page 39
