Jack busied himself folding clothes and towels, enjoying the way Mackenzie peppered Ivy with questions. Now that it was just the two of them, the girl was turning out to be something of a chatterbox.
“I like to write poetry a lot, but my mother says it’s not a good way to make a living,” Mackenzie explained. “I get that I need to make money but … I really like writing poetry.”
“I was that way when I was your age,” Ivy said. “I didn’t write poetry or anything, but I loved working in the garden and spending all of my time outside. Eventually I decided to run a nursery and it combined what I love to do with money. Maybe there’s something you can do that will end up the same way.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Let’s brainstorm.”
Jack smiled as he walked away, pulling up short when he caught sight of Max loitering in the hallway. He cast a glance over his shoulder to make sure Ivy would be busy for a bit longer and then approached her brother.
“Where did you disappear to?”
“I was out in the parking lot listening to Simone rant and rave about how Ivy is out to get her.” Max ran a frustrated hand through his dark hair. “Women are nuts, man. There’s no other way to put it.”
Jack chuckled. “I think they say the same about us.”
“No. Women are worse.”
“I’m not sure that’s true, but I get that you’re caught.” Jack licked his lips, uncertain how far he should push things. Finally, he decided he might as well come out and say what was on his mind. “Are you going to keep dating Simone?”
“Okay, first off, we’re not really dating,” Max said. “We went to dinner at the diner because we were having a good time chatting. There was potential for dating.”
“And now?”
“And now I think all women are crazy.”
Jack snorted so hard he choked, sputtering until he regained control of his breathing. “Max, you can’t have thought this would go well. I mean … it’s clear that Ivy and Simone have hated each other for a long time. Did you really think your sister would simply open her arms and accept Simone?”
“I don’t know what I expected. I just thought I would be able to have some fun with Simone. That’s clearly over, though. I can’t date a woman who says terrible things about my sister.”
Jack knit his eyebrows. “What did she say?”
“You don’t want to know. It wasn’t pretty.”
“Did she threaten Ivy?”
“Not physically or anything,” Max replied. “It was more that she threatened to go to the town council and have Ivy yanked as the coordinator. I pointed out that probably wouldn’t go over well since Brian is the one who instigated this little takeover, but she wouldn’t listen. She’s determined Ivy has been after her for years.”
“Yeah, she said the same thing to me,” Jack said. “She sounds a little unhinged where Ivy is concerned. She also sounds bitter, even a little jealous that Ivy attracts attention from men. My guess is that someone Simone once cared about might’ve had a thing for Ivy.”
“Probably Scott,” Max supplied. “That’s Simone’s ex-husband. He used to have a huge crush on Ivy, so much so that it made me uncomfortable. I mean, he was like twenty-seven – and married – when I caught him hitting on Ivy in the high school parking lot one day.”
Jack didn’t like the sound of that. “And where is he now?”
“He moved to Traverse City. He’s remarried. You don’t have to worry about him.”
“I’m not worried about him as much as Simone.” Jack was matter-of-fact. “She’s a legitimate suspect in these poisonings. It would help if Aubrey would wake up and tell us what happened, but she’s still unconscious.”
“Ivy said she’s improving.”
“She is and we’re grateful. There’s nothing we can do to push her, though, so we just have to wait.”
“I get that you think Simone is crazy – and after her performance today I want nothing to do with her – but I don’t think she’s a murderer,” Max supplied. “She’s manipulative and does underhanded things. I was appalled when I heard that she cut a bunch of girls out of the pageant – and that bathing suit thing is kind of sick – but I don’t think she’s a killer. Mostly because she knows she wouldn’t do well in prison.”
“I don’t know what to make out of it, but I’m not letting my guard down,” Jack said. “In fact … .” He broke off and spared another glance over his shoulder to make sure Ivy and Mackenzie were distracted. “I need you to keep working here even if you’re close to being done.”
Max’s eyebrows winged up. “Why?”
“Because I’m not sure Simone is to blame either,” Jack said. “If she’s not, that means it’s one of these girls. I’m worried that Ivy will get distracted or let her guard down because she’s convinced that Simone is to blame. I’m going to talk to her about it over dinner – stress that it’s still important for her to remain vigilant – but you know how she is.”
“Oh, I know. We’re back to women being crazy, right?”
Jack grinned. “I happen to love my crazy woman. I just want her safe.”
“I’m glad to see you guys seem to be none the worse for wear after you told her to be quiet yesterday.” Max was eager to change the subject. “As for sticking close, I will. I love my sister, too, although I’ve decided you’re a saint for putting up with her.”
“Sometimes I think she’s the saint,” Jack said. “I want her safe more than anything. As for what happened yesterday, I guess you could say I learned my lesson.”
Now it was Max’s turn to smirk. “Did she make you sleep on the couch?”
“Yes, but we made up in our dreams.”
“Ugh. That’s still weird.”
“We woke up together. That’s all I care about.”
“Not to ruin the moment, but what’s going to happen if you don’t catch whoever did this?” Max asked, legitimately curious. “I mean … once the pageant is over, the motive for the poisonings will be gone. What happens then?”
“I’m not sure,” Jack said. “So far, no one has died. That’s the one thing we’ve got going for us.”
“Actually, you now have two things going for you. Ivy is taking over as coordinator so she’ll get a better feel for the girls. That can only help.”
“In some ways, yes. In others … Ivy just moved up a rung on the target list because she’s insisting on bringing those other girls back. She’s going to attempt to make a level playing field. That’s the last thing someone wants.”
“Well, I’ll watch.”
Jack clapped his shoulder. “I will, too. We’ll keep her safe.”
“That’s been my job for a long time,” Max said. “I didn’t want to give it up. Now I’m glad to hand it over. That’s one of the reasons I thought about dating Simone. I used to have to spend all my time worrying about Ivy. Now that’s not much of a concern because of you. I have more time on my hands.”
“If you need a woman, I’ll take you to the bar and help you find one your sister will approve of.”
Max was understandably suspicious. “Did Ivy tell you to say that?”
“No. Why?”
“No reason.” Max rolled his neck until it cracked. “Just for the record, I can’t take you to the bar as my wingman. The women might like you better and it will bruise my ego. I’m a very sensitive man. I can’t help it.”
Jack’s lips curved. “It takes a strong man to admit that.”
“I’m sensitive and strong.”
“You’re … something.”
“And you’re stuck with me for life,” Max said. “You took me on at the same time you hitched yourself to my sister. You’re stuck with me now.”
“There are worse things in life.”
“Isn’t that the truth?”
Thirteen
“I could’ve cooked dinner.”
Jack led Ivy to the corner booth at the diner – the one that he was happy to find conveniently
empty because it had a curved seat and they wouldn’t look like idiots if they tried to sit next to one another – and helped her shrug out of her coat before sliding in beside her.
“I think you’ve done enough work for one day.” Jack snagged Ivy’s hand and cupped it between his. “You’re cold. Where are your gloves?”
“I forgot them in my car. You don’t need to be a mother hen.”
“I can’t seem to help myself. You bring out the mother hen in me.”
Ivy giggled at his serious expression. “You’re in a remarkably good mood right now. I still could’ve cooked. I’ve barely cooked all week.”
“Honey, I’ve spent the last two nights on the couch. Now that we’re getting along, I have other things I want to do when we get home. That does not include watching you cook, however cute you might be when you’re doing it.”
Ivy was sheepish. “I’m sorry about last night.”
“Forget it.” Jack waved off her apology. “There are going to be times when we’re angry with one another. That goes with the territory.”
“Yeah, but there are also going to be times when we get to make up.” Ivy rested her cheek against Jack’s shoulder. “We didn’t really get to make up last night. We can do that tonight. If you want, I mean.”
Jack pursed his lips to keep from laughing. For some reason, when Ivy tried to flirt she fizzled in spectacular fashion. When she was just being herself and spoke before she thought, then she managed to flirt like a madwoman. He never mentioned the phenomenon to her because he was certain it would make her self-conscious. It was on full display now.
“I think that sounds like a fabulous idea,” Jack said after a beat. “How about a bath and the massage you owe me.”
“Okay.” Ivy agreed without argument, something Jack wasn’t used to.
“That’s it?”
Ivy nodded. “I just want to spend time with you. Alone.”
Jack’s expression softened as he fluttered his fingers over her cheek. “I want to spend time with you, too. How about I give you the massage?”
“How about we split time on the massages?”
“Even better.” Jack dropped a quick kiss on Ivy’s upturned mouth as he grabbed one of the specials menus from the center of the table. “Let’s see what’s on the menu tonight.”
“I want comfort food,” Ivy said. “I want mashed potatoes and vegetables and a grilled cheese sandwich and soup.”
Jack snorted, genuinely amused. “If you eat all that, our romantic night is going to end up cut short because you’ll be in a food coma.”
“I guess we’ll have to see how it goes.”
Hannah Landry, one of Shadow Lake’s hometown favorites, sauntered up to the table with a pad in her hand and a smile on her face. The flirty grin was mostly for Jack’s benefit – Hannah learned not long after taking the job that flirting with men got her bigger tips – but the look the young woman shot Ivy was appraising.
“I heard you booted Simone Graham from her festival throne today,” Hannah noted, flashing an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “Good job.”
Ivy furrowed her brow. “I didn’t technically boot her,” she clarified. “I wasn’t after her job. If she’s saying that … .”
“I didn’t hear it from her,” Hannah said. “A couple of the girls, including Miley Winthrop, came around for a snack before you guys showed up. That’s all they could talk about.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask what they were saying about me,” Ivy muttered, rubbing the back of her neck.
Jack nudged her hand away and replaced it with his, digging his fingers into the knotted muscles to ease the tension resting there. “Why do you care what they think?”
Ivy knew she shouldn’t but couldn’t stop herself. “What did they say about me?”
“They seem … torn,” Hannah replied after a beat. “They were all excited Simone was out, for the record. Everyone hates her. That’s how it always is. As for you, they’re not happy you yanked the bathing suit competition and they’re really not happy you’re letting the other girls back in, although I only heard bits and pieces about that so I’m not sure what they were talking about.”
Ivy filled Hannah in on what she was missing, watching with smug satisfaction as the woman’s eyes went wide.
“She can’t do that,” Hannah exclaimed. “That’s not fair to the other girls and it’s outright cheating.”
“That’s what I said, but Simone doesn’t seem to believe that.”
“Well, I’m glad you kicked her out.” Hannah was livid. “She’s always been a real B-I-T-C-H.”
Ivy looked around, wide-eyed. “Who are you spelling for? We’re adults. We’ve heard that word before.”
Jack snickered, amused.
“I’m not allowed to swear,” Hannah supplied, lowering her voice. “I’ll get fired and I really need this job. With Mom being sick and all … .” Hannah broke off and shrugged. “I just need the job.”
Ivy’s heart went out to the woman. “We won’t tell.”
“Definitely not,” Jack agreed. “I want the hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and extra gravy. I also want a bowl of chili and a Coke.”
Ivy arched a challenging eyebrow. “I thought you told me that a food coma was a bad idea.”
“I changed my mind.” Jack lightly squeezed the back of her neck. “Eat up. You’re going to need the fuel later.”
Ivy’s cheeks burned as Hannah snickered. “I’ll have the vegetarian stir fry and a bowl of vegetable soup.”
“I thought you wanted mashed potatoes and gravy,” Jack argued.
“I do, but the only gravy they have here is made with meat.”
“Oh.” Jack wrinkled his nose as Hannah meandered off to place their orders. “I forget sometimes how hard it is for you to eat here.”
“It’s fine,” Ivy said hurriedly. “It’s just easier at breakfast and lunch than dinner.”
“Which is why you prefer to cook dinner when you can. I’ll try to remember that.”
Ivy heaved out a sigh. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”
“And I didn’t mean for you to get stuck with vegetarian stir fry,” Jack said. “I keep forgetting how hard it is for you when I don’t pick a suitable restaurant.” Jack rolled his neck. “How about I take you over to that Italian place you love in Bellaire this weekend? It’s Valentine’s Day and I was going to take you out for a romantic dinner anyway. They have tons of stuff you like there.”
Ivy gripped Jack’s knee and squeezed. “I’m totally fine.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
Ivy gave in, but mostly because she knew he wouldn’t let it go if she didn’t. “I think a romantic night of Italian sounds great.”
“Good. I love it when you smell like garlic.” Jack ran his hand down the back of Ivy’s head, basking in her warmth for a moment before changing topics. “What’s the deal with Hannah? Why is she so interested in the pageant gossip?”
Ivy was happy for something to talk about that didn’t revolve around her eating habits. “Hannah won the pageant two years ago,” Ivy replied. “Actually, it might have been three years ago. I can’t exactly recall.”
“That doesn’t explain why she’s so worked up about the pageant now,” Jack pointed out. “She won three years ago. She clearly has other things to worry about now.”
“I know I tried explaining this to you before, but the pageant is a way of life for some people. Hannah is one of them. She spent all her time in high school winning pageants. I don’t know if she thought it would get her somewhere – or maybe she craved attention or something – but she always went out for every pageant.”
“How many pageants does Shadow Lake have?”
“About five or six.”
“That’s such a girl thing,” Jack said. “I don’t get the need to prance around in an evening gown in front of a bunch of people.”
“I don’t get it either. I never wanted it.”
“Why did your mother?
That doesn’t sound like her.”
“My mother didn’t realize what it would be like,” Ivy explained. “I did. I knew exactly what it was going to be like. I lost my head anyway.”
“Well, you got it back.” Jack stroked his fingers over Ivy’s hand as Hannah delivered their drinks. “So, Ivy tells me you won the pageant three years ago.”
“I did.” Hannah beamed. “I wasn’t sure it would happen because Sarah Graham was my stiffest competition and you know how Simone is. I thought for sure she would knock me out of the competition so Sarah could win.”
Ivy stilled. “I forgot about Sarah.”
Jack glanced between the two women, baffled. “Who is Sarah?”
“Simone’s oldest daughter,” Ivy replied. “She’s twenty-one now, right?”
Hannah nodded. “She lives in Traverse City. She works at a bar over there. I heard she has nothing to do with her mother.”
“Because of the pageant?”
Hannah shrugged. “That’s the rumor, but you know how rumors go in this town. I heard that Sarah was so upset about what happened at that pageant she packed up her stuff the next day and she’s refused to talk to her mother ever since.”
“What about Sadie?” Ivy asked. “Surely she wouldn’t abandon her sister like that.”
“I don’t think Sadie and Sarah were all that close. They were about three and a half years apart in age and Sadie was a real snot when she was younger – although she’s not much better now from what I hear – and Sarah couldn’t stand her.”
Ivy absently rubbed her cheek, remembering the way Sadie lashed out and struck her. “Yeah. Sadie has a few issues.”
“If you ask me, it’s all Simone,” Hannah said. “You remember what happened the year I won, right? That was downright embarrassing. I think it was so bad Sarah couldn’t hold her head up in this town. She never comes back.”
“No, I think that’s why I kind of forgot about her.”
“I’ll be back with your dinner in a few minutes,” Hannah said brightly before turning her attention to another table and leaving Ivy lost in her thoughts.
“What are you thinking?” Jack asked after a few minutes.
Wicked Fun: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 7-9 Page 50
