“I can live with that,” Jack said. “We’ll get a large with all the fixings – including meat – for Kelly and me, and you can have some vegetable monstrosity all to yourself.”
“Great,” Ivy said. “I love pizza when it doubles as an inedible monstrosity.”
“You would,” Jack said. “You order.”
“Why me?”
“Because I’m not familiar with the pizza joints in town yet,” he said. “I figure you know which places are good and which ones are bad.”
“That shows what you know,” Ivy grumbled. “There’s only one pizza place in town.”
“Of course there is,” Jack said, rolling his eyes as he settled in the armchair and watching Ivy get to her feet and shuffle into the kitchen.
“Kelly, is there anything you don’t like on your pizza?” Ivy asked.
“I’ll eat anything.”
“That’s not an answer,” Ivy prodded.
“I … um … don’t like anchovies.”
“No one does,” Jack said. “Do you like pepperoni?”
Kelly nodded.
“Ham? Onions? Mushrooms?”
Kelly nodded at each question.
“That’s what we want on ours,” Jack said. “Extra cheese, too.”
“How can you possibly eat that and look like you do?” Ivy asked, nonplussed.
“I work out.”
“You wouldn’t have to work out as much if you ate better,” Ivy said.
“No one asked for your diet critique,” Jack said. He leaned over and reached for the remote control. “Do you like baseball, Kelly?”
“Not really.”
“You just haven’t watched it with the right person,” Jack said. “I’ll explain the game to you and you’ll be a fan in no time.”
“I understand the game,” Kelly said. “I still think it’s … kind of slow.”
Ivy snorted. “She means it’s boring.”
“No one asked you, honey,” Jack said, winking at her. “Now, be a dear and order our dinner. I wasn’t joking when I said I was starving.”
“Be a dear?”
“That’s what I said, honey,” Jack said. “Be a dear.”
“I’m going to have them add spit in your pizza,” Ivy threatened, but she reached for the telephone. Kelly was having far too good of a time to end the evening now.
“I don’t want spit on my pizza,” Kelly said.
Ivy made a face.
“What? You told me to tell you what I didn’t want on my pizza,” Kelly said.
It was the first joke she’d made, and Ivy was obliged to laugh. Jack joined in, and when the three of them were done laughing, Ivy placed the call. Putting up with Jack’s mouth – and his incredible body and handsome face – was well worth getting Kelly to smile.
“SHE seems to be adjusting,” Jack said, reclining in one of the plastic lawn chairs on Ivy’s front porch and watching Kelly as she sat on the wooden swing beneath Ivy’s massive maple tree.
“She does,” Ivy agreed. “She’s still scared, though.”
“She’s opening up,” Jack said. “I … was wrong about her staying with you. You’ve done wonders for her. I don’t think anyone else could’ve done what you have in such a short amount of time.”
“Did you just admit you were wrong?” Ivy asked, snickering. “I might have misheard. I just want to make sure I heard what I thought I heard.”
“You are such a pain in the ass.”
Ivy waited.
“Did you hear that?” Jack asked.
“I did. I’m still waiting for you to say I was right again.”
Jack sighed. “You were right, Ivy.”
“Can I go inside and get my phone and record that?”
“Only if you’re do the same for me,” Jack challenged.
“I’m comfortable right here.”
“That’s what I thought,” Jack said, shifting his eyes from Kelly’s back to the stars. “It’s beautiful here. You forget how many stars there are in the sky when you live in the city.”
“Does the smog blur them out?”
“Not in Detroit,” Jack said, chuckling. “Don’t get me wrong, the air quality sucks – especially when it’s hot and everyone is running their air conditioners – but it’s not like Los Angeles.”
“What is it like?”
“Ah, we’re back to the questions,” Jack said.
“I’m sorry. You’re entitled to your privacy. I shouldn’t invade it.”
“Honey, you’ve been one of the most respectful people I’ve ever met when it comes to my privacy,” Jack said. “You’ve gone out of your way to … ignore … the scars on my chest. You haven’t asked the big questions everyone else is dying to ask. Instead, you’ve just sat back and let me do my own thing.”
“That’s because I’m an amazing person.”
“You’re egoless, too,” Jack teased, glancing over at her. His heart almost lodged in his throat when he saw her features under the muted glow of the moon. She was breathtaking.
Ivy shifted so she was facing him, her face unreadable. “What happens to Kelly now?”
“Now you keep doing what you’re doing,” Jack said. “Make her feel safe. When she’s ready, she’ll tell us what happened.”
“What do you think happened?”
“I honestly have no idea,” Jack said, his gaze never wandering from the fathomless depths of her blue eyes. “I … oh, honey, you’re so beautiful it hurts to look at you sometimes.”
Ivy stilled, surprised at the statement. “What?”
“I can’t help it,” Jack said. “You drive me crazy. There are times I literally want to gag you. You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in real life.”
“You didn’t need to add the ‘in real life’ caveat at the end,” Ivy said, her eyes twinkling.
“I just … .” Jack leaned forward, his lips pressing to Ivy’s softly as he lost himself in a moment he couldn’t give back.
Ivy was surprised by the kiss, but she returned it. There was something about the moon that always mesmerized her. Jack’s face was hypnotic under the worst of circumstances – and this was anything but. It was a magical night, and they both gave in to the magical moment.
After a few seconds, Jack pulled away with a rueful expression on his face. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I know.”
“I … why did you let me?”
“Because I can’t stop myself either,” Ivy admitted. “It’s like I lose all sense of reason when you’re around.”
“Are you admitting that because of the moon?”
“I have no idea why I’m admitting it,” Ivy said. “I … can’t seem to lie to you.”
“You told me you thought I was hideous with my shirt off,” Jack teased.
“Yes, but even you knew that wasn’t the truth,” Ivy said.
Jack sighed and leaned his head back so he could stare at the stars. “You’re ruining my plan. You know that, right?”
“What plan?”
“The one where I was supposed to move up here, take a job at a boring police department, spend my days and nights working on a craphole house, and never look at a woman.”
“You haven’t exactly been good for my life plan either,” Ivy said.
“What was your life plan?”
“Building my nursery up to the best in the county, reading as many books as I can get my hands on, and never looking at a man again.”
“That sounds like a lonely existence, honey,” Jack said. “I think you deserve more.”
“See, you’re looking at me and thinking that I deserve a happily ever after,” Ivy said. “The thing is, you’re not looking at the potential men in this equation and realizing that I can never make any of them happy.”
Jack leaned forward, flustered. “What does that mean?”
“I’m odd, Jack,” Ivy said. “I know it, and you know it. People in town call me a witch, and for all intents and purposes, I am o
ne. I might not cast spells. I might not ride around on a broom. I might not curse my enemies. I do believe in magic, though.”
“Honey, every time I look at you I believe in magic,” Jack said. “I don’t think you see yourself like others see you, though. You could make someone very happy if you’d open yourself up to the possibility.”
Ivy shifted uncomfortably. “Just not you, right?”
“I … I don’t know what you want me to say,” Jack said, hating himself for the paralyzing fear coursing through him. “I like you. I do. You make me laugh, and you’re beautiful. I am not in a place where I can offer you what you deserve, though.”
“I’m not saying I want you,” Ivy said. “Don’t think that’s what I’m saying, because if your ego gets any bigger it’s not going to fit on this porch. For the sake of argument, though, what don’t you have to give me?”
“All of me.”
“Why?”
“Because I left part of me on the pavement in Detroit as I was bleeding out.”
It was one of the most honest things Jack had ever said to her, and it crushed a little of Ivy’s spirit. “Do you dream about it every night, or was last night a special occasion?”
Jack stilled. “What?”
Ivy realized what she’d said, but it was too late. “Nothing. I … um … I should probably check on Kelly.” She moved to get to her feet, but Jack’s hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist.
“How did you know I dreamed about it last night?”
“Um … I don’t know. It was just a guess.” Ivy licked her lips, her throat dry as blood rushed to her cheeks. How was she going to get out of this? She’d let her big mouth get away from her. Again.
“Were you in my dream last night?” Jack queried, stunned he was even asking the question.
Ivy rubbed the heel of her free hand against her forehead. She was caught. “Yes.”
“How?”
“I don’t know,” Ivy replied truthfully. “I don’t know how I got there. I didn’t even know where I was until I saw you on the sidewalk.”
“What did you see?” Jack was having trouble wrapping his mind around the conversation.
“I saw you on your cell phone,” Ivy said, fighting back tears. “You were arguing with your mom about missing family dinner.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“I was there. I don’t know why. I think … I think you might have called to me in your sleep.”
“That’s not possible,” Jack said, releasing her wrist and cracking his neck. “That’s … just not possible.”
“How do you explain it then?” Ivy asked, irritation starting to bubble up. Was he calling her a liar? “I’ve been having dreams about you for the past week. Most of the time they’re stupid. We watch a sunset together … or take a walk in the woods … or visit my fairy ring.”
Jack’s head snapped up, surprise draining his face. “What?”
“I thought that’s the type of dream I was having last night,” Ivy said. “I didn’t realize I was in your dream until … well … I saw the man behind you. He had a gun.”
“Holy crap,” Jack said, getting to his feet swiftly. “Are you telling me all those dreams I had – holding hands by the fairy ring, watching the sun set in your back yard – are you telling me that all really happened? Were we sharing those dreams?”
Now Ivy was on her feet. “You had those dreams, too?”
“Are you telling me you didn’t know?”
“I thought they were my dreams,” Ivy said. “I didn’t know we were sharing them.”
Jack wanted to believe her. She looked so vulnerable he was fighting the urge to pull her into his arms and soothe her with a hug. After all, he’d just found out all the hugs and kisses he’d dreamed were shared by both of them. He couldn’t help but feel betrayed, though.
“You’re in my head,” he said, taking a step back. “How? Is this some witch thing you do?”
“I don’t know,” Ivy said, frustrated. “I’ve never done it before. I honestly didn’t know we were in each other’s dreams together. I thought … I thought they were just mine.”
“You knew you were in my dream last night,” Jack pointed out.
“Not until it was almost over.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“I didn’t want to scare you,” Ivy said, chewing on her lower lip.
“Scare me? Ivy, you’re not scaring me. I … this is a violation.”
“I’m sorry.” Ivy knew it was a lame apology, but she didn’t know what else to do.
“I have to go,” Jack said, moving toward the steps that led down from her front porch.
“I … shouldn’t we talk about this?”
“I need to think,” Jack said, refusing to turn around. “I’ll … be in touch.”
With those words, Jack Harker raced to his truck and climbed in. He cast one more look at Ivy, his heart rolling at the crestfallen look on her face, and then he fired up his engine and pulled out of her driveway.
He had no idea what to do with this information. Every time he called Ivy “magic,” he’d meant it in a flirty way. Now it turned out she really was magic, and he had no idea what to do with the revelation.
Ten
“How come Jack left without saying goodbye?” Kelly asked, helping Ivy fix up the couch before bed a few hours later.
“He had someplace to be.”
“He looked upset,” Kelly said.
“He was just … distracted.” There was no way Ivy could explain Jack’s mood without telling Kelly why he was so thrown. She didn’t want to scare the girl, especially when she had no way of knowing how she was walking in Jack’s dreams.
“Did I do something? Is he mad at me? That’s it, isn’t it? He doesn’t like me.” Kelly’s lower lip quivered.
“That’s not it,” Ivy said, faltering. She had to constantly remind herself that Kelly was fragile. “He’s mad at me. It has nothing to do with you.”
“I don’t believe you,” Kelly said. “He likes you. You can tell that every time he looks at you.”
“Kelly, I swear, he’s angry at me,” Ivy said. “I did something to him.”
“What?”
Ivy licked her lips, unsure how to answer. “I … invaded his privacy in a way that upset him,” she said. “I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.”
“Why doesn’t he understand that it’s an accident?”
“It’s hard for him to wrap his mind around,” Ivy said. “He’s a good man. He just needs some time to think.”
“But … how did you invade his privacy?”
“It’s not easy to explain,” Ivy said. “Jack is a private person. He’s had a … rough time of it. Like you. He doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“Like me,” Kelly said.
“Yes,” Ivy said. “I said something I shouldn’t have said. He’s not mad at you. I can promise you that. He’s mad at me.”
“Will he forgive you?”
“I don’t know,” Ivy said. The truth was, if their positions were reversed, she wasn’t sure she could forgive him. “He’ll be okay. He’ll still want to talk to you. Don’t worry about that. Jack isn’t the type of man who just abandons someone.”
“He abandoned you,” Kelly pointed out.
“No, he didn’t. He got angry and needed some time to himself,” Ivy said. “No matter what you think about Jack, never doubt that he’s a good man. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever met, in fact. If I needed Jack, he would drop everything and come running.”
“Even though he’s upset?”
“Even though,” Ivy said, nodding. “Are you ready for bed? Do you need anything before you go to sleep?”
“No,” Kelly said, hopping onto the couch and watching as Ivy pulled the blanket over her. Nicodemus jumped up onto the couch, turned three times, and then planted himself on Kelly’s feet. It was as if he was watching over her. Even though Ivy missed him in her bed, she knew the cat
understood that Kelly needed him more right now.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Ivy said. “How about I make pancakes?”
“Sure,” Kelly said. “That sounds nice.”
Ivy started moving toward the hallway. “I’ll be right down here in my bedroom if you need me. My door will be open.”
“Thank you for letting me stay here.”
“You’re more than welcome. Trust me. I like having the company.”
IVY was in Jack’s dream again. She knew it the second she “woke up” on the gritty city streets. Most dreams have a filmy quality, but since this dream was actually a memory, Jack saw it with acute clarity. That meant Ivy did, too.
“Oh, no,” Ivy said, glancing around worriedly. “This is not going to prove I’m trustworthy. I don’t want to be here. I want to wake up.”
“You can’t wake up. That would be too easy for both of us.” Jack’s voice was hollow as he moved up beside her, his eyes lifeless. “You’re here again. Why?”
“I don’t know,” Ivy said. “I don’t want to be here. I’m so sorry.”
“What happens now?”
“It’s your dream, Jack. I’m just a visitor.”
“You think I somehow brought you here, don’t you?”
Jack looked tired, and despite her worry that he would pull away, Ivy reached out and touched his cheek. He felt real. If she didn’t know she was in a dream, she would think he was standing beside her.
Jack pressed his eyes shut and leaned into her touch for a moment. “Why can I feel you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Something is happening here, Ivy. I can’t … I don’t … please, tell me what is going on. Tell me how to get you out of my head.”
“I don’t know how to stop this,” Ivy said, her voice plaintive. “You’re calling to me. That’s all I know.”
“Why are you coming?”
“Because I don’t know how to stop myself from coming to you,” Ivy said. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know,” Jack said. “I just … I can’t deal with this. It’s too much. This is my nightmare. You shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t … see.”
“I’ll stay here. I … won’t follow you. When you wake up, I should be catapulted out of the dream.”
“I can’t leave you here,” Jack said. “It’s not safe.”
Wicked Dreams Page 7
