“That doesn’t mean you want your mother to get hurt.”
“No, but it still makes me bad. I’m the one who always makes him angry but, sometimes, she gets hurt.” Jenny’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know why he hates me so much.”
“He’s a sick man.” Ivy was matter-of-fact. “I’m not making excuses for him, but he’s absolutely sick and he can’t be helped. He needs to be locked away for good. That’s the only way to help him.”
“But I must’ve done something.”
“No.” Ivy vehemently shook her head. “I promise you didn’t do anything. This is on him. You can’t blame yourself. I’m sure he’s said stuff to you in the past — like maybe how this is your fault — but he’s only saying that because he’s a terrible person.”
“But I came from him. He’s my dad. If he’s a terrible person, doesn’t that mean that I am, too?”
“Absolutely not. You’re not him. He’s the only one who is to blame for this and it’s important that you understand that. You’re innocent. So is your mother.
“As for this, it’s not real,” she continued, gesturing toward the living room. “This is a dream. It’s not really happening. You can control your dreams if you try.”
“I don’t understand.” Jenny looked legitimately confused. “How do you know this is a dream?”
Ivy chuckled hollowly. “I’ve had a bit of practice. That’s all you need. When you find yourself in situations like this, you have to tell yourself that it’s a dream and will yourself to go someplace else. Like ... what’s your happy place?”
Jenny’s face contorted in confusion. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“What place have you always wanted to visit because you think it will be amazing? Or even what place do you go and always have a good time?”
“I want to go to Disney World.”
“That’s a good goal.” Ivy bobbed her head. “I’m sure you’ve seen photos of Disney World.”
“Yeah.”
“So, when you end up back here, think about those photos. Make yourself go there. When you’re afraid, that can be your salvation.”
“I don’t know.” Jenny rubbed her cheek. “I still think he’s going to get me.”
“He won’t. I won’t let him.”
“But ....”
As if on cue, the front door of the house flew open. Oliver’s fit of rage was so pronounced – at least in Jenny’s imagination – the door actually splintered as he made his way into the house.
“I knew he would find me.” Jenny buried her face between her knees. “He’s going to kill me this time.”
“He won’t,” Ivy snapped, her fury on full display as she stood. “You just need to go to your happy place. You shouldn’t stay here.”
“But ....”
“You need to try.” Ivy was insistent as she moved to cut off Oliver’s approach. “Go someplace else, Jenny. Find your happy place. I’ll take care of your father.” Ivy brandished her hands, clenching them into fists. She didn’t want to put on a magical display in the shared dream in case it frightened the girl even more. “Go!”
Ivy didn’t look over her shoulder to see if Jenny had listened. Instead, she glared at Oliver, and thought about how good it would feel to punch him in the face. “You need to leave her alone. Actually, you need to leave both of them alone. I know you’re not really here but there’s always a chance you’ll hear this, and maybe it will sink in.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Oliver was belligerent. “This is my family. It’s my home. That’s my daughter. I won’t let anyone take what belongs to me.”
“A child is not a piece of property,” Ivy insisted. “You don’t own her. She’s her own person and you’ve terrorized her enough. Just be a man for once in your life. Do the right thing.”
“You’re not the boss of me.” Oliver’s eyes filled with rage as he took a menacing step toward Ivy. “I think somebody needs to learn a lesson.”
Ivy prepared herself for battle, bracing herself, but the threatened blow never came to fruition because Jack appeared out of nowhere and caught Oliver’s arm before the man could connect with his prey. The expression on Jack’s face was full of fury.
“Don’t even think about touching her,” he hissed, giving Oliver a terrific shove. Since they were dealing with dream logic — which was much the same as movie logic — Oliver flew across the room and slammed into the wall even though Jack didn’t put much effort into the throw. Jack’s eyes were clouded in confusion as he focused on Ivy. “Why are you here? You’re supposed to be on the beach.”
“Jenny,” was all Ivy could say as she gestured toward the table. When she looked to see if the girl was holding it together, she found the spot where Jenny had been huddling before completely empty. “I ... well, she was here.”
Jack’s expression shifted into one of understanding. “She called to you.”
“I think so.”
“It’s the same way I called to you when we first met. You found me in dreams and saved me. You bonded with her this afternoon and she somehow called to you, too.”
It made sense, at least on the surface, but Ivy wasn’t in the mood for a philosophical discussion. “I’m sorry. I was planning on heading to the beach. I couldn’t just leave her, though.”
“Well, she’s not here now.” Jack extended a warning finger in Oliver’s direction when the man regained his footing and looked to be readying another attack. “You’re not going to want to do that. I know the laws of this world a heckuva lot better than you. I won’t be as nice if you try something a second time.”
“Nice?” Oliver’s fury was palpable. “How have you been nice?”
“You’re not eating your own entrails.”
Ivy wrinkled her nose. “Really, Jack? That’s sort of revolting.”
“Max told me about some movie he watched and I couldn’t get a specific scene out of my head. Blame him.”
“Oh, I’m going to blame him.” Ivy shook her head. “He always did like terrible movies.”
“Yes, well ....” Jack glanced around the room. “This is the Taylor house. It’s much cleaner than how it looked when we stopped there this afternoon, though.”
“You said you and Brian searched the house,” Ivy noted. “I’m assuming that Dana had to keep the house clean if she didn’t want to risk Oliver’s wrath. Now that she’s gone, he’s probably spiraling.”
“He can’t go back to the safe house. We’ve posted cameras and remote locks. We’ll be alerted if he tries.”
“This was all Jenny,” Ivy explained. “She’s having a nightmare. I told her to go to her happy place. I think it’s Disney World.”
Jack smirked. “She’s gone now. We don’t have to stay. We can go to our happy place.”
“Yeah.” Ivy took his extended hand. “Do you want to know something funny? You’re my happy place. Wherever you are and I’m with you, I’m happy.”
“Then we should go to the beach. You promised to wear that coconut bra thing for me.”
Amusement danced in Ivy’s eyes. “And you promised to make love in the surf with me.”
“That’s a much better trip, honey. We don’t need to be here any longer. Jenny is safe.”
“Then let’s go.” Ivy linked her fingers with his. “I want to be with you.”
“And I want to be with you.”
Oliver made a roaring sound as they began to fade. “We’re not done here.”
“You’re done,” Ivy shot back. “The sad thing is that you’re too obsessed to notice. You won’t hurt them again. I won’t allow it.”
And with that, they faded to another place and left the monster to stew.
5
FIVE
Jack woke before Ivy, taking a moment to stretch before studying her prone form. She’d curled up next to him, as was her way, and her head rested on his shoulder. She was still dead to the world.
He gently ran his finger over her cheek, marveling at her soft skin
. She made her own lotions and shower gels in the winter. When her plant nursery was closed, and there was little else to do, she made sure to keep herself busy. Basically, she had two businesses, although she didn’t bother marketing the bath portion.
Mornings were his favorite part of the day. Well, mostly. He was also a big fan of the evenings, especially during the winter months when they could build a fire and cuddle up in front of it. The house, which he’d worried was too small if they wanted to have a family, had become a true home with the basement renovations now complete. Ivy’s love of the cottage where she grew up was enough reason for him to go out of his way to turn the house into everything they would ever need. They could have children here, enjoy the summer months in the woods and hiking to the creek, and even take the kids morel hunting in the spring.
He cast her a sidelong look and smiled. She was well and truly out. The dreams from the previous evening had sucked the energy out of both of them. For whatever reason, though, Jack could function on less sleep than her. She was downright crabby when she didn’t get her full eight hours.
He moved his hand to the back of her neck and lightly rubbed there. Even though her community service was officially at an end, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would fill her day with other things. Whether for the wedding — which was so close he could almost taste it — or the nursery she’d had to leave in her father’s capable hands while she served her debt to society, she would be busy.
“Why are you having deep thoughts so early in the morning?” Ivy grumbled as she stirred, never opening her eyes.
Jack slid her an amused look as he clutched her a little tighter. “I didn’t think you were awake.”
“How can I not be? Your brain is so loud it’s like the Fourth of July.”
“I’m sorry.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll think quieter. Go back to sleep.”
One of Ivy’s eyes popped open as she regarded him. “We both know that’s not an option. Once I’m awake, I’m awake.”
He did know that. The only times she went back to sleep when waking early were in the winter when the darkness lasted longer, or on stormy days when he convinced her to take a nap. For some reason, she absolutely loved thunderstorms. They put her in a romantic mood, and if they had the day off together when one hit, he took advantage of her weakness.
“I’m still sorry.” He lifted his head enough to glance at the lower portion of the bed. Sure enough, her feet stuck out from the bottom of the blanket. He’d spent months getting up and covering them — especially in the winter — but now he’d resigned himself that this was simply who she was.
“Don’t be.” Ivy smiled as she stretched, inhaling deeply and making a purring sound. “It’s time for me to get up anyway. I have a lot to do today.”
“Oh, yeah? What do you have to do?”
“I have to go in for my final dress fitting.”
He frowned. “I didn’t realize that your dress wasn’t done yet.” The realization that something could still go wrong left him feeling uneasy. “How much is there left to do?”
She chuckled at his worried expression. “This is normal, Jack. The final fitting is basically a formality.”
“Then why isn’t it already done?”
“It is done. There’s one final check to make sure none of the beading has come loose or anything like that. I don’t have a lot of beading, but the waist and bodice are fitted. The seamstress checks to make sure I haven’t gained or lost any weight that might impact the fit of the dress.”
“Oh.” That actually made sense to him. “Because most brides are jittery messes.”
“Pretty much.”
“Not my bride, though. My bride is completely together and thrilled to be marrying the man of her dreams.”
“Your bride is a little nervous,” Ivy hedged, rueful. “Not about marrying you or anything,” she added hurriedly. “I’m just nervous about walking in front of everybody and saying my vows while people are staring. What if I trip? What if I forget what I’m supposed to say? What if I completely go blank and don’t say the things you need to hear?”
It was quite the explosion from his normally even-tempered fiancée. He wasn’t expecting it. “I take it you’re nowhere near as calm as I thought,” he said finally, managing a fond smile. “It’s pretty cute.”
Ivy’s forehead wrinkled. “It’s not cute. It’s freaky.”
“You’re cute.”
“I don’t like feeling frazzled. I wish we could just ‘poof’ ourselves married. Then we wouldn’t have to deal with all the other stuff.”
“You don’t want to get married in front of people?” He was honestly confused. “I thought you were looking forward to that.”
“I’m looking forward to marrying you,” Ivy clarified. “I’ve never wanted anything more.” She traced her finger down his cheek. “I think I’ve been preparing for that my entire life, even though I didn’t realize it.”
The emotion on her face was so genuine he had to bite back a sigh ... and remind himself if he started crying now it would become a thing should his partner find out about it. “I think I’ve been preparing my entire life for you, too. I really want to know why you’re not excited for the wedding, though.”
How could she explain it? Ivy didn’t want to appear weak, but she was genuinely nervous for what was to come. “I’m looking forward to the wedding,” she reassured him in a soft voice. “I have things I want to say to you. I just don’t like people staring at me.”
“I think that goes with being a bride.”
“Totally. I just wish it could be the two of us.”
“I think your mother — and my mother for that matter — would absolutely melt down if we did things that way.”
“Oh, I know.” Ivy grinned. “It wouldn’t just be my mother either. It would be my father ... and Max ... and Aunt Felicity.”
“And Brian,” Jack added on a grin. “He admitted he’s looking forward to the wedding, too.”
“He just likes cake.”
“No, he said his wife gets romantic at weddings and he likes to take advantage of her mood.”
Ivy made a face. “That is ... kind of ingenious.”
He laughed as he snuggled her close. “It is. I still can’t believe we’re so close. There were times I wondered if we would get here.”
She shot him a curious look. “Because you were re-thinking marrying me?”
“No, and I don’t like it when you say stuff like that.” He scowled. “I’ve never once questioned that we belong together. Not from the moment we met.”
She cleared her throat and pinned him with a dubious look. “We spent the first few weeks we knew each other fighting.”
“Days,” he corrected. “We fought for a few days, and that’s only because we had so much chemistry. Once I acknowledged the chemistry and realized that nothing could keep me away from you, I only looked forward. I’m pretty sure you felt the same way, too.”
“Yeah. I’m still afraid I’m going to trip in front of people.”
She worried about the strangest things, he thought. She couldn’t help herself. The big things in life never bothered her. It was the little things that deranged her. “You won’t trip. Your father will be there to walk you down the aisle, and I’ll be there to catch you at the altar. Everything is going to be perfect.”
Because he believed it, Ivy did as well. “And then we have our honeymoon. Two full weeks of just you and me.”
“Yup.”
“One week camping.”
His smile disappeared. “Don’t remind me.”
“And one week on a tropical beach.”
“That’s the part of the honeymoon I planned so I’m definitely looking forward to that.”
In the end, they compromised. Ivy was desperate to give Jack a camping trip to remember. They’d tried twice before — and both times had ended in murder and mayhem — so she knew this was her last chance. If things didn’t go well, Jack would likely re
fuse to go camping ever again. Since she loved camping, that wasn’t a possibility she wanted to consider. He wasn’t keen on spending their honeymoon camping, though, which is why they had to compromise. Camping to start and beach lounging to finish. It sounded like the perfect trip to her.
“I’m looking forward to it all,” Ivy admitted. “The honeymoon sounds great, and I know we’re going to have an amazing time, but I’m looking forward to being married to you as much as anything else.”
His heart rolled at her earnest expression. “Me, too. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” He gave her a soft, lingering kiss. When he pulled back, they were both breathless. “What do you say we practice for the honeymoon in the shower this morning? You know, just to make sure that things will be perfect.”
Her grin was devilish. “You’re on.”
“IT’S SO GREAT THAT YOUR COMMUNITY service is done early,” Amy Johnson enthused two hours later as she watched the seamstress Janet Burton futz with Ivy’s wedding dress. “I was worried something terrible would happen and you would have to miss your honeymoon.”
In truth, Ivy had been fearful about that herself. “When Jack came home and mentioned the judge last night, I thought for sure that’s what he was going to say, too. My heart was jumping out of my chest.”
“You’ve lost two pounds,” Janet announced, straightening. “You weren’t supposed to lose any weight.”
Ivy frowned. As far as she could tell, the dress looked great. She’d gone for a simple design, spaghetti straps and a plain bodice with minimal beading, and everything had turned out exactly as she’d hoped. “What’s wrong? Is something wrong?” Panic momentarily licked at her heart as she glanced at Amy. “Do I look hideous or something?”
Amy shot Ivy a quelling look. “You look beautiful. There’s nothing wrong with the dress.” The glare she shot Janet was pointed. “Nobody is going to be able to tell that she lost two pounds.”
Ivy Morgan Mystery 18 - Wicked Wedding Page 5
