“That shows what you know. I plan on wearing a skirt tomorrow.”
“Yup. So, so cute.”
IT TOOK JACK A FULL TWENTY MINUTES to write up his warrant request. He emailed a copy to Brian for his approval — which he gave willingly — and then emailed it to the judge’s office. It was too late for anyone to be there now but, hopefully, the request would be processed first thing in the morning.
Jack shut down his computer when he was finished and groaned as he climbed to his feet, prepared to track Ivy down and invade her bath when there was a knock on the door. Jack’s first instinct was to retrieve his gun in case it was Oliver searching for payback. Before he could do that, though, he caught a glimpse of a dark head moving in front of the window. Luckily, he recognized it as belonging to Max.
“What are you doing here so late?” Jack asked as he opened the door, peering around Max’s shoulder to see if he was alone. “Please don’t tell me you did something jerky to Amy and you’re here to cry on your sister’s shoulder.”
“I didn’t do anything jerky,” Max said on a scowl, using his hip to nudge Jack out of the way and stalk into the room. He pulled up short when he realized it was empty. “Where’s Ivy?”
“She’s taking a bath, and don’t even think of barging in there and bothering her. She needs to unclench just a little bit.”
The look Max shot his future brother-in-law was withering. “Do you really think I want to interrupt Ivy’s bath time? She’s naked in there. That’s gross.”
“It is gross,” Jack agreed. “It’s so gross you should go home right now and spend an hour flogging yourself for even considering going in that bathroom.”
“I wasn’t the one considering it. You were.”
“Fine. Then you should leave so I can flog myself.”
“Ha, ha.” Max didn’t have much of a sense of humor this evening, which was unlike him. Even though Jack quickly found his bath fantasies with his beloved drifting away, he resolved himself to find out what was bothering Max, if only to give Ivy the break she so desperately needed.
“What’s wrong, Max?” Jack asked in a soft voice.
“What makes you think anything is wrong?” Max was suddenly defensive. “I didn’t say anything was wrong.”
“Uh-huh.” Jack folded his arms across his chest and regarded the other man with a studied gaze. “How long have we known each other now?”
“Like ten years. That’s what it feels like anyway.”
Jack snorted. “More like a year and a half, right?”
“Yes, that’s when you stole my sister.”
“You should probably readjust your tone so you don’t sound jealous of my relationship with your sister. That’s a little too Flowers in the Attic.”
Max’s eyebrows winged up. “How do you even know that reference?”
“Your sister and I spent an evening talking about guilty pleasures.”
“You’re so whipped.” Max moved to the couch and threw himself on it, letting loose a long sigh as he got comfortable. “So, I actually came because I wanted to thank Ivy for tipping me off about Amy’s mood. She was really upset about what happened at the shelter.”
Jack moved to his favorite chair and sat. “Is she okay?”
“She is. She was upset, but she was also riled up. She says she doesn’t ever want to be a victim again. She’s determined to help these women.”
“I think that’s a good thing.”
“It’s great ... except for the pesky matter of a jerk constantly trying to break in and hurt people. I don’t want her in danger.”
“Ah, so you’re taking a page out of my book. You used to give me grief for trying to keep Ivy out of trouble.”
“That’s because you’re an alpha-hole and I’m a genuinely caring guy.”
“Right.”
Max was quiet a beat and then slipped his eyes to Jack. “I’m afraid for her. She agreed that JJ shouldn’t be at the shelter until this is settled, but she wouldn’t promise to stay away until it’s safe herself.”
“And that drives you crazy. Did you come here to try to get Ivy on your side so she’ll talk to Amy?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, that’s not going to happen.” Jack’s smile was rueful as Max shot him a piercing glare. “Ivy will take Amy’s side on this.”
“Yeah, but you’re going to put your foot down and order Ivy to stay away from this case. I figure, once you fight with Ivy and get your way, she can do the same with Amy. It will work.”
“I’m not fighting with Ivy.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m not.” Jack was firm. “We’re in this one together ... until the end. We’re going to work as a team. I won’t fight her involvement.”
“Since when?”
“Since she needs to be part of this. Also, Oliver Taylor has seen your sister’s face multiple times now. She’s thwarted him twice. I think it’s likely he’ll want payback. It’s actually safer for her to work with me than sit at home being petulant at this point.”
“So ... you’re really not cutting her out?”
“No.”
“Well, that sucks. How am I supposed to keep Amy out of danger if you’re going to let Ivy run all over the countryside doing whatever she wants?”
“First off, your sister is an adult and can do whatever she wants. I don’t dictate to her. I fell in love with the person she is and I didn’t take her on with the intention of changing her.”
“Why are you suddenly so rational?”
Jack snickered. “It’s not about being rational. It’s about finding a balance. I’m guessing that’s something you want to do with Amy, too. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here looking for sisterly advice from Ivy.”
“I don’t want to fight with Amy,” Max admitted. “I know you and Ivy get off on it, but it gives me a sour stomach. I want her to be happy. More than anything, I want her to feel safe. I don’t know how to make that happen if she keeps going back to that shelter to volunteer her time.”
Jack understood Max’s fear. He looked down the hallway to make sure the bedroom door was still shut and then lowered his voice. “I think, in Amy’s case, this is important. She needs to be able to put the past behind her and look forward. You need that, too.”
“I’m all for her putting the past behind her. I simply don’t want her risking her life to do it.”
“I get that, but you need to work with her rather than against her.”
“Wanting to keep her safe is not working against her.”
“That’s not how they see it. And, trust me, it’s a lesson I’ve had to learn ten times over. You can’t dictate to Amy any more than I can dictate to Ivy. It has to be a true partnership to work. That means you’re not always going to get your way.”
“That sounds unbelievably reasonable ... which means I hate that advice. Come up with something else.”
Jack couldn’t swallow his laughter. “You love her, right?”
Max sobered. “Yeah. I love her so much I’m considering proposing.”
The news didn’t surprise Jack. He’d seen the way Max looked at Amy and recognized it was only a matter of time. “Sometimes loving someone means giving them what they need even though it drives you crazy. Compromise is the name of the game.”
“Is that how you and my sister make it work?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know if I’m built for compromise.”
“You are. You were made to love Amy. I have no doubt about that. You’ll learn how to compromise because it’s what’s best for her.”
Max swished his lips back and forth several times and then nodded. “Maybe you’re right. Can I ask you one more question before I go?”
“I guess.”
“Are you going to love my sister forever and never break her heart?”
Jack’s smile was genuine. “Yes.”
“Then I guess I’m glad you’re permanently joining the family.”
“Thank you
. Now go home and learn to compromise.”
“I thought I would wait and talk things out with Ivy.”
“I have plans for Ivy and you’re not part of them.”
Max’s smile disappeared. “I take back everything I just said. You’re a dirty pervert and I don’t want you in this family.”
“You’ll learn to love me.”
10
TEN
Jack found Ivy rooting through the dresser when he finally made it to the bedroom. She was wrapped in a fuzzy robe, a towel covering her hair, and she had a pensive look on her face.
“What are you thinking?”
“Hmm?” She flicked her eyes to him, seemingly surprised. “I thought maybe you forgot about me. You were gone a long time. I waited as long as I could in the tub, but the water was turning cold.”
He frowned and crossed to her. “I had every intention of joining you in the tub.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because we had a visitor.”
Ivy was taken aback. “Was it Oliver Taylor?”
“No. Why would you think that?”
She shrugged, suddenly wishing she’d kept her big mouth shut. “No reason. I ... um ....”
“You think he’s going to come for you,” Jack surmised, an emotion he couldn’t put a name to bubbling up. It wasn’t anger, or even fear. It was a hodgepodge of regret and annoyance threatening to bowl him over.
“I don’t know that,” she countered, shaking her head vehemently enough that the towel threatened to slip. “I just ... was worried, I guess. You looked through the peephole before answering, right?”
The question was enough to elicit a smile from him. “Now who is being the worrywart?”
“That would still be you. I was simply making sure that you were being responsible with my life.”
He chuckled. “Do you really think I would risk you for anything?”
“No, but I wasn’t talking about me. I was talking about you. I want to make sure I never lose you. That means you have to be careful, too. If something happens to you, it’s over for me.”
“That’s very sweet.” He blew out a sigh as he reached for the towel, tugging it loose so her wet waves sprang free. “I understand the feeling because I definitely don’t want anything happening to you.”
“Does that mean you looked through the peephole? I’m losing track of the conversation.”
He laughed. “I didn’t have to. I saw our guest’s face on the other side of the window.”
“Oh.” Her forehead wrinkled. “Who would stop by so late?”
“Max.”
“Is something wrong? Did Amy throw him out? I called to tip him off because I was afraid this was going to happen. He always acts impulsively.”
“I believe that’s a Morgan family trait.” He kissed her between the eyes and then gestured toward the bed. “Get comfortable. I’ll comb your hair out for you.”
The offer surprised her. “You want to comb my hair out?”
“I want to be close to you,” he clarified. “I’m familiar with your routine, though. I figured it was something we could do together.”
It was a sweet — and yet somewhat odd — offer. Still, Ivy saw no reason to deny him. “Okay. This is a weird form of foreplay, though.”
He barked out a laugh. “Not everything I do has ulterior motives that lead to sex.”
“Fair enough.” Ivy sat on the bed and got comfortable, waiting until he settled behind her to speak again. “Is Max sleeping on the couch or something? You didn’t say what he was doing here.”
“He came to see you.”
“Is he still out there?”
“Nope. I sent him home.”
Ivy was flummoxed. “Um ... may I ask why?”
“Because you needed to relax.”
“I’m all for relaxing. If Max needed me, though, then I want to be there for him. He’s always been there for me.”
“Always?”
“Well, maybe not always,” she conceded. “When it’s important, though, he’s never let me down. I assume he wanted to talk about Amy.”
“He did. He stuck his foot in his mouth and wanted you to fix it for him.”
“That sounds about right.” She was blasé. “How did he stick his foot in his mouth?”
“He was worried about her being at the shelter after what happened and demanded she not return until this is all over with.”
“He’s such an idiot. I don’t suppose it ever occurred to him to ask her to stay away.”
“Probably not.” Jack was gentle as he moved the comb through her hair. “If you’re worried, I told him he was being an idiot. He’s not exactly thrilled with me right now.”
“You told him he was being an idiot?” Suspicious, Ivy slid her eyed to him, craning her neck in the process. “How come you told him that?”
“Because I knew it’s what you would say.”
“Oh, so you didn’t really think he was being an idiot. You just wanted to keep him from bothering me.”
“Kind of. I really didn’t want him to bother you. I won’t deny that. As for the other part, though, I tend to believe it. I’ve never once gotten good results by ordering you around.”
“Why do you think that is?”
Jack sensed it was a test. “Because I’m not the boss of you. We’re equals.”
She kept her eyes on him for a long beat and then faced forward so he could continue combing her hair. “Do you really believe that?” she asked finally.
“Yes. Do you doubt I do?”
She shrugged. “No. I know you don’t believe you’re better than me or anything. It’s just ... you’re kind of bossy.”
“And you’re not?”
“Oh, I’m definitely bossy. I try not to make ultimatums, though.”
“When have I ever issued an ultimatum?”
“You tell me to stay out of trouble all the time.”
“That’s not an ultimatum. That’s a request that you don’t crush my spirit for the rest of my life because I will literally fall down and never get back up if something happens to you.”
Ivy’s forehead wrinkled. “We’ve gotten off on a tangent and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
“I’m thinking we should just ignore it and go back to the main conversation.”
“Good idea.” She brightened considerably. “What did Max want again?”
“He wanted to know what to do now that Amy was mad at him for ordering her around.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“That compromise is key. He can’t always get what he wants simply because he wants it. He has to be willing to give her what she needs while expressing what he needs in return.”
“That’s very mature.”
“I’m a mature guy.”
“Says the guy who says morels taste like feet,” she muttered under her breath, causing him to smile.
“They do taste like feet. That’s an example of a compromise, though. I don’t like morels and you love them. You try to make dishes where the morels can be split easily enough and I hike through the woods with you for hours on end even though I’m apparently blind to them. It’s worth it because I get to spend time with you, though.”
“It is kind of sweet the way you hang out with me in the woods.”
“Until my feet bleed sometimes.”
“That’s an exaggeration.”
“No, they definitely bleed.”
She laughed, a sound Jack knew he would never grow tired of. “What did Max say when you told him to compromise?”
“That he didn’t want to.”
“He wants his way all of the time. That’s never going to work over the long haul.” Ivy found she was suddenly worried. “I hope he doesn’t screw this up. Amy is a good fit for him. I know he loves her.”
“He does love her, and I don’t think he’s going to screw it up. He knows the right thing to do.”
“Does he know the right thing to do because you t
old him?”
“He knows the right thing to do because he has a good heart. Believe it or not, Max is smarter than he lets on. He’s kind and giving of spirit, too. He wants to do the right thing. Sometimes his mouth simply gets in the way.”
“He gave me good advice about you,” Ivy pointed out. “That time when you broke up with me because I got shot, he spent hours consoling me because I was crying.”
Shame tugged on Jack’s heart. “I didn’t break up with you. I just ....”
“Freaked out?”
He nodded. If there was one thing in his life he could take back, it would be that. “I’m sorry. What I did that day was ... unforgivable.”
“It wasn’t unforgivable, and I’m sorry for bringing it up. I know it tortures you. That day was a nightmare for everybody. You ran because you were afraid. I’m not going to hold that against you.”
“I ran because I knew I could never lose you, even then.”
“And you hid in a bottle for a few hours and felt sorry for yourself. Then you pulled your head out of your butt and everything was fine. That’s not the point of the conversation. The point is that Max was angry with you and yet he did the right thing for me and tried to explain your actions.
“At his core, Max is a good guy who tends to be immature,” she continued. “Amy has already turned him around on a lot of that, though. She’ll continue to do it ... if he doesn’t put his foot in his mouth at every turn.”
“Yeah.” Jack kissed Ivy’s neck. “You know I’ll never do that again, right? Shut down and shut you out I mean. That really was a horrible day and I was messed up back then.”
Ivy patted his hand. “I know, Jack. I don’t ever fear you walking away from me. I know you’re completely addicted to my sunny personality.”
He smirked, delighted. “I am addicted to your sunny personality. I’m also enamored with your smile, in love with the way you giggle, and even willing to tolerate the fact that you won’t cover up your bare feet in the dead of winter.”
That had her chuckling so hard her shoulders shook. “I see you’ve given this some thought.”
“All I think about is you.”
The emotion in his eyes touched her. “I spend my days thinking about you, too.”
Ivy Morgan Mystery 18 - Wicked Wedding Page 10
