Justin grinned. “That’s okay. I’m faster.”
“You are, but we’re not going to race down the ladder, okay?” Ivey ruffled his hair, let him go second, then she came down...with an audience of an ex, a current and a ten-year-old cutie.
Everyone looked at her. She pasted on a smile and said, “Hey, Geoff. What’s up?”
His gaze dropped to her arm, which prompted him to come forward. “You got bit again?”
Brows up, Corbin asked, “Again?”
Sending him an impatient frown, Geoff explained, “She’s been bitten a few times over the past two years. Usually on the arm, but once on the leg, too.” Giving his attention back to Ivey, he touched her hair—then dropped his hand. “Are you okay?”
Wow, talk about awkward. Her gaze skittered over to Corbin, but with his arms crossed and his expression enigmatic, she couldn’t gauge his mood. Justin just stared owlishly, as if he could sense the adult tension.
Shaking herself, Ivey said, “I’m fine.” With a tip of her head, she asked, “What are you doing here, Geoff?”
His mouth compressed, but not with irritation for her. Leaning closer, he asked, “Can you send the kid inside?”
She stared at him. “Why ever would I do that?”
“Because I need to talk to you and his father, and it’d probably be better if he wasn’t listening in.”
“Um...” She chewed over the dilemma, trying to anticipate what Geoff might say, but not a single idea came to mind. “Give me a second.” Striding over to Corbin, she whispered Geoff’s request in his ear.
His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t deny her. Voice calm and controlled, he said, “Justin? Could you go ask your Uncle Lang to heat up some dinner for Ivey? And check on the dogs while you’re in there.”
“Okay.” He grinned at Ivey. “We had fried chicken with mac and cheese.” With that announcement, he took off in a jog.
Corbin put his arm over Ivey’s shoulders. “All right, let’s hear it.”
Running a hand over the back of his neck, Geoff shifted. “Look, I didn’t particularly want to come here, okay? But Ivey’s involved, and then there’s the kid...”
Sensing something really was wrong, Ivey reached out to him. “What is it?”
“There was a woman in town asking about him.” He nodded at Corbin. “She said you had her son and wanted to know where to find you.”
“Jesus.” Corbin’s eyes, his face, the set of his mouth all went hard. “You told her where I live?”
“No. I wouldn’t do that.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, Geoff scowled. “I mean, I knew Ivey was staying here with you and the other woman looked...” He searched for a word, then shook his head. “She was loud and angry. I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to send her here.”
“So you came to forewarn him?” Ivey asked gently.
“Seemed the right thing to do. She was pretty unhinged.” He shot another wary look at Corbin. “Pretty sure she was high or drunk or something. I didn’t talk to her, but I can’t guarantee no one else did.”
Corbin drew a deep breath. “When was this?”
“A few hours ago. I was just leaving the bar and she was there, in the parking lot. Basically causing a scene, if you want the truth. Someone might have called the cops.”
Holding out his hand, Corbin said, “Thank you for letting me know.”
Geoff hesitated, then accepted the offering. “No problem. You, ah, might want to keep a closer eye on the kid. From the things she was saying, she might make a grab for him.”
“I won’t let him out of my sight,” Corbin promised, without explaining that he already closely supervised Justin.
“Geoff.” Ivey stepped forward and gave him a platonic hug. “Thank you.”
For a second, he returned her embrace, his jaw to the top of her head, then he stepped away. “Take care of yourself, okay? And if you need anything, let me know.”
She and Corbin stood together, watching him go. Ivey waited until his car disappeared along the drive, hidden by the trees, before she turned to Corbin. “What will you do?”
“Get hold of my lawyer first.” He steered her toward the house.
“And then?”
“I have an idea.” He stopped without opening the front door. “I don’t think she really wants him. There has to be another reason she’s here.”
Ivey felt a little sick. “Money?”
“Even though she hasn’t asked for it, I owe her for back child support.”
Resting a hand on his chest, she felt the steady thumping of his heartbeat. “Because you didn’t know.”
“Regardless, there had to be sacrifices.”
“I’m not sure you can buy her off.” She wasn’t even sure if that was the right thing to do. “It could be like paying a ransom—and you don’t know yet if Justin wants to see her.”
“I’ll work it out. Sooner than I meant to.” He paused at the entry to the kitchen where Lang and Justin were getting her food together. “Guess Geoff isn’t so bad after all.”
“Guess not.” She put her arms around Corbin and rested her face to his solid chest. “But he’s not you, and he was never right for me.”
* * *
While Ivey ate, Justin kept her company, answering the many questions she managed to think up so that Corbin had time to tell his brother about the newest development.
Justin talked fast, his stories running together in his excitement. One of the puppies had pooed on the floor, and apparently Lang had stepped in it.
They both laughed over that. Overall, the pups were trained to go outside, but they were still young and accidents happened.
He showed her a scratch where a sharp puppy tooth had snagged his knuckle, and another on his knee from a puppy’s claws. Added to his bruised elbow, he was pretty banged up.
It made Ivey realize yet again that she’d burdened Corbin with a few too many dogs.
Maurice, apparently, had smacked a pup that got too frisky, and Justin thought that was hilarious, too.
They discussed ways to keep other accidents from happening. It seemed that earlier Corbin had decided that Justin could take them out front—away from the lure of the lake—several times a day.
Ivey assumed that plan would now change. She didn’t want Justin out front alone in case his mother showed up, so she knew Corbin would be even more adamant about it.