God, he wanted to be wrong. His anger over the loss of time with her and their son made it easy to think the worst in those moments of haste. But when the dust settled and the fury cooled, that deep feeling in his gut that she was innocent was ever-present. The Ivy he knew wasn’t capable of hurting a soul, and he didn’t think a character like hers was interchangeable.
People like her didn’t flip a switch and suddenly become cold-blooded mercenaries. Victims? Sure. Easily manipulated? Of course, especially if you kidnapped their child. The pieces were mostly all there – they were just having a hard time fitting them all together. It was like getting to the end and realizing that one odd-shaped piece in the middle was missing, and it prevented you from seeing the whole picture.
Dace placed his thumb over the reader, and the door to Ivy’s room unlocked. He was quiet to enter, not wanting to disturb her sleep, but quickly found that his silence was unnecessary. Ivy was seated on the couch, surrounded by family, his family. His mom and a few of the sisters-in-law, along with Carly, filled the space.
They all laughed when he walked through the door, and his ma said, “What are the odds of him walking in at this very moment?”
Another outburst of laughter filled the room. Dace took note of the empty wine bottles and glasses in her hands. “Are you drunk, Ma?”
Laughter broke out once more. He wasn’t sure what he said was as funny as they found it, but it was nice to see Ivy smiling and laughing. There was a sudden pinch in his chest when he realized she was sitting with some of the most important people in his life. Was it safe to let her be around anyone? What if she was the calculated, methodical murderer she was being made out to be? Was it worth putting everyone at risk? Was it fair to label her that way before she was proven guilty? Just as quickly as the panic rose, it settled.
At that moment, no matter what the vague evidence they’d collected alluded to, he knew she wasn’t a killer. Nor was she dangerous. She’d risked her life to save their son and to find Dace. She’d then lied out of fear to protect him and his family. Those weren’t the actions of a lethal con. Those were the actions of someone who loved and loved big. He needed to prove it.
“You look tired, son,” Colleen said. “Let’s clean up and get out of here. You both need your rest. We can visit some more tomorrow.”
Ivy grabbed Colleen’s hand. “Don’t worry about it. I can clean up. It actually feels good to get up and move a little bit now. Let me do it.”
“Nonsense. If you want to get up and move around, you can go for walks with us. Promise, we aren’t very fast,” a very pregnant City said, tossing a thumb to her pregnant counterpart, Daisy.
“Oh, I remember those final days, and I do not envy you right now.” Ivy laughed. “But it’s all worth it in the end when you hold that little one.”
“Or, in their case, little ones – twins,” Colleen said.
“Don’t remind me.” Daisy chuckled. “I freak out enough when I feel both of them fighting over who gets to move. They’re out of room.”
Dace noticed Ivy staring at the expectant mothers’ bellies with a soft smile like she was lost in a pleasant memory of her pregnancy. He wondered what those days were like – imagined how beautiful she must have been. That pinch in his chest returned, and it ached for those memories he’d never get to share and wondered what was worse: missing out on those times with their son altogether, or having him so many years just to lose him to something sinister?
“You okay, honey?” Carly asked? “You look a little pale.”
“Oh, I-I’m fine…just lost in thought, I guess,” Ivy said. “I really am happy for you both. How exciting to have babies so close in age.”
Colleen had returned to the living room to gather the rest of the wine glasses.
“Please, let me take care of those,” Ivy said. “It really is good for me to keep moving now after I’ve been in bed for so long.”
“I’ll make you a deal,” the older woman said. “I’ll move it all to the kitchen, and you wash the glasses.”
“Deal,” Ivy said without hesitation.
“Good because I hate washing dishes.”
The group laughed again as they hugged and said their goodbyes. There was something to be said about these women and how they were naturally drawn to each other – supported each other – and trusted each other…even Ivy. Dace took note of that. Her interactions were pure and kind – there was no act. Ivy was just being Ivy.
Dace hugged each of the ladies as they left and shut the door behind them. He turned to see Ivy standing, staring back at him, waiting anxiously. Her gaze bounced from him to the bag in his hand, then back again.
He held it up. “I brought your things. Thought maybe you’d like to have them.”
“I-I…appreciate that. I’m happy with what your ma and the ladies have picked up for me, but having something familiar is…”
“Comforting.” He finished her sentence.
“Exactly. How was the trip? Did you find anything?” Her eyes began to well with tears. “Cash?”
Dace shook his head, and that’s all it took for those tears to spill over.
She nodded. “It was a long shot, right?”
“We don’t know where he is, but we will find him. We learn more each day. It’s only a matter of time…”
She put up her hands to stop him. “I understand. I, uh, better go wash the wineglasses.”
When she tried to push past Dace to the kitchen, he stopped her. Standing shoulder to shoulder, she felt a familiar sensation course through them. Her breath caught as she looked up, and her eyes met his. There was heat in their stare that made each of them want things they had no right to desire. A nearly audible sense of longing and need thrummed between them.
Only inches from her mouth, Dace caught himself before stealing the kiss he’d dreamed of claiming for years. “Leave them. I’ll help you do them tomorrow. It’s late.”
He stepped away, breaking their moment. Ivy slumped her shoulders, her disappointment clear. His disappointment was nothing new.
“Why don’t you relax, take a bath or shower. I’ll put your things away, and we can both turn in for the night.”
Ivy bit her bottom lip while she mulled something over. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. She dipped her head and made her way to the bathroom in her room, quickly closing the door behind her.
It pained him to let her down in such a way, but he still had a job to do. He set the bag he brought home for her in the corner chair and went to work. Dace pulled open every drawer and looked on every shelf, even cleared her closet. She was hiding something, and he knew it had to be in there. He sat on the edge of her bed and scanned the room. Where would he hide something he didn’t want anyone to find if he had limited physical ability due to injuries?
He’d lifted her mattress and searched – even though it would have been difficult for her and most likely painful. It was a common hiding spot but no luck. He’d even unzipped the chair cushions searching. Where could she easily access something from her bed? Dace sat with his back to the headboard and pillows, legs straight on the bed, just as Ivy had for so many days.