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“Yes, sir, they came in,” he leaned back inside his little building and looked at his logbook, “a little after nineteen-hundred.”
“Very good.” Cole rolled his window up, and we carried on.
“Any idea if Frank is with them?” Cole asked his father quietly.
“No, the altercation at the end of the visit made him decide to stay there.”
Altercation? I wondered what that was about, but my training prevented me from asking.
Once inside the garage, we stripped off our gear and headed inside for a hot shower and some much-needed food.
Abigail and Savannah had outdone themselves with three different types of chili. The fresh rolls melted in my mouth, and after two helpings, I felt the warmth spread from the inside out.
“Quinn and Davie are here. They helped bring the rest of the food down to the mud hall for the shift change,” Savannah informed Cole, who smiled at her. “You know I hate them out there in this weather.” He leaned over and kissed her, then gave her a reassuring pat.
“How was your trip to Washington?” June asked Dr. Roberts, who looked like he had been through hell and back. He pulled out his chair, placed his napkin on his lap, then removed his glasses and rubbed the red spots they’d left on his nose.
“That bad, huh?” June reached over and patted his hand as she gave Cole a strange look.
“Where’s Ivy?” I leaned back in my chair to see the kitchen was empty.
“She decided to skip dinner this evening.” Dr. Roberts forced a smile at me. “She’s a bit tired from our trip.” I nodded and went back to my meal.
“Can I get her anything?” Savannah whispered, but I read her lips.
“She won’t eat. I tried.”
I closed my eyes and hoped to hell this wasn’t my doing. Guilt hit my chest hard. I knew even if it wasn’t my fault, I needed to fix my part in whatever was going on.
“I need to make a few calls. Thank you for that delicious meal. I feel much better.” I removed my dishes and headed for the kitchen to load them in the dishwasher. Once I was finished, I headed up the stairs and down the hall. I knocked quietly on her door.
“Ivy?” I called. “Can we talk?”
Nothing.
I tried the handle, and the door opened.
She stood with her back to me as she looked out the window. She wore a pink silk robe that stopped mid-thigh. Lord, the woman could bring me to my knees without even trying. Her wavy hair was loose around her shoulders, and it was obvious she wasn’t expecting company tonight. The fireplace snapped and popped as the strong winds nailed the window with rain pellets.
“Hey,” I whispered and closed the door behind me, “I know I’ve been a mess lately, and you were in the crossfire.” I let my mouth run. “I want to talk to you about the guy you were dating and my part in that, but most of all I just wanted to say I’m sorry. You’re the last person I’d want to upset.”
She stood perfectly still. I wished she’d turn so I could read her face.
“I suck at this stuff,” I tried again, “but you get me to this point where even if someone glances at you, I want to hurt them. I get how it sounds, but…” She moved her hands to cover her mouth, and suddenly something strange passed through me.
“Ivy,” my tone hardened, “turn around and look at me.” Her arms fell to her sides and her shoulders tensed. “Turn.” Slowly, she turned her body, but her hair blocked part of her face. I stepped closer to get a good look at her. She reached up a hand to stop me.
“Ty,” she sobbed, and I felt my stomach sink, “you should go.”
“No.” I grabbed her hand as I slowly moved close. “What happened?” I brushed her hair back from her face and saw that her cheeks were wet with tears. One cheek was slightly swollen. “Ivy, what the hell happened?”
“He,” her entire body shook, “he…”
“He who?”
“Ty, he was in my house.” She grabbed my arms as if to anchor herself, but I pulled her in, holding her tight as she sobbed. I wanted to press for answers, I wanted to know who I would have to kill, but right now she needed me. “I can’t do this Ty.” She shook her head. “I’m not this person.” I wasn’t sure what she meant, so I kept my arms around her. “I…he was in my bed.” I froze and pushed back the urge to call Frank and get some damn answers. “I haven’t slept in weeks. I was holding it together, but now I feel like I’m becoming unhinged. I hate feeling like this, exposed and vulnerable.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” I promised and kissed her head to seal my words.
