“Yes. And thanks for sacrificing your Friday night to make sure I don’t end up as a true crime documentary.”
Ivy bursts out laughing and waves me off. “Are you kidding? I’m usually at Eden with Ash on Fridays anyway. This just gives me something fun to do while we’re there.”
“Laney, want a glass of wine?” Ash calls from the kitchen.
I glance over, surprised. “Uh… sure, if that’s okay?”
“One glass won’t hurt,” Ash says with a wink. “I promised your dad you wouldn’t drink at Eden, but I made no promises about my apartment.” I laugh as she raises an eyebrow at me. “Red or white?” she asks.
“Red, please.”
“Ivy?”
“Same for me,” Ivy answers.
As Ash pours the wine, Ivy glances over at me with a curious smile. “So… this guy you’re meeting, is he your age?”
“He’s a little older,” I reply. “Twenty-two. And he’s a cop.”
Ash looks up from the kitchen, eyebrows raised. “A cop? Which station?”
“Hope Creek.”
“No way!” she says, sounding surprised. “That’s where Nash works. I bet they know each other!”
Ivy leans in a little closer. “Do you have a photo of him? You said you met him online, right?”
I nod. “I can show you his profile,” I say, pulling out my phone.
“Wait for me!” Ash says, hurrying over with two glasses of wine. She hands one to me, the other to Ivy, then jogs back to grab her own before settling on the coffee table in front of us. “Okay, ready!”
I laugh and open Ryan’s profile, scrolling through his photos as I hold out my phone.
“He’s cute,” Ashlyn says, nodding in approval.
“He’s more than cute,” Ivy adds, giving me a playful wink. “Scroll back to that shirtless pic.”
I laugh, locking the screen. “He’s no Wyatt Brookes, but he seems like a nice guy.”
Ivy’s eyes gleam. “Oh, so you’re a Wyatt fan?”
My cheeks burn as I realize what I said, and Ivy laughs.
“Don’t worry.” She grins. “We’ve all been there.”
Ash shoots Ivy a look. “Wait a second. Since when were you a Wyatt fan?”
“Oh, come on,” Ivy says with a laugh. “I had the biggest crush on him when we were teenagers. Your brothers are hot, Ash.”
Ashlyn looks genuinely surprised. “You never told me that!”
“I didn’t want it to be weird,” Ivy says with a shrug. “I was just a kid, and he wasn’t interested in me anyway. I got over it.”
“You should have said something, you idiot,” Ash says with a grin, pulling her in for a quick hug.
“I’m fine, Ash,” Ivy says, hugging her back. “Trust me, I’m not pining over any of your brothers.”
“Good,” Ash replies, laughing. “Because that would be weird.”
