Caleb rose from his chair with a sheepish grin. “Sometimes only the favorite uncle will do.” He gathered Ellie into his arms, skirt and all, her head flopping against his shoulder. “Can’t help it if all the ladies can’t resist my charms.”
When Caleb returned from settling Ellie in Sarah’s bed Wyatt lobbed a throw pillow across the room, hitting him square in the chest. “It’s the cookies you bribe them with. Cheap tactic.”
Caleb’s grin widened as he slid back into his chair. “Whatever works.”
“It’s getting late.” Sarah stood and began collecting empty glasses, the clink of crystal filling the brief lull in conversation.
Ivy rose automatically, reaching for plates. “Let me help with the dishes.”
“You don’t have to?—”
“Please. I want to.” She stacked the plates, not giving Sarah room to argue.
Sarah’s smile was broad. “Okay then. Thanks, Ivy.” She led the way to the kitchen, their voices fading as the door swung shut.
Ryder stared after them, acutely aware that Ivy had just disappeared into his sister’s territory. Sarah had a lifetime of interrogation instincts sharpened by her badge and wasn’t afraidto use them. He should probably be concerned about what Sarah was asking.
Instead, all he could think about was the muted sound of Ivy’s laugh.
Silence gathered.
He reached for his glass—empty—and set it down again. A log shifted in the fireplace, sparks popping in the lull.
He didn’t need to look up to feel the weight of his brothers’ stares. The air shifted like the pressure drop before a storm. His brothers were about to close in, subtle as a freight train.
Wyatt leaned back in his chair, arms folded. “So.Lady Ivy.”
Here we go.Ryder kept his expression blank.
“She’s lovely.” Caleb swirled the remains of his wine. “And clearly smitten.”
“She’s here for a few more days, then she’s gone.” Ryder said it like a fact, not the fear it was.
“Last I checked, Heathrow still takes arrivals and departures,” Wyatt murmured.
Ryder set his jaw. “I can’t risk it. Not with Ellie.”
“Ellie adores her,” Caleb said. “Kid lit up every time Ivy looked her way. You saw it. We all did.”
“That’s the problem.” Ryder smoothed an imaginary wrinkle in the tablecloth. “Ellie gets attached, and then what? Ivy goes back to England, back to her real life, and my kid’s left wondering why another woman disappeared.”
Wyatt and Caleb exchanged a glance that had his teeth grinding.
“She’s got responsibilities there,” Ryder went on quickly, cutting off whatever they were about to say. “An estate to save. What’s she supposed to do, walk away from that for a medic in Alaska?”
“Funny thing.” Wyatt studied his nails. “Responsibilities don’t stop people who actually want something.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Only because you’re making it complicated,” Caleb said.
Wyatt looked up. “This isn’t about Ivy.”
“The hell it’s not?—”
“This is about Miranda,” Caleb cut in quietly. “And you thinking history’s gonna repeat itself.”
Ryder shook his head.
