Page 60 of Meet Me in Ivy Falls

I did my regular preliminary scan of her. Her eyes were clear. There wasn’t even a whiff of booze on her breath. ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’

‘I sort of did. Remember when I told you I wanted to buy something special? It was a plane ticket.’

‘Fine, but why keep it a secret?’

She was acting sober but a low swirling in my gut said this was much more than a surprise visit.

‘I thought it’d be fun. And…’ She hesitated before looking down at the beat-up Doc Martens on her feet.

Okay, here we go. The real truth.

‘To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get on the plane and come. Too much history, you know.’ Her voice wobbled and the heavy wool coat she pulled over her bony shoulders swallowed her much too thin frame.

‘I’m glad you’re here,’ I said, pulling her into a hug.

‘Where have you been?’ She wiggled her eyebrows. ‘I’ve been here since three in the morning. Knocked on the door at least a dozen times.’

‘Why didn’t you call me?’ I asked.

She scratched at her black hair which hung in tangles around her pale face. ‘I fell asleep.’

‘Have you eaten?’ I asked.

‘No and it’s been a while since I’ve had blueberry pancakes.’

My heart stuttered at the mention of our mother’s specialty. ‘Of course it has. Come inside and let’s get you settled.’

I wrapped her into another hug even though that small tug of worry warned this was much more than an out-of-the-blue visit.

Chapter Twenty-Six

TORRAN

Like A Starry-Eyed Teenager.

Things moved in a hurry once Hearth and Home secured the filming permit. A crew of people descended on the house along with a truckload of equipment. I hadn’t heard from Beck about dinner, but I figured he was as caught up in his work as I was. Even though I was busy answering Lauren’s constant questions, and following Manny’s directions on what project needed attention next, flickers of that night with Beck filled my head. The way he seemed to know exactly where to touch me. How we moved in a rhythm that said we’d never been apart.

The questions that buzzed in my head for years were finally answered and it felt like for the first time a heavy weight was lifted off my chest. That a full breath could finally fill my lungs. Seeing Beck, his bare chest covered in a patchwork of jagged skin like an embattled warrior, it was impossible not to forgive him. Fold him into my arms and offer comfort when his whole body quaked as he spoke about Piper, the fire and his parents’ deaths.

A sudden thud on the roof brought me back to the moment. Manny had been supervising the crew for days and finally there wasn’t a giant hole in the hallway ceiling. I forced myself to focus back on work, pushing away the thought and scent of Beck.

Even with an entire crew at the house, we were days behind schedule. We needed to get back on track if we were going to make our July deadline.

My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my pocket hoping it was Beck, but it was only a reminder from Tessa that I’d promised the girls I’d be home for dinner tonight.

I released a low breath and headed for the master bathroom. From the doorway, I surveyed the floor and began constructing a pattern in my head for the white mosaic tile. It wasn’t original to the house, but it was as close to the time period as I could get.

Rechecking my measurements for the space, I went to work laying down a chalk line in front of the spot where we planned to put a claw-foot tub. My plan was to work outwards toward the toilet, stopping to cut specific pieces to fit around its base.

Once I was convinced everything was done right, I positioned the tile in a perfect pattern until thoughts of Beck crept back into my head again. The way he’d hissed my name as I touched the scars etched into his chest. How he’d moved over me, taking his time to kiss every inch of my heated skin. The agonizing moments he’d slowly worshipped my body until he brought me to a high I never thought possible.

My skin flushed and I shook away the memory. This wasn’t the time to be distracted. The tile had to be laid right or it would screw up the entire layout for the bathroom.

After a few minutes of sketching out a plan, I went to work. With an electric drill, I mixed fortified thin-set mortar in a bucket with water. When it was the right consistency, I applied the mortar to the subfloor using a notched trowel. Spreading the mixture in a wide swath, I made sure not to obscure my chalk line. Once I was satisfied with the application, I laid down the first sheet of mosaic tiles flush with the line. I pressed down the tile with a rubber float and then repeated the process, making sure to maintain consistent joints between tile sheets.

Two hours later my back throbbed, and even though I wore knee pads, the ache in my shins warned of tight muscles tomorrow. I surveyed the room and couldn’t help but smile at the finished product.

My phone beeped and I hated that my heart picked up rhythm once I recognized Beck’s number.