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“What are you afraid of, Dad?” I asked.
He looked over at me and smiled. “Nothing, son.” Then he nodded at my coffee mug, still sitting between us. “Now drink your coffee. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”
I laughed under my breath. “Yes, sir.”
Mom returned from her doctor’s appointment while we sat and talked, waving us off when we tried to ask her how it went. “Heavens,” she said. “They squished my boobs and told me I have high blood pressure. What else do you want to know?”
I pinched my eyes closed. “Nothing, honestly.”
“Ian tell you about the leak in the roof?” she asked.
I nodded, picking up the mug and transferring the coffee to a travel cup. “Yup. I’ll fix it after dinner.”
She patted my cheek. “Have a good day at work. Be nice to your scary new client.”
“Fucking Ian,” I muttered.
“I’m sure she’s much nicer than your brother says.”
I exhaled heavily. “I don’t know, Mom. I’ll have to let you know after a couple more days.”
“Maybe I’ll bring her some cookies or something,” Mom said.
My eyebrows rose skeptically. “Not sure she’d want a welcome basket.”
Mom waved it off. “Everyone likes to feel wanted in a new place.”
Everyone except Ivy, sure.
“You look tired, Cameron.”
“I am tired, Mom.” I swiped a hand over my face and gave her a quick hug. Worry creased her face when she pulled back to study mine. “What?”
“I don’t usually lose sleep thinking about you, Cameron. Is it time I start?”
I patted her shoulder. “No. I’ll be fine.”
“You taken your bike out lately?” she asked. “You used to do that a lot more.”
“Haven’t had time,” I admitted. “These days, if I have the time to sit, I’m over here with you.”
She hummed. “Well, maybe make some time for yourself, all right?”
By the time I arrived at the jobsite, the barn doors were open, and a few pieces of the furniture were already moved into the open space, along with stacks of framed photos plucked from the wall. And Ivy was leaning against the hood of her car, watching them work with a stony expression on her face.
If she registered the sound of my truck pulling next to her car, she did an incredible job of hiding it.
Today was another black dress, this one with white pinstripes and little cap sleeves. Her hair was back, and her lips were red. I watched while Wade left the house and gave her a quick, nervous glance, scurrying a box of items out to the barn and then marching back inside.
Ian came out with an end table in each hand, narrowing his eyes in her direction when she slowly crossed her arms over her stomach. I shook my head, getting out of the truck and walking toward her.
She didn’t turn her head, but she inhaled slowly when I joined her in leaning on the hood of her car.
“Riveting stuff,” I said. “How long you been standing here?”
“Not too long.”
Ivy smelled clean but not soft or flowery. It was citrusy and sharp, and I tried not to make it obvious that I was filling my lungs with whatever clung to her skin.
