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I decided that being blunt was the best gift I could give her. “He doesn’t give them enough time to figure out if he can trust them, Poppy. One night is what they get. All they get.”
“Maybe…” But she paused before she could say anything else.
My sister had the biggest heart, and all I wanted was for it to stay that way.
“If he hurt you like that,” I told her quietly. “I’d have to kill him, and I’d hate to kill my best friend. But I would because you’re my sister.”
When she looked up at me, her eyes were shining. “I know you would. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to stop wanting something, even if it’s not good for you.”
“I know, Pops,” I said. “I’d hug you, but …” I plucked at my sweat-soaked shirt, and she wrinkled her nose.
“Please don’t.”
With a smile, she handed me the cut piece of wood and asked what she could help with next. We got back to work, Poppy’s words pressing on a bruise I wasn’t aware of before she said it.
All morning, I’d wondered if my visit to Ivy’s the night before ended up doing more harm than good, but sometimes there was no stopping it when something needed to be said.
I’d know one way or the other when I finally saw her.
Poppy held the framing up while I set it in place with the nail gun and then stood back with a smile. “It’s so cute.”
I tugged my hat off and wiped my arm over my forehead. After I took a drink from my water jug, I pulled my shirt off and tossed it into the bed of my truck.
“It’s not cute,” I said. “It’s big and masculine and sturdy.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay.”
“Good morning.”
At the sound of Ivy’s voice, I stilled.
“Oh my gosh,” Poppy squealed. “Is that the cat?”
I turned slowly and bit down on a smile when I did.
Ivy wore black leggings today, laced-up leather combat boots over her ankles, and a pale purple top tight to her upper body. This might have been her dressed casually, but she still managed to scream money.
And attached to her hand was the cat. On a leash.
Her cheeks were only the slightest shade of pink as she met my stare with a raised brow, and I finally let my smile grow.
“Neville likes a morning walk, does he?”
Poppy glanced up from where she was crouched on the ground petting the cat. “Neville? That’s adorable.”
Ivy’s smile turned smug as she aimed it at me. “I thought so too.”
“Where’d you get the leash? Because I know that wasn’t in the bag I brought over last night.”
Her eyes were clear and direct and interested, and with an uneven thump of my heart, I realized that there was no mask today. No wall.
“Went downtown this morning after breakfast. They told me it was meant for a dog, but I think it’s horribly unfair that cats don’t get to go on walks too.”
“Undoubtedly. Glad to see you’re rectifying this on behalf of Neville.”
Her gaze dropped briefly down my chest and lingered, and if you think I didn’t flex a little bit, you’d be dead wrong. The pink deepened in her cheeks, and I wanted to snatch her face in my hands and kiss her until we couldn’t breathe.
“What are you building?” she asked.
