Page 42 of Clint & Ivy
“What did you think when you first saw Clint?” Shay asked as we headed toward the water.
“He was the most handsome man I’d ever seen," I replied, skipping how I worried I might die without knowing every feature of his face.
Shay smiled at my words. “He is so handsome. Clint’s kind, too.”
“Was Ford kind when you met him?”
Narrowing her eyes, Shay muttered, “Is that a trick question?”
“Why would I try to trick you?”
“You might be a manipulative person. Or really smart,” Shay said and shrugged. “I’m not the brightest person.”
“I’m sure you’re very smart.”
“No,” Shay said, scowling at me as if I were a troublemaker. Earlier today, Clint warned me never to compliment his mom’s cooking. Apparently, Shay didn’t trust suck-ups. “I was bad at school and a little ditzy.”
“Well, I’m well-read and highly educated,” I replied, making her frown harder. “But I don’t know how anything in the real world works. I’m not even sure how people pay their bills.”
“Huh, it seems you’re a little dumb, too, huh?” Shay mumbled before shrugging. “I can’t imagine you’d ride off with a stranger if you weren’t a little on the ditzy side. That or you’re nuts.”
“I had to choose between staying with my suicidal uncle, asking for help from someone besides Clint in a gas station full of strangers, or riding off with a sexy dreamboat who might kill me. I made the best decision.”
“Well, yes, you did get lucky,” Shay said and sized me up. “It’s so random, don’t you think? How you met my son, and he instantly knew you were special. Like, I think it’s insane, but Clint’s always been smart. He would have done better in school if he weren’t trying to be a version of his too-cool-for-school dad.”
Shay glanced at Clint, who smiled at her attention. “My son wouldn’t be flaky about a woman. It’s not his way. That’s why I’m choosing to believe you aren’t garbage or treacherous.”
Bebe strolled over and smiled at me. “I’ve been sent over by the menfolk to ensure everyone is getting along.”
“This is my partner in crime,” Shay told me while hugging Bebe to her body. “We took down a pervert once. Got shot at another time. We’re tough-ass bitches. Of course, these days, my most trying moment was when my usually reasonable son brought home a well-behaved stranger he met at a gas station.”
“Youarewell-behaved,” Bebe cooed at me. “I’ve long worried Rowdy would bring home a woman from a gas station. Not a tiny sweetheart, either. I always imagined one of those bitches from the ‘Bad Girls Club’ shows. I’d need to worry about her getting into my purse for drug money.”
Unsure what to say, I babbled, “I’ve watched too many movies about drug addicts to ever do drugs myself.”
“Nerd,” a sleepy-eyed Vanessa taunted, walking over to hug her mom away from Shay. “You should at least get stoned when you come to the Sorority House.”
“Don’t be a bad influence,” Bebe warned her tall, blonde daughter.
Shay nodded. “Yeah, I want Clint’s soulmate to stay clean and sober.”
“She’s got a little rebel hiding inside her,” Vanessa stated, giving me a sly grin. “We need to help her release it.”
Smiling at Vanessa’s teasing, I blurted out, “I went wild once. I even drank tequila shots and got a tattoo.”
The three women stared at me in shock. Vanessa’s frozen horror broke first. Her eyes brightened as she sized me up.
“Where is the tattoo?”
“It’s a tramp stamp,” I said and reached for the small of my back.
“Is it slutty?” Vanessa asked, moving around behind me. “No judgement. I’ve got a baby elephant blowing hearts out of its trunk. I can’t really shame anyone.”
“I haven’t shown Clint yet,” I said and covered my lower back, so Vanessa couldn’t tug my shirt up or pants down.
“Clint, get over here!” Vanessa called out. “I don’t have the energy to be told no.”
Vanessa wrapped her arms around me from the back. I wasn't used to affection and froze, thinking she might try to wrestle. Standing half a foot taller than me, Vanessa rested her chin on my head and waved for Clint to join us.
