Page 52 of Clint & Ivy
“Sure, buddy,” Ford replied and patted Pax on the head. “Do you want a sucker now?”
“Stop flirting with me,” Pax muttered and walked to the kitchen.
“I won that,” Ford told me.
“I’m proud of you,” I replied, making him laugh. “I’m going to go stand with Ivy.”
“Stay with me, boy,” Ford said and grabbed my arm. “You’ll be fully whipped soon. I can’t even begin to imagine how annoying you’ll be once that miniature lady gives you a pint-sized kid. Best to entertain me now before it’s too late.”
I smiled at how my dad had already accepted the inevitability of my future with Ivy. If I had a reputation for impulsive or dumb moves, I wouldn’t receive such flexibility. My family would keep Ivy at a distance and wait for me to come to my senses. All my years of playing things smart and cool were paying off once again.
IVY
After I bawled likea baby in front of everyone, I tried to make a better impression. Shay and Bebe entertained me with stories of their many cooking mishaps. Clint eventually tugged me away from the women and down a hallway where he showed me childhood pictures on the wall.
“You and Elle were so adorable,” I cooed, running my fingers over the photos.
“Ford used to have dark hair. Shay was blonde. You should assume I’ll have a headful of gray hair once I hit middle age.”
“That sounds sexy,” I said and smiled up at him. “Unfortunately, I don’t resemble my mom, so I can’t warn you about what I might look like when I’m older.”
Clint offered me a soft yet fleeting kiss before smiling. “I look forward to spending the next thirty years together and finding out.”
I gripped his shirt as his arms wrapped around me. The future felt too far away. I just wanted to focus on getting through the rest of today.
Two hours later, pulled pork and all the fixings were delivered for dinner. We sat outside at a long table with me between Clint and Elle. Eating quietly, I studied each person, making mental notes about their habits.
Sabrina liked to yell things out and was often egged on by Pax.
Elle frequently hugged Sutter against her, claiming she needed his big brain energy.
Vanessa was often very tired and might have a Vitamin D deficiency.
A stealthy troublemaker, Rowdy would casually say something to upset one person and send them after someone else. Then, he leaned back and enjoyed the show.
Lula looked to be in a constant state of readiness against the craziness from her siblings. Her daughter, Dillon, was a pretty brunette who rolled her big brown eyes so much that I worried for her health.
