Page 68 of Clint & Ivy
As my mind zeroed in on Ivy’s “health issue,” I considered her recent exhaustion. I assumed she was overwhelmed emotionally, but what if she had something genuinely wrong with her?
“Did they hint at what her health issue is?”
“No. Like I said, the filing was vague. Did she mention anything?”
“No,” I mumbled and exhaled hard.
“This woman is a stranger,” Lula pointed out before adding, “You can walk back what’s happening.”
“I assume by ‘walking back,’ you mean how we’re trying to get her shit from Reno,” I muttered while Lula watched me with a wary gaze.
“She’s keeping secrets.”
“Of course. We met two days ago. She’s been surrounded by new people. We’ve only had a few hours here and there to be alone. Of course, she hasn’t told me everything.”
“I’m not trying to piss on your parade here, Clint. But this woman could be literallyanyone. All we know is her name and address. You’re banking your safety on her being worth the effort.”
Exhaling deeply, I muttered, “Your divorce left you jaded.”
“No, my marriage left me that way. I know how people can fool themselves. That’s what I believe is happening right now with you. Ivy isn’t the only one telling the lies. You are, too. You’ve convinced yourself that she’s so special that nothing else matters. Do you even like her?”
I studied Lula and considered her marriage to Jarred. They made sense on paper, and she was a pragmatic woman.
Except, having felt this connection with Ivy, I couldn’t understand why Lula chose to settle with a man who didn’t make her crazy. She was a beautiful, successful woman, yet she accepted an easy solution to a nonexistent problem. There was no need for her to marry anyone.
Of course, everyone had their own blind spots. That was what Lula thought was happening to me right now with Ivy. But it was actually what happened with her years ago.
I suspected Lula’s issues stemmed from her early childhood. She wasn’t like her babied younger siblings with two loving parents. A part of Lula remembered an unsafe world. Maybe that’s why she was in such a hurry to settle with a stable man she didn’t love.
“I wasn’t looking for a woman,” I told Lula. “I liked my life the way it was. And, in all honesty, a relationship is inconvenient. Half of my day has been spent focused on Ivy. It’s like a second job. Now, with this health thing and her uncle making trouble, I feel a pressure I wish I wasn’t facing right now.”
“Does that mean you’re coming to your senses, then?”
“I’ve been sensible since the first moment I met Ivy. Otherwise, I might have walked away and always regretted that decision. But I knew she was mine.”
“How?” Lula asked, staring horrified as if I’d lost my damn mind.
“Something came alive inside me. Like a part of my heart opened for only her.”
Lula considered my words. She was overly rational at times. I saw how she could seem cold to people. But Lula’s biggest stumbling block was her fear of being wrong or embarrassing herself.
“Our fathers both took on women with baggage. Your mom came with an obnoxious kid,” I said, making her grin. “Everyone said you were a tyrant back in the day. But Pax wanted Bebe, so he was willing to ride through hell to keep her.”
Seeing how Lula’s gaze softened, I continued, “That’s what I’m choosing to do with Ivy. If backing down to the asshole uncle keeps Ivy safe, I’m willing to do it. If he needs to cease breathing, I’ll do that, too. I need this woman to stay with me. Everything else is secondary.”
Lula’s dark eyes were like warm chocolate. Their softness lulled many people into believing she was a teddy bear.
Proving her unflinching nature, she asked, “What if you find out this woman is fucked up in some way?”
“I already know she is. Ivy can’t drive or pick her own clothes. She has no idea about the real world. If I let her, she’d hide in the condo and play with Hanzee all day. Maybe she’s that way because of her family, or she might have deeper issues. But I can’t walk away.”
“Then, I will fly out to Reno and get her shit packed up. If they claim she’s too sick to make her own decisions, you’ll need to get your girlfriend into a doctor to run tests and prove she’s of sound mind. Are you ready to jump through those hoops?”
“Yes, but I already regret going the legal route rather than killing the guy and stealing her shit.”
“Of course,” she said, reaching over to pat my chest. “You’re very scary, Clint. Everyone says so.”
Grinning at her taunt, I texted Rowdy to ask if he wanted to travel with his sister to Reno. Based on how fast he agreed, I assumed Lula already suggested the idea to him before we arrived.
