Jack dejectedly sat on the ground and watched Ivy until police and emergency personnel arrived. There was nothing else he could do.
“SO YOU heard the shots and ran into danger?”
Tim Ellis was a Bellaire mainstay. Ivy knew him from their days as rival high school students, a brief flash of him celebrating on the football field flitting through her brain. He greeted her with a curious look – almost as if he was trying to place her – and then focused on Jack. The emergency responders buzzed around the fallen police officer, but they weren’t showing any signs of urgency.
“I’m a police detective in Shadow Lake,” Jack replied dully, rubbing the back of his neck as he focused his gaze anywhere but on the dead man in the street. “I heard the gunshots and ran around the corner to see if I could help.”
“And you took a civilian?” Tim asked, arching an eyebrow in Ivy’s direction.
Jack scowled. “No. I told her to stay around the corner where it was safe, but she never listens to a word I say.”
Ivy narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me? I ran after you because I was worried.”
“I told you to stay over there,” Jack snapped. “You could’ve been … .” He didn’t finish the sentence. They both knew what could’ve happened. Jack’s expression softened. “Come here,” he murmured, opening his arms so Ivy could step into his embrace. He rested his cheek against her forehead for a moment, purposely ignoring Tim’s annoyed look. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your ice cream.”
“I think I’ll manage,” Ivy replied, squeezing his waist briefly and then releasing him.
Tim knit his eyebrows together as he looked Ivy up and down. “You look familiar,” he said. “Where do I know you from?”
“I own the nursery in Shadow Lake,” Ivy answered, internally rolling her eyes. He’d also hit on her at least eight separate times in high school, his ego getting the better of him despite how many times Ivy shot him down. Now probably wasn’t the best time to bring that up, though. “You bought a bush for your mother two weeks ago.”
Tim nodded and snapped his fingers. “You’re Ivy Morgan,” he said. “We graduated the same year from high school. Everyone in Bellaire used to drive to Shadow Lake because people said you were a witch and we were dying to see it.”
Ivy frowned as Jack’s shoulders stiffened.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Jack asked.
“Nothing,” Tim said, shaking himself back to reality. “I’m sorry. This isn’t the time. I just knew I recognized her and it was bugging me. If it’s any consolation, she wasn’t actually a witch. She was really hot in cutoff shorts, though.”
Jack’s face looked as if it had been carved out of granite. “She’s still really hot in her cutoffs,” he said. “I happen to prefer the skirts she wears, though. Do you want to tell me about your dead co-worker, or should we keep talking about Ivy’s shorts? He’s the one in the middle of the street.”
Ivy rubbed her hand across Jack’s lower back to soothe him.
“Where did you hear the shots from?” Tim asked, returning to business. “Do you think you can leave your date long enough to walk me through it?”
Jack was furious, but he managed to hold his temper in check. “That would be the highlight of my evening.” He glanced down at Ivy. “Can you stay here alone for a few minutes?”
Ivy wordlessly nodded.
“Now, when I say ‘stay here,’ that doesn’t mean follow me into danger,” Jack pressed.
Ivy scorched Jack with a harsh look, which ironically made him feel better. “I’ll be right back,” he said, brushing his lips against her forehead. “Don’t wander around in this area. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
Jack gave her another quick kiss to the forehead. “Let’s get this over with,” he said. “I don’t like being so … exposed … after a shooting. Someone could still be out there … watching us.”
Ivy scanned the trees on the other side of the street. She didn’t sense any immediate danger. That didn’t mean another kind of danger wasn’t waiting for Jack down the road. That would be a worse form of danger. Ivy could feel it.
“DO YOU want to come inside?”
Ivy shuffled nervously on her front porch two hours later, her worried eyes trained on Jack. He’d been mostly silent for their ride home, going through the motions as he hopped out of his truck to walk her to the front door.
“Not tonight,” Jack said quietly, his fingers restlessly roaming the palm of Ivy’s hand. “I’ll take a rain check, though.”
Ivy pursed her lips, a myriad of things on the tip of her tongue to say to him. She didn’t say any of them. “Okay. Have a nice night.” She turned to open her door, but Jack stopped her by pulling her close, hugging her from behind.
“I’m sorry this happened,” he murmured, rubbing his cheek against hers. “I’m sorry I’m being so hard to talk to right now. I just … .”
“It’s okay, Jack,” Ivy soothed, leaning into him and letting him tighten his grip. “This brought back horrible memories for you. I understand. I’m not angry. I promise.”
“I know,” Jack said, his voice barely a whisper. “You never push me. I don’t want you to think I didn’t have a good time. Up until … it happened … I was having the best time. I’m so … sorry.”
“Jack, you didn’t do this,” Ivy chided. “We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was no way you could’ve known that.”
“Next time we’re going on a picnic where no one can find us,” Jack said, kissing Ivy’s cheek. “We’ll be completely alone. I promise.”
“That sounds nice,” Ivy said, turning in his arms so she could rub her thumb against his cheek. “I don’t want you to think I’m coming on to you, but are you sure you want to sleep alone? You can stay here … with me … if you want.”
Jack arched
