“Oh, I wish you weren’t so worried about stuff like this,” Jack grumbled. “Ivy, I want to spend time with you. I’m sorry about last night. That was not how I saw our date ending.”
“I don’t blame you for what happened last night, Jack,” Ivy said. “Stop thinking that.”
“I won’t stop thinking that until you stop thinking that I don’t want you bringing me food.” Jack’s grin was wolfish. “I happen to love food. You bringing it to me is an added bonus.”
Despite herself, Ivy laughed. “We’re quite the pair,” she said. “I think we’re both a little neurotic.”
“We are,” Jack agreed, squeezing her knee before turning his attention back to the potato salad. “You really went all out. Are there onions in the potato salad?”
Ivy nodded. “Sorry. I forgot about that.”
“It’s okay,” Jack replied. “I just need to do this before I eat it.” He slammed his mouth into hers again, taking her breath away with the kiss.
“Wow.” Ivy checked to make sure her top was still on when Jack pulled away. “That was … I think I lost my sandwich.”
Jack chuckled. “You can have some of mine if you’re good.”
They spent the next few minutes eating in amiable silence, Jack packing up their garbage and securing it in the picnic basket before patting the spot on the blanket between his legs. “Come sit with me.”
Ivy glanced around. They were the only people in the park next to the police station, but it wasn’t exactly a private location. “Aren’t you worried people will talk?”
“Are you worried people will talk?”
“People always talk about me,” Ivy replied. “I don’t mind the gossip. I’m worried it will wear you down, though.”
“Yes, you’re quite the worrier,” Jack said, reaching for Ivy and tugging her closer. He wrapped his arms around her slim waist after getting her settled and rested his chin on her shoulder. “I don’t care what any of these people think about you, honey. I know who you are. I like who you are.”
“You’re only saying that now because you find me exotic,” Ivy argued. “What happens when people start gossiping about you?”
“I don’t know what town you’ve been living in, but Shadow Lake has been gossiping about me since I got here,” Jack replied. “Everyone is desperate to know why I left Detroit to move here. Adding you to the mix merely makes me more exotic.”
“Speaking of that … .” Ivy swallowed hard. “I found out today that Max told my mom and dad what happened to you. I’m so sorry. I … .”
“Shh.”
“Did you just shush me?”
Jack chuckled, the warm sound vibrating against Ivy’s back. “I figured Max would tell your parents,” he said. “It’s not really a secret. I’m not hiding what happened from everyone. I simply don’t want to talk about it with anyone but you.”
“Are you sure you’re not mad?”
“I’m sure,” Jack said, brushing his lips against Ivy’s cheek. “Are you sure you’re not crazy?”
“I might be crazy,” Ivy conceded. “I had an absolute meltdown when my father told me that Max spilled the beans. Then I threatened Max with a tiny shovel.”
Jack grinned. “What did Max do?”
“He told me he was going to rub my face in his armpit if I even considered going after him.”
“Ah, it’s good to see the classics survive every generation,” Jack said. “Anyone with a sister is familiar with the armpit trick.”
“Did you do that to your sister?”
“I did.”
“Then you’re a butthead, too.”
Jack couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “You’re the one thing in this world that always makes me feel better. Do you know that?”
“I do now,” Ivy said, lowering her voice. “I … thank you.”
“That’s a weird reaction, but I’ll take it,” Jack said, kissing her cheek again. “Go ahead and ask your question.”
Ivy wrinkled her nose, puzzled. “What question?”
“You asked about Mark Dalton when we first sat down,” Jack prodded. “I didn’t answer because I wasn’t ready. I’m ready now.”
“Did you learn anything else today?”
“I called over there, but Officer Ellis doesn’t seem keen on sharing information.”
“He always was a tool,” Ivy muttered. “Talk to Brian. He might know someone over there.”
Brian Nixon was Jack’s partner. He knew everyone in Shadow Lake – and his wife was the town’s biggest gossip – but he was popular in neighboring communities, too.
“I’m not sure I want to do that,” Jack admitted. “I’m thinking it might be better for me – better for us even – if I let it go.”
Sympathy washed over Ivy. “I know you don’t want to dwell on it because of what happened, but I think pretending we didn’t witness this is going to eat you alive,” she said. “Maybe if you keep up on the investigation you’ll feel better when it’s solved.”
“That’s … a weird way to look at it.”
“Nothing is going to bring Mark Dalton back, just like nothing is going to change history and make it so you weren’t shot,” Ivy said, her pragmatic side taking over. “You might find … solace … in Mark’s killer being caught. That might help you in ways you can’t even fathom.”
“You have a poetic soul, honey,” Jack said, nuzzling Ivy’s neck. “I need to think about it, though. I … you understand that, right?”
Ivy nodded. “You’re a thinker,” she said. “I’m a worrier and you’re a thinker.”
“You’re also a doer,” Jack pointed out. “You would’ve been on the phone with eight different people in the Bellaire Police Department until someone answered your questions. I made one call and then stewed about it for three hours.”
“I think that’s because you’re a brooder.”
“A brooder?” Jack cocked a challenging eyebrow. “What’s a brooder?”
“You like to brood because you think it makes you sexy.”
“Are you saying you think I’m sexy? I’m pretty sure I already knew that.”
Ivy elbowed him playfully. “I’m saying that … you need to do this in your own time. I can’t force you to do it in my time. It’s okay to be wary and think things over. I like that about you. You
