It was an order, not a request. Even though Ivy would’ve preferred sitting almost anywhere else — including next to her mother — she knew better than arguing. It was likely that her father would say something to make her cry before the night was out, and there was little she hated more than looking fragile in front of her family.
“How are things at the nursery?” Ivy asked, hoping the change in subject would distract everybody. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to check in as much as I would like over the past few days but ... it just hasn’t worked out.”
“So I’ve heard.” Michael’s expression was grave. “Max says that you’re being mistreated by the man heading up your work crew. I think something should be done about it.”
Ivy murdered her brother with a dark look. “Why are you getting him all worked up?” She was exasperated. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Hey, you’re my sister.” Max squared his shoulders. He was used to Ivy’s fiery temper and knew she would be angry that he dared talk out of turn. He refused to apologize, though. “You look like death warmed over. You have dark circles under your eyes ... and you’re afraid. I saw you running back to your car this afternoon and it wasn’t just that you were eager to return home.”
Jack snapped his head up, his eyes firing. “What happened? What didn’t you tell me?”
“Who cares about that?” Luna Morgan, Ivy’s mother, challenged. She also had a fiery temper and it was on full display today. “I want to know why you haven’t had her transferred to another job yet. You’re a police officer. You should be able to call in favors.”
“That’s what I want,” Jack reassured her. “In fact, that’s what I want more than anything. I’ve been ... cut off ... from that avenue.”
“How so?” Michael leaned forward. “Why can’t you help?”
Before Jack could respond, Ivy turned her full attention to Felicity and Dorian. They sat together on the opposite side of the table, their fingers linked on the tabletop, and looked absolutely in love. They also looked beyond concerned.
“How are you guys?” Ivy queried, desperate to change the subject. “You look happy. Like ... really happy.” She beamed at them. “I’m guessing things are going well.”
“They’re going well,” Felicity confirmed. “We’re thinking of taking a trip to the Upper Peninsula before the wedding, although that’s still up in the air. It might have to wait until after the wedding. We’re both swamped at work.”
“Well, it’s not that long of a wait.”
“No,” Felicity agreed. “We’re not talking about us, though. We’re talking about you. I don’t want to pile on Jack here along with everybody else — under most circumstances I would believe that unfair — but I have to agree with your mother here. Why aren’t you doing something, Jack?”
Ivy felt Jack stiffen and her heart recoiled. This was not how she wanted the night to go ... and she blamed Max. “This is your fault,” she hissed, glaring at her brother. “Why couldn’t you just keep your mouth shut? All I wanted was to park my car at your lumberyard. I shouldn’t get punished for that.”
Max made a protesting sound. “Hey, I’m trying to look out for you. That’s my job as your big brother.”
“Freaking out Mom and Dad is your job?” Ivy was incensed. “It’s like I can’t trust you for anything.”
“Oh, knock that off,” Jack said finally, rubbing his forehead. “Max is doing what he thinks is right. You can’t blame him for worrying about you. It’s not fair ... for anybody concerned. The only reason I agreed to your demands that we not talk about it is because you seemed to need it.
“Well, the cat is out of the bag,” he continued. “Your family knows you’re having a rough time of it. That’s not a bad thing. They love you. They want to help.”
“We do want to help,” Luna agreed. “I still want to know why you haven’t done something to help her out, though.”
“Because ... .” Jack wasn’t sure how to respond. He felt like an absolute failure as a fiancé. He was convinced there was no worse feeling in the world. “There are ... constraints ... to my position,” he started. “I want to do what I can, but Ivy thinks it’s a bad idea.”
Luna turned an incredulous look on her daughter. “Are you crazy? You’re engaged to a police detective. There aren’t a lot of perks that go along with that position. This is one of them. Take advantage of it.”
“No.” Ivy adamantly shook her head. “I don’t want to abuse the system. That’s not right.”
“Um, you were arrested for a stupid reason,” Michael argued. “You shouldn’t be trapped in the system in the first place.”
“Well, I am. It’s too late to go back in time. I’m stuck here now, and I’m not going to risk Jack’s job — or getting extra community service hours — because I want special treatment. It’s not going to happen, so ... just let it go.”
Clearly still fuming, Luna folded her arms over her chest and stared at a spot above Ivy’s head. That allowed Amy, who hated it when anybody fought thanks to a fraught past, to redirect the conversation.
“So, I hear a body was found out there,” she started.
Ivy nodded as she rubbed her hands over her skirt. “Sasha Carmichael. It’s tragic. I wasn’t the one who found her, though. It was a guy on my crew.”
“That is tragic,” Michael noted grimly. “I know her parents. I can’t imagine what they’re going through.”
“I knew her a little bit,” Amy volunteered, taking Ivy by surprise.
“You did?” Jack shifted on his chair. “How did you know her?”
“She came
