There’s something else I want to look for down here.” She turned her back and started digging through more boxes.
Ivy wrapped her arms around the pot and lifted the heavy wishing tree from the bench. She picked her way up the stairs carefully, the tree branches blocking her view as she entered the kitchen.
“I heard it but I didn’t believe it,” a voice said.
She started, then peered over the branches. “Hello toyou too, Owen.” She went past him and set the tree down on the counter before turning to face him. “Good to see you,” she offered, even if it wasn’t totally true. After everything happened he’d at first been icy cold, then politely distant. Now he seemed to be back to his old cocky self.
He reached out to give her a hug and she went, a bit woodenly, into his arms, forcing herself to hug back, to try to remember what it felt like for this to be natural, easy.
“I’m finally going to be your brother-in-law, like, officially.”
She stepped back, creating a comfortable space between them. “Yeah. That’s … exciting.”
He smirked at her. “You’re a bad actress.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She crossed her arms in front of her.
“I’d just love to know why you’re really here.” He crossed his arms too, mocking her. He always did know just how to get under her skin, the brother she never had.
“I’m here to help with the wedding. See?” She pointed at the dilapidated pot of branches on the counter. “I’m in charge of the wishing tree.”
His eyes followed the direction of her finger. “If that’s where people are putting their wishes for us, we’re in big trouble.”
“I’m going to fix it,” she retorted with an eye roll. Owen always could bring out her inner teenager.
“Where’s your hubby?”
“Home.” She added, “In Asheville,” as if he didn’t know where she lived. Of course he hadn’t ever visited. None of them had.
Owen just nodded, sizing her up with those knowing eyes of his. Five years ago he was the first one to guess that there was something she wasn’t telling them. He’d given her a look a lot like the one he was giving her now.
“Well, tell him I said hi, by all means. I mean, when you talk to him.” His eyes darted to the front window, studying the house across the street.
“I will,” she said, glancing around the room as she tried to think of an excuse to get away from Owen.
“By the way,” he added, turning back to her and fixing her with his gaze. “Shea was trying to call you earlier. Said your service has been disconnected. Isn’t it kind of hard to talk to your husband if you don’t have a phone?”
“I had to cancel my service. It was a business account and we’re closing the business, as you might’ve heard.” The lie tumbled right out of her mouth. Is this what Elliott felt like all those times he lied to her? Was he taken aback by the shock that registered seconds after the exhilaration of coming up with just the right excuse? She didn’t want to think about Elliott, and she certainly didn’t want to discuss him with Owen.
“Yeah, I heard about that. Tough break,” Owen replied without an ounce of sympathy. Looking at him, she knew he was a little glad she had failed.
If he only knew
.
“Which is also why I’m here. Elliott understood my need to get away.”
For more reasons than you need to know about
, she didn’t add.
“Well, it sounds like you’re going to land on your feet, regardless.” He clasped his hands together in front of him. “You always do.”
She was about to argue with him when Shea came bouncing into the room. She didn’t need the pogo stick anymore.
“Hey, you,” Shea said, reaching for Owen and planting a kiss on his lips with a loud smack. Ivy looked away. She was never very comfortable around public displays of affection, but especially not now when her own love life was in shambles. When was the last time she’d felt free to walk into a room and simply
Ivy wrapped her arms around the pot and lifted the heavy wishing tree from the bench. She picked her way up the stairs carefully, the tree branches blocking her view as she entered the kitchen.
“I heard it but I didn’t believe it,” a voice said.
She started, then peered over the branches. “Hello toyou too, Owen.” She went past him and set the tree down on the counter before turning to face him. “Good to see you,” she offered, even if it wasn’t totally true. After everything happened he’d at first been icy cold, then politely distant. Now he seemed to be back to his old cocky self.
He reached out to give her a hug and she went, a bit woodenly, into his arms, forcing herself to hug back, to try to remember what it felt like for this to be natural, easy.
“I’m finally going to be your brother-in-law, like, officially.”
She stepped back, creating a comfortable space between them. “Yeah. That’s … exciting.”
He smirked at her. “You’re a bad actress.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She crossed her arms in front of her.
“I’d just love to know why you’re really here.” He crossed his arms too, mocking her. He always did know just how to get under her skin, the brother she never had.
“I’m here to help with the wedding. See?” She pointed at the dilapidated pot of branches on the counter. “I’m in charge of the wishing tree.”
His eyes followed the direction of her finger. “If that’s where people are putting their wishes for us, we’re in big trouble.”
“I’m going to fix it,” she retorted with an eye roll. Owen always could bring out her inner teenager.
“Where’s your hubby?”
“Home.” She added, “In Asheville,” as if he didn’t know where she lived. Of course he hadn’t ever visited. None of them had.
Owen just nodded, sizing her up with those knowing eyes of his. Five years ago he was the first one to guess that there was something she wasn’t telling them. He’d given her a look a lot like the one he was giving her now.
“Well, tell him I said hi, by all means. I mean, when you talk to him.” His eyes darted to the front window, studying the house across the street.
“I will,” she said, glancing around the room as she tried to think of an excuse to get away from Owen.
“By the way,” he added, turning back to her and fixing her with his gaze. “Shea was trying to call you earlier. Said your service has been disconnected. Isn’t it kind of hard to talk to your husband if you don’t have a phone?”
“I had to cancel my service. It was a business account and we’re closing the business, as you might’ve heard.” The lie tumbled right out of her mouth. Is this what Elliott felt like all those times he lied to her? Was he taken aback by the shock that registered seconds after the exhilaration of coming up with just the right excuse? She didn’t want to think about Elliott, and she certainly didn’t want to discuss him with Owen.
“Yeah, I heard about that. Tough break,” Owen replied without an ounce of sympathy. Looking at him, she knew he was a little glad she had failed.
If he only knew
.
“Which is also why I’m here. Elliott understood my need to get away.”
For more reasons than you need to know about
, she didn’t add.
“Well, it sounds like you’re going to land on your feet, regardless.” He clasped his hands together in front of him. “You always do.”
She was about to argue with him when Shea came bouncing into the room. She didn’t need the pogo stick anymore.
“Hey, you,” Shea said, reaching for Owen and planting a kiss on his lips with a loud smack. Ivy looked away. She was never very comfortable around public displays of affection, but especially not now when her own love life was in shambles. When was the last time she’d felt free to walk into a room and simply
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