The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster

Chapter Seventeen

“All week,” Hope complained, “you’ve been keeping a secret. Don’t deny it, because I can tell. Give, already.”

Ivey laughed. She and Hope were so close, it was impossible to distract her. God knew Ivey had tried, talking about Hope’s upcoming wedding. And then there was news of her expanding relationship with Charity.

Ivey had met Hope’s sister when she came to the clinic to share lunch. It was obvious the woman was truly remorseful. Not only because of what she said, but how she confided in Hope and how Hope reciprocated.

They’d fallen into an easy rapport that belonged exclusively to sisters, whether they were blood sisters, like Charity and Hope—or sisters found through friendship, as was the case with Ivey.

These days, her heart felt so full it was almost scary.

Because Lang slept over with Hope each night, Ivey and Corbin had switched up reading to Justin. Neither of them was as dramatic a reader as Uncle Lang, but Justin preferred snuggling close to her.

With his dad, he had long talks before each book. With Lang, he laughed a lot. And with Ivey, he indulged all the cuddles.

“I’m just happy,” Ivey finally said to Hope as she finished stitching up a bite mark in a cat’s side. Apparently the cat had slipped out the door, then gotten a little too close to a neighboring Rottweiler who wasn’t a fan. Luckily the cat wasn’t seriously hurt. The bite would heal, but Ivey knew it could have been a lot worse. And elderly Mrs. Tassie would have been devastated.

This was one of those very rewarding circumstances where she could heal an animal and reassure a truly wonderful pet owner.

“It’s more than that,” Hope insisted while keeping all her attention on the cat. “Yesterday when we were floating in the lake, you had this faraway look in your eyes, and you kept smiling for no apparent reason.”

Ivey had all kinds of reasons, actually. “The water was warm, Daisy enjoyed her swimming lesson, I love my flamingo float you gave me and it was so pretty how the blue skies reflected on the surface of the lake. It was all just so relaxing and serene.”

“Daisy did like swimming, didn’t she?”

“She gets more confident and outgoing every day.” Much like Hope. “Justin has been good for her. I was afraid she’d miss him when he was off playing with his grandmother, but so far, she’s adapted well even to that.”

“Yes, she has, and I agree that’s all wonderful,” Hope said. “But I know you too well to think that’s all it is. So tell me, already, because I’m dying to know.”

“All right.” Ivey smiled as she put in the last stitch. “Corbin said he loves me.”

After a suspended second of silence, Hope snorted. “That’s not news. Everyone knew he did.”

“Well, now he’s admitted it. And that is news.”

As if she couldn’t credit such a thing, Hope asked, “Were you really uncertain?”

“No. He made me feel loved in a hundred different ways. I did worry that he might be too overwhelmed with worries to realize it, though. But, Hope, he said the sweetest things about me.”

Teasing, she replied, “I say sweet things about you all the time.”

“And I love you for it.” With the surgery complete, the conversation paused as they moved the cat to recovery.

With that done, Ivey removed her gloves and washed her hands. “I’m going to stay here a while to monitor him until he’s fully awake.” She didn’t want to let Mrs. Tassie take him home until she knew he’d be okay.

“I can stay with you,” Hope offered.

“No way. You and Lang are still celebrating.”

“We have our whole lives to do that.” She hesitated, then added, “But Charity was coming by.”

“Wonderful.” Ivey was so happy that Hope had her sister back, she would never get in the way of that. Shooing her, she said, “Go on. I’ll be fine.”

It took some convincing, but Hope finally gave in. She opened the door to step out and nearly collided with Karen.

Looking back over her shoulder, Karen slipped in and closed the door. “Your last appointment of the day is here, but it’s your ex. He has a kitten with him, and he wants to see you specifically. I told him that you were in surgery, so—”

Ivey laughed. “Thank you, Karen, but it’s fine. You can send him to one of the rooms. I’ll be there shortly.”

She got Hope on her way, texted Corbin that she’d be late, checked the cat one more time and then hurried to the exam room.

Geoff was there, waiting, a small kitten in his lap.

“Ivey, hello.” He got hurriedly back to his feet. “I’m sorry about this. I know it’s the end of your day and—”

“It’s okay. I planned to stick around a little while anyway to monitor my patient, at least until his anesthesia wears off.”

“I know you have techs, and Hope could have dealt with it, but I wanted to talk to you anyway.”

She gave a polite smile. “So. You got a kitten?” She took the adorable little fur ball out of his hands. It was an all-black male with blue eyes, looked to be three or four months old and had a very sweet meow.

Geoff cleared his throat. “It’s actually my girlfriend’s cat. She got called into work.”

Whoa, what was this? “Girlfriend?”

“That’s why I wanted to see you. To let you know I won’t be a pest anymore.”

She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Because I’m blundering.” He ran a hand over his hair. “I didn’t want you to think I was still being an ass. Like you suggested, I moved on. Now I’m with Amy, and...” He shrugged. “I just thought I should tell you.”

She saw the sincerity in his eyes and knew he needed her to really see him, to know he wasn’t still hung up on her. “What wonderful news. Geoff, I’m so happy for you.”

His gaze searched hers, then his smile came slowly. “I believe you really mean that.”

“Well, of course I mean it. You’re a terrific guy and you deserve the best. Tell me about her.”

“Her name is Amy. She’s pretty and smart, and she has a lot of style. You’d like her, Ivey. Everyone does. She’s a buyer for the department store. We’re, ah...living together.”

“Already?” Truly, Geoff looked madly in love. “Good for you.”

“I won’t screw up again,” he stated. “I’m sorry that I had to learn with you, Ivey. You deserved better. But I have learned, and I think Amy and I have the real deal.”

“I’m glad.” She really was. Now that she was so happily involved, she wanted the same for everyone.

Still with a smile, he said, “You never loved me, did you? Not really.”

Since he appeared so well-grounded, Ivey didn’t mind giving him the full truth. “No, I don’t think I did. At least, not the way I love Corbin.”

“He’s a good guy, isn’t he?”

“He’s...incredible.” She gave a soft laugh. “Don’t get me started or I’ll spend this whole appointment singing his praises.”

“I wouldn’t mind.” He smiled again. “His kid is cute.”

“I love him like he was my own.” She couldn’t wait to get home to see Corbin and Justin both.

Geoff tipped his head, studying her, then nodded. “I’m sorry I wasted two years of your life. I mean that, Ivey.”

“Nonsense.” She began to look over the cat. “It wasn’t a waste at all, because it helped me understand what I really wanted.”

“You didn’t already know?”

“Until I found it, I had no idea.”

Slowly, he grinned. “Same for me.”

This new, easy camaraderie with Geoff felt far more special than what they’d had as a couple. “If anyone should apologize, it’s me. In many ways, I used you. I wanted something specific in life, and even though our relationship wasn’t it, I was afraid to let you go.”

“I understand that. After you ended things...” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I felt like I’d been kicked in the teeth.” He gave a crooked grin. “I did love you, Ivey, but Amy is... She’s everything.”

Ivey touched his arm. “With her, you feel like the best version of you?”

Surprised, he lifted his brows, considered it and then nodded. “Yeah, that’s it exactly.”

“It’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it? And who knows, Geoff? Maybe we needed that time together to figure it all out. I don’t regret it, I promise.”

“Whew. I’m so glad. And seriously, Ivey, I’m happy for you, too. Friends?”

This time she gave a firm “yes,” because she knew it wouldn’t be misconstrued. “Very good friends. Always.” She lifted up the cat to look at it. “Now, what’s the problem with this handsome fellow?”

“He keeps scratching at his ears and then crying.”

“Likely just ear mites. A little medicine will fix that.”

“Thanks. I told Amy I’d get him to the vet today if possible, so I appreciate you making time for me.”

“No problem.” Ivey hadn’t realized that the discontent of her breakup with Geoff had lingered, until they put it all to rest. She’d begun to feel bad about how she’d handled things, especially in light of how Geoff had taken it. Seeing him not only fully recovered but happily involved in this new phase of his life truly set her heart free.

All the stars had aligned—she loved Corbin and Justin, and the future loomed bright.

By the time she left the clinic, she felt like dancing. It was late, but Mrs. Tassie had rushed right over to collect her kitty once he’d recovered from his anesthesia. Ivey gave her instructions on how to care for the cat, then took another few minutes to close up the clinic.

It was nearing nine o’clock and the sun hung low on the horizon for her drive home. She should make it in time to visit with Justin before he had to go to bed.

Her new sense of peace shattered when she pulled into the driveway and saw the police car. Heart hammering, she gathered her belongings and jogged in.

The house felt unnaturally quiet, no animals running to greet her, no chatter from Justin—in the kitchen, expression grim, Corbin spoke quietly with two officers. His gaze briefly met hers, and she saw his torment.

Going through her routine by habit, she put her cell phone in her pocket and her purse on the foyer table. She left her shoes to the side of the door and slowly went into the kitchen.

The officers gave her polite nods, but they, too, looked solemn.

“Justin?”

“He’s upstairs with Lang.” Corbin pulled her close. “Darcie overdosed again.”

Her stomach bottomed out. “How bad?”

“She’s...gone.”

Oh, dear God. Tears burned her eyes. “Does Justin know?”

“We didn’t talk in front of him, but the look on his face...” His mouth flattened. “I think he’s guessed.”

“Do you need anything?”

“No. I’ll be done here in just a minute.” He touched her cheek. “I’m worried. Would you check on Justin?”

Nodding, she said, “I’ll go to him right now.” On impulse, she went on tiptoe and hugged Corbin. To the two officers, she nodded her thanks that they had given the news in person.

Not knowing what she might find, she took the steps upstairs two at a time. At the moment, seeing Justin, ensuring that he was okay, seemed the most immediate concern.

Justin’s bedroom door was closed, likely so he couldn’t overhear. Ivey lightly tapped her knuckles to the wood, then turned the knob and stepped in.

Lang stood with Justin at the window, looking out at the lake.

“Hey, guys,” she said softly, aware of how Justin hunched his shoulders.

Lang turned with a forced smile. “You really ran late today. Everything okay at the clinic?”

With a questioning look, she said, “Yes, just had a few last-minute things to do.” She came farther into the room. “Justin?”

Lang shook his head, indicating that Justin didn’t want to talk.

Unsure how to proceed, Ivey came closer.

In a raw whisper, Justin said, “Police are here.”

She stopped in her tracks. “Yes, I saw them.” Emotion tried to choke her, but Justin didn’t need her to be weepy. “You okay, honey?”

“I’m not a baby,” he snapped, and then he sniffled, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.

She reached out to him, but Lang took her arm and urged her to follow him to the room she shared with Corbin across the hall. Very near her ear, he said, “I think he’s guessed, but I haven’t confirmed anything. Corbin needs to be the one to talk to him.”

“I agree, but we can’t leave him alone.”

“Why don’t you stay with him? I’ll go downstairs with Corbin.” He frowned. “Or vice versa. Whichever you want.”

“I’ll stay with Justin.” At the moment, wild horses couldn’t have dragged her away. The urge to comfort him, to shelter his feelings, to help him believe that a bright future was ahead whether he could see it right now or not, flared inside her.

Going back into his room, she pasted on a smile. “Guess what? I had to do some quick surgery on a cat today.”

Grudgingly, Justin glanced at her. His eyes looked red but dry. “Is the cat okay?”

God love him, could there be a more compassionate little boy? As she’d hoped, the cat’s welfare drew him out of his own misery. “Yes, honey. He’s fine. He’ll probably be groggy for the rest of the day, though. Odds are, he’ll throw up a time or two.” She sat on the side of his bed and began talking about the cat, ad-libbing his adventure sneaking out and trying to tangle with a Rottweiler.

Almost against his will, Justin moved closer. “Why did the dog bite him?”

“I’m pretty sure he was surprised to find a hissing cat in his bushes.” Taking his hand, she guided him to sit beside her, then stroked his hair—and he let her. “It would have been really easy for a dog that size to kill a cat, but I know Rory. He’s a good dog, friendly, and usually he’s great with other animals.” She leaned closer and said in a conspiratorial way, “That is, when they don’t jump out at him from the bushes.”

A ghost of a smile, there and gone, teased over his mouth. “I’m glad the cat is okay.”

“Me, too. Mrs. Tassie loves him as much as I love Maurice. And speaking of Maurice, where is he?”

Justin looked down at his hands. “He went to bed with the dogs.”

Ivey felt him struggling, and because of that, she resisted the urge to baby him. Instinctively she knew it might cause him to lose his fragile hold on control.

“I was getting ready for bed, so they all went into the laundry room.” He fell silent again. “I’d just finished brushing my teeth when the cops got here.”

“I see.” They both heard the front door open and close.

Justin stiffened, his bottom lip quivering. “I gotta go to the bathroom.” He stood again, looking as if he wanted to escape the reality of what would come.

Corbin stepped into the room.

Ivey took one look at him and her heart crumbled. No man should have to tackle so much in such a short period of time. She wished for a way to help but didn’t know what to do.

Corbin’s hands flexed, he watched his son, then came closer. “Justin, I—”

“I gotta use the bathroom,” Justin blurted again and darted past his dad into the hall. They heard the bathroom door close a little too hard.

Ivey was horribly afraid that Justin had just sought privacy for a good cry, and she wasn’t sure if she could stand it.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered to Corbin.

He came over to sit beside her, his elbows on his knees, his head bowed. “The fact is, I knew this could happen. But I couldn’t help hoping...” He shook his head. “She had my information on her. That’s why the police came here. I don’t know anything about her parents, and neither did the cops.”

Their shoulders touched, and their voices were low. Corbin heaved a long sigh and straightened, glancing back at the door. “He’s struggling.”

“He doesn’t want to cry in front of anyone.” She touched his jaw. “But you’re his dad, Corbin. He loves you, and I know he trusts you.” Her own eyes burned with the truth of that. Yes, Justin had a very difficult background, but that wasn’t his future—and he knew it. “Don’t let him be by himself. Go to him, show him that it’s okay to cry and hold him while he grieves.”

As if that settled the indecision for him, Corbin stood and crossed the room in a few long strides.

Ivey watched him go, praying that father and son could console each other...and wondering how much right she had to take part in it all.

Corbin returned in mere seconds. “He’s not in the bathroom.”

“Oh no.” Already on her feet, Ivey followed Corbin as he jogged down the steps.

“Justin?” he called but didn’t get an answer. He went through each room, then started to go downstairs and practically ran into Lang. “Is he down there?”

“No.” Lang looked around. “You check the animals?”

“He’s not with them.” Corbin suddenly straightened. “The lake.” His stride long and full of fear, he headed straight for the patio doors, Lang right behind him.

Ivey called, “I’ll look out front!” She didn’t pause for her shoes, just darted out, her gaze searching. Except for the chirping of crickets and the occasional long croak of a frog, the yard was quiet. Dusk had settled with all the bleak gloom of bad news.

Damn it, she should have known Justin would try something like this. He was so stubborn in his pride—but then, for years, pride might have been all he had.

She started to turn around, praying he wasn’t anywhere near the lake, when a low sound reached her ears, a sound that didn’t belong to the quiet night.

Heart pounding hard, she listened...and realized it came from the tree house. It was a low, muffled, heart-wrenching sound that got her feet moving.

Never before had she scaled the ladder so quickly, but this time she practically flew up the thing. When she peeked in, she found Justin sitting with his knees to his chest, his head in his folded arms, crying out his little heart.

As quietly as she could, she texted Corbin: In the tree house.

Then she crawled on in.

It didn’t matter that she hadn’t given birth to Justin. It didn’t matter that she’d met him only months ago, or that she and Corbin weren’t yet married. In every way that mattered, Justin was hers now. She’d be side by side with Corbin to love him for the rest of her life, and by God, she intended to start right now.

“I’m sorry. I know you wanted privacy,” Ivey whispered as she sat behind him and wrapped her arms tight around him. “I need to be with you right now.”

“I’m not a baby,” he cried.

“No. You are an absolutely amazing little boy and I love you so much.”

He twisted suddenly, hugging her neck, his face to her throat as he tried to stem the tears soaking her skin.

She hugged him more fiercely, rocking him a little. “I’m so sorry. Sometimes life is incredibly hard, but you don’t have to go through it alone. I’m here for you, and so is your dad. Your uncle and grandma. Daisy and Maurice and the pups. You are loved by so many. We’ll get through this, all of us together. Okay?”

He choked on a breath. “She didn’t love me.”

What an awful thing for a ten-year-old boy to believe. “I think she did. It’s just that your mother wasn’t well.”

He settled against her more comfortably, his cheek to her shoulder, his face still hidden. “What do you mean?” he finally asked, anxious, maybe, to find a reasonable explanation for something no child could possibly understand.

Corbin came through the doorway, saw them huddled together and briefly closed his eyes.

It amazed Ivey how he filled up the space, how his calm presence already made things better. Unlike her, he was able to quickly hide his upset. She’d never minded her emotional nature, and she figured Justin would get used to it soon enough. In that way, she thought, she and Corbin complemented each other.

When Corbin sat close beside Ivey, Justin wiped his eyes and looked up at him with his little face ravaged, his nose running and his breath uneven. “I didn’t mean to cry.”

“You have every right to your feelings.” Corbin lifted him into his lap, and together the three of them leaned against the rough wooden wall. Justin held on to Ivey’s hand—but no more tightly than she held his. “You have a right to anger, son. To happiness. To worry and fear. To laughter and yes, to tears.”

Justin sniffled. “Is mom...gone?”

With only a single beat of hesitation, Corbin said, “Yes.” He kissed the top of Justin’s head. “But she did love you, son. I know she didn’t always show it. As Ivey said, Darcie was ill. She’d been ill for a long time, I think.”

His solemn gaze met Corbin’s. “You mean she was sick?”

“It was a sort of sickness.” Corbin rubbed up and down his back. “I should have explained this sooner, and I’m sorry that I didn’t. I wanted to protect you, but now I realize that the better way to protect you would have been to give you the information.”

Justin stared at him, his blue eyes swimming with more tears. “It’s okay, Dad.”

For a single second, Ivey saw Corbin’s composure crack. He swallowed heavily, nodded his gratitude and managed to say, “Thank you.” He enfolded Justin in his warm embrace while he struggled. “That means a lot to me.”

Ivey brushed at her falling tears.

When Corbin loosened his hold, he had himself in check again. “Your mother was an addict. That means she took drugs, too many of them.”

“Why?”

“She was unhappy with herself. But those type of drugs aren’t good for you, and they ended up making her even more miserable.”

“Do you ever...?”

“No,” Corbin promised. “Not ever.”

Justin’s questioning gaze switched to Ivey’s.

“I don’t, either, sweetie.” She brushed her thumb over his small knuckles. “I was fortunate that I was always close with my parents, and when things bothered me or when I needed something, I could go to them. I don’t think your mother had that.”

Releasing her hand, Justin sat up on Corbin’s thighs and knuckled his eyes. “Mom used to drink a lot.”

“I know. That’s part of it,” Corbin said. “When people can’t deal with their problems, they sometimes turn to crutches—like drugs and alcohol.”

“I tried to make her happy.”

At this rate, Ivey knew there was no chance of stemming the tears. “Oh, honey. You weren’t responsible for her happiness.”

“No, you weren’t,” Corbin said. “The way it’s supposed to work, and definitely how it will work for us, is that a parent is supposed to care for their child. In your mother’s case, and in other cases, too, the parent has issues that aren’t easily solved.” He lifted Justin’s chin. “I saw your mother not too long ago.”

He startled, his eyes flaring. “You did?”

“I was going to talk to you about it soon.” Corbin cupped Justin’s cheek and used his thumb to wipe away the tears. “I put it off because I didn’t want to worry you, but like I said, that was the wrong thing to do. You and I made a deal to talk things out, right?”

Justin nodded.

“So that’s what I should have done, and I promise, I’m going to do better.”

Justin nodded. “Me, too.”

“And me,” Ivey offered, and got a slight smile from both of them.

“Your mom was in the hospital because of all the pills she’d taken. It made her really sick. She wanted to get well, and I tried to help her, but it’s not easy for an addict to stop doing what is making them sick.”

Justin’s expression was tight, wary. “That’s why she died?”

“Yes. But when I saw her, she told me how much she loved you. She said she wanted to get well, and she wanted to see you again.”

Mouth pinched, his voice very small, Justin whispered, “I didn’t want to see her.”

Ivey thought there was a big difference in Justin not wanting to see his mother as she’d been, and wanting to see her as someone who loved him. Unfortunately, the latter had never happened...and now it never would.

“It would have been your decision,” Corbin said. “But if you’d changed your mind, I wanted to help your mother to get well. Understand me, son. Only so you could visit her if you’d wanted to. I wasn’t going to let her see you without me, and I was never going to let her take you away. This is your home, and this is where we’ll be together.”

He seemed to be weighing the words, maybe trying to understand them since the concept was difficult for a child to grasp. His gaze slanted over to Ivey. “Will you be here, too?”

Overwhelmed, Ivey nodded. “I know I’m not your mother, Justin, but I love you. You’re important to me. In my heart, where it matters most, you are always going to be my son.”

He reached out to her, and she gladly embraced him. “So,” he said, sniffling again, thinking it through. He kept his face tucked close to her throat. “You’ll be like my mom now?”

She flicked a glance at Corbin, he smiled at her, and she positively melted. “Nothing in the whole world would make me happier than being your mom.”

“Okay,” he said, with a child’s simplicity.

Lang poked his head over the top of the ladder. “Hey,” he said, glancing warily at everyone.

“Come on up,” Corbin invited. “We were just working out a few things.”

Hastily, moving off of Ivey’s lap, Justin wiped his eyes and his nose.

Good old Uncle Lang produced a few tissues that he passed around to everyone, then he made a big show of dabbing at his own eyes. “Emotional night, huh?” He plopped down next to Justin, pretended to blow his nose, then let out a long sigh. “Is this where we go to cry? Because I need a place, you know.”

Justin laughed. “You don’t cry.”

“Who says?” It was Lang’s turn to snag Justin to his lap. “Anyone who is upset is allowed to cry.”

“Only if it’s something really, really bad,” Justin decreed. Then he whispered, “Or if you’re Ivey.”

Ivey choked on her laugh. “Just so you know, not all girls cry as much as I do. I just happen to be a very emotive person.”

“I guess sometimes I’m ’motive, too,” Justin decided. He narrowed his eyes. “But I’m not gonna cry much.”

Smiling, Ivey said, “I’ll probably cry enough for both of us.”

They all sat in companionable silence until Justin whispered, “I might miss Mom some.”

Corbin clasped his shoulder. “You know what we could do? Your mom gave me a box of your stuff. Pics of you when you were a little squirt, a few things you’d drawn over the years. You want to go inside and we can go through everything together?”

Boggled by the idea that his mother had anything of his, Justin asked, “For real?”

“Let’s do it,” Lang said. “Anyone else in the mood for a little popcorn?”

“You could invite Hope over,” Justin suggested. “She’d like to see my pictures, I bet.”

Corbin smiled. “I’m sure she would.” So would his mother, when she found out what had happened. He wouldn’t call her tonight, but he’d take care of it first thing tomorrow. That would give Justin another chance to talk it out even more, to show the things Darcie had saved...and to feel loved.

“Consider it done.” Lang moved Justin to his side and headed out. “I’ll go get her, then I’ll start on the popcorn. And maybe I’ll make some milkshakes, too.”

Justin followed him to the doorway, saying, “I want chocolate.”

The resilience of children, Ivey thought. “I love you, Justin.”

“Love you, too,” he replied, still looking out the door, no doubt watching Lang cross the yard. “Can we let the dogs and Maurice back out since I’m not going to bed yet?”

“Sure,” Corbin said, and Ivey heard the relief in his voice. He leaned close to her ear. “I’m so glad you’re here with me.” He nodded at Justin. “With us.”

“Me, too.”

It would be all right. The worst had happened, and they’d get through it. Together.