The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster
Chapter Three
Hearing Justin call him Dad was like a powerful punch to the heart, leaving Corbin raw. The tree house hadn’t done it, nor the bike or even the thought of a boat.
But that little dog had done the trick.
He watched the careful way Justin explored the scar on the dog’s leg, tracing it with his fingertips. Emotion damn near took out his knees. One day, he’d be able to show his son how much he loved him, but his plan was to go slow, to give Justin time to adjust, to let things happen in their own way. Too many decisions had been taken from Justin already: a new parent he didn’t know, a new place to live. A new way of life.
He deserved to make some decisions for himself, like what dog he wanted to adopt...and what to call Corbin.
Today felt like they’d made incredible strides.
“Why don’t we leave him to get better acquainted while you and I talk?” Ivey asked.
Corbin realized they stood very close together, his arm around her, his hand open on her narrow back...and she didn’t seem to mind. He’d been so absorbed watching Justin, he’d reacted without thinking. Touching her had seemed right, natural, even necessary, so he had.
Since discovering he had a son, women hadn’t factored much into his thoughts or plans. He’d been too intent on figuring out the future and all the ways he wanted to make life better and more secure for his son.
But now? With this particular woman?
He liked Ivey a lot.
Her smile made him want to get even closer. So many things about her drew him. The fact that she liked Justin obviously helped, but it was more than that. Though she seemed to consider it a fault, her refreshing bluntness amused him. It was appealing how she openly cared for Hope. He appreciated her focus on animals, her contributions to the community. So many people had already sung her praises.
And she was currently unattached.
Added to all that was her unique but appealing looks. He liked the vibrant way she smiled, how she often fussed with her wildly curling hair and how her slender hands moved when she talked.
Turning to face her, Corbin dropped his hand. “Lead the way.”
“We’re going just inside,” Ivey explained to Justin. “You’ll be all right for a few minutes?”
In a mumble, he protested, “I’m not a baby.”
“Of course not. I wouldn’t even consider allowing a baby to take Daisy.”
Good answer, Corbin thought, impressed with how quickly Ivey had replied.
Nose wrinkling, Justin looked up to ask, “Is her name really Daisy?”
His disgust made Corbin grin. “You don’t like it?”
Flashing a guilty look at Ivey, he said, “Not really.”
“What would you name her?” Ivey asked.
“Something cool.” His mouth twisted to the side while he considered options. “If she was a guy dog, I’d name her Freddy, like Freddy Krueger.”
Corbin stalled.
Ivey, bless her, merely laughed as she walked back toward Justin. “You know that movie?”
“I’ve seen every horror movie there is.”
“You have, huh?” Sitting down on the grass with him, she asked, “Alien?”
“All the Alien movies. I liked Alien vs. Predator best, though.”
“Oh, that’s my fave as well. I love that they combined two awesome franchises.”
More engaged than Corbin had ever seen him, Justin sat up a little straighter. “Since she’s a girl, I couldn’t name her Freddy, but I could have named her Ripley.”
“Ripley is amazing, right?” Now Ivey wrinkled her nose. “I wish they hadn’t killed her off. I was really bummed about that.”
“Yeah, me, too. They could bring her back though...or is she too old now?”
“Sigourney Weaver? Pfft. She could still pull it off.”
Corbin felt like an outsider. He didn’t mind, since Justin was so engaged. But seriously, Ivey liked horror movies? He was more an action flick–type guy. He knew Justin was into them, it was one of the things his mother had explained right off.
Stick him in front of the TV with a horror channel and he won’t bother you.
So far, Corbin and Justin had kept busy with other activities. Never, ever, would he let Justin think he was a bother.
His brother, Lang, got into the whole horror genre, but for some reason, it surprised him that Ivey did, too.
Justin screwed up his face in deep thought. “There aren’t as many girls in horror.”
“What about Alice from Resident Evil?”
Justin shook his head. “I know a girl named Alice and she’s not nice.”
“Hmm. I can see how that wouldn’t work then.”
He considered things. “Hey, I know! What about Laurie Strode from Halloween?”
Ivey’s chin tucked in. “You’ve seen the Halloween movies?”
“’Course. And all the Friday the 13th movies. Jason X was the best cuz it was funny, too.”
“Oh, um...” She cast a helpless look at Corbin. “You approved that?”
Now that he’d been included, Corbin stepped closer. “I knew he was a fan, yeah.” He ruffled Justin’s hair. “Your Uncle Lang will be thrilled.”
“He likes scary movies?”
“The scarier, the better.”
“Me, too!” Leaning closer to Ivey, Justin confided, “The Texas Chainsaw movies creeped me out. They were kind of gross.”
Her brows went even higher. “Yes, they were.”
“But I liked Army of Darkness. Ash is awesome.”
In a deepened voice, Ivey said, “This is my boomstick!”
“Ha!” Laughing, Justin rocked the little dog. Her tail waved and she settled against him. Mimicking Ivey’s tone, Justin said, “Come get some.”
“Good one!” Ivey grinned.
On the outside again, Corbin smiled at their antics, but didn’t understand any of it.
“Tell you what.” Ivey reached a hand up to Corbin, and he obligingly helped her stand. Dusting off her backside, she said to Justin, “You can rename Daisy anything you want. She’ll be your dog, and she’s smart enough to adapt.”
He put his cheek to the dog’s head. “You don’t think she’ll mind?” The dog licked his face.
Wearing a soft expression, Ivey shook her head. “I think she’ll love that you love her, period. Now, I do need to have that talk with your dad, so sit tight and we’ll be right back.”
Grabbing his hand again, Ivey towed him into the clinic, closed the door and collapsed back against the wall with dramatic effect. “He’s seen all the Friday the 13th and Halloween movies!”
Corbin discovered that he liked her theatrics, too. She nearly wailed those movies in accusation, but why? With a shrug, he said, “Sounds like he’s seen every horror movie there is.” So that she wouldn’t blame him for that, he added, “I wouldn’t have thought explicit horror was okay for a kid his age, but apparently his mom disagreed.” Overall, he assumed Darcie had done everything she could to keep Justin out of her way. Corbin knew he would be very, very different.
Ivey leveled a frown at him. “My guess is his mother didn’t care.”
“Yeah, unfortunately that seems true.” The muscles in his neck tightened. “From what I saw, Darcie had an issue with drugs. She seemed high when I got him from her, and she made it clear she resented him.”
Ivey touched her mouth. “In front of him?”
“Yes, and that kills me. I should have been there all along, but I didn’t even know about him.”
“How exactly did that happen?”
“I dated Darcie a few times when I was seventeen, nothing even close to serious, then suddenly she moved away. I barely noticed. At seventeen, I was busy setting up college, helping my mom around the house, gaining my independence and all that.” The excuses didn’t sit well now, especially when he thought of Justin as a baby. “Out of the blue, Darcie contacted my mother and said it was critical that she get hold of me. Mom was traveling, but arrangements were made, we met at a park...and she had Justin with her.”
“That must have been a shock.”
“Not at first. I just assumed she was married and had a family. But right there in front of him, she said I was his dad and it was time for me to step up.” His muscles coiled, his stomach cramping. “God, that poor kid just stood there, stiff-necked and fighting tears.” He turned away again, knowing he’d see that awful scene, that he’d feel Justin’s pain for the rest of his life.
“Did you question it?”
“In front of him? Hell no. He was already being put through enough.” He pressed a fist to the wall. “She had all his stuff with him. While I stood there trying to figure out what to say, she tossed his things into my SUV. Justin wouldn’t look at me, but I could see he was terrified, and that made up my mind.”
“You took him.”
“Of course I did.” Knowing his expression was grim, he turned back to her. “She gave Justin a hug, told him she loved him but that she needed a change, and she said he’d have a good life with me.”
Ivey watched him. “I can’t imagine how you must have felt.”
“I was more concerned with how Justin felt. I asked him to give me just a moment with her, then I went with her to her car to finish discussing things.”
“She sounds like a very disturbed woman.”
“To say the least. She’d met a guy, she said, and he didn’t want kids.”
“Never mind that she already had one?”
Any time Corbin thought of that day, he found it difficult to breathe. “I asked her if it was forever, or if she’d be back soon, just disrupting his life more. She laughed, Ivey. I was so afraid Justin would hear her that I let it go.”
“I think my heart is breaking.”
Exactly how he had felt. How he still felt several times a day. “That first week was awkward as hell. I realized I needed documents, but I waited until Justin had gone to bed one night before I called her. She said she’d mail everything to me.”
“Did she?”
“Yes. Birth certificate, his last report card, a few things like that.” He worked his jaw. “I got worried, contacted a lawyer and now I have sole legal and physical custody, too.”
Surprise flashed over Ivey’s face. “She signed off on that?”
“It all happened in a whirlwind, so I doubt Justin knows. It doesn’t seem fair to put that on him, too. The thing is, if Darcie wanted to see him, I wouldn’t cut her out. But never, not under any circumstances, will I let her take him away from me. Not now.”
When her small, soft hand rested on his chest, Corbin went still. She stared up at him with understanding, and intent. Eyes that had looked bright green in the sunshine now appeared hazel in the dimmer indoor light.
He covered her hand with his.
“I’m sorry for all of that,” she said, “I really am. You know he’s a terrific kid.”
“Yes, though I don’t know how that happened.”
“Does he talk about his life before you?”
“Little tidbits here and there. Like random things will pop up out of nowhere. We got fast food one day, and he told me that one of his mom’s boyfriends liked the same place and would usually bring him a burger from there. Or when he accidentally closed his fingers in the door, and he refused to cry or even say much. I told him I’d be shouting and he said big boys didn’t do that.” Frustration flexed his jaw. “I asked him about friends, but he just shrugged and said most of the kids in his building were older. He said his mom liked to sleep late, so he watched a lot of TV.”
Her hand patted his left pec. “But Halloween? Friday the 13th?”
A little lost, Corbin shook his head. “Halloween mask and hockey mask, right? Full disclosure, I’ve never watched them, but of course I know about them.” When she winced, he asked, “They’re extra bad or something?”
“Oh, Corbin. You should really watch one.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “They’re equal parts sex with horror.”
“Sex?” Ah, hell.
“A lot of, ahem, female nudity. Well...” She gestured at her breasts. “Mostly T&A, as they say in the movies.”
For the moment, the ramifications eluded him. “T&A, huh?” Tits and ass. It amused him how Ivey said it.
Tilting closer still, she breathed, “Graphic sex.”
Good God. Moving past her, he opened the door enough to peek out at Justin. On his back, with Daisy on his chest and the puppies climbing over him, he looked like the average, carefree, fun-loving kid.
Closing the door again and leaning against it, he groaned. “How do I start censoring something he loves? Something he’s been allowed to watch?”
“You’re his father. You can make those decisions that are best for him.”
She made it sound so easy, when he knew it wasn’t.
Sympathy eased her frown. “Listen, I grew up on horror movies. Like Justin, they’re my favorites. I have an attic full of old toys, comic books, posters, you name it. My mother was very lenient, but she drew the line at all things sexual.”
“No T&A?”
She gave an airy wave of her hand. “I sneaked around it, as all kids do. But if she’d known, I’d have been grounded for a week. If it helps, I can make recommendations on horror that doesn’t include nudity. Predator and Alien are both terrific franchises. Army of Darkness is more campy fun than anything else, but it sounds like Justin’s already watched it. Goonies or Silver Bullet would be more age appropriate for him. Do the whole Jaws series. Sharks are always good for a startle. Oh, and Gremlins! Total kid movie.”
While Corbin listened in awe, Ivey concentrated. “I know! The Godzilla movies. Those would be good, too.” She heaved a sigh. “When you get home, do an Internet search for horror movies for kids, or something like that. This weekend, I’ll go through my attic and see if there’s anything I can bear to part with.”
Seeing an opening, and smart enough to take it, Corbin said, “I bet Justin would love to see it all.”
Her eyes flared a bit as if with inspiration. “That’s a wonderful idea. Would you like to come over? I work a partial day every other Saturday, but I’m off Sunday. Well, unless there’s an emergency. Then I’d have to—”
Corbin laid a finger against her lips. Really soft lips, he noticed. “Sunday would be perfect, and if something comes up, just let me know. I’ll give you my number.”
Her lips puckered slightly, and she drew a deep breath through her nose.
“Okay?”
When she nodded, her lips teased his finger.
Get it together, Corbin. It amazed him how being with Ivey like this helped to blunt the pain of what he knew of Justin’s past. The reality still tortured him, but with Ivey, it wasn’t quite as bad.
Fighting his own instincts, he dropped his hand to his side. She immediately licked her lips and damn, that was provocative. Time to refocus, and fast. He got out his phone and, casual as you please, asked, “What’s your number? I’ll send you a text so you’ll have mine, too.”
Not quite so casual, she recited hers. Corbin got the impression she didn’t pass out her number often, but then, neither did he. It was different here, in Sunset. Instead of hooking up at night with a woman in a club, he’d met a veterinarian on a rainy afternoon while leasing out a guesthouse with his son nearby.
If someone had asked him a year ago, he’d have denied such a thing was possible. Now? In so many ways, it felt incredibly right.
When her phone pinged with the text, Ivey smiled.
“Why don’t you tell Justin?” Corbin suggested. “He’ll be excited.” Realizing he’d imposed on her busy day, he asked, “Or do you need to get back to work?”
Gazing up at him, Ivey nodded, then shook her head.
His mouth twitched. “Yes? No?”
She noticeably gathered herself. “Sorry, I got distracted. It’s not often a gorgeous man gives me his number.”
Damn, he enjoyed her praise. He knew he wasn’t an ogre, but he’d never had a woman be quite so open with her compliments. “Gorgeous, huh?”
“No reason to be modest.”
“I’m not.” Though he wouldn’t have described himself that way. How did she constantly get him off track? “Do you expect me to believe guys—gorgeous or otherwise—aren’t interested in you?”
“I don’t know. I was with Geoff for so long that...” She cut herself off to assure him, “But I’m ready to get back out there.”
“Good to know.” Not kissing her took great concentration. It helped that Justin was nearby, waiting for him.
“That was my plan, you know. I was going for variety.”
“Variety?” He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that.
“Geoff was such a grind toward the end that I sort of swore off commitments. My new plan was to focus on me and what I want.”
Fascinating. “Solid plan. So...what is it you want?”
She shrugged. “Convenience? I know I don’t want another slug taking up space on my couch, especially when he’s not...”
She stopped abruptly, and damned if heat didn’t tinge her cheeks. “When he’s not what?” Corbin prompted.
Her chin lifted. “Let’s just say if I make time for a guy, he better be worthwhile.”
Was she talking sex? Tantalized by that thought, Corbin propped a shoulder on the wall and regarded her. “How’s that going for you?”
The question caught her off guard. “What?”
“Getting back out there.”
“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “Well, I’ve been busy, so...” She rushed on with, “If you’re interested, though, I’ll find time.”
“Count me interested.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it. “Okay.” She nodded. “I’ll shut up now.”
No way could he contain his laugh. He trailed two fingers over a fluffy curl, ending with a stroke against her cheek. “Don’t ever censor yourself on my account.”
“I tend to go on.”
“You speak your mind and I like it.”
Her smile came slowly before she checked the time. “I dragged you in here to discuss the dog and got totally sidetracked. All the T&A talk threw me off.”
He opened his arms. “Lay it on me.”
Without hesitation, she launched into her concerns. “I’m thrilled that he wants Daisy, please understand that. I love her so much and I badly wanted her to find a good home. I knew it’d be crazy difficult for me to accept someone as her owner, but I think Justin will do a great job with her, especially after seeing them together.”
She’d rattled that off so quickly, Corbin had a difficult time keeping up. “But?”
“Daisy—or whatever he decides to call her—is a very energetic dog. She’s smaller than many, but makes up for it with sweetness. Because she’s still skittish, she’s going to need a lot of attention. Adapting from her life here to your home will take patience.”
Such an amazing, big-hearted woman. “We’ll be very good to her, Ivey. I promise.”
“I can’t guarantee she won’t chew on stuff or piddle on the floor or—”
“Hey.” Cupping her cheek again, he let his thumb tease near the corner of her mouth. Her skin was incredibly soft and warm. “You have my word. I’ll supervise Justin and together we’ll make sure she’s well loved. Okay?”
She deflated with a sigh. “Yes, I believe that, or I never would have agreed.” Hesitantly, she asked, “While the puppies mature, I don’t suppose you’d bring Justin by every so often so Daisy can get to know him better?”
Glad that she’d suggested it, Corbin smiled. “That’s a terrific idea. Justin would love it.”
Her gaze searched his. “And you?”
Ah, the straightforward approach. He had no problem with that. “I’ll enjoy seeing you again.”
Making no bones about her relief, she blew out a breath. “Great. Now I really do have to hurry.” Without waiting for him, she opened the door and rushed back out to the small yard. “Hey, monster fan, sorry that took so long.”
“It did?”
Clearly his son was so involved with Daisy and the puppies, he hadn’t even noticed.
Ivey laughed. “Have you decided on a name for her?”
“I was going to go with Ripley, but I might just leave it Daisy.” The dog sat in his lap, face tilted up while Justin stroked her back. “She probably wouldn’t like someone changin’ her name.”
“I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.” Ivey reclaimed her seat beside him. “I have a couple of ideas and you can let me know what you think. Your dad already agreed, so it’s up to you.”
Justin cast Corbin a wary look. “Okay.”
Corbin was getting used to that expression. Sometimes it seemed that Justin feared him. After all, a man who could give so much could also take it away. In time, he hoped Justin would learn to trust him, to rely on him. Until then, maybe he needed to pull back a little. Not with the dog; that was a great idea, he believed that. But he could slow down the pace with everything else he bought. He might be overwhelming Justin with all the gifts.
Ivey spoke as if she were imparting great secrets. “When I was your age, and all through college actually, I amassed a huge collection of horror stuff.”
Justin’s eyes widened. “Do you still have it?”
“It’s all packed up in my attic, gathering dust and maybe cobwebs.”
“Like a horror scene,” he breathed in awe.
She nodded. “Exactly. But I thought, if you’re brave enough, you and I could go up there and check it out.”
Clutching Daisy to his chest, he shot to his knees. “For real?”
Delighted, Ivey said, “For real. There are toys you could look at, most still in the packaging, though, because to collectors, those are worth more. I also have magazines, comics, books, posters. Let’s see, some lunch boxes, holiday props, masks, clothes...” Running out of steam, she wrapped it up with, “All kinds of things. So Sunday? Are we on?”
“Heck, yeah!” He looked back at Corbin, cautious again. “It’s okay?”
Corbin repeated, “Heck, yeah.” He knelt down beside them. “The other thing is that Ivey would like us to visit the dog here whenever we can, so she can get used to you before we take her home. I told her we could fit that into our busy schedules.”
Justin smiled. “We’re not that busy.”
God, how he loved that kid’s smiles. “So we’re all set.” He stood, then took turns hauling each of them to their feet. “We should let Ivey get back to work now.”
As if on cue, Hope stuck her head out the door. “Sorry to interrupt, but the Mathersons are here.”
“I’ll be right there.” To Justin and Corbin, Ivey explained, “Their dog had a pretty serious surgery and this is his first follow-up. I need to run, but it’s been a lot of fun and I’m already looking forward to Sunday.”
As she quickly strode into the clinic, Justin gave his attention back to Daisy, taking the time to cuddle her, to whisper to her, all in all, breaking Corbin’s heart just a little.
He put his hand on Justin’s narrow shoulder. “She has a nice setup here. She’ll be fine.”
“Yeah. She’s got her babies to keep her company, huh?”
“I’m sure she’s a very busy mama.”
Justin looked at the pups as they played. “Think she’ll miss them?”
“Ivey will find good homes for them.”
Nose scrunched, Justin squinted up to Corbin. “Yeah, but will Daisy miss them?”
Without an answer for that, Corbin chose to deflect. “Why don’t we ask Ivey on Sunday?”
“Okay.” After kissing Daisy on the head, he set her down carefully with her puppies. As they left the fenced-in yard, Justin asked, “What are we going to do now?”
“I don’t know. What would you like to do?” Corbin considered the ice cream parlor, maybe a bike ride or a trip to the lake.
Sly, a little hopeful, Justin suggested, “We could look at boats again.”
Damn, hadn’t he just ruled out more purchases? Who was he kidding? If it made Justin happy... “Is that what you want to do?”
“It was fun, right?”
“Sure.” He rested his hand on Justin’s back...and was thrilled when he didn’t pull away. Currently, Justin was all hard angles, bony knees and elbows and shoulder blades, wrapped up in little boy sweetness. Touching him touched Corbin’s heart. “I suppose we have time for that.”
They were just reaching his car when Justin said, “I like her.”
“Daisy?”
“I meant Ivey. She’s pretty cool, huh?”
“Very cool.” He’d moved them to Sunset so Justin could find a new focus. Now it looked like Corbin had found one as well.
As soon as Ivey and Hope wrapped up with the last patient, Ivey locked the front door, fell back against it and burst out with, “I have a date.”
Equally excited, Hope squealed. “That’s why you were out there talking so long?”
“Yes. Well, I should explain it’s not a date-date.”
One hand on her hip, Hope asked, “So what kind of date is it?”
“The kind where Corbin and his son come to my house to go through the attic with me.” She laughed. “You know what? Maybe it isn’t even a date. But he did say he looked forward to seeing me again, and they plan to stop in every so often so Justin can visit with Daisy before he takes her home.”
Jaw loosening, Hope breathed in shock, “You’re letting him have Daisy?”
Not an unexpected reaction. “Trust me, I’m as surprised as you are. Oh but, Hope, that little boy looked at the puppies, looked at Daisy and chose her.”
“Okay, that’s incredibly sweet.” Still looking unconvinced, Hope said carefully, “It’s just that I always assumed you’d somehow keep her.”
“You know I’d love to, but Maurice wouldn’t like it. He’s always hated dogs. And since I’d have to leave them there alone when I worked, I’d spend all my time worrying.”
“I guess.” Hope pursed her mouth. “What about the puppies? Have you found homes for them yet?”
“No one that I’ll actually let have one.” And that was a problem. “I still have a few weeks to figure it out.”
“If nothing comes up, we could just keep them here. Like little mascots.”
Not a bad idea. “What about you? Are you allowed to have pets in your new place?”
Struck by that thought, Hope opened her mouth only to close it. Finally she said, “I don’t know. I could ask, though, right?”
“Absolutely. Corbin is a super nice guy. If he doesn’t want you to get a puppy or two, he’d definitely tell you so.”
“Two?”
Trying not to laugh, Ivey headed back to the office to get her purse. “If you took two, they could keep each other company.”
“There is that.”
Delighted that Hope didn’t sound against the idea, Ivey asked, “I could bring it up with Corbin, if you want.”
“Thanks, but I have to be able to deal with him. Might as well start with something easy like this. So far he’s not hard to be around.”
Karen stuck her head in the doorway. “Unless either of you need anything else, I’m heading home.”
“We’re on our way out now, too.” Ivey hitched her purse strap over her shoulder and turned out the light. As they all stepped out together, she said, “As always, Karen, we couldn’t get by without you.”
“Just don’t forget it,” Karen teased, and hurried along her way.
Once she’d secured the back door, Ivey stopped Hope from going to her car. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good, why?”
Hope was never truly good. The trauma she’d suffered in her past still influenced her in so many ways. Few knew about it, but Ivey and Hope had grown close quickly and they shared just about everything.
Ivey took in Hope’s puzzled expression and wasn’t sure if she should even bring it up. “Never mind.”
“Oh.” Realizing what Ivey was actually asking, Hope shook her head. “You mean me with guys and the fact I’ll be living so close to Corbin and on my own and everything.”
That pretty much summed it up. “When are you moving in?”
“Starting tonight, actually.” With new anticipation, she hooked her arm through Ivey’s. “I have my essentials boxed up, a bunch of my clothes, plus a sleeping bag. I paid some boys to help move my bed and dresser over the weekend, but I splurged and bought a new love seat and a few tables. They’ll be delivered early next week.”
“Wow.” So many questions, but Ivey started with, “What boys?”
“High school guys who work at the grocery. Three of them. They seemed nice and they’re always polite.”
If Ivey had to guess, they were probably extra nice to Hope. Not only was Hope pretty, she was also incredibly sweet. “And you aren’t nervous about it?” Usually Hope got tense around any male who was close to her age of twenty-one. High school boys could be anywhere from fifteen to eighteen.
Pausing, Hope stared out over the rear parking lot, empty now except for their two cars. “It was four years ago. I figured it was time to push myself a little. Sixteen-year-old boys seemed like a safe bet. Plus it’ll be daytime and I’ll have all the windows open, so...” She shook her head. “I have to start somewhere, right?”
Ivey wanted to hug her close, but many times that resulted in each of them getting weepy. So instead she made a decision. “I’ll go with you Saturday after we get off work, and I’ll cancel my plans with Corbin for Sunday so I can be there with you—”
“No.” Laughing a little, Hope gave in to the hug that Ivey had resisted, but she kept it brief, a quick squeeze of affection that said what words couldn’t. “You’re excited about seeing Corbin and I’m excited to hear how it goes. Plus...this is on me, Ivey. I want to start putting the past behind me.”
“You don’t have to do that alone.”
Her smile trembled, and she leaned in for a longer, softer hug. “How is it you’re so much more understanding than my own mother and sister were?”
“I don’t know. I guess they were too close to it, too close to you, so they had a different perspective.”
Hope shook her head. “No, they just blamed me. They were so excited about my sister marrying him, all because he had money, and they seemed to think I deliberately messed it up.”
Fury surged, but Ivey held it back. She knew the story, and it still made her want to vent on people she’d never even met. “Money should never come before family. More importantly, you were only seventeen, for God’s sake. Should you have let him rape you?”
It was odd, but Hope always reacted positively to anger on her behalf—maybe because, as she’d said, she didn’t get that reaction from her own family.
A ghost of a smile chased off her gloom. “Overall, I think they really just wished I’d kept quiet so no one else knew. Then my sister could have gone ahead with the marriage and gotten her hands on the family’s wealth.”
“Ridiculous. Money is not that important.” Yes, Ivey did well enough, always had. Her parents had raised her in an upper middle-class neighborhood, and though she hadn’t gotten everything she’d wanted, she’d had everything she needed.
“No, it’s not.” Hope unlocked her car and opened the door to let out the day’s heat. “I haven’t seen either of them since then, and other than a card for holidays, they haven’t contacted me.”
“They should be ashamed.”
This time Hope smiled without reserve. “I tend to agree. I miss them, but I’m not sure I could ever go back to that town anyway. Too many ugly memories.”
Once everyone had found out about the attempted rape, Hope had been under scrutiny, especially since her sister didn’t immediately break things off with the bastard who’d tried to force himself on her. One day, Ivey thought, she’d go there herself and give them all hell.
For now, she figured Hope needed a change of subject. “So you’re camping out in the new place tonight, huh?”
“I’m really looking forward to it, so please don’t worry.”
“I’ll try not to, if you’ll send me a few texts just to let me know how you’re doing.”
“Deal. Now get home to that grumpy old cat. And, Ivey?”
“Yes?”
“Love you.”
Oh, if Hope had been her sister, a whole lot of people would have been demolished. “Love you, too.” They parted with smiles.
With luck, Ivey thought as she made her way to her car, the move would be good for Hope. Just the fact that she planned to live so close to Corbin was a good sign.
Had Corbin noticed Hope’s apprehension? Ivey would bet yes. He wasn’t an obtuse man. Still, maybe she’d have a little talk with him, just to ensure he understood the way of things. Perhaps he’d keep a close eye on Hope? She’d give that idea some thought, maybe discuss it with Hope tomorrow.
And then on Sunday, she’d see Corbin again. Crazy how much she already looked forward to it.
