Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Connor

D etermination coursed through my blood as my truck cruised over the town limits into Hope Valley. It had been a little over two months since I last saw Ivy, and I was here to put an end to the radio silence once and for all.

When I woke up and found she'd snuck out of my room my first instinct was to be pissed off. Hell, it was still the gut reaction I wanted to jump to more than I was willing to admit, but the hypocrisy of being mad at her for pulling the same shit I had pulled wasn't lost on me. I couldn't blame her for what she'd done. All I could do was try to move us forward.

As badly as I wanted to stay in town after our night together and work things out, I'd had obligations that forced me to leave for a while. I had a couple big ticket rodeos I couldn't miss out on, a photoshoot for an ad from one of my sponsors, and my mother's birthday that I couldn't miss.

This time was different however, because even though I was leaving, I had every intention of coming back as soon as I possibly could. No more avoiding, no more ghosting. We were going to hash this out if it was the last goddamn thing I did. My resolve was strong as I whipped my truck off the asphalt road and onto the gravel lane that took me to Second Hope Lodge. I knew I was about to encounter an uphill battle, but the one thing that kept me going was the fact that two people couldn't have the kind of chemistry we did and ignore it forever. She might still hate me for what I'd done, but I wasn't giving up.

The lodge came into view, and just like last time, my heart was beating staccato against my ribs. Only this time around, it wasn't panic clutching at my chest. Well, not only panic, anyway. I would have been lying if I said I wasn't scared sick that she would never be able to forgive me.

I'd taken the past several weeks away to really think about my feelings for Ivy and what I thought I was capable of giving her, and the decision I had finally come to was that I might not deserve her, but I was willing to do everything I possibly could to be the man she would choose anyway. If those months I'd spent on the road after our first night together had taught me anything, it was that a woman like Ivy Young couldn't be worked out of your system. Once she was in, she was there to stay, and if you were lucky enough to experience that, you learned never to let it go.

I wanted her. Christ, I couldn't take a full fucking breath unless she was in the vicinity. My feelings for Ivy made me start to question everything I had with Amber, because, if what I had with the woman I thought I was in love with wasn't even half of what I had with Ivy, had it ever been real?

That particular question had fucked with my head for a while, but I was done letting my fears hold me back. The conversation I'd overheard between her and Lennix the morning of Zach and Rae's wedding had put everything in perspective. I was ready to do some hardcore groveling. If that didn't work, I could always try bribery; I also wasn't above begging.

Whatever it took.

As I parked in the visitor section of the large gravel lot, I realized I probably should have prepared for what I was going to say instead of deciding to wing it, but it was too damn late as I took the steps up the large wrap-around porch at a jog, ignoring the relentless throb in my knee that had only gotten worse, and whipped the door open.

I made my way inside, my destination her office on the second floor, but I was derailed almost instantly by the sound of Zach saying my name in the form of a question.

My head shot around, my gaze landing on the reception desk where Zach was standing with Rae, Lennix, and their grandmother, Becky. My gaze bounced around among the three of them. Becky looked at me like it was just another day. Rae was too busy looking at something on the computer to give me more than a brief smile. Zach seemed more confused than anything. And Lennix was watching me with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open.

"Hey man." My best friend pushed up from where he'd been leaning against the credenza and moved toward me. "What are you doin' here? I mean, not that it's not good to see you, but I'll admit I'm surprised. You have a rodeo out this way or somethin'?"

There was really no point in beating around the bush, so I decided to just go with the truth. "Uh, no. Actually, I'm here to see Ivy."

His forehead wrinkled as his brows pushed together. "Ivy? Why?"

" Oh shit ," Lennix muttered under her breath.

I blew a big gust of air past my lips. "Look, I'll explain everything, but I'd really like to talk to her first. Do you know if she's up in her office?"

Lennix pushed away from the reception desk so fast you'd have thought she got bit by a rattlesnake. "I'll go get her for you," she offered. "You just... stay down here. I'll be right back."

Before I could get a word out, she turned and bolted up the stairs at an impressive speed—leaving me with her brother who was starting to look at me like I was keeping a secret and he didn't like it one damn bit.

"I starting to get the feelin' I'm missing somethin' here."

"You and me both," Rae said, her scrutinizing gaze no longer on the computer screen but pinned to me.

Well shit .

I could already tell this wasn't going to be any damn fun.

Ivy

I hadn't kept my promise to my mother last week to go see the doctor if I didn't start feeling better, but every morning I woke up convinced that this was the day I'd finally feel better. Only, that hadn't happened yet. The exhaustion was so bad I caught myself dozing off at my desk more than once. The nausea refused to let up, making it nearly impossible to keep anything down, and because I wasn't eating or drinking the way I needed, the dizzy spells were getting worse. For the past few weeks my diet consisted of little more than crackers, toast, and ginger ale or 7up. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this lousy; it had gotten beyond ridiculous.

I was contemplating curling up beneath my desk for a quick power nap when the door to my office burst open and Lennix came rushing in with the force of a tornado. She quickly slammed the door behind her, causing me to jump in my seat, and pressed her back against it like she was hiding from somebody... or trying to keep somebody out.

"What the hell? You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry," she said on a pant. "I got a little carried away."

"Why are you out of breath?"

She leaned forward and braced her hands on her knees. "I ran up the stairs. Gah!" She pushed upright and sucked in a huge, dramatic breath. "Cardio, am I right? Do not recommend."

I slowly rose to my feet, bracing my hands on the top of my desk when I felt a little unsteady. "Then why the hell did you run up the stairs?"

"Because I had to warn you."

My back went straight, the tightening in my gut having nothing to do with sickness this time. "Warn me about what?" I asked, even though I was afraid I already knew the answer to my own question.

"Connor is downstairs." And there it is .

"Shit," I hissed, lifting a shaky hand to my mouth. "Are you serious?"

She nodded, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "Yep. Zach and Rae were down there when he came in. Zach asked why he was here, and he blurted out that he was here for you. I'm afraid some secrets are about to come to light down there, and I'm not confident that Zach won't punch the shit out of Connor when he finds out. You're like a little sister to him, you know."

" Shit! " I repeated. It was the only word I could think of while my brain was busy trying to process everything Lennix just dumped on me.

She nodded slowly in agreement. "Yeah. Shit is about right. What do you want to do? You want me to get rid of him?"

"Um..." I wish that was a viable option, but if Connor was really here, prepared to spill the truth to Zach, I had a feeling he wouldn't be so easily turned away. "I think maybe I have to handle this myself?"

Her brows winged upward. "Was that a question?"

"I don't know!" I cried, throwing my arms up at my sides. "I'm freaking out right now!"

Lennix's hands came up in a placating gesture. "Okay. It's okay," she soothed. "Everything is going to be fine." She took a sweeping look at me for the first time since barging into my office. "Well, I mean except for the fact you look like death warmed over. Good lord, babe. Are you okay?"

My expression fell flat as I gritted through my clenched teeth, " Not. Helping. "

"Sorry. Sorry. Okay, where was I?" She snapped her fingers. "Right. You're fine. It's all gonna be fine. We're going to go downstairs to make sure my brother hasn't committed murder and find out what's going on. I'll be there the whole time, alright? You can do this."

"I can do this," I repeated, hoping if I said it enough times I'd start to believe it. "I can totally do this."

"Yeah, for sure! Now, you ready?"

Hell no, but it looked like I didn't really have much of a choice.

We started out of my office and barely made it to the top of the staircase when we heard raised voices.

Lennix turned to me with big, panicked eyes. " Shit ."

I put on a burst of speed, trying to keep up with her, but my body didn't want to cooperate. I barely made it to the first landing when my vision started to get wonky, blurring along the edges.

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?" I heard Zach shout as I rounded the banister.

Rae stepped into her husband. "Okay, I think everyone should just take a breath and try to calm down." She put herself between the two men. Zach looked ready to rip someone's head off while Connor looked resigned to receive a fist to the face.

"Look who I found," Lennix chirped overly brightly as she reached the base of the staircase.

Five sets of eyes swung up my way once I was halfway down the stairs. "Hey," I greeted lamely, lifting my hand in a limp wave as my head began to swim.

"Whoa," Rae breathed out. "Honey, you don't look so good."

Connor rushed my way, climbing up two steps. "Are you okay?"

No, I didn't think I was. "Um..." I licked my lips as I reach up to wipe at the sweat suddenly dotting my brow. "Does it seem wobbly in here to anyone else?"

That was the last thing I remembered before my vision went completely black and I fainted in the middle of the staircase.