Chapter Forty-Seven Ivy

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Ivy

T he Ashby big house has turned into an after-party of sorts. All the boys have moved the fifty rental chairs out and returned them to the party supply store, and loaded the mountain of gifts into their pickup trucks, getting ready to deliver them to Nash and CeCe's house. Us girls are cleaning, eating candy leftovers, and singing along to Jo's country playlist as we finish our chores together.

You'd never know there were seventy people here this afternoon. Papa Dean wanders in from sweeping off the front porch for Jo and takes a deep breath, tossing his hat on the row of hooks on the wall at the front door.

"Well, Jo? Pizza for dinner from Muldoon's?" he asks, mentioning the town pizza joint, as we all begin to drop down on the sofas, taking a moment before we head out.

"Hells yes, this mama isn't lifting one more finger for the rest of the day, who's coming for dinner?" she asks as she sinks down onto the couch beside me and smiles at me while tightening her high ponytail.

"I'm in," Cole pipes up. "Just gotta grab Mabes from her friends' and we'll be back."

"We are too," CeCe adds.

Jo nods and turns to me, in question.

"Thank you, but I'm actually really tired. I think I'll head back to my cabin." It's not a lie, but really, I just can't wait to be alone with Wade after this day apart. I glance at him as he vacuums the front foyer and wonders if he missed me just as much.

"Of course, thank you for all your help today, darlin'."

I nod and smile back. Nash and CeCe come back into the room, just as Wade finishes up.

"We're all set, we're just going to drive this to our place and then come back for dinner. Wade, you following?" Nash asks.

Wade's eyes flit to mine across the room, I expect him to say nothing, but he makes his way directly over to me.

"I'll be back in a half hour," Wade says to me, reaching down to kiss my lips right in front of everyone, once, then again, lingering a little longer on the second kiss. I assume he did it without thinking, but when he looks at me I know it was on purpose.

"Just … fuck." He sighs. "I didn't want to wait one more second to do that," he says, melting me from my head to my toes.

I look at him, then around the room that has completely ceased activity to gauge my reaction. I open my mouth but don't get a word out.

"Thank Christ, are we all allowed to know something's going on here now?" Dean blurts out, pointing back and forth between Wade and I.

Everyone in the room stifles a laugh, except Ginger who outright snickers as Wade grunts.

"What do you mean, Pop? Wade's just really dedicated to his work," Nash says as CeCe smacks him.

Cole doesn't say a word, but I notice his grin as he picks up the last of the gift bags to head out to Nash's truck. Olivia and Ginger snicker a little louder with no shame.

"Laugh it up, fuckers," Wade says, then turns to me and drops his cabin key into my palm intentionally. "You go to my place and I'll meet you there. Ignore them." He looks up at all of them. "This is why I don't tell any of you anything."

CeCe's smile fills her face as she winks at me.

"Immature little pricks," Wade adds as he heads out the front door and laughter fills the house.

Try as I may, I can't stop myself from laughing with them. I guess secrets can only last so long on this ranch.