Chapter 5

A half an hour in, and they were neck and neck. Mike Paul could hold his own, Benton and Angel too, but Ivy dug deep. She hadn’t bowled in a couple of years and was on her way to scoring close to 200—though Bryce was giving her a run for the money.

“Crap,” Ivy muttered when Bryce knocked down all ten pins. The guy looked over and saluted her. She kept her face neutral, though inside, she was flipping him two middle fingers. Childish, she knew, because he and Wanda had been super friendly, but still…

Mike Paul stood up—he was next.

“You need a bit more spin to get a cleaner hook.”

“Is that all?” He glanced back at her, a lazy grin on his face, and her stupid stomach turned over. Twice.

“To start,” Ivy moved to the side to give him room. “Then lean into it.” Did he have to smell so damn good?

“You want a strike?”

Irritated, she made a face.

“What do I get if I put down all ten pins more than once?” He winked.

“The knowledge that, in fact, you don’t suck at bowling.”

“There’s not much I suck at.”

Ivy’s eyes narrowed. “Just throw your damn ball.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned and stepped away. “With a curve?”

Mike Paul got his ten, but it took two tries, and by the time they reached the last frame it was down to Ivy to post a perfect score of thirty to pull out a win. A crowd had gathered since most of the other teams were finished with their games, and they were cheering as she grabbed her ball. And some chirps from the gallery. She glanced back to Wanda and Bryce, who stood and watched, their arms linked with each other. Wanda leaned into Bryce with the kind of familiarity that only a couple could share.

The two were in love. It would be obvious to a blind man.

Wanda smiled at her, and Ivy lifted her chin in response, then turned and faced the lane. They might be all grown up and acting like actual adults, but that didn’t mean she wanted to win any less, because she did. Ivy smiled and got down to business.

She lined up and threw a perfect curve that came back to center at the last moment and took out all ten pins.

Then she did it again. The crowd erupted in a roar, anticipation building for her last throw. Every single person in the crowd faded away except Mike Paul, who stood a few inches behind her. She was hyper-aware of him. And when he moved a bit closer, she forced herself to exhale slowly.

“You got this,” he whispered, so close now she could feel the heat from his body.

Ivy looked over her shoulder, and when their eyes met her stomach did a weird dip. Again. She gave herself a mental shake and tore her gaze from his. Then turned back to the task at hand. Bowling in Big Bend might not have been on her bingo card tonight, but she sure as hell was glad she’d come out. In truth, she hadn’t had this much fun in a long, long time.

Ivy cracked her neck, repositioned herself, and then, with the crowd cheering her on, let the ball go. It sailed down the lane, curved back to center, and took down all ten pins for the win.

Her team shouted as Ivy jumped up and down, elated at the win. Suddenly, she was scooped up into the arms she’d tried so damn hard to forget. Mike Paul twirled her in a full circle, and she couldn’t help but laugh as Benton and Angel came over.

“You’re something else, you know that right?” Mike Paul’s compliment was husky.

She slid out of his embrace and took a step back. She needed some time to get her heart back to where it belonged inside her chest, protected by bone and tissue, not banging like a damn drum all over the place.

“That was amazing,” Angel said.

“It was a team effort.” They all turned as Bryce and Wanda approached. He held out his hand and this time she didn’t hesitate to accept. “Congratulations,” he said.

“Thanks.”

“You definitely haven’t lost your touch.” Wanda grinned. “And we owe you guys a round of drinks.”

“Just one?” Mike Paul chuckled and waved over to the server, Aiden. The young man took their orders and disappeared.

They all headed for a large table and gave up their lane for another group waiting to play. Ivy was too ramped up to sit, so she leaned against one of the chairs and glanced around the room. So many folks she knew. Folks she’d grown up. All of them were still here in Big Bend, living their lives.

Wanda came over, a half-smile in place, and offered Ivy a cold beer. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. “Friends?”

I guess we’ve all grown up.

Ivy shrugged and smiled. “Friends.”

She looked good, this former pain in Ivy’s ass. “I hear you’ve had a baby.” Ivy moved to give Wanda some room.

“We’ve got two.”

“Two? Wow, you’ve been busy.”

“So weird,” Wanda said. “I never thought I wanted to get married. Never thought I wanted kids. And now I’ve got both, and while some days I don’t recognize myself at all, I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.” She glanced at Ivy. “How’s it feel?”

Ivy frowned. “How does what feel?”

“Falling in love.” Wanda nodded to her left hand. “Being engaged to Kip Lafferty.”

“Oh.” Ivy shrugged. “I don’t feel any different. I mean, it’s just a ring.” God, she sounded like a complete idiot.

Wanda leaned closer. “That is not just a ring. I bet it’s at least three carats.”

It was big. Had made it hard to bowl. But with Mike Paul watching her so close, she didn’t want to remove it.

“I’ve never been much of a jewelry person, you know?” She tried to make light, but Wanda gave her an odd look.

The guys were pouring glasses of beer from the large jugs Aiden had brought over, and Ivy nursed hers and watched. They all seemed so familiar with each other, and a part of her sort of hated the fact. These people had a connection, and it was one she was no longer a part of.

“I always thought you and Mike Paul would end up together.”

“What?” She turned back to Wanda so fast she winced and damn near gave herself whiplash.

“You two always seemed so in sync.” At Ivy’s silence, Wanda blushed. “Or something. I don’t know. I think we were all surprised when you up and left Big Bend with Cal. Not Cal so much, but you?” She shrugged. “I thought you were a lifer, and I thought Mike Paul would be a part of it.” She winked. “Once he grew up.”

Ivy took a long swig of beer, not wanting to think back to one of the most tempestuous times she’d lived through. Her parents had been fighting all the time, which made her mother even more difficult to be around. Then they’d split and there were the rumors. Holy hell, the rumors. Not surprising in a small town like Big Bend. But then the thing happened that she’d never told anyone about happened ,and she’d left with Cal and never looked back.

Except, Val. She knew.

Ivy took a moment and pushed all that stuff away. Nothing good could come from revisiting it and she didn’t want to ruin the night by digging up a past that would only hurt.

“Do men ever grow up?” Ivy asked lightly.

“Some do.” Wanda’s eyes were on Bryce, and a slow smile curved her lips as if she were thinking of a secret.

“You two seemed to have found your happy ending.”

Wanda nodded to the ring once more. “I bet most folks think you have as well.”

Something in her tone got to Ivy. “Only most?” she responded lightly.

“I haven’t met your fiancé, and I sure don’t have any firsthand knowledge of your life. But what I do know is that it’s hard to move forward with unfinished business.” She nodded to the table of men. “And you and Mike Paul have a shit load of it.”

Ivy’s mouth fell open, and anger made her eyes flash a hard, dark blue. Who in hell did this woman think she was to say something like that?

Wanda took a step back and held up her hands, palms out. “Hey, I’m not looking to start something. Geez, we only just became friends. Kind of. But Ivy, the way he looks at you when you’re not looking at him, is about as hungry as the way you look at him when he’s got his back to you.”

“I…” Something inside her cracked a bit, and she blew out a long breath, more than a little defeated. Turned out it was hard pretending life was rainbows and puppy dogs. “It’s complicated.”

“God, it always is, isn’t it?”

Why was she confiding in Wanda Weatherly, of all people?

Because I have no real friends .

Not anymore. And whose fault was that? She’d tried to forget Big Bend and everything she’d had here. She hadn’t made time to—as her Nana would say—water her garden.

“There’s some history there and not all of it is good,” she admitted slowly.

Okay, now pull out a lie and do it well.

“But I’m with Kip and he’s amazing, and Mike Paul is just part of a past that I don’t think about all that much.”

“I get it,” Wanda said with a shrug. “History is the worst. Especially the kind of history that involves a man. But you’ve got things figured out and you seem real good. I’m glad you came out tonight, and I sure hope I get to meet the famous Kip Lafferty.” She began to giggle, an infectious sound that brought a smile to Ivy’s face. “I heard Marcy Banks damn near had a heart attack when she spotted him in the grocery store the other day. She told my mama he was so pretty she couldn’t speak for an hour.”

“He’s not that pretty,” Ivy said dryly.

“I think I’d like the chance to decide that for myself.”

“Bryce might have a problem with that.”

“No, he won’t,” Wanda murmured, eyes on her husband. “I’ll make sure he gets something in return.” She moved a few inches and motioned to the table. “You coming?”

“Sure.” Ivy grabbed her shoes. “Let me return these, and I’ll be over.”

She headed for the rental counter and turned in her shoes. By the time she got back to their table, there was only one seat left. It was at the end, next to Mike Paul. With no choice but to plant her butt beside him, Ivy sat down but was careful to keep a few inches between them.

The boys were deep in a discussion about the merits of using a wok versus a regular old frying pan when making a stir fry. Benton believed that the heat distribution of a wok worked better, while Mike Paul argued that nothing could beat his old skillet.

“Really?” Ivy looked across the table at Angel. “This is what keeps the men of Montana up at night?”

Angel shrugged. “Don’t get them started on chocolate. Last week, I had to listen to an entire discussion about the health benefits of the dark stuff.” She made a face. “I don’t eat chocolate to be healthy.”

“Amen,” Wanda said, reaching for a chicken wing.

“Do you want a plate?” Mike Paul asked, head swiveled her way.

Not one part of her body touched him, and yet it felt like the heat of a thousand suns burned along the side of her body. His eyes were hooded as they regarded her, not quite serious but a little too intense. He hadn’t shaved in a couple of days, and the dark swath of hair that covered his strong chin and jaw only managed to make him more dangerous.

“Ivy?”

She wanted to hate him. Wanted to dislike him so much that he would never cross her mind again. And yet, as her name fell from his lips, all she could think about was that night nearly a year ago when, drunk and dumb, she’d tumbled into bed with the one man she should have stayed away from. Because that night everything changed and the sad truth of it was…

She missed him. So much that it hurt. And that was a problem for a lot of reasons.

Her mouth was dry. She moistened her lips, aware that Wanda was watching the two of them covertly from the other side of the table.

“I’m good,” Ivy replied, reaching for a glass of water. She downed half of it and sat back, ignoring the man at her side.

“So, we’re talking again.” He nudged her thigh with his. “That’s good.”

“Is it?” She kept her voice light.

“Thanks for coming tonight. I’m not sure we would have pulled out the win without you.” He leaned closer. “Surprised you came alone.”

“Kip’s in New York.”

“Couldn’t handle the excitement of Big Bend?”

“He’ll be back by the weekend. What do you care anyway? It’s not like you two are friends.”

“I hate that guy.”

She made a face. “You don’t know him.”

“I don’t need to know him to hate him.”

“Real mature.”

“He could be the damn King of England, and I’d still hate him because…”

She turned to Mike Paul and raised her eyebrows. “Because?”

Mike Paul inched even closer. So close that she had to angle her head a bit, or they’d be touching noses. His scent, a heady mixture that was unique to him, clouded the air. It infiltrated her brain and slithered beneath her skin. For just one moment, she pictured his mouth. On hers. Maybe with a little tongue.

Quickly, she blinked it away and tried to focus on anything but him.

“You don’t belong with anyone but me, and you know it.” Mike Paul held her gaze. He stole her breath without trying and punched a hole right through her heart. “I’m going to prove it.”

He slowly got to his feet and, after reaching into the front pocket of his jeans, tossed several bills onto the table.

“Thanks for a great night, but I’ve got an early appointment with a bull who needs to be parted from his balls.” He got to his feet. Ivy could do nothing but stare up at him. The nerve of this guy.

He winked in the general direction of the table, then bent low and whispered so the words were only for her ears. “I’ll be seeing you around, Wilkens.”