Chapter Twenty-Three
C rowds gathered and milled about Cliffside Park. Ivy adored this event. It had been canceled for the last couple of years. But the Kite Jubilee was back, and due to recent high, gusting winds, today was the ideal, blustery day for kite-flying. A stage had been set up for her parents to perform their magic show, and afterward would be a live band for dancing. It didn’t get any better than this.
Except Jaxon was leaving. That thought remained in the back of her mind as she went through her busy days. Yes, the tea shop was thriving. She’d improved her business nearly 30%, but the knowledge Jaxon was leaving dimmed her joy.
Rumor had it the sale of his building had fallen through, but Ivy had barely seen Jaxon all week. No one had. That meant he was still moving, taking a job in Boston, and leaving Hazard behind. Jaxon Langford was leaving her behind, and that was fine because he had betrayed her.
Except, if it was true, and he wasn’t selling the building, he hadn’t—not exactly. True, he held back important information. He’d left her out when he talked to everyone else. That irked, but it wasn’t a genuine betrayal. He was still her landlord, so they would still be in touch.
Ivy wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
She shoved the turmoil from her mind. Too much to do today, and she needed to focus on each task at hand. She and Holly had a vendor booth together. Ivy had packaged up her special tea blends—Serenity, Cozy, Find Your Way. She hadn’t packaged any of the Magical blend. That was only for the tea shop. She was learning from Holly. To have the very best of her blends, you had to come into the shop to experience it. Magical had already grown in popularity and was the most ordered blend in the shop. Well, among the pleasant customers. The unpleasant customers couldn’t abide it. It really did bring out a person’s inner attitude. Bad attitude, bad taste. Great attitude, great taste.
The youngest of the kite flyers were already letting out their strings with diamond shapes fluttering merrily in the breeze. Parents were overseeing the activity and keeping their youngsters away from the perilous drop to the ocean. Cliffside was Ivy’s favorite place to walk. She loved the windy path, with a view of the surf crashing below.
She paused to watch the kite flyers and caught her breath. Jaxon in the afternoon, with the breeze ruffling his hair, always caught her just a little unawares. He stood in the midst of it all. Of course, he did. He was helping his Little Leaguers fly their kites: deltas and parafoils in a rainbow of colors. She watched as he helped Ronnie’s younger brother get his kite swaying and looping in the air.
Crowds were gathering as her parents began their show. First, card tricks with giant cards added a touch of humor. She could hear gasps and oohs as they performed their illusions, scarves and lop-eared bunnies appearing out of top hats and teapots. The teapots had been her idea, and her parents loved it. It gave her business a plug before they moved onto their disappearing act. Holly scowled.
Ivy ignored her sister and focused on her booth and the customers. She tried to avoid looking at Jaxon. She was not. She was not looking at him. She was looking somewhere else, except somehow, he had moved straight into her line of vision. If she looked away it would be silly, wouldn’t it?
“I can see you watching him and pretending you aren’t,” said Holly. “It’s so obvious.”
“It is not,” Ivy murmured, and began straightening her tea packages.
“Is to.”
“Is not.” What were they, eight? Just because their parents were visiting didn’t mean they needed to resort to grammar school behavior.
“You can go over. I’ll watch the booth.”
“You’ll put all your items in the front and mine under the table.”
“Hah.” Holly widened her eyes in mock shock, then grinned. “Maybe.”
Rebecca chose that moment to wander over. “Do you ever need help in your tea shop? My dad says I have to get a job when I turn sixteen.”
Ivy opened her mouth to answer, when Holly talked over her. “Why don’t you find out if you’d like it? You can take Ivy’s spot while she steps away. Go,” Holly said to her sister, and made a shooing motion. “Go over to the kite flyers. I know you want to.”
She did. She really did.
“Becca will be my helper.”
Becca gave a pleased jump. “Can I?”
Ivy untied her green apron embroidered with the Ivy Way Tea Shop in elegant script and handed it to the excited teen to put on. She pointed her finger at her sister. “Don’t hide my product.” To Becca, she said, “Don’t let her hide my product.” Holly laughed, and they both waved her off.
As Ivy stepped away from the shelter of the vendor section, her light, flower-print dress began to flap against her legs, and she was glad she’d thought to put on shorts under it. She passed Malory, who was struggling with an elaborate dragon kite while simultaneously trying to keep her full skirt from flying up behind. Malory grumbled, but when she spotted Ivy, she shoved the kite string into her hands. “I can’t do this. My skirt almost blew all the way up in back. I refuse to flash these people. I must maintain my decorum.”
Ivy grinned at Malory’s consternation and took the string. “I wanted a kite to fly. How did you know?”
“Good luck with it. This wind’s too strong. Someone’s going to get hurt, tripping over themselves to keep up with their kite.”
“Oh, it’s not that bad. Let’s move over to the kite-flying section in the meadow.” Ivy nodded toward where Jaxon was helping the kids. “See, it’s all safe. It isn’t anywhere near the cliff’s edge. They even have it roped off.” She paused to watch Montgomery jump and dance his happy doggy dance around Jaxon, who was helping another Little Leaguer get his kite launched, demonstrating how to catch the best breeze.
“Oh, oh my,” said Ivy, as the kite gave a tug and Malory’s dilemma became clear.
“See what I mean?”
Ivy nodded and moved to the edge of the kite area. She loved watching the kite with its long dragon tail dip and rise and loop and turn. Dancing high above her like a live creature with a mind of its own, the fiery breath of her dragon kite was reminiscent of an apatosaurus in action. Ivy figured she had the coolest kite. Most of the kites for the youngsters were traditional diamond racers, but Ronnie’s had a box shape that caught the wind even better than Malory’s dragon. Ivy moved closer to the main section, closer to Jaxon.
Most of the participants were winding their strings in and heading toward the stage, bringing their kites back down to earth as her parents’ magic performance grew more interesting. Ah, her dad was sawing her mom in half now. So clearly a trick of mirrors. Ivy sighed. A classic, really, and a crowd-pleaser with the younger audience.
Ivy watched her kite, half-watched her parents, and kept an eye on Jaxon as she hummed the blessing. The tune caught on the wind, and she began to sway and move with her kite. She wouldn’t let Malory’s fiery dragon take wing on its own. She found she agreed with Malory that flying kites near the cliff would be hazardous. If she walked the path later, it would be sans kite.
The dragon gave a sharp tug, trying to escape. Kids were heading in. She saw Jaxon move out of the roped-off section and turn the kids he was helping back over to their parents. Jaxon sent Ronnie’s little brother off with him and watched until they were seated at the benches watching her mother disappear. The crowd applauded wildly. Jaxon caught her eye. She raised a hand to wave. But he had looked down to hook a leash onto Montgomery’s collar. They were off on a walk.
Her heart ached to go after him, but Jaxon was heading toward the cliff to walk the path with his dog. Ivy continued holding onto the kite strings, but it felt like her heartstrings were tugging and whipping about, now looping in a nauseating fashion. She reminded herself that Jaxon had kept things from her, but all she longed to do was chase after him. Running toward the cliff in the strong wind was a decidedly bad idea. She began to reel the kite in.
Holly would grow impatient at her being away or annoyed at selling her product—or worse, hide it—and Rebecca might get bored helping, so she figured she should head back. She carefully wound the string in, taking care not to damage Malory’s dramatic kite. Once it was in control she found her friend, who took it back with a frown.
“You’re better with it than I am.”
“Well, we flew kites when I was a kid. It was windy then, too. I loved it. The wind calls to me. I’m right at home on a blustery day.”
Malory shivered, even though the day wasn’t cold. “I guess I’ll get used to it. I’m more of an indoor girl.” She rose to go stash her kite in her car, and Ivy headed back toward the magic show. It was in the height of it now with oohs and ahs at the grand finale. A kind of flash explosion hit in which all the items from earlier appeared and disappeared again, including her mom.
Wind was whipping strongly when she spotted a small figure off in the distance. Was that Ronnie’s little brother? And what was he dragging behind him? It seemed to be wrapped about his legs. Ivy headed in that direction, trying to see what he was up to. He paused and appeared to throw something in the air. Ivy’s ponytail whipped into her face, and she shoved it aside. It was a kite. But not the small racer he’d had earlier when Jaxon was helping him. This was the larger box kite of Ronnie’s that really caught the breeze.
As she watched, it rose and looped and swung higher as the little boy let out the string, jumping up and down, running into the big open field away from the magic show and in the opposite direction from the roped-off safety zone.
Ivy dashed after him. He was headed toward the cliffs, air currents pulling him closer to the edge. Wind blasted her face as she shoved her now loose hair back to see.
She was too far away. Suddenly, Montgomery came bounding toward the boy, leash dragging.
Where was Jaxon?
Ivy ran faster. She called out, but she didn’t know the boy’s name. It was too late to enlist other help. She needed to catch him. The colorful box kite flew high, perilously swinging the boy up off the ground a few inches.
Ivy’s legs pumped faster. She stumbled on the uneven ground, twisting her foot, but ignored the pain. The boy was struggling in the gale, forced closer and closer to the cliff edge. She yelled, but her voice flew off into the air. She screamed at the boy, but the wind was tumbling him toward the cliff, the kite dragging him to the edge.
Sound carried from the show with the repeated explosive popping of the finale, crowd cheering enthusiastically, marveling at her parents’ creativity.
Montgomery was dashing in and out around the boy’s feet, trying to hold him back, but they were both nearing the edge. Ivy was so close, if she could just reach him. With an extra burst of energy she leaped up, the wind giving her a boost toward the boy. She grabbed him up and swung him back from the cliff edge. She took the kite in hand, winding the string quickly. She’d done it. Dog and boy were safe. “Are you all right?”
Eyes wide, his little body trembling, he nodded.
“Here, I’ll bring the kite back. This wind’s too high to be near the cliff with a kite. You go on back to your folks, ok? Take Montgomery.” She handed the leash to the boy and Montgomery, good dog that he was, pulled the boy to safety. Ivy watched as they made it back to the crowd. Relieved, she stepped away from the cliff, but a draft caught the kite and she stumbled.
Her feet slipped as the earth slid out from under her. She fell, trying to reel the kite back in, but the wind was working against her, tugging the kite closer to the ocean. Ivy was on her hands and knees now. Afraid to stand in the strong gusts while holding a kite, she began to crawl, inching from the edge.
The ground shifted, gave way, and she released the kite. It took off in a wide swirling arc, heading over the sea and up to the clouds. Ivy sunk her fingers into the earth, but she was skidding over the edge. Surely there was a ledge she could grasp hold of, but her hands fumbled. As she dropped into free fall, she grabbed for a root protruding from the cliff, and held on.
Her feet dangled.
She scrambled, trying to find anything to grip onto. With her right hand, she grappled at the rock face and sunk her fingers into a crevice. Her feet caught on the side of the cliff, and she plastered herself like a bug on a wall.
Had anyone seen her go over the edge?
Anyone at all?
*
Jaxon cursed his dog. Montgomery had gotten loose from him again. Fortunately, his dog was so low to the ground that he wouldn’t be swept off in these crazy gusts, Jaxon hoped. He came around the rise and spotted Montgomery leading a boy across the wide-open field. Was that Ronnie’s little brother?
The boy halted, jumping and pointing back toward the cliff. “Jaxon, help,” he called. His little voice flew on the air, but Jaxon just heard him. “She fell!”
Fell? Who? Jaxon ran toward the drop-off. The crowd began to sense a commotion. Nell and her friends from the Roadies were heading their way. Ronnie grabbed his little brother’s hand just as their parents came running up.
He was pointing and explaining something, but Jaxon wasn’t waiting for details. He ran toward the edge. If someone fell off a cliff—if anyone fell, he couldn’t be right here where it happened—again.
His mind blanked. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t stare down at a person, bleeding, broken, dead. His mind screamed to let the authorities handle it. But his heart pounded, urging him to run faster. Drawn closer to the edge, images of his worst failure flowed through his mind. He couldn’t bring himself not to see, not to look, not to know.
He heard a small cry and a curse, and forced himself to peer over the edge. His stomach dropped to his toes. Terror froze him, but he shoved it back and sprang into action.
Ivy, his lovely, beloved Ivy, clung to the side of the cliff, her wide eyes fearful.
Jaxon dropped to the ground and lay down. He stretched over the edge. “Take my hands.”
She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No,” she breathed.
“I’ll pull you up and back.”
“I can’t.” She turned to glance down and immediately turned terror-filled eyes back at Jaxon.
He kept his voice steady, encouraging. “You won’t. I won’t let you. I’m really strong. Here, take one of my hands.”
The root she hung onto with her right hand began to creak and give, dirt scattering. Her left-hand grip tightened on the rock face, her fingernails breaking. He stretched his arm down, angling until she might just be able to reach his fingers. With a determined grimace, she let go of the root and snatched at the proffered hand. She missed on the first try, and swung to the left. She squealed, and Jaxon’s heart stopped before pounding erratically. Keeping his focus on Ivy, he eased himself out farther. If the ground gave way, they’d plummet onto the rocks below.
Hands gripped his legs. “We’ve got you, Jax,” he heard Nell say. He eased farther, just a little bit farther, until Ivy could just grasp his fingers. “More,” he told Nell.
“You heard him,” she said. Jaxon felt another pair of hands. Someone else slipped a rope around his waist and tightened it.
“We won’t let you fall,” he heard Roman say.
Jaxon was hanging over the edge now, his fate in the hands of Hazard. He could hear the Roadies and the Rebels working together to help him rescue Ivy, easing him down until he gripped her wrist and she gripped his.
He heard a cheer from Joel. “You’ve got your girl. Don’t let her go.”
Jaxon pulled and kept his eyes on Ivy’s. “Focus on me. You can do this.” He gave her wrist an encouraging tug, and she let go of the rock face with her other hand. For one chilling instant she swung perilously, and if it weren’t for the community holding onto Jaxon, he knew they would’ve tumbled into oblivion.
Jaxon grabbed Ivy’s other wrist and began to pull her up as the others pulled him back, a combined team effort pulling them free from danger.
They weren’t in this alone. He had Ivy, and the community had him. They all pulled and eased Ivy up and over the side.
She crawled the last little bit and, both on their knees, Jaxon pulled her into his arms. She clung. Nothing ever felt so right. She belonged in his arms. He belonged with her.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” He couldn’t stop repeating himself. “I’ve got you.”
“I know,” she answered, humor in her voice along with something else. He leaned back to search her eyes, expecting gratitude, but it was so much more. Love for him shone from her eyes. He hadn’t lost her. His heart stuttered and steadied. He smiled, and she smiled, and while everyone milled around shouting instructions and sounding important, the two of them gazed at each other.
“I couldn’t let you fall.”
“You didn’t.”
“I love you.”
She smiled the smile that warmed him all the way from his head to his toes. Ivy Wayland was sunshine personified. “Love you, too. Don’t leave me.”
“Never,” he breathed, and drew her in for a kiss to seal his promise, while Montgomery did his happy little dog dance all around.