Chapter 5
IVY
The restaurant smelled like garlic bread and too much ambition. It was one of those places that wanted to be upscale but couldn't quite commit. White tablecloths, but paper napkins. Wine glasses, but plastic menus.
In this economy, I didn't blame them.
I sat across from Anna and Elena, watching Anna's face light up as her new boyfriend approached our table.
Beau.
Handsome in French, I believed.
Funny name for a guy who looked like he belonged behind an internal desk at a bank. Which, as it turned out, was exactly where he belonged.
I bit back a smirk.
He was balding, the kind of balding where a man still tried to pretend he had enough hair to style, and his suit jacket hung a bit loose on his frame. Not much to look at, objectively speaking. But the way he looked at Anna made something in my chest squeeze.
Like she was the only thing he could see.
His face broke into the widest grin as he spotted her.
"Anna." He leaned down to kiss her cheek, gentle and sweet, before turning to Elena and me with a nervous smile. "You must be Elena and Ivy."
"That's us," Elena confirmed.
"Ivy," I said with a nod.
He held out a bouquet of flowers, a mix of daisies and roses, bright and cheerful, and offered us a box of chocolates. "I know it's a bit much for a first meeting, but Anna talks about you both constantly. I wanted to make a good impression."
Elena took the flowers with a warm smile. "That's really sweet of you. Thank you."
"Very sweet," I echoed, accepting the chocolates. They were from a local shop, not some cheap drugstore box. I only knew that because Jackson had gotten Elena some from there as well, and they weren't cheap. Points for effort.
Beau settled into the chair beside Anna, and she reached for his hand immediately. The gesture was so natural it made my throat tight.
"Beau's been wonderful," Anna said softly. Her blue eyes, brightening every day she was in remission, shone with genuine happiness. "I've been telling him he doesn't need to spoil me, but he insists."
"I like spoiling you," Beau said simply. "You deserve it. You're an amazing woman, and very strong."
I grinned and rolled my eyes as Elena chuckled, but it was nice to see our mother being so doted on.
The waitress came by to take our orders, and conversation flowed easier than I'd expected. I'd expected it to be awkward with Beau, but he surprised me there.
He asked about our lives, listened with genuine interest when Elena talked about her work, and laughed at my sarcastic commentary about the restaurant's attempt at "fusion cuisine."
"I have a son," Beau mentioned during a lull in conversation. "Connor. He's traveling the world right now with his wife and their little girl. They're in Thailand at the moment, I think. Or maybe Australia? He moves around so much I can barely keep track."
"That sounds exciting," Elena said.
"It is. He's living his dream." Beau's smile was fond. "I'm proud of him for it. And honestly, it gives me more time to focus on other things. Like getting to know this incredible woman."
He looked at Anna like she was the only person in the room.
Damn. That was something every woman dreamed of.
"Actually," Beau continued, straightening slightly.
"I wanted to suggest something, if you're both open to it.
A spa day. My treat. I know we're just getting to know each other, but I want you both to know that I only want good things for Anna.
I care about her deeply, and anyone important to her is important to me. "
Elena and I exchanged a look across the table. Her eyes held the same cautious hope I felt.
"That's generous," Elena said carefully.
"Very generous," I added. "You don't have to—"
"I want to," Beau insisted. "Please. It would make me happy. And like I said, Connor is off doing his own thing, I spoil him as best I can, but I'd like to do this for you three."
Anna squeezed his hand, her smile soft and grateful. She then shot us both looks, and I had to contain my giggle. It was one that begged us to accept since she didn't want to let him down. She wanted us to allow him to feel like a provider. It was sweet, and definitely not one we could deny.
"Okay, thank you. We'd love that," Elena caved, and I nodded.
"What kind of woman says no to pampering?" I added, and Beau grinned like we'd just given him a grand trophy. Maybe in his mind, we had.
For the next twenty minutes, Beau regaled us with stories about Anna like we hadn't known her our entire lives.
How talented she was at painting after their paint and sip date.
How her cooking was to die for. He could make the money to take her out for meals, but he'd never been much of a cook himself, apparently.
"He's being modest," Anna cut in. "He's an excellent baker. Makes the most wonderful breads and cakes. Taste-wise, anyway."
Beau's face flushed. "Yes, I'm still trying to perfect icing and whatnot, how to make it look nice."
"Well, mom can help with that. She used to help us make cupcakes," I said with a grin. "Can't you?" I glanced at Anna, who was also smiling fondly.
"Of course. We can work on some things together." She patted his hand, and Beau's blush deepened.
Seeing them so fond of one another was making me feel all mushy.
"Honestly, it's impressive. I can barely make toast without burning it," I stated as I sipped my water.
"She's not exaggerating," Elena confirmed.
Anna laughed, the sound light and musical. "I told him I could teach him to cook if he wants. I don't mind."
"I'd like that," Beau said softly, looking at her with that same tender expression.
They'd only been together a month and a bit, but watching them together felt like witnessing something rare. Something precious.
Something I could only hope to find one day. Although, given my track record, I wasn't holding my breath.
Eric.
I blinked, trying to force the sudden image of him from my mind. I didn't need to be thinking about him still. I needed him far from my mind.
And yet, he was always there, floating at the edge, waiting for a chance to be dragged in by a stray thought or something that connected to him.
The man who made me feel things I'd never felt before or since. Safe, cared for, wanted. Until he snatched it all away and abandoned me.
I closed my eyes, drawing in a grounding breath before focusing on the conversation around me.
Eric needed to fuck right off out of my brain. He was a deserter, and I was not going to waste more time thinking about him.
When Anna and Beau finally left to catch their movie, some romantic comedy Anna had been wanting to see, Elena and I remained at the table, nursing our water glasses.
"I have a good feeling about this one," Elena said quietly.
I nodded. "Yeah. Me too. He's completely smitten with her."
"She deserves that."
"She really does." I traced the rim of my glass with one finger. "I'm not sure I could date a man like him, though. He seems rather boring, save for his baking hobbies. I'm sure Anna picks most of their dates. And that comb-over. We need to help him in that department if he keeps dating her."
Elena shook her head. "Actually, the paint night was his idea."
"What?"
"Mom told me. He suggested it because he'd heard her mention wanting to try painting again."
I blinked. "Huh. Color me stunned."
"But you're right about one thing," Elena continued. "Mom seems happy. That's all that matters. She deserves this more than anything. And if they stay strong, we'll help him. I think he'd rock the bald look if he changed his wardrobe a bit."
"She does," I agreed softly. "After everything she's been through. Everything she's done for us. And yeah, his head shape doesn't look too bad. He won't look like a damn ball."
Elena chuckled and shook her head, focusing back on the main subject of our conversation rather than her new beau. I cracked a smirk.
"I know she gets lonely in her own place. She hangs out with us most of the time, but we all have our own spaces now. Having him is good for her."
Thanks to the Donatis, though I'd never say that part out loud. They'd wanted to buy me a place too, insisted on it actually. Said I was family, that they wanted to take care of me like they took care of Elena.
I'd refused.
I preferred to earn things.
The memory of that conversation still made me uncomfortable. The genuine hurt in Sofia's eyes when I'd turned down their generosity. The way Meredith had tried to convince me it wasn't charity, that family helped family.
But I wasn't family. Not really. I was Elena's best friend, Anna's honorary daughter, but I wasn't a Donati or a Savoca. I didn't want to owe them anything, no matter how kind their intentions.
My mind drifted, unbidden, to another memory. Darker. More terrifying.
The kidnapping.
Alfeo Malatesta's cold eyes. The rope cutting into my wrists. The certainty that Elena and I were going to die.
"How's Jackson?" I asked abruptly, needing to shake off the memory.
Elena's cheeks pinked slightly. "He's good. Working as usual. There was a big meeting today with a potential ally, he's on driving duties and security."
"Yeah? How'd it go?"
"I don't know yet. He'll tell me later."
I wondered briefly who this potential ally was, what kind of deal the Donatis were making now. Their world still felt foreign to me, despite how much time I spent adjacent to it.
"It doesn't scare you? Knowing his work? How he's in jeopardy all the time?" I asked.
"Sometimes, but I focus on the good things. On the stability they seem to have lately," Elena said honestly.
Always one to focus on the positives.
Then another thought crept in, unwelcome and persistent.
Eric.
Was he involved with the meeting? Was that why he was in Ironstone?
No. Eric was a blue collar man. Not some criminal mobster.
"What do you think brought Eric to town?" Elena asked, as if reading my mind.
I stiffened. "What?"
"Eric. Your ex. The one from the bar." Elena watched me carefully. "Do you think his big work opportunity was here? In Ironstone?"
"Who cares?" I muttered.
"You do, apparently." Elena's tone was gentle, not accusatory. "I can see you keep thinking about him."
"I'm not—"
"Ivy." She reached across the table, covering my hand with hers. "He was always the one that got away. One of the good ones. The only good one, really."
My throat tightened. I hated how easily she knew me, how easily she could read me. Damn him, and damn her right now.
"He left."
"I know."
"He ghosted me without a word. After seven months of—" I cut myself off, shaking my head. "It doesn't matter. It was four years ago."
"But you're still thinking about him."
I was. Of course I was. Seeing him again had cracked open something I'd kept carefully sealed.
The way it had felt when he'd stepped in and stood up for me, protective and possessive. The dark intensity in his eyes when he'd looked at me. The years between us evaporating like they'd never existed.
I flagged down the waitress, needing a distraction. "Do you have cocktails?"
The waitress nodded. "Of course. What can I get you?"
"Something strong."
Elena squeezed my hand. "Ivy—"
"Eric is not the one I want to care about today," I said firmly.
But even as the words left my mouth, I knew they were a lie. When the cocktail came, I followed it with a glass of whiskey, and Elena didn't prod any further.
Good, I didn't want to worry about Eric and the what-ifs. I didn't want to think about him at all.