Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Owen
After dinner, Hannah and Olivia bounce around the kitchen, begging for a movie night. It’s not part of the routine, but I’m clearly outnumbered.
“It’s already late,” I say, holding up a hand like I’ve still got some authority left.
“But it’s still summer, Dad,” Hannah pleads, hands clasped under her chin like a cartoon character. “Please?”
Olivia mirrors her perfectly, like they rehearsed this.
I glance at Ivy, hoping she’ll back me up, but she just sips her water and lifts an eyebrow .
“One movie,” I mutter.
Cheers erupt. The girls scramble around for pillows and throw blankets, setting up the perfect movie-watching environment.
When our eyes meet, Ivy snickers. “You didn’t stand a chance.”
I smother a sigh. “I never do.”
Ivy and I clean the kitchen together while the girls set up their blanket fort. Ivy hums softly as she loads the dishwasher, and for a second, it feels like we’ve done this before. It’s both strange and somehow nice having help in the kitchen.
When we’re done and the girls are all set, I grab a bottle of wine from the fridge and lift it in the air. “Care to join me?”
Ivy inspects the bottle, her eyes widening in appreciation. “Wow. That’s one of my favorites.”
I grab a couple of hoodies, and we head outside, where chairs are lined up to face the view of the bay. The moon casts a silver sheen across the dark water, and a breeze rustles the seagrass.
I’ve always loved this view, but I’ve got to admit, it’s even better with a glass of fine wine and Ivy sitting next to me.
I hand her one of the hoodies, and she pulls it over her head. She’s so cute wearing my clothes, it makes my heart stretch in a way I’m not ready for.
The last thing I need in my life is unpredictability. I have enough of that with Hannah’s mom.
And then there’s Ivy’s questionable past.
“To new neighbors,” she says.
We clink our glasses, then fall quiet, letting the night settle around us. The peaceful feeling settles all the way to my bones. There’s no need for words, and the absence of mindless chatter is more satisfying than the flavorful wine.
Tucked into my hoodie, sipping wine as she stares at the view, Ivy is the picture of serenity.
“You should stay tonight,” I say before I can second-guess it. “There’s a full guest suite upstairs. Hannah has a trundle bed Olivia can use.”
She hesitates, eyes flicking to mine. “I don’t know…”
“It’s safer than going back to that dark house. Plus, Olivia already thinks she’s having a sleepover.”
She tilts her head. “That’s manipulative.”
“It’s also true.”
A small smile breaks across her lips, and she doesn’t say yes, but she doesn’t say no, either. I take that as a win.
A few more quiet minutes pass, and then she asks, “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” I say, cautious.
“It’s about Hannah’s piano lessons.”
I groan. “Don’t remind me.”
“It seems like she doesn’t like them.”
“She loves piano but hates every teacher. We’ve tried four this year.”
“Hmm,” she says, noncommittal.
“What?”
“Are you sure she loves piano?” Ivy glances at me sharply. “Or do you love it for her?”
My spine tingles with indignation. “Are you saying I’m forcing my daughter to do something she doesn’t like?”
“Not necessarily.”
I feel my blood pressure rising. “She’s been begging me for years to learn piano. She’s obsessed with music videos.”
“Okay.” Ivy nods for me to go on.
“But she’s just not getting it.” My shoulders tense. “Maybe I gave her my non-musical gene.”
“I don’t think that’s a thing.”
“It’s so frustrating. I know she wants to learn.” I take a long sip of wine, staring straight ahead. “It’s so hard to see her fail at something she obviously loves.”
Ivy sets her glass down on the edge of the stone fire pit and turns to face me. “Do you want my opinion?”
I turn to face her. “If I say no, are you going to tell me anyway?”
She cocks her head at me. “Probably.”
I brace myself for her opinion, knowing I’m not going to like it. “Go ahead, then.”
“It helps if you let creativity be free.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, feeling my chest tighten. “I let her be free.”
She chuckles. “From the looks of this house, I can see you like things pretty precise.”
My jaw sets. “So it’s my fault Hannah doesn’t like her piano teachers?”
She cocks her head, thinking. “In a way: yes.”
I scoff. “I don’t agree.”
“It’s not all your fault,” Ivy says, backtracking when she sees my reaction. “It’s just sometimes too many rules kill the fun. And music should be fun.”
“It’s proven that learning to read sheet music enriches the left side of the brain, improving function in math and science.”
Ivy laughs heartily, ending in an undignified snort. “Wow. That was enlightening.”
I can’t help but smile. “You snorted.”
“I did.” She laughs again, a little more softly. “Thanks for that.”
“It’s been a while?” I ask.
She nods.
“To new neighbors and snort laughing.”
Our glasses clink, and we share a smile.
“I play a little myself,” Ivy says. “If you ever want me to show her a few things…”
I don’t answer right away. I want that. But I also know who she is.
“Ivy…” I say carefully. “You know I recognized you, right? You’re Ivy Ice.”
She stiffens instantly. I hate myself for bringing it up, but I can’t pretend I don’t know.
She stands. “I should go.”
I stand too. “Please don’t.”
“I knew this was too good to last.”
“You were pretty famous,” I say. “You’re bound to get recognized.”
She sighs heavily. “I didn’t think it would be on my first day here.”
“To be fair, I wouldn’t have recognized you, except Hannah has a poster of you over her bed.”
Her eyes go wide. “No way.”
I nod. “You had to be all of sixteen, but you owned that stage.”
Anger blazes in her bright blue eyes. “I just want peace and quiet and to raise my daughter somewhere safe. Is that too much to ask?”
“You want a quiet life? Fine.” I make a gesture of zipping my lips closed. “I won’t blow your cover.”
She crosses her arms over her chest, still on guard. “Then why bring it up?”
“Because I’m curious,” I admit. “You had it all. And then you were gone.”
Blue fire sparks in her eyes, but it’s pain, not anger. “The spotlight didn’t feel like a dream anymore. It felt like a trap.”
She doesn’t say anything about Olivia, but I can do math. Ivy’s daughter must have something to do with her disappearance from the stage.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here.”
She smiles wistfully, turning her face to the bay. “Me too."
We fall back into that easy silence that’s so quickly developed between us. Our shoulders are so close, we’re nearly touching.
I glance down at her, eyes tracing the curve of her cheek, the slope of her jaw. She’s so close. I could just—
I lean in, slowly. She doesn’t move away.
Her lips part slightly.
And then my phone rings.
I check the screen and sigh. “It’s Hannah’s mom.”
Ivy pulls back. “You should take it.”
I nod, already missing the comfort of her next to me. “Yeah. I’ll just… be a minute.”
She reaches for the wine bottle and refills her glass, her expression unreadable.
And all I can think is for the first time in years, I wanted to kiss a woman. It’s like discovering myself all over again.