Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
XANDER
Ivy laughs next to me as she talks with Brit, and it makes me feel . . . it makes me feel. I love that she came out with us after her mom humiliated her. I wanted to scoop Ivy up and carry her out of there and assure her that she never has to step foot in that bar again.
But that’s not my place.
And I’m beginning to hate that it’s not my place.
“You’ve worked in the bar since you were twelve?” Britney asks Ivy. “Aren’t there laws against that?”
“Well, maybe,” Ivy says with a shrug. “I wasn’t serving alcohol, but I was cleaning and stocking and stuff.
My dad died when I was a baby, and he left the bar to my mom.
But her last husband, Chris, was around for a really long time, and he actually took care of everything.
He was really my dad in every way that counts.
But you saw my mom, and well, he left a few months ago. ”
“Well, that sucks,” Cooper says, and pops a chip in his mouth. “So you’re pulling double duty.”
“For now.” Ivy shrugs and looks down at her hands. “Honestly, I know the bar needs work. I was just thinking about that tonight. I’d like to do a complete overhaul and change everything. Add a full kitchen so we could do an appetizer menu, and I’d make the place into a proper sports bar.”
“Oh, do it,” Britney says, jumping up and down in her chair. “That would be amazing.”
“I know, but my mom just drained the bank account, so the utility checks bounced. There’s no way. I should just abandon ship and let her deal with the fallout, but that doesn’t feel right either.”
Ivy shakes her head.
“Okay, enough about that boring and depressing topic. Britney, what do you do?”
“Oh, honey, I own the cutest little romance bookshop in Denver. It’s not too far from the arena and our condo, and I love it so much.”
“There’s a romance bookstore in Bitterroot Valley,” Ivy says, excitement transforming her face into a gorgeous glow, and I want to touch her. Fuck, I want to touch her. “I’ll take you in there, if you want, that is. Billie, the owner, is the sweetest.”
“I’d love that. Let’s do it tomorrow after y’all have your session.”
Ivy nods, and I glance over at Easton, who’s watching me.
Fuck you, I say with my face.
My brother smirks.
“Are you supposed to be eating all these tacos and chips and shit?” Easton asks me. “Won’t you get in trouble?”
“Cassie’s been filling my fridge,” I reply with a shrug. “She feeds me well, so this won’t hurt anything.”
“I burn this many calories during one workout,” Cooper agrees.
“How is Cassie?” Easton asks, not meeting my gaze.
I narrow my eyes on him. He used to have a thing for the personal chef, way back in the day, but life took them in different directions.
“Seems good. I don’t see much of her, she just cooks my meals and fills the fridge, like a little chef fairy. She’s the best.”
“Babe, we really need to hire someone for that,” Britney says to Cooper. “It would be a huge help. I’ll look into it when we get back. I’m sure some of the other WAGs have connections.”
“Excuse me,” Ivy says as she stands up. “I’ll be right back.”
She walks away, toward the restrooms, and I watch her go. My name and team number are on her back, and fuck if I don’t like that.
I like it a lot.
“Oh my God, I like her,” Britney says when Ivy’s out of earshot. “She’s just cute as a button, and sweet, and gorgeous. Her mother is fucking blind if she thinks that girl is anything but beautiful.”
“Spiteful bitch,” Easton grumbles, shaking his head. “I wish I could arrest her for that.”
I grin at my brother. “Me too.”
“Can’t you be more than professionals?” Britney asks. “I mean, come on. I see the way you look at her, like you’re starving and she’s a buffet of barbecue ribs and corn on the cob.”
“Sure, mention my favorite food, Brit.”
“I’m just saying.”
“I can’t make her do anything, and for all I know she’s not interested. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. I have to work with her.”
Brit leans over and smacks me on the shoulder, making me cower back like it hurt.
Spoiler alert, it didn’t.
“Ouch. Coop, put a leash on your out-of-control wife.”
Cooper laughs and Britney narrows her eyes. “Don’t sleep deeply tonight, X.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
The truth is, I love seeing Ivy here with my friends. She’s loosened up since this afternoon, and she’s laughing and talking more. She fits in here. But I can see that she’s still skittish and unsure, and I want to make sure she feels safe.
I also want to lay her out on my bed and see if she has freckles all over that delectable little body and trace them with my tongue before I eat my fill of her.
But, one thing at a time.
I’m saved from saying more as Ivy returns to the table, and then I settle the tab, after ripping it out of Coop’s hand, and we leave the restaurant.
“Let’s get ice cream,” Britney suggests. “I saw a little place down the street.”
“Sundae’s,” Ivy agrees with a nod. “Best in the world.”
“Now it’s a done deal. We have to see if that’s true,” Cooper says, and we head that way. It’s only a few doors down.
Silver Springs is tiny, so everything is just a few doors down in any direction.
Sundae’s has been a mainstay in this town for more than fifty years.
Indigo, the granddaughter of the original owners, owns and runs it, and I agree that it’s the best ice cream there is.
When we walk inside, I’m hit with the familiar scent of sugar, and Indie glances up at us, then swallows hard and seems to go . . . pale.
“Hi, guys,” she says with a fake smile. Indie’s young. I don’t remember exactly how old she is, but she’s in her early twenties. She’s pretty, with dark hair and green eyes, but she looks nervous. “Welcome in.”
“Hey,” Ivy says with a little wave. “We were just singing your praises.”
“No pressure,” Indie replies with a wink. “I assume you want your usual?”
“Always.” Ivy grins and steps aside so everyone else can decide on what they want, but I keep her close to me.
I like having her nearby. It’s like something inside me settles down whenever she’s around, and it’s becoming addicting.
Which is weird as fuck for me.
Indie fills all our orders. It seems Ivy’s usual is the huckleberry ice cream in a waffle cone with chocolate drizzle.
“I need a bite of that,” I inform her, and she narrows her eyes and glances at my own cone. Double chocolate.
“Trade?” she asks.
I nod, and she holds her cone out for me to take, but I wrap my hand around hers, and with our eyes pinned, I lean in and take a bite.
“Mm. Good choice.”
Her pupils have dilated, and she swallows hard, and when I offer her a bite of my own cone, this brave girl doesn’t break the connection as she dips her head and licks the ice cream.
“Get a fucking room,” Easton says, making Ivy immediately blush that way that makes my cock wake up and want to join the party.
“Don’t be an asshole,” I reply, shaking my head.
By the time we’re all finished with our dessert, I turn to say goodbye to Indie but find she’s already watching me and nibbling on her lip, so I walk her way before we leave.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just.” She sighs and glances over my shoulder at Easton. “Do you think that I could—”
She pauses and swallows hard, and what the fuck is going on?
“It’s okay, Indie.”
She nods. “Could I maybe have a meeting with you and your siblings one day soon? I don’t open the shop until eleven, so maybe we could have coffee before that?”
I frown, watching her. She’s nervous, her face is pale, and she won’t look me in the eyes.
“You bet,” Easton says. I didn’t realize he’d joined us. “What day works for you?”
“Any day.” Her voice is a whisper now.
“Are you in trouble, Indigo?” Easton asks, voicing what I’m thinking.
“No, it’s nothing like that, but I’d really rather chat with all of you. Harper too.”
Easton and I share a look and then nod at the young woman.
“Let us check with the others, and we’ll call you to set a time, okay?”
“Thanks.” She tries to smile, but it doesn’t quite land, and I don’t want to push her.
We don’t really know her that well. She’s always been a fixture here at the ice cream store, since she was just a little kid. But it’s not like any of us are close friends with her.
Easton and I both give her a reassuring nod before we return to the others.
“I’ll peel off from here,” Ivy says when we step onto the sidewalk, and I frown. I don’t want her to go. “My car is at the bar, and I should check in—”
“Don’t,” I interrupt, shaking my head. “Just let her figure it out, wildcat.”
She sighs and nods. “You’re right. Oh!”
She starts to wiggle out of my hoodie, but I reach out and stop her.
“Keep it.”
Ivy nibbles her bottom lip and then nods.
“Thanks, I am chilly. I’ll bring it with me tomorrow.”
The others have walked away, and it’s just the two of us now.
“Just keep it. I’ll see you at the house in the morning. Don’t have breakfast, you can eat with us.”
“Xander, I appreciate you wanting to include me, but this is my job. I’m not—”
I brush her hair behind her ear and she stops talking.
“You’re not what, Red?”
“I’m not one of you.”
Oh, I think you are.
“It’s just breakfast.” I shrug and step back. “So, come a little early.”
I nod and walk away before I yank her against me and kiss the fuck out of her here on Main Street.
Fuck, I want to kiss her.
Easton: Indigo wants a meeting with the siblings ASAP. Mornings are best for her. What works for you guys?
I’m just having coffee, watching the sun come up over the pond in my backyard, when my brother’s text comes through.
Me: I can make anything work.
Ava: Same goes. Wednesday is out for me because I have an early meeting, but otherwise, I’m good.
Harper: I have Tuesday off and Blake can keep the baby.
Me: I want baby time.
Harper: Focus, X.
Tucker: Tuesday morning at 8, here at the farmhouse?
Me:
Ava:
Harper:
What the fuck?
Harper: Oops, I was texting Blake last night. Sorry.
Me:
Tucker: FFS.
Ava: I’m cackling! High five, Harpsichord!
Easton: See you Tuesday. Have to go bleach my eyeballs now.
Harper: We have a baby. How do you think that happened?