I peeked over at Drew, who stood in the doorway, looking very much like the cat that ate the canary. “Do you need something, Drew?” I croaked out.
Drew smiled at me, and I felt like there was more to that smile than an I-just-caught-my-brother-in-the-act grin, but I wasn’t sure what that was. “Addie wanted hot chocolate and mellows. She said Jakey knew how to make it best. So I came back here to ask him. But then I saw all that.” He gestured between the two of us. “So I had to take a picture and send it to Steph. Might want to find your phone,Jakey. I bet the messages are piling up.”
“What the hell, man? Privacy mean anything to you?” Jake growled. I giggled. His head swung my way. “Ivy? You’re laughing?”
I shrugged. “I don’t have siblings. I like how you guys seem to tease each other.”
Drew entered the kitchen, moving to the glass front cabinet with coffee mugs. “No seem about it, Bookstore Ivy. Teasing is part of the DNA of our relationship.” Pulling out a mug, he put it on the counter, then looked at the Mason jar that Jake had put down. Running his finger over the tape I had on it listing the date from when I’d collected it, he looked at me. “What’s this?”
Jake groaned again as he pivoted so that the counter was to his back and looked up at the ceiling. “Ivy, I beg you, don’t tell him. You have no idea what you’re getting into.”
The laughter bubbled up inside me. My house felt cozier, more homelike somehow, with these two giant men squeezed into my small kitchen. I knew deep inside that my nana would love this, which made me love it all the more. I looked up at Drew standing on the other side of Jake and worked to school myself into my most serious voice. “It’s moon water I collected during the last full moon when it rained,” I said, then waited.
Drew looked at me for a beat, then Jake, and then broke out in a huge grin as he hooted with laughter. “Oh, Ivy, you are perfection,” he said as he pulled my head toward him, kissed the top of it, then threw an arm over Jake’s shoulders. Jake shook his head and then looked at me with a bit of a smile on his face.
Aw, man. This? This I could get used to real quick.
12
The Bounty of Siblings
Jake
I leaned back, dropping my head to rest on the Adirondack I was sitting in, and looked up at the stars. My portable speaker filled the night air with the Stapleton album Ivy had been playing in her kitchen tonight. Apparently, I wanted to torture myself with memories of her as I sat out in the quiet night.
Chief ran a lap around my backyard, then another, and another. I debated heading in for more layers. It was that in-between temperature where a heavy flannel and long-sleeved thermal seemed to do the job, along with the firepit in front of me. I’d left Ivy’s with some seriously conflicted emotions but was using the quiet of the evening to try to let it go. I went from wanting to figure out what this thing was between us to being certain it was nothing good and we should ignore it. I didn’t want to put myself in a position to be hurt again, I didn’t want to hurt Ivy, and I sure as hell didn’t want to hurt Addie.
Damn, that little girl had me wrapped around her finger. I looked down, just able to get a glimpse of my pink nails in the glow of fire. Where does one buy nail polish remover? I remember my mom and Steph using it when I was a kid. I mean, I could have them bring it down when they arrived tomorrow night, but I’d rather have it already off and avoid any questions. Though Drew probably had photographic evidence of it.
Fire crackled in the background and I blew out a breath, watching the steam from my body evaporate into the air. Any time spent outside at night helped to remind me of how insignificant I really was in the scheme of life. Boy, did I need that right now. After Drew had interrupted us in the kitchen, we’d hung at Ivy and Addie’s for several more hours. Addie and Drew had gotten along ridiculously well, but that was not surprising since he was basically a giant kid in an adult body. They colored, I made pizza with Ivy, and I let myself fantasize what it could be like if I had someone like that in my life for good. But no good could come from that.
Drew was right, though I’d never admit it to him. It took me far too long to get over Rachel. I’m not sure how someone lets go of having their dreams crushed in one fell swoop. As attracted as I was to Ivy, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to chance it. Especially because of Addie. I mean, my heart was one thing. I didn’t want to possibly hurt hers.
Chief tore by on another lap before skidding to a halt and letting out a bark as he looked over at the gate that opened to my backyard from the street. Looking over to see the gate opening, I had to say I wasn’t surprised to see Drew enter. He raised up a bottle in greeting as he made his way over to me.
Plopping into the chair next to me, Drew set the bottle of Irish whiskey he’d brought on the arm of his chair. I glanced over. “Red Spot? Damn. You aren’t screwing around this evening, bro.”
“It’s not every day you celebrate five years of a dream come true. Thought we should do it up right.” He leaned back in his chair, his feet resting on the edge of the firepit. “And Steph chipped in with me.” Chief came up and nudged Drew’s arm until Drew put his hand on Chief’s head, giving the spoiled dog exactly what he wanted.
“Steph did? Then maybe we shouldn’t drink it without her.”
“Give her a minute,” Drew mumbled, eyes closed as he hummed along with Stapleton.
I sat there, soaking in the music until Drew’s words registered. “I’m sorry, what?”
Just as I spoke, Chief gave a bark of warning and we had another visitor.
“You jackasses better not have started without me.” Steph walked through the gate.
I stood up from my spot at the pit as she quickly made her way to us. Taking a few steps toward her, I wrapped her up in my arms. My siblings drove me crazy, but damn if it didn’t feel amazing to have them both here right now.
I pulled back to look at her. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were coming down tomorrow night.”
Steph grinned as she moved to hug Drew before turning to sit in one of the other chairs. “Well, Drew sent that smoking-hot picture this afternoon, and I decided I needed to get my ass down here before Mom and Dad so I could get the real scoop.” She paused as she opened her giant-ass purse and pulled out three glasses wrapped up in some type of kitchen towel. Setting the glasses on the wide arm of the Adirondack, she motioned to Drew and the bottle. “Gimme.”
Drew shook his head as he laughed at her, but he passed that bottle.
Steph was the oldest of our trio. At thirty-five, she and Theo had been married for thirteen years. College sweethearts, they’d blazed the path that I thought I’d been on. Steph was in advertising, Theo in banking, and they’d settled in a suburb near the one we grew up in shortly after they married. Theo was the perfect complement to our outspoken sister. He somehow managed to smooth her path when she could have ruffled feathers, and they parented their two girls with ease. At least that’s how it appeared on the outside.
