Ivy glanced my way with a grin. The literalness of kids was something I tended to forget with my nieces at times.
Drew leaned over to Addie as he gave Ivy and me a conspiratorial, and blatant, wink. “You know what would help, Ads?”
She leaned closer and asked in a hushed tone. “What?”
“Taking Chief for a walk,” Drew replied, looking from Addie to Ivy and me with a wicked grin.
But hell if I was complaining. My dog absolutely did need a walk. I had planned on bringing him down here after the big lunch. Ivy’s backyard wasn’t fenced in yet, so I hadn’t wanted to deal with keeping him away from the food. But while we watched the game? Chief would be cool.
DrewandAddie vacating this place for a walk? I hoped like hell it was going to more than around the block.
Addie spun to Ivy. “Please Momma? Please can I go with Drew and walk Chief? And then can we bring him back here?” She batted her cat/Shrek eyes at Ivy. I briefly wondered how Ivy said no to Addie for anything.
Ivy laughed and looked to Drew. “Ads is welcome to go with you, of course, if you’re sure you want the company.” She glanced my way. “And Chief is welcome here anytime.”
I smoothed a hand over her thigh under the table. “No worries, babe. I always planned on going back for him after we ate. Just easier that way.” I looked to Drew and tried to be casual. “So, how long of a walk do you plan on taking Chief on?”
Drew’s grin proved that he was completely aware of what I was really asking. Instead of giving me shit, he looked to Addie. “Think Chief would want to go to the dog park for a bit? It isn’t too far, right?”
Ivy piped up. “Nope, it’s just down by the ball fields, maybe a half a mile?”
Drew nodded and looked at Addie, but glanced up to us as he talked to her. “Okay, Princess. So we’ll go get Chief, walk him to the dog park, play there for a bit, then come back here to watch some football. I’m guessing we’d be gone for over an hour or so. Sound good?”
Addie bounced up and down. “Yes, yes, yes!” She hopped down and took off with a pounding run up the stairs to her room. I could only guess she was headed for socks and shoes.
Drew looked across the table at us. “And what about you two, an hour alone sound like a decent plan?”
“Knock it off, man.” I growled, not wanting Ivy to feel put on the spot or pressured in any way. To my surprise, she was neither.
“An hour sounds great,” she said, squeezing my leg like I had hers just a moment ago. She looked up at me with a wide-open expression. “Do you think an hour is enough?”
Drew groaned. “No, Bookstore. Just, no. Don’t let this asshole corrupt you.”
She looked over to Drew with an innocent gaze. “Why Drew, I don’t know what you mean.”
I laughed as Drew stood. Before looking back to Ivy, he asked. “Maybe Steph influenced you?”
Ivy nodded slowly, like she was processing. “Yes, I do think hanging around you all, not just your sister, is rubbing off on me.”
“God forbid Steph ever adds you to our group text,” Drew said. I shuddered. Ivy didn’t need to see that mayhem, no way.
She tilted her head and looked from Drew to me. “Is Theo in the group?”
Drew laughed as I had the decency to look embarrassed. “Well, he was, briefly. But then he asked to be removed.”
Ivy nodded as she pushed back from the table. “You all are a lot to handle, I’m sure.” She grabbed some plates and walked to the kitchen as she called back to Drew, “Text when you’re on the way back. Don’t want to interrupt anything, you know.”
Drew looked at me as we heard Addie’s footsteps coming toward the stairs. “You are a damn fool if you let her slip by. Figure out how to hold on, Jake, because this is not someone to lose.”
“No shit, Drew. What do you think I’m trying to do?”
He shrugged. “Didn’t know if you still had the mindset ofI’ve been hurt by love and can’t risk itbullshit that you’d been living with for years.”
I glared at him. “No, I’m not there. I’m all in. I just have to tread lightly here.”
Any other conversation had to wait as Addie chose to fly down the stairs and rush in at that moment.
“Drew, I’m ready!”
