“Everything okay?”
“I think so.” She nibbles on the corner of her lip, and it takes everything in my power not to focus on it. This is not a sexy time. She’s worried, focus on her.
“What happened?” I press.
“Well, I usually go over in the morning to have coffee with her. Or at least that’s what I tell her. She mentioned to me a few times that she’d forgotten to take her morning pills, so I started having coffee with her just to make sure she takes them. When I let myself in this morning she was just getting out of bed. Usually she’s already dressed, and has my cup waiting for me by then.”
I tilt my head, considering. I can see why that would worry her.
She continues after a long guttural sigh. “When I asked her about it, she told me she just stayed up too late last night, and slept in. She promised she’d have her daughter come by today.”
I nod in reassurance. “That’s a good idea. Was she acting normal besides that?”
“She yelled at me a lot for questioning her. Told me to stick my questions where the sun don’t shine. So yeah, normal.”
I laugh at that. “She seems like a good time.”
Ivy relaxes a little at that. “She is.”
“You’re all set to go? You don’t need to stay?”
She cocks her head. “What would you do, bring Lilah to Texas with you?”
“No, I’d reschedule with the studio.”
“Wesley,” she says on a gasp. Damn. I liked that. “You can’t cancel a day before.”
“Rose is important to you, which means she’s important to us.” I gesture to myself and my daughter who’s currently, to no surprise, staring up at Ivy with stars in her eyes.
“Well, that’s really sweet,” she says, blowing out a puff of air. “No…Rose might actually kill me if I stayed for her. I made her take her pills, and her daughter is supposed to be with her today. I’ll call her later when we get to the hotel.”
I nod as the PA system alerts us that it’s our time to board. We gather our bags, scan our boarding passes with the desk clerk, then shuffle onto the plane. I find our row quickly, and place my bag in the overhead compartment. I do the same to Lilah’s but let her keep her mini pack with her. It’s full of coloring books and random toys she insisted on bringing. I reach my hand out for Ivy’s duffel, but she holds it away from me.
“I can do it.”
Not this again.
“I know you can. Hand it over.”
She narrows her eyes at me, then my outstretched hand, but after a few seconds, she gives in. I want to call her a good girl again, but refrain. It was a slip of the tongue when I said it last night, but I didn’t miss the flare in her eyes, and the flush in her cheeks. The words left my mouth without permission, and I’m kicking myself for it. Now that I know what the praise did to her, there’s no denying just how compatible we could be.
Speaking of last night, Maverick’s taunting texts come back to mind.
Chase asked for Ivy’s number. And he got it.
I tighten my grip on the armrest, and my chest pinches at the thought of the two of them together. Ivy is a free woman, who's able to text, date, and spend time with whoever she chooses, and any man would be so lucky.That doesn’t mean I don’t want to throw her phone right off this fucking plane just to be sure she doesn’t give him the time of day.
I always thought Chase was a nice guy, but now he’s the bane of my fucking existence.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glance at Ivy and see her typing away on her phone. God, this is a special kind of torture. Is she texting him now? Lilah has gotten so attached to her, I fear for the day Ivy moves on. My mind races with ideas to keep her around. I’ll pay her more if I have to. There’s not much I wouldn’t do to keep her.
Lilah wanted the window seat,andto sit next to Ivy, so that leaves me in the aisle with Ivy between us. I would’ve preferred not to be thigh to thigh with the gorgeous, deliciously smelling nanny. I’m not confident my resolve can handle it.
But what can I do? Grin and bare it is what. Don’t touch her, don’t stare at her, don’t smell her. Easy.
————
It’s not easy.
