Dana tucked one ankle behind the other and looked at her hands for a moment in a way that seemed practiced. “I spent years asking Hunter to write with me. For me. The way he did for—Ivy James.” She stopped and smiled sadly. “And Ikept thinking, if I’m patient enough, if I’m supportive enough, eventually he’ll want to partner in that way with me. I continued to hope he’d write something for his wife instead of Ivy James.”
“And he never did?”
Dana shook her head, bottom lip trembling. “I finally had to accept that—whatever he and Ivy had creatively and personally—I was never going to be part of it. I was always going to be the third wheel in our marriage.”
“Do you believe they were having an affair?”
The view became just a close up of Dana’s face. She hesitated for a split second, before dipping her chin, a tear sliding down one cheek. “He wouldn’t admit to it if they were. But a wife knows things.”
The host nodded gravely. The caption changed to:Ivy James has not responded to requests for comment.
“Okay, well, it’s clear she’s a liar,” Alex said.
“Agree,” Lila said. “She’s totally fake. Plus, I know a little about how people can manipulate their social image to their benefit.”
“That’s the truth,” Vance said. “And it’s really hard to combat the jury of public opinion.”
“Why is she doing this?” Gillian asked. “Was their divorce that acrimonious?”
“I know why,” Delphine said. “She wants attention for her career and knew that hinting at a scandal involving Ivy James would do it.”
“That’s right,” Lila said, nodding. “She knows Ivy James is at the top of her game, and she’s jealous.”
“From what Hunter’s told me about his marriage, it was opposite of what she’s saying,” Vance said. “He told me she was never home, always touring, hoping to reach the next level. Not to mention, it was she who had the affair, not him.”
“It’s all in the song,” Lila said. “Already Gone.”
“That’s right,” I said, finding my voice at last. “But it doesn’t matter. The press is going to run with this as long as they can. You know how it works. This is a headline screamer.”
“I wonder if Hunter’s seen this yet?” Vance asked. “Just when he’s getting back on his feet too.”
“What an awful person,” Gillian said, shaking her head while patting the baby on her shoulder.
“Is there anything between Ivy and Hunter?” Delphine asked me. “Do you know for certain?”
“I know what he told me,” I said. “And I choose to believe him.” Even as I said it, doubt started to creep in like slowly melting ice. How well did I know this man? People lied all the time. “Ivy James is going to be here next week.”
“In Willet Cove?” Delphine asked. “Why?”
“They’re going to write together,” I said. “They’re good friends. They’ve known each other for a long time.”
“Okay, well, as long as you’re not worried, then I won’t be either,” Delphine said, rather unconvincingly.
“None of us should feel worried,” Vance said. “Hunter’s our friend. Anyway, if he was having an affair with Ivy, why would he be here and not in Nashville with her? The whole thing’s ridiculous.”
“Agreed,” Alex said. “These days it’s wise not to judge anything by what you see online or in the media.”
He was right. Of course he was. But that little niggle of doubt was making its icy way through my bloodstream. I would ask him about it all tomorrow. Give him a chance to tell me more about his marriage and how Ivy had factored in to the demise before deciding anything.
“You’re just going to have to trust your instincts,” Gillian said. “You know a fictional story when you see one, right?”
I nodded. “You’re right. I’ll talk with him about it tomorrow. See what he says. But I’m not worried.”
Liar.
On the way home,Tyler brought it up before I said anything.
“Robbie was doing a search on Hunter and something came up that you should know about.”
