Page 8 of Lonesome Moon

“I’m still reeling over the deal Madeleine negotiated,” I said. “Thank you.”

“It was her idea. Madeleine may seem like a tough girl boss, but under all that she’s just a scrapper kid from Arkansas.”

“I have no idea how to thank her.”

“Seeing your face tonight was enough,” Ivy said. “And Madeleine doesn’t do things for the accolades. In fact, praise makes her nervous.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yes. My best friend is somewhat complicated.”

“Aren’t we all?” I asked.

“For sure.” She took a sip from her glass, eyeing me over the rim. “I hope we’ll be able to get to know each other better this month. I’ve never had a sister. I grew up with three brothers. They used to arm wrestle to decide who got to pick what we watched on television, so you can imagine my childhood.”

“Are you close with your brothers?” I asked.

“In our own way. Which means they tease me endlessly and boss me around. I’m not Ivy James, the country singer, to them. Just Ivy, their baby sister who … needed protection.”

“Protection? From whom? Boys?”

“No. Bullies. I struggled in school. Mean kids made fun of me. Called me slow on account of my poor reading skills. I’m dyslexic and have ADD, so, you can imagine, there was a lot to zero in on. No one thought I’d make anything of myself. And in Juniper Creek, Tennessee, everyone knows everyone else’s business and aren’t afraid to gossip about it. I dropped out of high school and got my GED. Then I hightailed it to Nashville with nothing but my guitar and a dream.”

“That must have been hard.”

Ivy nodded, eyes glistening for a second. “It was. But my family’s tight and very loving. I had a soft place to land at the end of the day. Mama always had something delicious waiting for me on the stove. Daddy worked hard every day but never brought any of it home with him.”

“He’s a plumber, right?”

“That’s right. Retired now, though.” Ivy flashed one of her high-voltage smiles. “He was frugal and could have retired on his own, but I’m proud to say the stock portfolio I put together for them make it a lot easier. Now he and Mama can enjoy their empty nest.” She glanced over at Jack, who was now at the bar with Beck and Grant. “I’m hoping to give them some grandchildren.”

“Have you thought about what your career will be like with children?”

“Jack and I have talked about it. We’re not sure how we’ll manage it, but we know we want a family.” She twisted her engagement ring around her finger. “Our professional dreams have come true. Now we want to focus on our personal lives.”

“It’s hard for women, though, to balance it all. Don’t you think?”

“No question.” Ivy tilted her head, peering at me. “What about you? Anyone special? Have you thought about kids?”

“No one special. I dated a guy last year but … it didn’t work out.”

“That’s a shame. It’s rough out there. Men our age so often don’t want to settle down. And our biological clocks just keep clicking away.”

I nodded, fighting the emotions gathering in my chest. Medical school and now running the clinic had been my sole focus for much of my adult life. At the end of the day, I went home to my empty apartment and heated up a frozen meal for my supper. I tried not to focus on how lonely I was, but sometimes it felt like everyone else in the world had someone special except for me.

“Jack mentioned you always work holidays,” Ivy said.

“The flu doesn’t take time off for Thanksgiving,” I said, thinking of the crowded waiting room I’d left behind.

“We’re hoping the money from the film will make it easier for you,” Ivy said.

“It will. I’ll be able to hire a nurse practitioner, which will help tremendously.”

“And the ten percent of the movie’s revenue will help too?”

“Absolutely.” I choked up, but pushed through. “You and Jack and Madeleine have basically ensured I can keep the clinic running for years. It’s no small thing, trust me.”

“We’re all happy to do it,” Ivy said. “And not to sound selfish, but the more of you we get to see, the better. I have big dreams of Thanksgivings and Christmases with all of us together. A mess of kids running around.”