Page 28 of Yours To Hold
“How about—” The doorbell cuts off any other ideas.
Willow runs and opens it before I can get there. “Ivy! What are you doing here?”
She wraps her in a hug.
“You left your jacket in my car, and I thought you might need it.” She beams down at Willow.
Fuck. Every dirty image I had of her rushes back into my mind. So much for not thinking about her like that.
“I’m bored,” Willow tells Ivy.
“You’re bored? How can you be bored?” Ivy’s gaze flits to mine for a split second before returning to Willow’s.
“Because Daddy doesn’t want to do anything.”
“Hey! You didn’t like my idea.” Arguing with my daughter will get me nowhere.
Willow pulls Ivy down to her level. “He mentioned hiking, but we went last week,” she whispers, covering her mouth like I can’t hear her.
Ivy visibly shudders. “Maybe you could go to a different place.”
“But I like our place.”
“I can take you somewhere cool to hike,” I interrupt.
“Daddy. I said no to hiking.” Willow’s hands are on her hips, attitude present. “Besides, Ivy is going to take me next week, and we’re going to take some more pictures.”
I love how Ivy is including Willow in the things she likes doing. I can only teach her so many things, and it’s good for her to expand her horizons.
“Okay, fine. No hiking. But you can’t be bored on a nice spring day. How about we go into Jackson?” I offer instead.
This lights Willow up. “Can we get ice cream?”
“You’re going to turn into an ice cream sundae with how much you eat, Pipsqueak.”
“But I love it!” she whines.
“I’ll just drop this off and get going.” Ivy sets Willow’s coat on the table, but not before Willow grabs her hand.
“Can Ivy come too?”
I shake my head. “I’m sure Ivy has other things she wants to be doing on a Saturday.”
Willow turns those big brown eyes on Ivy. It’s the look that usually gets her anything from anybody. Not me. Usually. Only some of the time.
“Ivy, can you please come to Jackson with us? I know I won’t get bored if you’re there.”
Ivy’s blue eyes light up. “I have an even better idea. How about we get ice cream and do the Cowboy Coaster?”
“What’s the Cowboy Coaster?”
“You’ve never taken her, Mason?” Ivy tsks at me. “Then I am definitely joining you today.”
“Yay!” Willow throws her arms around Ivy again. “I’ll go put on my shoes.”
“You know you don’t have to come,” I tell Ivy as soon as Willow is out of earshot.
The last thing I want to be doing is spending an afternoon with the woman who is consuming all of my thoughts.
