A Moment in Time Page 24

  He was right. She wasn’t herself. She’d come back from St. Augustine a different person. What once had been important to her didn’t seem to matter anymore, and she had no idea how to handle the disturbing, unsettling emotions.

  “I’m fine.” Claire lied mostly because she couldn’t begin to explain her feelings to Denny when she, herself, didn’t understand them.

  After Denny left, Claire turned her back to the window, determined to focus on work. Within a few minutes, though, the phone rang. She was tempted to let it go to voice mail but thought it might be important.

  “This is Claire. How can I help you?” Silence. “Hello?” More silence. Just when she was about to hang up, she heard a man loudly clear his throat.

  “Um…this is Kurt.”

  Claire paused, thinking his voice sounded familiar, but it couldn’t have possibly been the Kurt she was thinking about. “What can I do for you?”

  “I’m calling about Ivy.”

  Oh my God. It was that Kurt. Why in the world would he call her? Had something happened to Ivy?

  “Is she okay?” she asked, anxious.

  “Not really.”

  Claire’s breath caught in her throat, horrible scenarios running through her mind. She bolted to her feet, ready to do whatever needed to be done to help Ivy.

  “What happened?” she asked, terribly afraid of the answer.

  “It’s crazy that I’m calling you. I shouldn’t have.”

  “Don’t hang up,” Claire said quickly. She couldn’t bear the thought of Kurt dropping a bomb and then not explaining. “Just please tell me what happened.”

  “You left. That’s what happened.”

  “I’m not following. What do you mean?”

  “Ivy is miserable. She would never tell you that because she thinks you’re happy where you are and that you don’t feel the same way she does. Claire, Ivy is in love with you.”

  Claire’s heart fluttered. Was this a mean joke, or could it be true?

  “Are you sure?” she asked, wanting with all her heart to believe that he was right.

  “Yes. She told me.”

  Claire fell back into her chair. “Why are you telling me this? I mean, after everything that’s happened between us.”

  Several beats later, Kurt said, “I want my sister to be happy. I’ve never seen her so distraught. I’m not saying that I forgive you,” he said sternly. “But if you have feelings for Ivy, let her know.”

  Claire heard a dial tone. As the conversation sank in, the corners of her mouth turned upward, and she felt lighter and happier than she had since being in St. Augustine. She reached for her cell phone to call Ivy but stopped. No. They needed to have this conversation in person. It was only Thursday, so Claire couldn’t very well take off without asking first, not after the promotion she’d just received. Could she? Without thinking, she pounded out an email to Mr. Renner saying that she needed to leave for a family emergency and copied Denny. Within minutes, she was out the door, wishing she had a time machine. The four-hour drive would seem like an eternity.

  * * *

  Ivy circled the St. Augustine statue and wrung her hands as dark, ominous clouds appeared overhead. She was desperate to find Myra to make sure she went to the homeless shelter tonight, since they were expecting a storm. Nervously, Ivy studied the menacing sky and flinched at the roar of thunder in the distance. Hopefully, Myra had the sense to go indoors, which was exactly where Ivy should be.

  “Hello.”

  Ivy spun around and was shocked to be face-to-face with Claire. Exhilaration shot through her gut, and she resisted the urge to jump into her arms. Ivy hadn’t thought she’d ever talk to Claire again, much less see her.

  “What are you doing here?” She tried to keep her voice steady, which wasn’t easy when her insides were quivering.

  “I went by your apartment, but you weren’t there, so I took a chance and came to the park.” Claire ducked when lightning flashed in the sky. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

  “Here is fine,” Ivy said, not wanting to wait to find out why Claire had come back. “The storm won’t hit for another few hours.”

  Claire paused, not looking convinced. Finally, she said, “I wanted to apologize for how I acted the last time we saw each other. I’m sorry for being so rude.”

  “You drove two hundred and fifty miles to apologize for that?”

  “No. Well, yes, but that’s not all. Can we sit?” Claire motioned to the bench.

  They sat side by side. Ivy tightened her hands into fists, nervous about what Claire was about to say. It was obviously something important, considering the seriousness of her expression.

  After several long moments, Claire turned and gave Ivy a penetrating look. “Telling you good-bye was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I wanted to say so many things to you that day but couldn’t.”

  Ivy’s heart pounded. “Why not?”

  “Because I didn’t think you’d feel the same.”

  “So, tell me now,” Ivy said, softly.

  Claire took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I wanted to tell you that I was going to miss you terribly, that you’re an amazing woman, and I’m so happy I got to know you.” Claire reached for Ivy’s hand and cradled it in her palm. “But most of all I wanted to say that I’m totally and completely in love with you.”

  Ivy’s heart inflated, and she felt like it might explode. Claire loved her. Nothing else mattered—not the feud, not the distance between them, nothing. Ivy lunged forward and pressed her mouth against Claire’s. Oh, how she’d missed those soft, sweet lips. Ivy felt a drop of water hit her cheek and another splat on her arm, not caring that they were probably about to get drenched. A soft moan escaped Claire’s lips when Ivy reluctantly backed away. She hated to break their connection, but she desperately wanted to say something.

  “I love you, too,” Ivy said in a rush. She’d never uttered those words to anyone before. In her heart, she’d always known they would be reserved for her dream woman.

  A wide smile spread across Claire’s face, and her eyes sparkled. They kissed as light rain fell from the sky. Making out in a rainstorm was terribly romantic until Mother Nature suddenly flipped a switch, causing a horrid downpour. Cold pellets stung Ivy’s skin, and a lightning bolt lit up the sky. Being out in the open probably wasn’t the safest thing, so Ivy took Claire’s hand and led her to the grotto, where they huddled next to St. Augustine.

  Claire wrapped her arms around Ivy and lightly kissed her. “I want you,” she said.

  “You mean…now?”

  Claire displayed a devilish grin. “I’m parked close. We could make a run for it and go to your place.”

  Ivy didn’t need convincing. She wanted nothing more than to show Claire how much she meant to her.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Ivy sat up in bed and practiced sounding miserable, which wasn’t easy to do considering she couldn’t have been happier. She cleared her throat several times and said to herself, “Hey, Dad. I won’t be in today. I have a cold.” No. That wouldn’t do. She sounded completely healthy and way too chipper. Ivy pinched her nose and repeated the words again, hoping it’d make her sound stuffy. Finally, she gave up and texted him.

  Ivy hated lying, but she couldn’t very well say that she wanted to spend the day with Claire. She wasn’t yet ready to reveal that they were a couple. They were a couple, weren’t they? They hadn’t exactly discussed it, but they were in love, and that’s all that mattered, to Ivy anyway. She didn’t want to put a damper on things after their night together, but they did need to have a serious chat when Claire got out of the shower. Ivy was under no illusions that things would be easy, not with the feud and the fact that they lived so far apart. Ivy’s stomach soured and her mood plummeted. What if Claire didn’t think they had a future together? What if she was just living in the moment like before?

  Claire walked out of the bathroom towel drying her hair and looking awfully sexy in fuchsia shorts and a
fitted black tank top. She motioned toward the hot-air-balloon painting she’d given Ivy last night when they got back to her apartment.

  “I still need to finish the landscape,” Claire said, studying the picture.

  “It’s perfect just the way it is. Except…”

  “What?” Claire asked, appearing worried.

  “Can you add you and me in the basket?”

  Claire grinned. “I thought about that, too. Consider it done.”

  She tossed the towel into a hamper and admired the pendulum clock on Ivy’s dresser. “I know this reminds you of Violet, but to me it’s what brought us together.” Claire crawled into bed and placed gentle kisses on Ivy’s neck.

  Ivy closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of mangoes that came from the body wash Claire had used. She wanted to roll Claire over and devour every inch of her, but instead she straightened her posture and said, “We need to talk.”

  Claire tensed, backed away, and looked like Ivy had just asked her to walk the plank. “Is something wrong?”

  Ivy hadn’t meant to frighten her, but she really needed to know where Claire stood. She stroked Claire’s cheek and said, “I love you so much.”

  Claire’s brow rose. “Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?”

  “I need to know what this is.” Ivy motioned between them. “I mean, are we something more than a weekend affair to you? Because I want more than that. I know it won’t be easy with our families and living so far apart.” Ivy’s pulse raced and her face flushed.

  “Hey, it’ll be okay.” Claire tucked a curl behind Ivy’s ear. “I want a relationship with you. A real, long-term relationship. I’m not letting you go. Ever.” She lightly kissed Ivy’s cheek and looked directly at her. “I know we have some challenges, but we’ll get through them. Our families are not going to keep us apart, and we’ll figure out the living situation.”

  The pressure that had been building in Ivy’s chest lessened. She held Claire’s hand and said, “I’m so glad to hear you say that. And for the record, I’m never letting you go either.”

  “At least we sorta have Kurt on our side.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He called me yesterday and said how unhappy you were that I had left and that you have feelings for me. When we hung up, I drove right over.”

  Ivy sat upright, opening her eyes wide. “Seriously? Oh my God. I told him how I felt, but I had no idea I’d gotten through to him. He really called you?”

  “Yep. He did say he didn’t forgive me, but in his own way he gave us the green light. Now all we have to do is get Hubert and my dad together.”

  Ivy shook her head. “Easier said than done.”

  Claire pursed her lips and stared into space. “I was thinking. Maybe we should ask Bruiser to help, since he offered.”

  “What could he do?”

  “I don’t know, but they did all go to school together. Maybe he could talk some sense into them.” Claire shrugged. “It’s just a thought.”

  “Your aunt doesn’t seem to hold a grudge. She offered me a job at the Old-Timer.”

  “Wow. I’m surprised. What did you say?”

  “I told her I was going to college in Philadelphia.” A hopeless sensation washed over Ivy. “How are we going to make this work if I’m there and you’re in Houston?”

  Claire pulled her close and stroked her arm. “Let’s take one thing at a time. First, we need to tell our families that we’re together, and then we’ll figure out logistics.”

  “When do you find out about the promotion?”

  “I already did. I got it.”

  Ivy inhaled a sharp breath. “That’s wonderful! Congratulations. You really wanted that.”

  Claire nodded slowly. “I did, but now I don’t know. Things felt different when I went back to work. I missed you, but it was more than that. I just didn’t have a passion for it anymore. I have some things to figure out, I guess.”

  “We both do.” Ivy inched closer to Claire. “Let’s go back to how much you missed me.”

  Claire laid Ivy down and hovered over her. “My heart ached every second we weren’t together.” The gentle kiss she placed on Ivy’s lips quickly turned into a heated lovemaking session.

  * * *

  Ivy felt so giddy she practically skipped down the sidewalk. She was supposed to be going to Bayou Belle’s to pick up a late breakfast for her and Claire, but she couldn’t resist stopping by Savoy’s Spicy Sauce first.

  “I thought you were sick,” Hubert said when Ivy entered the store.

  Oh, right. She’d forgotten about that. She coughed a few times and said, “I am, but I need to talk to Kurt.”

  “He’s on the computer putting a supply order in.”

  Ivy breezed into the office, closed the door, and marched right up to her brother. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his neck. When she released her hold, he cast her a puzzled look.

  “What was that for?” he asked.

  “Thank you for calling Claire. I can’t believe you did that for me.”

  “So, I guess she contacted you?”

  “She did.” Ivy thought it best to leave out the fact that Claire was naked in her apartment right now, waiting to be served breakfast in bed. “What changed your mind?”

  “It was actually something Bruiser said.”

  “Bruiser?” Ivy asked, surprised. “When did you see him?”

  “He was in the shop talking to Dad after you and I had breakfast. I overhead him say that a grudge is like holding onto an anchor and jumping into the ocean. If you don’t let go, you’ll drown. I believe he was trying to get Dad and Blaze together.” Kurt pursed his lips. “I thought a lot about what he said, and I’ve been holding a really heavy anchor for a lot of years.”

  “I don’t mean to say I told you so, but that’s exactly what I’ve been saying.” Ivy lightly slapped his arm.

  Kurt grinned sheepishly. “Guess I’m a little slow. And a lot stubborn.”

  “Either way, I’m so happy for you. And me.” Ivy sat on the edge of the desk.

  “So, does that mean you and Claire are together?”

  “We are.” Ivy’s lips parted in a smile. That was the first time he’d said her name aloud since they’d broken up. “How do you think Mom and Dad will take it?”

  Darkness crossed Kurt’s face. “Just be sure to wear a helmet when you tell them.”

  “Why?”

  “To protect yourself from all the flying hot-sauce bottles when Pop goes insane.”

  Ivy grimaced, knowing that was probably an accurate depiction of how things would go. “Hmm…maybe I’ll wait a bit to share the news.” She hopped off the desk. “Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and thank you.”

  “I hope you feel better soon. You know, with that bad cold and all,” Kurt said with a knowing grin.

  It was almost noon when Ivy reached Bayou Belle’s. Meandering through the restaurant, she went up to the bar and asked for her order, which unfortunately wasn’t ready yet. She was starving, which probably meant Claire was as well, so she texted her to say it wouldn’t be too much longer.

  “Howdy do, Little Lady.”

  Bruiser was sitting on a stool next to Ivy. He certainly had a way of showing up unexpectedly.

  “How’s the po’ boy?” Ivy pointed at his sandwich.

  “Best thing I’ve ever eaten.” He took a gigantic bite.

  Ivy felt like she should thank him for what he’d said about holding grudges, but he probably had no idea Kurt had been eavesdropping.

  “Where’s Claire?” Bruiser asked through a mouthful.

  “Back at my place.” Ivy mentally scolded herself for speaking without thinking.

  Bruiser placed the sandwich on his plate and focused on Ivy with a twinkle in his eye.

  “I’d appreciate you not mentioning that little fact to our dads,” Ivy said. “It’s something we want to tell them about ourselves.”

  “I won’t say a word.” Bruiser pulled an imagi
nary zipper across his lips.

  Ivy drummed her fingers on the bar. Maybe Claire was right that they should ask for Bruiser’s help. He certainly seemed disturbed by the fact that his buddies were enemies.

  “Sooo,” Ivy said. “Any suggestions about how we could get Blaze and my dad to forgive each other?” She couldn’t believe she was asking that question. What could Bruiser come up with that would possibly end a fifteen-year-old dispute?

  Bruiser held up a finger. “As a matter of fact, I do have an idea.”

  “Really? What?” Ivy asked, excited.

  “I’ll tell you what. Get your parents, brother, and Blaze to the cemetery tonight at seven, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “The cemetery? Why?”

  Bruiser jumped off the stool. “You’ll see. But remember. It has to be seven. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Wait!” Ivy reached for his arm, but he was already halfway through the restaurant.

  * * *

  “This is insane. Why in the world would we listen to someone who goes by the name of Bruiser?”

  Claire patted Ivy’s leg as she drove down the highway toward the cemetery. “It’ll be okay.”

  “Did you get in touch with Blaze?”

  Claire shook her head. “He was out of town today at a ghost-pepper festival.”

  “Did you leave him a voice message to meet us at the cemetery at seven?”

  “I did on his home phone, but he doesn’t have a cell.”

  “Who doesn’t own a cell phone these days?” Ivy threw her arms up in the air. “Great. It’ll just be my parents, Kurt, and Bruiser, if he even shows up.”

  “At the very least we can tell your folks about us…unless you changed your mind.” Claire peered at Ivy out of the corner of her eye.

  “Oh my gosh, no.” Ivy placed her hand on Claire’s thigh. “Me freaking out has nothing to do with you and me. I’m just nervous about what Bruiser has up his sleeve. Nothing could ever change the way I feel about you.”

  “Even if your parents don’t approve?”