Her mother blinked, eyes searching Ivy’s, confusion clouding again for a heartbeat. "You did? I don’t rember that."
"Well, I...I brought him to et you." Ivy gave a terrified little smile. She straightened, smoothed her skirt unnecessarily, and gestured awkwardly toward the tall figure behind her. "This is Winn Kane." God, please let this go well.
Winn, for his part, had his hands casually tucked in his pockets. He simply stood there, waiting for the verdict.
Mary’s gaze swept over him slowly. Finally, she tilted her head, eyes narrowing. "Isn’t he too... aren’t you too old for her?"
"Mom!" Ivy hissed, mortified, her face flaming red.
But before she could attempt damage control, one of the residents—a spry little woman leaned over conspiratorially and sighed dreamily. "He is yummy though."
The entire circle of won erupted into giggles. Ivy wanted the floor to open and swallow her alive.
Winn stepped forward, then, shockingly, dropped to one knee in front of Mary as if she were royalty. He looked up at her, eting her sharp eyes. "Hi, Mary." A pause. "Yeah, you may be right. I am old. But surely not too old for her." He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only she and the giggling won closest could hear.
"Though I think I made a mistake."
Mary arched one brow, clearly intrigued despite herself. "A mistake?"
"Yes," Winn said gravely. "See, I thought your daughter was absolutely gorgeous..."
At that, Mary’s entire deanor shifted. A girlish smile spread across her face, her pride brimming to the surface. "Yeah," she said slyly, "she takes after ."
Ivy groaned softly, covering her face with one hand. Kill now. Please. Just kill now.
"True that." Winn’s gaze flicked deliberately between Mary and Ivy, mischief dancing in his eyes. "In fact, if I had t you first..." He let the pause linger, savoring the anticipation. "...I am absolutely certain I would be marrying you. Unless, of course, I’m too old for you."
The room erupted. The gaggle of residents squealed and fanned themselves with their hands.
Mary giggled. She reached forward with surprisingly steady hands, cupping Winn’s jaw and tilting his face up. She held him there for a long mont, then gave him a genuine smile Ivy hadn’t seen in months. "Oh, I like you," she declared.
"Believe ," he murmured smoothly, "I like you too." He even winked, sending another round of girlish squeals ricocheting around the group of won.
Ivy stood slightly off to the side, arms wrapped around herself, watching the impossible sight unfold. Winn Kane, a man who scowled more than he smiled, was sitting cross-legged on the floor flirting shalessly with her mother and her friends. His usual harsh edges seed to soften in this room.
And God help her, the sight of it made her heart ache in ways she didn’t have words for. She pressed her lips together, giving herself a ntal warning she knew she wouldn’t obey. Don’t love him any more than you already do.
But her resolve faltered when Winn laughed. Actually laughed. His shoulders shook, his eyes crinkled at the corners, and—God save her—dimples appeared. Dimples. He had dimples. Ivy’s throat tightened as she realized how beautiful he looked when he wasn’t guarding himself with cold detachnt.
That laugh was rare currency, and tonight he was spending it freely.
She couldn’t stop the wave of tenderness that broke over her. He wasn’t doing this for himself. He was doing it for her.
Eventually, Ivy slipped into an empty chair in the corner, letting herself fade into the background. For once, she reveled in being ignored.
She simply sat there, chin resting on her palm, heart thudding traitorously as she morized the way he leaned toward Mary, the way he teased the won and pretended to be scandalized by their risqué jokes. He was magnetic, utterly unbothered.
It was late into the night before the nurses ca to settle the won in, clucking and herding them away. They were reluctant to release Winn, so whispering that he should co back for poker night, others openly offering to "keep him warm" if Ivy ever got tired of him.
Winn took the ribbing with that sa lazy grin, brushing a kiss across the back of Mary’s hand before finally standing.
When he reached Ivy, he laced his fingers through hers, tugging her gently but firmly toward the exit.
Out in the cool night air, with the nursing ho behind them, he squeezed her hand once.
"I was nervous about you eting her," she admitted. His thumb brushed idly across her knuckles as if the touch was second nature. "You were great with her. Thank you."
"I plan on caring about everything about you. The good, the bad, the sexy and the ugly," Winn promised.
Her lips curved despite herself. "You really are aiming for getting lucky tonight, aren’t you?" she teased, narrowing her eyes even as her cheeks flushed.
He leaned in, brushing his mouth over the shell of her ear with a teasing heat that made her knees threaten mutiny. "Always. Ivy. Always," he whispered, and there was no mistaking the hunger simring in his tone.
*****
Saturday finally arrived. Ivy and Trish arrived at the Kane estate with their bags packed, nerves and laughter spilling between them.
The courtyard had been transford into a stage of celebration. Drapes fluttered lazily in the morning breeze, the pavilion to the right already bustling.
A mini bar glead under crystal glasses, decorators balanced on ladders pinning up garlands of roses, and the chef she’d t earlier in the week barked orders as staff ferried trays of delicacies across.
Trish gaped with exaggerated awe, clutching her bag to her chest. "I cannot believe you are the one marrying a millionaire."
Ivy rolled her eyes but smiled, nerves prickling her stomach. "What happened to your whole line of ’money doesn’t matter’?" Trish continued, wagging a finger.
"It still doesn’t, Trish." Ivy fought to sound steady.
"Yeah, yeah. That’s what they all say. anwhile, you’re going to be the one in the private jet, waving down at like the peasant best friend." Trish smirked, nudging her with an elbow.
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