The Truest Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 4)

“Poker, to be exact,” Casey replied.

I made a face at Ivy who smiled sheepishly.

When I told her about my volunteer days at Balance, she’d expressed an interest in volunteering with me. I wasn’t sure, however, the parents would be happy about us turning their kids into card sharks.

Still, I could forgive her.

Because on the way here, she’d helped me come to a realization that a supposedly smart woman like me should’ve reached long ago.

“So, you were quiet at Jess’s yesterday,” Ivy had said as soon as I got in her car that morning.

Jess was out of the hospital, home and recovering from her C-section. Tyler, so far, was turning out to be an angel baby who slept most of the time, and when he was awake, he was quiet and adorable. Yesterday had been the first day Cooper left the house for the bar, knowing all us girls were there to watch Jess. Jess complained that he was hovering.

We told her what we’d witnessed at the hospital—Cooper’s obvious emotion and fear when she was rushed in for the C-section. Jess’s eyes brightened and she murmured something about letting him hover after all.

“Was I?” I replied to Ivy’s leading question.

I knew I’d been quiet.

I was quiet because Jack Devlin had told me he loved me. That he’d loved me for years. And instead of euphoria, I’d felt paralyzed by fear. Jack had stormed out, and other than clipped, short texts checking in about my well-being, I hadn’t seen or heard from him since.

A week of no Jack.

It was miserable.

“How are things going with you and Jeff?” I asked, trying to distract her.

Ivy threw me a smug smile. “Fantastically.”

“In all the Jess, Cooper, Tyler excitement, I never asked how dinner went with your parents?”

“Oh, Mom was her typical embarrassing self, asking Jeff questions about marriage and kids and all those scary, forever topics that we have not broached.”

I groaned on her behalf. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Jeff has a great sense of humor. We laughed about it afterward.”

“So, you’re still taking it slow?”

Ivy gave a little huff of laughter. “Trying. I know he’s trying to.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means he’s intense. Not in a bad way,” Ivy hurried to reassure me. “I know the signs for intense in a bad way. I just mean we’re trying to go slow, but we enjoy being around each other. We really, really love sex with one another. And we can talk, Em. We really talk about stuff. Things I never thought I’d ever be able to talk about with a man.”

“That’s great, Ivy.”

“Yeah. I just hope we’re not rushing in too fast. I can’t seem to help it with him.” She grinned, her smile all the more beautiful for how happy she looked. “It’s like having a crush on a really hot famous guy, meeting him, having him miraculously crush on you back, and even more miraculously turn out to be the best guy ever.”

It made me so giddy for her. And giddy for him. He deserved someone great to feel that way about him. “I’m glad for you both.”

“Don’t tell anyone I said all this to you. I don’t want to jinx it.”

“I won’t,” I promised.

“So, you and Jack?” She dove right in.

After all Ivy had confessed to me, I had to trust her. She deserved trust to be reciprocated. “We’ve been having sex.”