Take a Chance on Me(88)

Darek drove Ivy home. In silence.

But the word girlfriend thundered between them.

That word had turned her hot, glued any response to her chest, made her long to look in his eyes, maybe dismiss the rumble inside that had begun to churn.

And then he’d reached across the seats and taken her hand.

He’d kissed her again on the porch, much of the evening’s emotion—fear, panic, relief—in his touch, and she hung on, feeling the same thing. It helped her forget herself and her colossally stupid words long enough to stand at the door and wave good-bye.

Sort of like a girlfriend.

Only as he drove out of the driveway did the magnitude of her lie roar to life inside her head. The scenarios replaying in her brain consumed her for the remainder of the weekend. Loud enough for her to turn off her cell phone, avoid Facebook, and dive into an old John Grisham novel.

She might have gotten through two chapters.

Mostly, she just plotted what she might say should Diane appear at her office on Monday with a copy of the 911 dispatch in her hand.

Was Ivy at Darek’s house this weekend? Um . . .

Yes, Deep Haven had become a microdot.

And so much for staying impartial. Ivy had taken sides, practically set up camp on Christiansen turf the moment the lie exited her mouth.

She’d never thought she would leap so high and fast over that line of ethics.

But Darek didn’t deserve to lose his son, and perhaps only she knew it. Only she knew that the right and just action would be to get the complaint dropped.

Ivy caught her reflection in the glass and grimaced as she pushed through the doors of the courthouse. She looked like she’d pulled an all-nighter at the U of M law library cramming for an exam, half-moons of worry under her eyes, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, wearing a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt. But she’d just get in, take the file, and lock it in her desk drawer. Then—okay, she was a coward—she’d call in sick.

She felt sick.

Deathly ill, actually.

By the time she came in tomorrow and gave the file to Jodi, Ivy would be able to get ahold of DJ—didn’t he say he’d be reachable by Tuesday? DJ knew Darek and his family. He’d remind Diane of that and deny the emergency removal.

And Darek would never know how close he’d come to losing Tiger.

Or rather, Ivy wouldn’t be forced to choose between Darek and her job. Darek and Deep Haven. Darek . . . and . . .

Girlfriend.

Yes, her entire world turned complicated on that word.

The hush of the morning was broken by her flip-flops as she dashed across the floor to her inner offices.

Nancy’s desk by the door was cleaned off, dark. Of course, Ivy’s office door remained closed. Thankfully, so did Jodi’s.

Just as she’d left it on Friday at 5:37 p.m.

She beelined for Jodi’s office and knocked, just in case.

Nothing.

She eased the door open. Light streamed in through a side window across Jodi’s clean desk—the calendar, the closed laptop, the black in- and out-boxes, the files . . .

Ivy stilled. The Christiansen file wasn’t on top. She picked up the small stack, looked through each one.

Nothing.

Maybe she’d put it in the out-box by mistake.

No.

She stood there, her heart in her throat. Jodi must have come in over the weekend and—

“We’ll get the paperwork moving as soon as Ivy signs the order for emergency removal.”

Ivy froze, a bandit caught in bright lights. Diane’s voice. And then Jodi’s.

“I’m glad you called me.”

Ivy didn’t even have the sense to move behind the door or affect a casual, yes-I’m-supposed-to-be-here pose.

After all, where exactly could she run? Hide under the desk? Oh no, that wouldn’t look suspicious.

So she just stood there as Jodi entered.

“I thought I closed—oh, hi.”

Ivy forced a smile. Managed to look like she might belong there. In her yoga pants.

Casual day.

“Hi, Jodi. I’m glad to see you in so early. I came by to check on a file.”

Diane had come in behind her. “Ivy. Great, you’re here. Jodi did the research on the Christiansen case over the weekend.”

“Oh . . . good.”

Jodi handed her the file. “Are you looking for this one? It’s the complaint you left on my desk Friday. I’m sorry I didn’t get to it—I had to leave early.”

Diane raised an eyebrow.

“No problem,” Ivy said. She took the file. Could barely read it, her throat so thick she thought she might drop right there, asphyxiating.

Breathe.

But just as she feared, Jodi had written a sound recommendation for temporary removal of Tiger from Darek’s custody. She’d even drawn up the petition for the emergency protective services order.