Page 21 of Windlass

“Does Lilian, she of the greenhouse and obsessive house plant collection, like flowers? Ivy, you may need to see a professional about your cognition.”

“Ass. You know what I mean.”

Stevie inhaled another fragrant breath of summer air and choked on a small flying insect. After a moment’s coughing fit, and feeling a little less enamored with the beauty of her surroundings, she asked, “Are you planning something for your anniversary?”

“Something like that. And I’d believeyouif you promised me you wouldn’t tell Lil.”

Whereas Stormy and Angie absolutely would tell Lilian, and Morgan might, too, out of a sense of duty.

Things made sense, now.

“As long as you don’t plan on kidnapping her or something, I can make that promise.”

“I want to surprise her with a gift.”

“What’s the gift?”

“Doesn’t matter. But it needs to be perfect.” Ivy fiddled with the reins, which was unlike her.

“What do you need to know?” As she finished asking the question, a possibility occurred to her. She reined Olive to a halt, suddenly, forcing Ivy to do the same. Olive immediately tried to sneak some grass. Stevie gently checked her, staring at Ivy in sudden elated understanding. “Oh my god.”

Ivy blushed the deepest shade of red Stevie had ever seen on her, or possibly any other human being.

“Youcannottell anyone. Even Angie. Actually, especially Angie.”

“This is the best day of my life. Are you serious?” She would have bounced in the saddle if that would not have been rude to Olive.

“Of course. If she finds—”

“Not about not telling anyone, duh.” Stevie waved away Ivy’s concern, as well as a few black flies. “About . . . you know.”

“More than I’ve been about anything in my life.” The quiet conviction in Ivy’s voice forced Stevie to suppress a squeal.

“And you want my help in pulling off something epic?”

Ivy shot her a shy smile. “Yes.”

“Well, Holden.” She drew herself up in an impression of self-importance. “In that case, we have work to do.”

Her exuberance buoyed her for the rest of their ride and back into the barnyard, where they came up against the hard wall of a stranger’s face.

“Hi.” Ivy dismounted and extended her hand to the young woman waiting for them in the parking lot. Stevie hoped this wasn’t becoming a pattern. First Jaq, now—she paused. The girl was older than Jaq by several years, late teens maybe, but shared Jaq’s liquid brown eyes. The differences lay in the shadows beneath and the pinched lines around her mouth. Kids shouldn’t look like that. The girl wore a rumpled fast food service uniform to match her tired face.

“Hi,” the teenager replied, taking Ivy’s hand with a quiet confidence Stevie admired, but which also bore the grace of the exhausted. “I’m Sarah, Jaq’s older sister. She said you needed someone to give permission for her to ride?”

“So nice to meet you, Sarah. We’re thrilled to have Jaq on the farm.” Ivy smiled with a brilliance that made Sarah wince. “Any chance you’re over eighteen?”

“I will be in September.”

“Virgo,” said Stevie, a Virgo herself. “Nice.”

“We really need a parent’s permission . . .”

“But,” said Stevie, interrupting. She’d seen the way Sarah had tensed at the word “parent.” Ivy raised a questioning brow, and Stevie continued. “Can we give you a form for a parent to sign?”

Sarah’s eyes narrowed for just a second, suspicious, before relaxing in relief. “Sure.”

“You can put down your contact info, however, if you’re the one we should reach out to if Jaq gets hurt,” said Ivy.

---