Page 31 of Falling for the Cowgirl
Jericho cast his sights on the stars overhead. Maybe he and Ivy’d had a few fleeting moments of attraction over the years. But that’s all it had been. Fleeting. Even now, the feelings that sprang to life around her were fleeting too. He was leaving just as soon as he caught Rodney James. He had no future in South Park. Certainly not with Ivy.
Flynn let the silence settle between them.
Jericho wanted to tell Flynn the truth about why he was there and put an end to any concerns. But he couldn’t say anything to Flynn any more than he could to Ivy. “I won’t let anything happen between Ivy and me, Flynn.”
“I don’t want her getting hurt. That’s all.”
“And I don’t either.” The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Ivy.
“Then keep it friend-like with her and nothin’ more.”
“I will. I promise.”
In the dark, Ivy tossed her dripping-wet garments onto the bedroom floor and unhooked her nightgown from the back of the door.
“W-e-l-l, it looks like you got what you were going for.” Astrid’s whisper from the bed was filled with censure.
“Don’t know what you’re jawing about.” Ivy slipped the nightgown over her head. After returning from the bog and scrubbing up good in the river and doing her best to get the mud off her body and her clothing, the hour had grown late. She’d been quiet as a daddy longlegs, creeping around and trying not to wake Astrid. But apparently it hadn’t done any good.
Astrid propped up on her elbow. “You wanted to get alone with Jericho and figured out a way to do it.”
“Did not.” Was Astrid jealous? “I wasn’t thinking about him at all and was just doing my job.”
“You’ve been doing nothing but thinking on that man since he returned.”
Ivy rubbed her arms to ward off a chill before she climbed into bed, bumped Astrid, and forced her to scoot over. She gathered up the quilt, the one her ma had made long ago, and brought it up to her chin. The quilt was about the only thing she had left of Ma’s.
It wasn’t like the quilt was all that special. In fact, Ivy had almost left it behind in Pennsylvania at the old farm. Butshe grabbed it up on a whim before leaving because it had always brought her comfort. Maybe because she’d hidden underneath it whenever her stepfather had gotten angry with Ma or Flynn.
During those difficult times, she’d huddled behind the thick blanket and pretended she was someplace else, where everyone was happy. Nowadays, the quilt only made her sad for everything she’d lost and wistful for all she wanted for her own future.
“Jericho’s the type of man who will want to marry a real lady.” Astrid lay on her side, facing Ivy. The darkness obscured Astrid’s face, but Ivy could hear the jealousy again in her voice.
“He’s not gonna be interested in you, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Ivy stifled a yawn. “You’re too young.”
“Sixteen isn’t that young.”
Ivy always hated when others commented on her age, and here she was now doing the same to Astrid. Shame on her. “Reckon you’re old enough to know what you want and make your own way.”
So long as it didn’t involve Jericho.
“That’s right.”
“I see the way Logan Steele’s been admiring you lately.” The mayor’s son had shot up over the past year and was turning into a fine-looking man.
“Logan Steele?” Astrid released a scoffing laugh. “He’s just an annoying child.”
“He’s a year older than you.”
“He acts like he’s Ty’s age. Besides, he’s leaving Fairplay and going back East just as soon as he can. He hates the West.”
“What about Holt?” Ivy threw out the name of another boy, hoping to distract Astrid from Jericho. “He can’t keep his eyes off you.”
For a few minutes they whispered in the dark like they used to do before they’d gotten all grown-up. Ivy relished such times, when Astrid didn’t put on airs and she was simple and fun again. If only those times weren’t so far apart and so short.
“Compared with a man like Jericho,” Astrid said with a sigh, “they’re just boys.”
“Yep. Jericho is all man.” Ivy wanted to add,“And he’s all mine,”but she refrained.
