Page 221 of Screwged for Christmas

Ethan shifted positions as the front bell hanging over the door tinkled and a mass of Savages flooded into the bar. It seemed Saturdays were family reunion days.

“Ivy!” Zahara, flanked on either side by her new family, shot an arm up and greeted her with a wide smile. “You remember Remy from last night?”

Grateful for the bar dividing her from the outpouring of all the hugs going around, Ivy locked away the conversation with everything else she still needed to digest and busied herself with flipping over several cups. With them lined up on the edge of the bar, she made quick work with serving up her special dose of chocolate.

Flurries of snow chased everyone inside, and a gust of heavy wind to tangle with the strands of hair escaping her less than artfully styled side braid she couldn’t quite manage to wrangle into place this morning.

“Oh my God!” Remy and Zahara peeled off two layers of coats each and scooted around the men to join her at the end of the bar.

“I knew you were cool the second I saw you with your sister and Damon yesterday. Sorry, I couldn’t peel away and give you a proper welcome.”

Ivy smiled when Remy tapped her black-framed glasses that looked identical to her own. “Love the look!”

“Yeah, I don’t get around much without them or my contacts, but in this cold, contacts feel like sheets of ice on the eyeballs.”

“Ouch! Tell me about it. I’m just glad to know we share similar tastes.”

Zahara leaned over the bar with a raised brow, signaling she had something juicy to share as everyone else chatted and ribbed each other. “From the news traveling the grapevine, we share more than just blood. I hear you share the same taste in men. Savage men to be exact.”

Remy gave an audible gasp. “Do tell!”

Ivy’s mouth fell open. What the heck did the grapevine know that she didn’t? And she mentally tried to recall who could have seen them in the bakery this morning.

“Mave!”

That little weasel.

“Called me the second he left you two leaned over the cupcakes and Christmas cookies.”

“Sounds like you two had a different kind of treat in mind.”

Ivy groaned and the flush up the back of her neck seeped into her cheeks with a fury. “Is it time for the doctors yet? Please say yes!”

Zahara’s eyes glittered with amusement and a little bit of I-told-you-so just like any big sister. “So now we know what Damon likes for breakfast. Just like his brother, might I add. ”

When she got her hands on Mave for ratting her out, that boy would see stars and four knuckles coming right at him. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“Hmm-hmm, when a man offers you a place to stay...” Remy gave her a sidelong look. “But when he offers you breakfast, now that’s another thing entirely.”

Ivy blushed from head to toe. And fumbled with the pages of her guidebook, running her hand over the soft edges and then back again. “He was just being nice, guys,” Ivy countered and left it at that.

Lucky for her they dropped the subject too because just then the talk died down on the other side of the bar.

“By the way, Zahara didn’t say how long you were staying. Any luck we’ll have your company through New Year’s?” Ethan asked, walking over.

“Nope. Sadly she’s on her way back tomorrow isn’t it?” Her sister cut in before she could offer and answer. “Our Ivy here has to run back to her school books and patients. Only a few more months and we’ll have a full-fledged doctor on our hands.”

Ivy nibbled at her lower lip, mulling over her predicament. Pride beamed from Zahara the size of Texas, and the lump of coal in Ivy’s gut grew three sizes until her nerves jittered like live wires in her limbs.

Should she tell her now? That would be unfair. In front of everyone she’d probably be embarrassed and after all her sister had done for her? No, she deserved a better explanation than a suddenoh, by the way, I’m dropping out of schooloff the shoulder kind of explanation. Ivy swallowed and worked the lie choking her out. “She’s right. I’m actually leaving the day after tomorrow.”

She mentally counted the hours left to drop the bomb and hightail it out of Dodge.

She dared a look in Damon’s direction and the scow pulling his brows together made her swallow. Hard.

Remy’s brow furrowed with disbelief. “But you just got here.” A full-on pout with the lower lip rounded out the sad panda effect. “I thought we could do cool sister-in-law stuff and check out neat nursery things for Zahara while you’re here.”

Familystuff,in other words.

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