It Took a Rumor (20 page)

He chuckled as he pushed her legs further apart. “If that’s all it takes, then I’m in.” He spread her and kissed all around the sweet spot, teasing her.

“No, no, no, no…yes!” she cried as his tongue stroked her swollen nub. After that, her sounds were guttural. If she was speaking, he couldn’t hear her. He licked her tentatively at first. Then kissed her deeper, sucking and teasing. He slipped two fingers inside of her, massaging her from inside until she was crying out and bucking…throbbing in release.
 

At last, she collapsed, her body limp. He smiled, kissed the insides of her thighs, crawled up, and collapsed next to her.

Their breathing evened and fell into sync. He reached down and laced his fingers with hers.
 

It was heaven.

Her shirt was shoved up under her chin. Her bra was pulled down. And Jake lay on his side, his head propped on his fist while he used his free hand to fondle her breasts. She couldn’t help but giggle. It tickled. And with the sun soaking into her skin and the breeze moving sensually around her, this felt like the absolute peak of contentment.
 

Jake’s hands were calloused, as was befitting a hardworking rancher, and the roughness of them stimulated her flesh. She knew he was simply basking in his own enjoyment, but she wondered whether he knew that he was turning her on again.

“You’re like a kid with a new toy,” she said.

“Mm-hmm.” His smile was sleepy and blissful, his eyes following the path of his fingers. He hadn’t asked for anything from her. Hadn’t even hinted at it. She toyed with the idea of getting aggressive, pushing him back, and returning the favor. But there was something hypnotic in the way he was focused on her.

At last, she said, “I can’t stay much longer—”

Just then, he rolled on top of her and covered her mouth with his own. She laughed against his lips and then moaned. He dipped down and sucked her left nipple into his mouth. For a moment, she was blinded by the sensation, her sight and hearing shutting down to make way for the overload of pleasure.

“You were saying?” he murmured as he moved over to give equal attention to the other breast.
 

“I…I have to…go visit…”

He pressed his thigh between her legs, and she stopped talking.
 

A few minutes later she lay trembling as he smirked down at her, clearly proud of himself. “Someday we should try doing this stuff in an actual bed,” he said.

“Tonight,” she said without hesitation. Because she wanted more from him, and she wanted to give him back some of the pleasure he’d given her. “My bed. But now I have to go. For real.”

He rolled off of her and helped her to a sitting position. While she readjusted her bra and shirt, he gathered her pants and boots for her. It was hard not to stare at his hands. Something about those hands just made her weak all over. She dressed and stood and he pulled her into an embrace. “Where do you gotta go?” he murmured into her hair.

“I have to visit Richard. I’ve been putting it off all week, but I can’t go to church tomorrow and face him without having paid my condolences in person.”

“Were you and Molly close?”

She nuzzled her cheek against his shirt. “Yeah. It was a strange friendship. I mean, it was kind of one-sided, but I think I was all she had. And she was my only girlfriend.”

Jake pulled back, frowned, and rubbed his thumb along her cheekbone. “I could go with you.”

At first she laughed. But then she stopped and studied him. “You’d do that?”

“Ivy, you’ve been by my side all week. I wanna be by yours.”

If it weren’t so hard to breathe, just then, she might have told him it wasn’t necessary. That she was capable of handling her own affairs. That she appreciated the gesture but didn’t need him. Thankfully, though, she couldn’t speak to say such stupid things to a man who only wanted to support her. So she simply nodded. Jake smiled, took her hand, and walked with her up toward her house.

“You know,” he said, “I sometimes wonder if Molly wasn’t having an affair.”

Now, Ivy’s breath was gone for a different reason. “Oh?” she squeaked.
 

“Yeah. I mean, I’ve seen her at the bar a time or two having way too much fun. She never drank or did anything where you could see it, but she flirted like crazy. Plus, that marriage never made much sense to me. The age difference, the interest difference…I don’t know.”

“Yeah. Who knows?”

“This must be really hard for you.”

Her house was in sight, now, her truck parked on the far side of the driveway. “I cried a lot when I found out. It’s all been so hectic, it feels like weeks have passed instead of days.”

“I can’t believe they haven’t had the funeral yet.”

“I hate funerals.”

“Me, too. When I die, just plant me in the ground. None of these ridiculous frills and ceremonies.”

“Me, too.”

Jake got quiet as they approached Ivy’s truck. She looked up at him. He was frowning in the direction of his home. “Dallas is going to be okay,” she said.

He just nodded and held open the driver’s side door for her. Her purse was in the front seat where she’d left it. She started to get in, but stopped, smiled, and said, “Do you want to drive?”

He grinned. “I don’t have to drive to feel like a man, if that’s what you mean. But I’d be happy to.”

She climbed in and slid all the way across the bench, digging her keys out of her purse and handing them to Jake.
 

They turned down the gravel county road that would lead to the main highway. “After this, do you wanna go see Dallas?” she asked.

“We’re sitting with him in shifts. I go in at nine, tonight.”

“That’s going to interfere with our bedtime plans, Jake.”

He winced. “Damn it. I wasn’t thinking…”

“Relax,” she chuckled, “we can do it another night.”

“Another night,” he repeated quietly. “You might come to your senses by then.”

“Mmm, true. I’m already starting to feel my senses waking up. Yep. I hear them. They’re starting to tell me what a bad idea it is to let you into my bed. Wow. They’re really making a lot of sense.”

“You’re a cruel woman.”

She reached over and squeezed his thigh. “I’ll come sit with you at the hospital for a while.”

His smile seemed a little sad.
 

They arrived at the parsonage a few minutes later. Ivy wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Maybe she thought the trees would be bare and the grass yellow, the house sinking in on itself, the whole environment in mourning. But it wasn’t. The sun still shone through the fully-leafed trees. The grass was freshly mown, no doubt a kindness done by one of the pastor’s flock—the people of Fair Grove could always be counted on to pitch in when tragedy struck. They might talk behind your back, but their actions spoke of good intentions.
 

Ivy and Jake held hands as they ascended the porch steps. Ivy knocked quietly, and a moment later the pastor opened the door. He wore a sweater over a button-down shirt and brown, twill slacks. His hair was thinning and he had on his reading glasses. All-in-all, he looked like a rather sad Mr. Rogers.
 

His smile widened a little at the sight of her. “Ivy, I was hoping you’d come by.” He stepped aside and gestured for them to enter. Richard shook Jake’s hand and then escorted them into the living room. “Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Water?”

“No, thank you,” Ivy said. “I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing.”

Richard leaned back in his chair across from the couch where Jake and Ivy were perched. He sighed heavily and nodded sadly. “I’m doing as well as can be expected. The worst part is the investigation. Of course they had to question me. In these sorts of things, the husband is always a suspect. I only wish I could have laid her to rest a few days ago. As it is, we’ll be having the funeral on Monday. There was the autopsy and, because of how she was found, well, it will be a closed casket.”

“I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through all that.” Ivy swallowed down a burning sensation in her throat. She didn’t want to think about her friend as a bloated corpse, gray and swollen from the creek water she’d been face-down in, but the image sprang to mind in spite of herself. The warmth of Jake’s hand sliding around her waist gave her comfort. She resisted leaning against him, but she did scoot a little closer, her hip and thigh flush with his.

Richard smiled. “So the rumors are true?”

Ivy looked up at Jake. “This is still hush-hush,” Ivy said. “But yes.”

“I think it’s wonderful. Best of luck to you both. Everyone deserves to be loved.” He sighed and looked away.

Ivy’s chest tightened as she thought about how little Molly had loved Richard, if at all. He must have known, on some level, that he’d married a very immature woman. By now, if he hadn’t already thought of the possibility of her cheating, town gossip would have put the thought in his head. How horrible to lay your wife to rest while wondering if she’d been cheating on you. “If there’s anything I can do…any way I can help…”

Richard’s sad smile returned. “I thank you, Ivy. Your friendship meant a lot to Molly. She talked about you all the time.”

“Is there anything I can do to help with the funeral arrangements?”

“Her mother has been handling that, I’m sure she could use some more food.”

“I’d be happy to cook.”

Richard leaned forward, opened his mouth, then closed it again. He glanced at Jake and then back to Ivy. “There is one thing. But…it’s highly personal.”

Jake cleared his throat. “I can wait outside.”

Ivy smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

He shot her a wink and left the room. When the front door clicked shut, Richard turned tear-filled eyes to Ivy. “You’d know if anyone would.”

Oh, God. This was not what she wanted to do. Not how she wanted to do this.

“Who was it?” Richard asked.

Shit, he knew. He knew she was cheating, just not with whom. “Um,” Ivy stuttered, “I don’t…I’m not sure…”

“Ivy, girlfriends share with each other. She spent a lot of time at your house, though I’m suspecting she spent less time there than she said. I just can’t stand not knowing who.”

Ivy shook her head, her heart thundering, tears spilling from the sides of her eyes. “I don’t…I can’t…”

“At first I thought maybe she was in the habit of sleeping with random men. But the more I thought about it and remembered, I think it had to be one lover. See, her behavior changed a couple weeks ago. It was a distinct change, I can’t believe I didn’t see it happening. But that was when she spent so much time at your house…tell me, did she ever go to your house?”

Ivy lowered her eyes and nodded. “Yeah. She did.”

“Ivy, honey, I need to know the truth. I need to know who Molly was sleeping with. I need to ask him why. And how. How could he do this? How could she? Did she think I wouldn’t let her go if she wanted out? Did she think I was so…domineering…that I wouldn’t let her out of the marriage if she wanted?”

Ivy wasn’t sure she’d be able to speak; that if she opened her mouth, she wouldn’t just collapse into blubbering tears. But she forced herself to try. “I don’t think she wanted out of the marriage,” she tried to say. Then she shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“It wasn’t your fault. I want you to know, I’m not angry with you. What could you do? It wasn’t your place to tell me. You were just trying to be a good friend.”

“I tried to talk her out of it,” she squeaked. “And when I couldn’t convince her, I tried to get her to just make it a one time thing. She got hooked on this guy and I couldn’t do anything to stop her.”

Richard fell to his knees in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders, his fingertips digging deep. “Who was it? Ivy, talk to me. Who was it?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know,” she sobbed.

“Liar!” Richard shouted, standing and hauling her to her feet. He gave her a shake, rattling her brain, still sore from her concussion. There were so many emotions to sort through that fear and confusion were just two in the mix. “You know who it was and you’re going to tell me!”

He kept shaking her. “I can’t! I can’t!” she shrieked.

And then the shaking stopped because Jake was there between her and Richard, one hand pressed to Richard’s chest, the other extended behind him in a protective gesture in front of Ivy. “That’s enough,” Jake said calmly.

Slowly, through the blur of her tears, Ivy saw Richard’s shoulders slump. The heat in his face faded and he sank back into his chair, pressing his palms into his eyes. “I’m so sorry,” he said softly. “It’s just driving me crazy. I’m sorry, Ivy. I hope I didn’t hurt your head.”

She only nodded, wanting to accept his apology, but unable to speak. Jake’s hand was on her back, then, guiding her out of the house. As he drove them back to her house, Ivy looked at him. His jaw was tight, his expression stern. The hand that gripped the wheel was white-knuckled, but the one that held her hand only squeezed gently, his thumb rubbing back and forth over hers.
 

Dallas woke up that night.

Jake was sitting in the waiting room with Ivy standing behind him, massaging his shoulders. Since she wasn’t family, she couldn’t go in, so he’d decided to be with her for a few minutes before going to sit with Dallas.

Jake hadn’t been able to speak after seeing Richard being so rough with Ivy. There was too much anger and violence in his state of mind at the time that he couldn’t say anything. He’d wanted to beat the man to a bloody pulp for touching her like that, but it seemed wrong to harm a grieving man. Besides, as soon as he’d walked in, Richard had backed off.
 

Still, he’d driven Ivy home in silence, kissed her goodbye, and went back to the ranch to do some work. When she showed up at the hospital a little after nine, he was in a better frame of mind, at last able to smile at her and talk to her, though they didn’t speak of what had happened at Pastor Allen’s house. Jake had heard what Richard had been asking. So he knew it was true, then, that Molly had been cheating. What was worse, Ivy knew and hadn’t shared. Even worse, she knew
who
Molly had been cheating with. Jake couldn’t help wondering what other secrets Ivy kept, or how she’d found herself in the position of secret-keeper for so many people.