Ivie’s eyes narrow at the challenge, and I see determination fill them as she takes the stance we’ve been teaching her, stomps on his foot, then follows through with a right hook to the jaw, sending Curt back on his ass.
“Oh, yeah?” Ivie asks, staring down at him.
“Okay, I was wrong.” He cradles his jaw in his hand and shifts it back and forth. “That hurt. Nice one, Miss Ivie.”
“Thanks.” She grins and offers her hand to help him off the floor.
But Curt doesn’t like to be touched, so he just shakes his head and climbs to his feet unassisted.
“One more time,” Curt says.
“I really don’t want to hit you again,” Ivie says and turns pleading eyes to me. “Don’t make me.”
“You’re too nice,” Curt says and approaches her from behind. Wrapping his arm around her neck, Ivie immediately slips into defensive mode. She slips out of his hold, knees him in the balls, and jams the heel of her hand into his nose, making it bleed. “Never mind. Not too nice.”
“Oh, God.” Ivie covers her face with her hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“You did exactly what you were supposed to do,” Curt says and dabs at his nose. “I provoked you on purpose. A few more lessons, and you’ll be able to kick both our asses with a blindfold on.”
Ivie’s smile is wide and proud. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Curt replies. “Good job.”
“Why won’t Curt talk about himself?” Ivie asks when we walk into the house, and I start making us sandwiches for a late lunch.
“I told you, he has some baggage. He doesn’t like to be around people.”
“He can’t be more than thirty-five,” she says.
“What does his age have to do with anything?”
She shrugs and bites into a potato chip. “I don’t know. It just seems sad. He’s so young.”
I stop opening the mayo and slowly turn to her. “Ivie, are you telling me that you have a crush on my ranch manager?”
She scowls and then laughs. “No. No, he’s not the one I have a crush on at all. I just feel bad for him because he seems kind. And he’s young and handsome and—”
“If you keep singing Curt’s praises, I’ll fire him.”
She laughs in earnest and crosses over to me. She wraps her arms around my middle and lays her cheek on my chest. “I just like him. And maybe I feel bad for him.”
“Don’t.” I kiss the top of her head. “He’s where he wants to be, doing what he loves.”
She sighs and then tips her face up to mine. “I’m glad you’re his friend. I’m hungry.”
“If you stop singing Curt’s praises, I’ll finish making lunch.”
She grins. “Deal.”
She pulls another handful of chips out of the bag and munches happily as she watches me build sandwiches.
“Are we ever going to have sex?”
The turkey falls out of my hand and onto the counter as I spin and stare at her. “What?”
“Sex. You and me. Is it ever going to happen, or are we just going to flirt and kiss and drive me crazy forever? I just want to know so I can plan accordingly.”
“What if the answer is no sex?”
She shrugs. “Then I need to order a vibrator or something because a girl can’t be with a sexy guy like you forever and not touch the goods. Is that how it’s going to be?”
“Fuck, no.” I shake my head and return to the sandwiches. “You were a little upset last night, Ivie. And we had things to do this morning.”
“So, you’re a planner when it comes to sex.”
I cut the sandwiches and deliver them to the breakfast bar. She immediately digs into hers as if we’re discussing the stock market. I take a bite,