For the Love of Ivy - Cindy Kirk Page 0,45

Bozeman Saturday.”

Seth had tried to put that night out of his mind. He hadn’t wanted Lauren to go but he’d put on a good front. He had no right to tell her who she could and couldn’t associate with, even if the guy was a selfish jerk who’d only seen his father once every five years. While that wasn’t the only reason that twisted the knife in Seth’s gut when she’d walked out the door, it was good enough.

“I didn’t realize they were dating,” Mitch added when Seth didn’t immediately respond.

“It wasn’t a date," Seth clarified. “They went to a lecture and decided to catch some dinner first.”

Lauren had looked exceptionally pretty that evening. She smelled even better.

Seth clenched his teeth together and gathered the supplies. After giving Star one last pat he joined Mitch outside the stall.

“You didn’t want her to go.”

“Didn’t matter to me.”

“Liar.” Mitch cocked his head to the side. “I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. Are you sleeping with her?”

“Absolutely not.” Seth yanked his coat from the hook. That night in the clinic had been a close call. Too close.

“You have kissed her.”

Seth scowled. “How is that any of your business?”

“Okay, we’ve established that you’ve kissed her.” A look of satisfaction crossed Mitch’s face. “How was it?”

“Awkward.” Seth shoved one arm and then the other into his coat sleeves.

“The ice queen cometh?”

“Not at all.” Just remembering the sweet taste of Lauren’s lips had the power to turn his blood into a river of molten lava. “Hot would be more the word.”

Mitch’s expression was clearly skeptical. “If the kiss was hot, you’d have slept with her.”

“Lauren is Ivy’s nanny.”

“Give me a better excuse.”

Seth couldn’t believe Mitch was being so persistent. He held on to his temper with both hands and reminded himself Mitch had no idea this was a sore subject. If Seth didn’t get all uptight, he never would. “I made a promise to Jan.”

“Anna said you promised not to marry until Ivy was grown. She didn’t say anything about not sleeping with anyone.” Mitch paused. “Why did you make that marriage promise again?”

Mitch had been living out of state during Jan’s illness and death. Seth realized they’d never talked about that time.

“Jan’s parents divorced when she five,” he explained. “Her mother remarried when she was about Ivy’s age. To say Jan and her stepdad weren’t close would be a huge understatement.”

“She made you promise because she was worried about Ivy having a wicked stepmother,” Mitch said matter-of-factly.

Worry over her daughter’s future had consumed his wife’s last days. “Jan loved Ivy so much. She just wanted her to have the very best life possible.”

“More parents should be that concerned.” Mitch’s jaw set in a hard tilt and his face became an expressionless mask. Seth had no doubt his friend was remembering his own broken and dysfunctional childhood.

Mitch pulled on his gloves and stepped outside without even zipping his coat. They were almost to the house when he stopped and faced Seth. “What I can’t understand is why Jan didn’t trust you.”

“She trusted me.”

“No, she didn’t,” Mitch insisted. “If she had, she wouldn’t have been concerned about Ivy’s future. She’d have known you’d never marry anyone who didn’t love your daughter.”

Seth changed the subject, but for the rest of the day he couldn’t stop thinking about Mitch’s comment. Had Jan really not trusted him to do what was best for Ivy? He’d always tried to be a good husband, a good father. Granted, he hadn’t spent as much time with Ivy before Jan died as he had after she’d passed. Part of that had been because of his wife. She’d been a traditionalist, believing a mother should be the primary caregiver.

Had she feared he’d marry the first woman who crossed his path just so he’d have someone to take care of Ivy?

He remembered those dark days after the funeral.

The house had seemed so empty. It had been difficult to take care of the ranch, mourn the loss of his wife and try to meet the physical and emotional needs of a grieving child. Perhaps he would have taken the easy way out and married quickly....

Seth immediately rejected the notion. As stressful as his life had been at the time, to him marriage was sacred. Besides, it hadn’t taken him long to discover that he loved being an active participant in Ivy’s care. In fact, even if he did marry again, he’d never go back to being on the sidelines of her life.

Because of