Page 6 of Writing On The Wall

Regardless of my heroic intentions, I lit a fuse between us that day. If she’d had a weapon, I’m not sure I’d be standing here now.

Her husky throat clearing brings me back. “Ethan. Lurking much?”

“Ivy.” My eyes flick to her canoodle partner. “Flirt much?”

“Excuse me?” She laughs, but there’s zero humor in it. Notthat I expected any. I’m pushing her buttons again, but it just comes naturally with her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin’,” My eyes move lazily around the classroom. It’s colorful and welcoming with printed words and pictures. I glance back at the couple, the muscle in my jaw pulsing at the clear display of familiarity and intimacy between them. I’m not sure why witnessing Ivy Marsh getting cozy with a man has me so riled up. Maybe I just pity him and want to save him from this woman’s wrath. “Have a good day, you two,” I reply dryly before I salute and turn to leave.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” she calls toward my back.

My thumbs hang loosely in my pockets while I pivot to face her again. She’s closer now, those big green eyes framed by gold-rimmed glasses and a sharp scowl. I take in the man beside her. His preppy look—sweater vest with a bowtie—causes a tug of my mouth. Figures she’d go for a man like this. I bet he’s no better than a little puppy dog, happy to be ordered around.

“I’m workin’ on the playground, Marsh. That okay with you?” My eyes flicker to her windows and the view of the structure outside. “You’ll even get to stare daggers at me from inside the comfort of your lovely classroom.” I flash a teasing grin—the one that seems to ruffle her feathers.

She exhales sharply, and it’s a marvel that her glasses don’t fog up with the effort.

“Careful, Marsh. The steam coming out your ears might cause those things to rust.” My eyes trace the rim of her frames, noting how they hover just above the freckles on her cheeks.

She lets out a growl, and her boyfriend steps closer, grinning like a cheesy bobblehead doll.

He hangs a pale hand over Ivy’s shoulder and holds the other one out in front of me. “I’m Toby.”

I try to ignore it, but my gaze is still drawn to the spotwhere his hand rests on the bare skin of her arm. I tear my eyes away, but I’m equally annoyed by how easily they meet those giant green orbs with the big V-shaped crease between them. I sense the need to end this conversation as quickly as possible, because I’m not sure what the hell is going on here. I shake Toby’s hand without breaking Ivy’s stare. It’s unnerving having this much feisty energy zeroed in on me, like she’s peering into my soul and garnering all the intel she needs to make a voodoo doll so she can torture me later.

Ivy folds her arms, shifting slightly nearer to Toby. “Well don’t do anythingdumbout there.”

A short puff of air comes out with my laugh. I roll my lips over my teeth, trying to hide my amusement. Yeah, I deserve that one. I may have insinuated that her choices weren’t the smartest on the day we first met. If she’d stop biting my head off every time we see each other, I’d try and apologize.

Toby is still smiling like a puppy awaiting a treat. I frown, taking him in again from head to toe. The man is wearing loafers, for goodness sake. I turn, still scowling about her boyfriend’s fashion choices as I look at Ivy. As usual, she takes my expression personally. And I realize it’s time to extricate myself from the ticking time bomb glaring at me.

“See you around, Marsh.” I tip my head before leaving the room.

Another feminine growl echoes down the hall, making me shake my head. That woman is scary as hell.

I head outside to meet Marco. He’s leaning on the posthole digger as he waits on me, our supplies laid out beside him.

“What’s that scowl for?” He squints at my face.

“Nothin’. Let’s get started,” I deflect, unclipping a measuring tape from my belt. I survey the area, pulling out the blueprints for the updated playground.

“You found a woman to piss off, didn’t you?” Marco strollsbehind while I pretend like that skirmish with Ivy didn’t just make me feel alive for the first time since—dang—since the last time I saw Ivy two weeks ago. We’d both been invited to meet my brother and his fiancée, Ember, for drinks. Since Ivy is Ember’s best friend, it made sense that she was asked to be the maid of honor when Colton asked me to be his best man.

“Why do you assume I go around looking for women to irritate?” I pause from looking at my plans to question Marco.

“Maybe it’s the angry blonde who looks like she wants to put your face on a dartboard.” He says, nodding toward the parking lot behind me.

Sure enough, when I turn, there she is, wearing an expression that says she’d enjoy watching me get eaten by sharks.

With a shake of my head, I fold the plans and stuff them in my back pocket, then I hoist a bag of cement over my shoulder. “I may have pushed a few of her buttons, but she started it.”

Marco chuckles but lets it go, and we dig the six holes for the posts while I force myself to forget about the blonde spitfire in question. It might prove difficult, considering my brother and her best friend are engaged, but I know the less time Ivy and I spend together, the better. Because that woman has complicated written all over her.

CHAPTER FOUR

IVY

Toby slams the trunk of his car shut, his gaze darting between me and Ethan across the field. “You sure there aren’t any sparks there?” he asks, leaning back with his arms folded.

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