Page 30 of Who Pissed Off Ivy Dell?

“My cat.”

“Does it look like I’m holding him hostage?”

“Maybe things aren’t always what they look like.”

“Really? You figure that out all by yourself?” I give Wizard a final neck rub, and stand.

“What was I supposed to think?”

“Maybe you weren’t supposed to think anything at all. Maybe it was none of your business. But if you were just dying to know, you could’ve asked instead of jumping to conclusions. Josephine and I are friends, and I’d thought maybe I could be friends with you, too. What were you hoping to accomplish by telling her that, anyway?”

“I don’t know. It just looked like you were one more woman he wanted instead of me, and it pissed me off.”

“You don’t get to shit on other people’s lives just because your feelings are hurt. Cujo and Jensen are friends. No matter what you thought about me, did you really think he’d do that?”

“I didn’t think, okay? I just got hurt and reacted.”

“Overreacted.”

“That’s fair. I’m sorry.”

Well, damn. I wasn’t expecting an apology. “Just cut it the fuck out, okay? Don’t try to start any more rumors about me.”

“Why is someone coming to visit you?”

“How do you know that?”

“There are no secrets in Ivydell.”

“She’s a good friend, and she’s dying to see Ivydell for herself. It’s honestly more her kind of place than it is mine. So, I invited her to come.”

“Might as well show it to people while you can.”

“Exactly. I don’t have much time left.”

“And then what?”

“And then I go home.”

“What about Stinger?”

“For some strange reason, I don’t feel compelled to confide in you, April.”

“Got it. I’ll just take my cat and be on my way then.”

I step aside, not that I’m preventing Wizard from going anywhere, no matter where I stand. April turns around and starts walking away. “Come on, Wizard.”

The cat pads along behind her, his fluffy tail swishing as he goes. Such a good boy. So loyal. If that cat loves her so much, she can’t be terrible.

I hear Myrna’s laugh coming from the direction of the path, so I detour that way. Tawny and Josephine are helping, too.

“How close is your friend?” Petra asks.

“Just a few more hours. Is the community center off limits tonight? I was thinking we could do another girls’ night, and it might be better to do it there than at someone’s casita. More space.”

Less chance of Josephine kicking the shit out of April, assuming they’d both come.

“Fine with me,” Petra says. Tawny and Myrna agree, both say they’ll be there.

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