Page 34 of Who Pissed Off Ivy Dell?

“Good.” I’m relieved. Shadow’s the oldest resident in Ivydell. I’d hate to leave not knowing that everyone was doing okay, especially him.

“And I hear you’ve got grapevines dancing in your eyes,” Dice says. “Going back to your roots?”

“In my own way. On my own terms.”

“The only way to do anything worth doing.” He stands, nodding at Cujo. “I better go eat before this crooner decides he needs backup.”

“You better eat fast,” Cujo says.

This conversation needs to wrap up before Ivy comes back, anyway. I haven’t shared my plans with her yet. This isn’t the time or the place. We’ll talk before she leaves.

Ivy

Somebody Had to Say It

The look on Zara’sface when Cujo starts to sing must be the exact expression of shock I had the first time I heard his voice. Josephine watches him with that awestruck gaze she always gets when he’s singing.

“Good wine, homemade cookies, and live music.” Zara smiles. “And it’s only the first night. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the weekend brings.”

“Same,” I say. “I’m super excited to see how the festival goes. And for you to see the prairie dogs. And the chipmunks!”

“As long as I don’t see any mountain lions or rattlesnakes.”

“Don’t forget about the scorpions. You don’t want to meet one of those either.”

“Shit. I forgot about those. I’m never taking my shoes off here.”

“Good plan.”

The guys put down their guitars, and Cujo says he needs to soothe his vocal cords, which just means he wants another beer. I think he mostly wants to put his arms around Josephine. He goes straight to her and wraps her up like he hasn’t seen her in days, but he’s been staring at her all night long.

Dice pretends he came over to talk to Jensen, but he’s too transparent. All he really wants to do is hit on Zara. He’s a little old for her, if you ask me, but she hasn’t asked me, and she hasn’t exactly shut him down either. I don’t know his actual age, so maybe I’m overestimating it. Maybe she doesn’t care.

She’s very intrigued that someone could actually play poker for a living. For all I know, he might be her perfect type. Dice isn’t a bad looking man, but I wouldn’t call him conventionally attractive. He’s got that weird sex appeal of celebrity chefs and aging rock stars—strong features, bold confidence, makes it clear he doesn’t give a shit how anybody else thinks he’s supposed to live.

I get it in a way, but I’ve always been more drawn to the quietly confident type. At any rate, I never would’ve put Dice and Zara together. Not that they’re together, but it’s also only the first night. When he walks off to go to the bathroom, Zara leans in and asks, “He’s really single, right?”

But she’s not asking me. She’s looking right at Jensen. “Yeah,” he says. “Divorced.”

“Hmmm,” is all she says.

Guess it’s a good thing she has her own casita after all. Of course, Dice has his own, too. I have a feeling I might not see her much after the sun goes down this weekend.

Maybe there truly is something in the air in Ivydell.

Josephine and Cujo come over to join our conversation when Dice returns. Petra follows, and then Myrna. Before long, Tawny and Leo make their way into the circle, and we’re all huddled up with conversations weaving and spinning. The Spirit Sisters mostly listen, but I can’t be sure if they’re hearing us or voices that the rest of us don’t detect. Even April contributes without agitating anyone.

Petra says the group may be smaller this year, but it has some of the best people Ivydell has ever known.

Leo declares it’s going to be the best festival they’ve ever had.

Shadow says he’s sure glad to be here for it, which strikes me as funny because Jensen has told me Shadow hates the festival.

Zara says she can’t wait to see Ivydell during the day. Dice leans down and says something meant for her ears only, but I’m standing close enough to catch something about the way he wants to see her tonight. My brain nopes out on that as quickly as possible, and I put a few more inches between us. We’re all adults, but they can keep their private talk private.

“I’m going to miss this place so much,” I say. “I’m not even gone yet, and I already can’t wait to come back.”

“Why would you come back?” April says. “Surely you could see a windfarm closer to home.”

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