Page 41 of Who Pissed Off Ivy Dell?

“Actually, I think I should go first. I’m the most likely to back out, so it makes sense to get mine done before I watch someone else and change my mind.”

They all look at me like I might be joking. I’m not.

“What did you decide on?” Josephine reels her line back in. It’s empty, but she doesn’t seem to care about catching anything. Apparently, the only time she can hold still is when she’s giving a tattoo. She dances while she’s driving, bounces while she’s fishing . . .

“I don’t know yet.”

“But you’ll know by tonight?” Josephine asks.

“Yeah, I’ll know by then.”

Zara rides back toIvydell with Dice, but we all meet at Vintage Vibes to eat dinner together. It feels almost wrong to eat dinner together at Jensen’s casita without inviting everyone else. But a lot of things feel strange here now.

There’s an expiration date on Ivydell for everyone, not just me. I wanted the same status as all the regular residents, and now I’ve got it. We’re all temporary.

We’re eating outside on a long folding table that Jensen brought over from the shop. A shooting star adds a flash of magic to the sky.

“I’m going to take the sign for Sparrow’s Song,” I say. “Not sure what I’ll do with it yet, but I want it.”

“You can’t,” Jensen says. “I’ve already claimed it. I’m taking most of the casita signs.”

“For what?”

“I was going to wait until we were alone to tell you my plans, but I don’t want you to think I’m keeping it a secret from you. I’m opening a winery.”

“Here? Or are you going back to California?” I try not to sound worried that his answer might be the latter, but I don’t want him to go farther away. I’m still a little mad at him, and I don’t know when it will fully fade, but I’d rather be pissed off at a closer distance. I’d rather be closer, period.

“Neither. Found some options a little closer to the beach. We’d still be a few hours apart, but closer.”

“You can’t make business decisions based on me.”

“It’s a good area. Already known for wineries. The fact that it’s closer to you is a bonus.”

I’m not sure if he’s telling the whole truth, but I’m happy for him to finally be following this dream. “Do you have a name?”

“I do. Desert Ivy Vineyards.”

“You can’t name your winery after me, Jensen.”

“I can, actually. I can name it anything I want.”

“Ivy doesn’t even grow in the desert.”

“Yeah, she did.”

Our friends all freeze and stare at us. I don’t have to make eye contact with any of them to know they think this is some grand romantic gesture, and the line he just said is poetic. It is. But I don’t feel swept away by any of it. I might not be sweepable, though.

He’s right that I’ve grown since we met. The woman I was when I got here wouldn’t even be speaking to him yet. I’d be having an angry pity party for myself in my casita. Actually, if he hadn’t woken me up with that damn drill, I might be doing that. I’m glad I’m not. I’d rather be here.

“Anyway,” he says. “It’s not like I’m naming it the Ivy Dell McAdams Winery.”

“True. At least you didn’t go that far. But there’s no desert a few hours from me, so it’s going to be an odd name for the area.”

“Based on the names of some of the other wineries in the area, I’m not worried about mine.”

“I still don’t see why you need the signs.”

“Figured I’d call the tasting room Vintage Vibes. The sign will be a nice touch out in front of it. It’ll bring back good memories for me when I see it.”

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