Page 38 of Battle of the Exes

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ivy

Thanks to the hotel bartender, I manage to get two high-octane coffees into Jasper. When I arrived, he was half-dressed, watching some mindless show in his suite. I told him to take a cold shower and meet me in the lobby in ten minutes or I’d drag him down myself. And not in a way he’d appreciate.

Now, we’re sitting in the hotel lounge, my eye on the clock and I can tell he’s starting to sober up. But then his hand creeps toward my thigh.

“If your finger makes contact,” I warn, “I’ll cut it off.”

His eyes go wide. The bravado drains out of him, leaving a man who suddenly looks desperate for attention. He stands, steadier than before when Beau storms in.

“Stand down, Kensington!”

Jasper stumbles back. “Beau?”

Beau’s eyes shoot lasers, superhero-like. “Get away from my wife.”

I cock a brow.

“Ex-wife,” he corrects.

His fierce protectiveness stirs something in me I’m not prepared to admit.

Jasper looks at me, stunned. “Ex-wife? Wow.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Beau

Jasper’s mouth remains ajar and I’m sure he’s ready to drop me as his publicist, to hit the road, forgoing the interview the town has been waiting for.

Instead, his finger waves unsteadily between me and Ivy. “Exes? That means you hate each other. No competition. Sweet.”

The guy’s a scumbag.

I meet Ivy’s eye.

“I had it under control,” she says.

I see that now. Jasper is a mess, but he’s keeping his hands as far away from Ivy as I’ve ever seen him do around a beautiful woman. I should never have doubted her. Still, I don’t regret dropping everything to comehere. Better safe than sorry. I’d rather risk offending her independent streak to know she’s safe.

Thankfully, she doesn’t look angry.

“Let’s get to the festival,” she says to Jasper, more an order than suggestion.

Jasper nods and follows us outside without another word.

The festival is in full swing when we arrive, and for the first time in weeks, I let myself breathe. The booths are packed, the food vendors are doing brisk business, and families are sprawled out on picnic blankets under the sun.

When Rue takes the mic to thank the community and our sponsors, the applause is loud and sustained. People are proud of our town, of something they helped pull off.

The on-stage interview goes about as well as I could’ve hoped. Rue keeps things light, tossing softball questions that Jasper answers with slick polish. The audience eats it up. They’re starstruck. If only they knew the man behind the words could be the poster boy for the #MeToo movement.

After the band’s terrific performance, several of my other author clients take the stage for readings and Q & A. People are intrigued, many buying merchandise. The Silver Quill’s tent has been flooded with customers all afternoon.

As the crowd thins out, I see a missed call. The voice message is from a major publishing rep who’s been watching the livestream. They want to talk.

“We’ll call on Monday,” he says.

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