Page 102 of One More Made Up Love Song
She finally relents and spends a few minutes telling me about her conversation with her dad, about the arbor he built for her and how he hopes it will remind her of Daphne when she gets married.
Then I tell her about my conversation with her mom and her parents’ idea to start a foundation. This makes her cry a little, especially when I mention the part about Carina helping to run it.
“That would be so good for her,” Ivy says.
I nod. “I was thinking if I made a donation big enough to help cover employment expenses for the first couple of years, they could hire Carina sooner. I wanted to run that by you first, though. I didn’t mention it to your mom.”
Ivy nods, her expression shifting in a way that tells me she’s puzzling through something logistical. I know that look well.
“We’d have to hire someone else too. Someone to train her and help her gain some on-the-ground experience. But I think it’s a brilliant idea.” She studies me closely. “Freddie, I’m sure Mom meant what she said about not needing any money. Are you sure you want to be a part of this?”
I lift my shoulders into a shrug. “I want to be a part of all of this. This place. Your family. Does that…overwhelm you?”
She leans over and cups a hand around my cheek, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. “You never have been a man to do anything by halves. Now, sing to me. Please?”
I reach for my guitar, mostly because I doubt she’ll let me kiss her again if I don’t.
“So the arbor your dad built,” I ask as I tune up. “Does he anticipate you getting married anytime soon?”
I really like the fact that the question makes her cheeks redden. “I—no,” she quickly says. “He does not have a timeframe. Just thought the arbor would be nice to use when Idoget married. Assuming I want to get married on the farm.”
“This would be a really beautiful place to get married,” I say, and her gaze locks on mine.
“You think so?”
“Absolutely.” We’re quiet for a beat before I say, “Your mom showed me a lot of pictures. A lot of you and Daphne. I wish I’d met her.”
Ivy’s smile softens. “Yeah. Me too. But she would have been tough on you.”
“For more than just the fake dating thing? I thought you said she would have loved me.”
“She would have. But she would have teased you aboutyour fame. Definitely about your tattoos. And about the picture of you that was used for all the merch on your first solo tour.”
I groan. “You wound me. You know how much I hated that photo. But what’s wrong with my tattoos?”
“I love your tattoos,” she says, and my heart flips over. “But Daphne would have had questions. She would have made you explain your reasons behind every single one to prove you didn’t get them just to look more like a rockstar.”
“I mean, they don’t exactlyhurtmy image.”
Ivy grins. “You’re shameless.”
“Unfortunately, that’s part of my job description.”
“Is singing a part of your job description, because it seems like you’re stalling,” Ivy teases.
I scowl at her, but she’s right. My guitar has never been so perfectly in tune.
“All right, so this one will go on the new album. It’s probably the first single, actually.”
She nods and pulls her legs onto her chair, wrapping her arms around her knees.
I blow out a steadying breath, glance up at her one more time, then I start to play. I repeat the first few measures of the song, waiting to settle into the rhythm, the feel of it. Once I do, I start to sing.
About noticing the gold in her eyes for the first time. About a relationship that shifted and changed without me realizing, turning into something so much better than what it was before.
When I finish the song, Ivy doesn’t say anything. She just looks at me, her body so still, my nerves ratchet back up, and I start rambling to fill the silence.
“So anyway, that’s the song. I didn’t add the key change until right at the end, and I wasn’t sure about it at first, but Leo said it was good, and I think it fits with the vibe, but if there’s anything you don’t like about it, you can absolutely still tell me…”
