Page 62 of Melt For Us, Daddy
3:00-5:00 - School for Jacob/Reading Time
5:00-6:00 - Dinner (Ivy cooks)
6:00-8:00 - Movie time
8:00-10:00 - Free time
10:00 - Bedtime
* * *
“School?” he asked, turning back to the table where Ivy and Cordelia were both seated with their breakfasts.
“Yes. I know from experience your education is severely lacking. You’re going to need your GED at least if you want a decent job, so we’re going to get started on that. Ivy, as it happens, is an excellent teacher.”
Picking up her tea, Ivy frowned. “Dee, I teach little kids. The stuff he’s going to need to learn is way above my pay grade.”
“Maybe. But I have faith in you, blossom. You’re smart as hell and just because you don’t teach this stuff on a regular basis doesn’t mean you can’t do it if you have to.”
Ivy blushed at the compliment just as Merlin stepped into the kitchen and sniffed the air. “Something smells good.”
Cheeks turning even pinker, Ivy gestured to the stove. “There’s more than enough for everyone. Help yourself. And I’m not that smart, Dee. You’re setting Jacob up to be severely disappointed.”
“Nonsense. And unless you want your other set of cheeks to be as red as your face is right now, you won't ever let me hear you say that again, little girl.”
Somehow, Ivy’s face grew even redder. “Oh my god, Dee! Hush!”
“I will not.” Grinning now, Cordelia sipped at her coffee. “My little Ivy blossom looks so cute in pink.”
“I keep telling you, ivy doesn’t have blossoms.”
“Actually, some varieties of ivy do have small flowers.” When everyone turned to look at Merlin in surprise, he shrugged. “What? I like plants.”
“As I was saying,” Cordelia continued, pinning Jacob with that no-nonsense stare over the rim of her coffee cup. “Ivy is an excellent teacher. At the very least, we can get you closer to where you need to be before you start your GED classes. Which you will be doing as soon as the threat from your father has been dealt with.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. That’s settled, then. Now, food. Coffee if you want it. Believe me when I tell you that you do not want to deal with Ivy when her routine gets interrupted.”
“It’s not my routine,” Ivy grumbled, and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
Reaching over, Cordelia ran a hand over Ivy’s hair. She did that a lot, he’d noticed. Little touches here and there, as if she couldn’t stand to not be touching her girl. “I know, baby. And I’m sorry. This is the best I can do for right now.”
Ivy shook her head, her shoulders slumping forward slightly, and Jacob was hit with the urge to pick her up and cuddle her. To offer some kind of comfort. “No, I’m sorry. You’re trying so hard to make this easier on me and I’m being an ungrateful brat about it.”
“All right, little girl.” There was a snap to Cordelia’s voice that had Ivy’s head jerking up, her eyes wide. Jacob, who was still standing at the edge of the table watching them, froze in place.
With her hand still in Ivy’s hair, Cordelia made a fist, drawing Ivy closer to her. “I am very much over hearing my girl say such mean things about herself. After breakfast, you and I are going upstairs to have a chat. Hopefully your hairbrush will make a better impression than I’ve been able to.”
“Daddy, no!”
Her hairbrush? She didn’t mean?—
“You can’t spank her!”
The words burst out of him without thinking, and three sets of eyes turned toward him. Ivy and Cordelia with stunned surprise, as if they’d forgotten he was there, while Merlin subtly shook his head, as if trying to warn him off.
But he wouldn’t be warned off. Not when there was something he could actually do to help Ivy.
