Page 108 of Sliding Into Love
“That’s terrifying.” She heard the laughter in his voice.
Squaring her shoulders, Ivy poked him in the chest. “He doesn’t get to say awful things about anybody, but especially not you.”
“Oh, I’d pay to see you go after him,” Ethan said, laughing outright and pulling her close to his side. “Let’s just hope you never run into him in a dark alley.” He pressed a kiss to her temple before they joined the others. Ethan squatted down to talk to Jase and Janna.
“Is everything okay?” Jase’s eyes were wide as he glanced between Ethan and Ivy.
Her heart ached, knowing how scared he must have been.
“Everything is okay,” Ethan said, “Gramma Laura is just a little riled up. Her brother wasn’t being very nice.”
Janna’s eyes widened to match her brother’s. “That was herbrother?But Ivy says we have to be nice to each other! Especiallyfamily!”
“Well,” Ivy began, but Ethan stopped her with a look over his shoulder. He leaned forward to whisper something in the little girl’s ear, and when he was done, she nodded solemnly. Ivy glanced at her fiancé curiously, but he just winked.
Several minutes later, when Laura, Harkness, and the umpires returned, Harkness gave a piercing whistle that immediately silenced the room. Ivy gathered the kids to leave, but Ethan stopped her, nodding to the umpire to tell her to wait.
“In light of the unprecedented behavior, Tornadoes Manager Lawrence Lorne will be suspended for the remainder of the World Series.” He said more, but Ivy wasn’t listening.
Still seething, she had half a mind to hunt down Coach Lorne and give him a piece of her mind, but she didn’t want to traumatize her kids further.One day,she thought,one day, he’ll get an earful from me.Ethan looked at her as if he’d heard every thought crossing her mind, so she smiled sweetly and took Jase’s hand.
“You okay?” His hand was ice cold, and his jaw was set in a grim line mirroring Ethan’s.
Jase didn’t seem to want to talk, but he nodded stiffly. Ivy squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back. They’d need to talk it out later, but hopefully, it wouldn’t have any lasting effects. Janna, on the other hand, appeared to have forgotten the incident already.
“Laura, you were a badass,” Jen called. “We’ve all seen what a shitty leader can be like, and none of us stood up to Marshall before, so there’s no way we would let Lawrence Lorne talk to one of our own that way.” The blonde spat the name as if it were acid. “You’re just lucky I didn’t get to him first. Who knows what would’ve happened.”
An awkward chuckle went around the room.
Jen didn’t laugh.
“You’re right, though, Jen. We should’ve seen how Marshall was treating Ethan sooner and stopped it.” Derek shed his usual grin for something fiercer. Around them, the rest of the team nodded their agreement.
Beside Ivy, Ethan stiffened. She looked up and his eyes were bright at Jen and Derek’s defense of him.
“Still wishI’dbroken his nose,” Ivy muttered.
Ethan barked a laugh and rolled his eyes.
“Get in line,” Jimmy quipped from the back of the room.
When they returnedto the rental house for the night, Ivy waited until Janna was asleep before piling two mugs of cocoa with marshmallows and knocking on Jase’s door.
“Come in.” His voice sounded too tired for a ten-year-old.
Ivy nudged the door open with her toe and sat on the edge of his bed before handing him the mug. Jase took it and wrapped his thin fingers around it but didn’t look at her.
“Ethan’s okay,” Ivy said, blowing the steam off her mug. “Are you?”
Jase’s thin shoulders curved inward.
“I will be. I just— it was like my dad, you know? Always muttering mean things under his breath.” Jase squeezed the mug tighter. “I couldn’t hear him from our seats, but I justknew. He had that look, and it made Ethan act all weird.”
“I know.” Ivy set her mug down on his nightstand and edged closer to him. “I saw it too. But you know what?” She nudged Jase’s shoulder with hers. “He didn’t let it get to him. It used to bother him, and not very long ago. But I think finding a family…findingushelped him a lot. It showed him that he didn’t deserve that. That he deserved to be happy, he deserved to have love.” Ivy gently took Jase’s mug and placed it beside hers. “You deserve that too, Jase. Whatever your dad used to say to you, he was wrong. We love you. We are your family now, okay?” Her eyes burned and her chest ached as she pulled Jase into a tight hug. “Ethan and I plan to adopt you and Janna, so it’ll be official. If—if that’s what you want.” She looked down and twisted the ring on her left hand.
“I know,” Jase said, grinning. “He asked me if I wanted you to adopt us before he asked you to marry him. He asked me if I wanted to be an official family, with name changes and everything.” Jase bounced on the bed. “JaseFisher.” His smile grew even wider.
Ivy was dumbstruck that Ethan thought to ask Jase and knew how much it meant to the boy. Her…son.
