Page 30 of Ink Me Three Times
Her hands fly to her face. "You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m moving to Canada."
"Good luck getting Pickle through customs."
Pickle barks once, as if to confirm he would not survive Canadian bureaucracy.
"I’mmortified," Ivy groans behind her hands.
"Don’t be," I say, still chuckling. "You just made my whole week. Seriously. I am never letting you live this down."
"Please don’t tell your brother I said that."
"Oh, no promises," I say, grinning like a villain. "This is comedy gold. I may frame this moment."
She groans again. "I’m never coming back here."
"You’ll be back," I say, smug. "Pickle likes me too much."
"Pickle’s judgment is extremely questionable."
"He has taste. He likes treats and danger."
"And French bulldogs with a death wish."
"Exactly. We’re soulmates."
She sinks onto the bench by the wall, looking like she’s aged ten years from embarrassment. But there’s a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, even as she mutters, "Canada."
Pickle hops into her lap and promptly sneezes on her shirt.
"Great," she says. "Now I’ve been assaulted by my own dog."
"You were asking for it," I say, deadpan.
She flips me off without looking.
I grin.
Mitchell is a damn fool.
And if he doesn’t pull his head out of his broody ass soon… well, I’m not making any moves. Yet. But I’mdefinitelynot blind.
And Ivy Fletcher?
She’s dangerous in all the best ways.
As Ivy finally wrestles Pickle into submission and drags him toward the door, still muttering something about maple syrup and emotional exile, I lean on the counter and watch her go.
She glances back once. Just for a second.
Her cheeks are still pink, her hoodie half zipped, Pickle tucked under one arm like a football. And despite the chaos and the confusion and the international relocation threats, she grins.
It hits me right in the ribs.
She’s smart. Sharp tongued. Clearly has a disaster magnet strapped to her back and still keeps moving forward like she doesn’t care who sees the mess.
And yeah, I know. One night stand. Lines. Complications. Bros beforewhatever the hell this is.
But Mitchell already made his stance clear: "Not interested. Not my thing. It’s over."
