Page 144 of Playing for Keeps
“Dad!” Ivy protests.
I swallow hard, my chest tightening. “It’s okay. Your dad’s right.”
Ivy steps forward, her eyes blazing with emotion as she lets go of my hand and walks toward her dad.
“No, Dad. You don’t get to say that, not when you don’t really know him. Wyattisthe best. What’s happening right now is a nightmare, but he didn’t ask for any of this.”
My heart swells with love for her as she defends me, but I don’t want her arguing with her father over me. “Ivy, it’s okay,” I cut in.
She looks over her shoulder. “It’s not.” She turns back to her dad. “He’s not just some guy I’m dating. He’s the guy who coaches summer football camps for underprivileged kids and gives a stadium tour to a six-year-old boy whose mom can’t afford the entrance fee. He’s someone who actually gives a damn.”
Tom goes to say something, but Ivy keeps on talking.
“He loves me, Dad. So much. And I love him too. You taught me to recognize when someone’s playing a game and when someone shows up. Wyatt shows up. Always.” She turns to look at me, her eyes softening. “He’sthe one, and no matter what happens with this circus, nothing is going to change that.”
The room falls silent. The only noise is from the gentle sizzle of bacon on the stove. Tom looks between us, his expression unreadable before he slowly nods. “Well… if that’s how you feel,” he says gruffly, clearing his throat. “Then I’ll try to see past the circus and remember the man you’re talking about.”
She didn’t hesitate to defend me, her tone fierce and unwavering. She tells him exactly who she sees when she looks at me, and for the first time in twenty-four hours, I feel like I can breathe again.
The weight I’ve been carrying, the fear and guilt that I’ve dragged her into something that’s just too much to bear, lessens a little at her words. Other than my family, I don’t think anyone’s ever spoken about me like that. But Ivy sees me, and she’s not backing down.
God, I love her.
My heart is pounding so hard that I’m sure everyone can hear it. I want to grab her and kiss her, thank her for standing up for me. Tell her exactly what her words mean to me. How muchshemeans to me.
Unable to stop myself, I reach for her anyway, not caring that we have an audience.
“You’re amazing, Ivy James. I love you so much.”
She smiles. “I love you too.”
And I know she means it.
CHAPTER FORTY
Ivy
Twenty minutes later, Nash arrives and quickly takes control of the situation. Within minutes, he clears most of the reporters and photographers from the driveway and front lawn. They’re still lingering on the public sidewalk, of course, and technically not breaking any laws, but at least they’re no longer crowding the house.
Once we’re settled in the living room, Wyatt turns to him. “So, what did you find?”
Nash leans forward, his elbows on his knees. “Well, when I ran her name through the police database, I got nothing. No priors, no parking tickets. Hell, there’s no record of a Cara Livingstone at all. It’s like she doesn’t exist.”
I frown. “What do you mean, nothing?”
“I mean nothing,” Nash says. “I even checked social media, and the website for the club where she claims to work. Zero hits. So, I dug a little deeper. Started cross-referencing reports ofsimilar scams, cases where someone pretends to be married or in a relationship and then tries to extort money from the alleged partner.” He pauses, and I can almost feel the tension in the room. “And I think I found something.”
He grabs his phone from his pocket, his fingers flying over the screen. “Okay,” he says, turning the screen to show Wyatt. “Take a look at this.”
Wyatt leans in. On the screen is an article dated about a year ago. The headline reads:
Man cleared after fake marriage claims lead to extortion scheme in Miami.
“The guy was a wealthy businessman, not a sports personality, and the woman went by the name of Jessica Hartley, but look at the picture.”
I gasp as I lean in, examining the grainy image. “That’s her!” Wyatt says, his voice tight. “That’s Cara. Her hair is different, but it’s her.”
“Exactly,” Nash replies. “Different name, different city, but the same M.O. She told the guy they got married after an alcohol-induced night in Vegas. Produced documents and photos and threatened to go public unless he paid up. The guy had a girlfriend and a daughter. He almost paid her off, but at the last minute got the police involved. Sound familiar?”
