He nods and says, “Yeah. Let me put this in my saddle bag.”

I ask Mav and Taz to wait by the bikes in case she comes out, and I lean against the brick building. Every few minutes, I check my phone. When eleven minutes pass, I head toward Mav. He pulls me in for a hug and whispers in my ear, “We’ll try again after she’s had some time to think about it.”

Taz throws his leg over his bike and starts it up. But then immediately he shuts it down. When I look his way, I notice his eyes are focused on something behind me. Turning, I see Ivy standing with one hand around the belly of a charcoal-colored cat, and the other clutching the strap of the gym bag she’s got over her shoulder. She’s standing in the open doorway again. Her gaze bounces from Mav to Taz, and then to me.

I approach her slowly. Her leaf-like green eyes are striking against her pale skin, even though there’s a ring of black eyeliner surrounding them. She’s dressed in black like before and wearing those same laced up boots.

“Hey,” I say, I didn’t think you we’re going to come out.”

“Neither did I.”

Her eyes roam over me. “You look good, Red. Healthy.”

“Thanks.”

“So you’re a biker chick now, huh?”

A slow smile spreads across my face. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“And you’re really preggers?”

“Yes, just over four months along.”

Her mouth twitches. “So you didn’t really take my advice about buying some protection.”

I grin. “I was buying condoms when I found that friend I was talking about.” The cat wiggles in her arms and tries to get loose, but she adjusts her grip on him.

“Who’s this?” I ask and motion to the cat. Reaching out, I pet the cat, and it lifts its head to meet my hand.

“I call her BB. Black Betty” She rolls her eyes. “And yes, I realize she’s not black.”

She looks from me to Mav. “So is he the baby dadda?”

“Yes. That’s Mav. Or people call him Luce. He’s my boyfriend.” Mav mutters a hello to her from behind me. Her gaze swings back to Taz. “And that’s Taz, his friend,” I say. “They’re only here because they wouldn’t let me come alone.”

“For good reason,” Mav rasps in aggravated tone.

Dropping her voice, Ivy asks, “How come that one is lookin’ at me like he wants to gnaw on my bones and spit them out after?”

I shrug. “That’s just how Taz looks at everyone. But don’t worry about it. He’ll be on his best behavior. He owes me, so to collect I’ve asked him to give you a ride back to where we live.”

“You’re gonna have to leave the cat,” Taz states.

He pulls a toothpick from his pocket, but pauses when she says, loud enough for him to hear, “Look, I don’t know you from Adam, but fuck you asshole if you think I’m leavin’ my cat.”

Taz growls and the toothpick falls from his fingers.

I bite my lip to stifle my laugh.

Taz glares at her and then me. Mav comes forward and offers, “I’ve got one empty saddle bag if you think she’ll be okay ridin’ in there. It’ll be about a fifteen—maybe twenty minute drive.”

Ivy nods, but before she hands over the cat, she asks Mav, “No strings, right? If I want to leave—”

“You do as you please. Consider it my way of sayin’ thanks for helpin’ Ember when you did.”

“Ember.”

“Yeah,” I answer. “That’s me. Ember Pierce.”

She studies me for a moment and dips her chin. “Jett Rhines. But people just call me Ivy.”

Endings are bitter and sweet like the scent of a garden.

EMBER

The truck stops and I hear Will giggle with excitement. I can’t see her because there’s a blindfold over my eyes. But I hear everything, even when Mav opens his door, and then shuts it.

A few seconds later, my door opens and he reaches over me to remove my seat belt. He takes hold of my hands.

“I still don’t see why if we’re going to an art exhibit, I need to be blindfolded.”

“Because it’s a special exhibit. You’re not peeking are you?” he whispers into my ear. I open my mouth to answer, but his teeth nip my earlobe and my mouth falls closed. Shockwaves of pleasure skate down my body.

“This is so not fair.”

“Shhh,” he replies and gives me a chaste kiss.

After he pulls me from the truck, he takes one of my hands and Will takes the other. They walk me ten steps before they let go and Mav moves behind me. He unknots the bandana around my eyes, and it falls away.

“Oh, my God! Is it . . .” I spin around and take in Mav’s pleased expression. “You did it. You rebuilt it?”

He grabs my hips and pulls me closer. “Not exactly. I had to make a few changes so it would better fit the family that’s gonna be livin’ in it. Changed the design some, because they’re not from around here. Made a few rooms bigger, the master, and the office. I also extended out the kitchen, dining room area, and added a shop in the back.”

“Oh.” Trying to cover up the disappointment that immediately hits me, I ask, “Is she okay to go in there?” Will walks to the front door and opens it without knocking.

“Yeah. They haven’t moved in yet. She was here with me last week when I had to come check on things, so she knows her way around.”

“So you sold it already?”

“It sold right away. Got a really good deal on it too. Do you like it?”

Masking the sour feeling swirling in my chest, I reply, “I love it.” I turn in his arms and take in the beautiful house. It’s springtime now and bright colored flowers fill the flowerbeds. It was one of the first things I noticed, because it reminded me of home. But really the home itself is eye-catching. It’s two stories high, and is mostly a sand-colored stucco. A few of the walls have a more modern look with the small stone slabs, which are a mixture of colors, browns, reds, tans, and off-white. The red accents match the cherry wood of the lavish front door and the wood of the garage doors. Even the windows add a little something extra to make it stand out. It’s a perfect blend of the southwestern adobe style you see around here with the layered box design, but it also reminds me of the opulent homes in San Diego that you usually see by the ocean.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.

“Come on, let’s go see the inside.” He grabs my hand and proceeds to give me a tour. Takes me through the upstairs first, the bedrooms, the bathrooms. We pass Will playing in what looks to be a little girl’s room that’s painted purple and has a window seat overflowing with pillows and stuffed animals. Mav continues to pull me forward before I can inspect it further. He shows me the master bedroom, and the space is enormous. Big enough for two king beds and then some. Next he leads me through a door that is attached to the master bedroom. I’m anticipating a bathroom, but when he walks me into a nursery, my feet stop moving.

Because the first thing I see is the baby blue and white alphabet block wall, and the tree with a door in the trunk, and branches that are shelved with kid’s books. There’s also a moon light over a white crib with a familiar blue bedding. Throughout the room I see it all, the dresser, rocking chair, changing table, and bassinet—all things I’ve picked out in catalogs for our baby. Things he told me he would buy, and have shipped to our house a little closer to my due date.

“Mav?”

His arms circle me. His hands rest on my belly, which isn’t very big for me being six and a half months along, but it’s growing day by day. “Do you still love it?” he asks. I open my mouth a couple of times and then close it. “Because it’s yours and mine and Will’s.”

Shocked speechless, my eyes burn with tears as they run over every item. The sailboats and the stuffed animals, the stocked shelf dresser and photo frames waiting to be filled.

“You weren’t really heading to the clubhouse everyday were you?”

He chuckles and I feel him smile as his lips press behind my ear. “Nope.”