Wrapped Up in You (Heartbreaker Bay, #8)(33)

“You are here for me,” Ivy said softly. “You brought me my trays back. That was really nice of you, and—”

“Best friends are more than nice to each other.”

Ivy stilled. “Best friends?”

Sadie gave her a well, duh look, and at the sheer irritation in it, Ivy felt emotions flood her. Warmth, gratitude . . . affection. “I didn’t know that’s how you saw it.”

“Well it is,” Sadie said. “And if you don’t know, it’s because you hide behind your walls. And bee-tee-dub, it’d be really great if you stopped doing that. I mean, hide from the world if you want, but not me. I’m here for you. Okay?”

Unable to speak, Ivy nodded.

“You promise?”

“I’ll try.”

“Pinkie swear,” Sadie demanded and help out her pinkie.

Ivy managed a laugh. “You and your pinkie swears—”

“I’m dead serious,” Sadie said. “I know you never make promises you don’t keep. So if you mean it, you’ll promise me.”

Ivy stared at the proffered pinkie. “Wow, I’m sorry, but I just got unexpectedly blinded by your twenty million carat diamond ring . . .”

“Of course you are, and it’s three carats,” Sadie said so loftily that Ivy laughed and hooked her pinkie with her apparently best friend.

“Sadie,” she said, suddenly serious.

Sadie narrowed her eyes. “So help me God, if you’re going to back out now—”

“No. I was just going to say that I’ve never had a BFF before.”

Sadie shut her mouth. Her eyes went suspiciously shiny. “Okay, now you’re just trying to make my mascara run.” And she hugged Ivy so tight that she couldn’t breathe.

Ivy tried to tap out, but Sadie just squeezed harder.

“Air,” she gasped dramatically.

“Oh, shut up.” And she kept hugging Ivy.

What seemed like a year later, they left Jenny in charge and walked through the courtyard to the pub. Sadie slowed at the fountain in the center of the courtyard.

“You know . . .” she started.

With a rough laugh, Ivy shook her head. The Pacific Pier Building had been built in the 1800s for a very large ranching family’s central compound. Back then, there’d still been cows in Cow Hollow. Today there wasn’t a single square inch of the San Francisco district that hadn’t been built on, but here in the center of the courtyard, the original ranching family’s fountain still stood.

The legend associated with that fountain went that if one made a wish with a true heart, then true love would then find you.

Ivy thought she had a better chance of Santa Claus leaving her a few presents on Christmas Day.

Sadie looked at her. “You’re not even curious what might happen if you wish?”

“No.”

“Really? You’re not interested at all?”

“In true love? Given all that love’s ever done is destroy me, I’d rather make a pact with the devil,” Ivy said.

“But if it destroyed you, it wasn’t true love.” She pulled out a quarter and held it out.

“You don’t expect me to believe that true love costs only twenty-five cents, do you?”

Sadie laughed. “Maybe it’s on sale, just for you. One time offer only.”

Ivy thought about what Sadie had with Caleb, how real and deep it was, and for the first time in her life she wavered.

Sadie did a little flourish with the quarter, once again offering it up.

Ivy snatched it and tossed it into the fountain. She stared at the coin as it slowly sank below the surface, finally clinking on the bottom, shining up through the water.

“What did you wish?”

Ivy tore her gaze off the coin. “I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.”

Sadie grinned. “See, you do believe!” She turned and started walking again.

Ivy stayed still a moment longer, staring into the water. I wish I could believe, she whispered to herself.

When she caught up to Sadie, her friend was smiling.

“What?” Ivy asked.

“Nothing.” She took Ivy’s hand. “You scared?”

Terrified. “Of course not.”

“It’s okay. True love’s worth the fear.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Ivy said. “Now hurry up, it’s freezing out here.”

Tonight was Dare to Dart Night at the pub. The dart tournament was a monthly occurrence, and there was a bracket and stakes to go with it.

Ivy was on a team with Jake and his sister Tae. They were up by a whole hell of a lot for several reasons. First, Ivy had grown up in bars so she rocked darts. Second, Jake’s throwing arm was big league ready. Oh, and three, Tae looked dainty and fragile, but she could hit a bull’s-eye without even trying.

Kel showed up about an hour into the tournament. Ivy immediately went into plan mode. She decided to play it casual, but she’d find a way to apologize to him later, in private. Maybe. Depending . . .

Depending on what exactly, she really had no idea. She was hoping it’d come to her in the moment.

But then she got a good look at his face. His mouth was tight and especially grim. She kept an eye on him as she finished her round. He’d sat at the bar with Caleb and Sadie, and she was pretty sure he hadn’t even noticed her presence.