Wicked Places (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 4) (5 page)

J
ack kept
one ear on their surroundings as he followed Ivy farther into the woods, refusing to let her out of his sight no matter how capable she appeared.

“Don’t get too far ahead of me,” Jack ordered, snagging the back of Ivy’s shirt and pulling her back when he got caught up on a tree branch. “I will not be happy if I get lost out here, honey.”

“I think you’re worried I’m about to get us into trouble,” Ivy countered, patiently waiting for Jack to right himself.

“I’ve learned not to second-guess your intuition,” Jack said, his expression serious. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on with you, but in case you’ve forgotten, you saved my life a couple of weeks ago. I have faith you know what you’re doing.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” Ivy said. “I plan on lording it over you in exchange for sexual favors for months to come.”

“I’ll gladly put up with it,” Jack said, falling into step next to her and remaining alert. “What did you … feel?”

“I don’t know,” Ivy hedged. “It’s probably nothing.”

“You obviously don’t feel that it’s nothing, otherwise you wouldn’t have stopped,” Jack prodded. “I saw the look on your face. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought you were hearing something.”

“Did anyone else notice?” Ivy was worried Jack’s friends would realize she was even more different than they already ascertained. “Maybe I should go home so you don’t have to explain any of this.”

“Shut your mouth,” Jack said, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t tell me to shut my mouth!”

“When you say something stupid, I’m going to tell you to shut your mouth,” Jack shot back. “I want you with me.”

“What if they decide they don’t like me and want you to break up with me?”

“Hey, they already like you,” Jack said. “You’re making a lot of this stuff up in your head.”

“Those women don’t like me,” Ivy argued. “They think I belong at some beatnik coffee shop serving drinks and going to raves every weekend.”

It was a serious conversation, but Jack couldn’t stop himself from chuckling. “Ivy, you’re usually the last person who cares about what others think of you. Why is this bugging you now?”

“They’re your oldest friends.”

“That doesn’t mean I care what they think,” Jack said. “I’m friendly with Donnie, Alex, and Scott because we went to college together. We don’t have a lot in common now, and it’s not like we’re best buds or anything.

“We talk every few months and email off-color jokes to one another, but that’s pretty much the end of it,” he continued. “This camping trip was a way for them to reach out to me because I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to hang out with people after I was shot.”

“So you don’t care if they despise me?” Ivy wasn’t convinced Jack’s friends couldn’t sway his decision, and she hated herself for the bout of insecurity.

“No,” Jack replied, not missing a beat. “I only care if I like you, and I think we’ve determined that I can’t stay away from you. Ivy, I’m sorry if I did you a disservice by not inviting you camping right away. That was not my intent. I was worried you were going to turn me down. It had nothing to do with you.”

“I don’t want you to apologize,” Ivy said, shaking her head. “I’m sorry I’m being so neurotic. I guess … I can’t help it. Part of me is worried that you’ll walk away and I can’t seem to shake it.”

“That’s on me,” Jack said, brushing her hair away from her face. “I got so worked up after you were shot that I shut down. That’s not your fault.”

“I understand why you did it,” Ivy said. “You panicked about your own shooting and got overwhelmed. It’s not fair to keep punishing you for it when I’ve already forgiven you.”

“You have a right to feel what you feel,” Jack countered. “I deserve whatever you throw at me. I am really sorry, though, and I have no intention of going anywhere. I like you because you’re you. Nothing is going to change that.”

“Even if I lead us to something awful?” Ivy asked, lifting her eyes.

“Even if you lead me to something awful,” Jack confirmed. “Do you want to know why?”

Ivy nodded.

“Because I found something wonderful here,” he said, tapping the spot above her heart. “You and I are muddling through this the best we can. It’s all going to work out in the end. I believe that. I think you should, too.”

“I believe in you,” Ivy said, leaning in for a quick hug. “Now I just need to figure out what’s bugging me out here.”

“Let’s hope it’s nothing worse than the dogman,” Jack said, pressing a quick kiss to Ivy’s forehead before releasing her. “Bigfoot I can handle. I’m manly. Trust me.”

“You’re … something,” Ivy said, although her eyes twinkled as she returned to their trek. “I wish I knew what was bugging me. It was like I had a feeling that something was watching me.”

“Like the day you were gardening and you thought I was watching you?”

“I … don’t know,” Ivy said. “I felt something that day. I didn’t jump to the conclusion that it was you until I saw you down by the lake. Before then … I was uncomfortable.”

“And you didn’t tell me you thought someone was watching you,” Jack grumbled.

“I was very angry with you that day.”

“And rightfully so,” Jack said. “I don’t want to fight about that again … at least until we’re alone and can make up properly. Follow your instincts, Ivy. What do you feel?”

“There’s something over here,” Ivy said, pointing. “I have no idea what it is.”

“Well, let’s see what it is,” Jack said, grabbing her hand and moving ahead of her so he would be the first one in harm’s way should they come across trouble. “You be ready to run if I tell you to do it.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“If there’s danger, you are leaving me,” Jack challenged.

“I didn’t leave you at the house when your ex-partner’s murderous spirit was trying to kill you, and I’m not leaving you now.”

“You are the most stubborn person I’ve ever met,” Jack muttered, pushing through the trees and walking into a small clearing in the middle of the forest. “Is this where we’re supposed to be?”

Ivy tilted her head to the side, considering. “Yes.”

“Well, I don’t see anything here, but let’s look around,” Jack instructed. “Don’t you leave me. Do you understand?”

“Is that because you’re worried about me or getting lost?”

“Both,” Jack replied, squeezing her hand before releasing it. “If you feel anything … .”

“I’ll scream like a girl and jump into your arms so you can protect me,” Ivy finished, making a face.

“That sounds delightful,” Jack said, refusing to let an argument fester. “Maybe we’ll play that game in our tent tonight.”

“You’re a sick man.”

“I do my best,” Jack said, his eyes moving around the clearing. He was already on the job, even though he had no idea what he was supposed to be looking for. The clearing wasn’t very large, and nothing stood out to Jack’s trained eye. He decided to approach things as an investigator, and moved along the tree line, completely circling it and then moving in closer to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

For her part, Ivy was drawn to a large rock in the center of the clearing. Something about it called to her, although she had no idea what. An indentation caught her attention near the base of the rock, the soft dirt there upturned and showing off a rather large paw print.

Jack moved to Ivy’s side when he saw her kneel. “What are you looking at?”

“I’m not sure,” Ivy answered. “It looks like an animal print.”

“What kind of animal? If it’s a bear, we’re out of here. I’m manly, but I can’t take on a bear.”

“You just told me that you could take on the dogman,” Ivy reminded him. “A bear should be nothing compared to the dogman.”

“Yes, but if I tell you I can take on Santa Claus, that doesn’t mean I can take on all men in red suits, does it?” Jack countered. “The dogman isn’t real.”

“You don’t know that,” Ivy challenged.

“Are you saying you believe in Bigfoot?” Jack cocked a dubious eyebrow.

“I’m saying that there are a lot of things out there we don’t know about,” Ivy clarified. “I didn’t believe in dream walking before we did it either.”

“You have a point,” Jack said, sighing.

For months – including long before they declared themselves a couple – Jack and Ivy shared nightly interludes in their sleep. Neither one of them mentioned it, initially believing they were the only ones having the dreams. Once they realized they were actually experiencing the dreams together, things took an interesting turn.

While Jack’s dreams were plagued with memories of his former partner shooting him and leaving him for dead on a Detroit street, Ivy’s appearance eased that problem and he rarely revisited that particular nightmare. Ivy could control their destinations, and she preferred sandy beaches and fruity cocktails to grim and dirty urban settings.

They didn’t dream walk every night, even though that was the case in the beginning. Jack was convinced their subconscious minds didn’t need to cling to each other in sleep because their physical bodies were together in the same bed every night. He still enjoyed their dream manifestations, but sometimes it was nice to know he was alone when his mind worked out the events of the day.

“You’ve also seen a spirit jump from one body to another – and manage to control it,” Ivy reminded him. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t think that was possible either.”

“I get it, Ivy,” Jack said. “I didn’t mean to cast aspersions on Bigfoot. It’s just … that’s one of those things you see on television and discard because it’s so surreal.”

“I’m not saying I believe in Bigfoot, Jack,” Ivy said, dusting her hands off on her knees as she straightened. “I’m just saying that’s not a bear track.”

“Okay, I’ll play. What do you think it is?” Jack asked.

Ivy shrugged. She didn’t have an answer.

“Could it be a wolf?” Jack pressed, leaning over so he could get a look at the print. “It’s big, don’t get me wrong, but it still looks like a dog print to me.”

“That’s about twice the size of a dog print,” Ivy said. “I guess it’s not out of the realm of possibility that it’s a wolf. They have reintroduced some in the Upper Peninsula. I’ve never heard of one around here, though.”

“What about a coyote?”

“A coyote is smaller,” Ivy replied. “They’re also scavengers. They’re more likely to go through your garbage – or grab your poodle from the yard – than hang out in this area.”

“You just want it to be the dogman,” Jack said, his face splitting into a grin. “Admit it.”

“From a purely scientific approach, I would love to see the dogman,” Ivy confirmed. “I don’t really believe in the dogman, though. Although … I don’t know. Maybe I believe in the dogman. I honestly have no idea.”

“I love how cute you are when you get scientific,” Jack said, slinging an arm over Ivy’s shoulders and pulling her close. “I don’t know what to tell you, honey. Other than this print – and I’m not sure what we’re really looking at here – there’s nothing in this clearing. Are you sure this is where we were supposed to come?”

“Whatever I was feeling earlier is gone,” Ivy said. “You’re right. It’s just an open space in the middle of the woods. I’m sorry for dragging you away from your friends.”

“I’m not,” Jack said. “I like spending time with you. Even if nothing is here, I’m glad we had a few minutes alone together. It’s okay. I’m kind of relieved there’s nothing here.”

“I guess,” Ivy said, her eyes distant as they scanned the trees one more time. “I don’t understand why I felt the need to come here. It feels stupid now.”

“Don’t let it bother you, honey,” Jack said, leading her back in the direction of the camp. “Nothing was lost, and at least now you won’t dwell on it. Let’s go back to camp and take a nap before dinner.”

Ivy snorted. “Everyone is sitting around camp,” she reminded him. “They’ll know what we’re doing.”

“I don’t care.”

“What if I care?”

“I’ll talk you out of caring,” Jack said, urging Ivy forward with his hand at the small of her back as they exited the clearing. “I have powers of persuasion that will boggle your mind.”

“I already know that,” Ivy said.

Jack was almost beyond the tree line when he paused, the hair on the back of his neck standing at attention. He turned swiftly, expecting to find another camper – or even one of his friends back for another round of teasing. The small expanse remained empty, though.

“What’s wrong?” Ivy asked, instantly on alert.

“Nothing,” Jack said, shaking his head and forcing a smile. “Now I’m convinced the dogman is out there and I was just checking to make sure he didn’t follow us.”

“I’m not napping with you if you keep making fun of me.”

“And we’re done talking about the dogman,” Jack teased, tickling Ivy’s ribs as he cast a final glance over his shoulder. They were alone. He was sure of it.

So why did he feel like someone was watching them?

“
W
here are you guys going
?” Maria asked twenty minutes later, her gaze zeroing in on Ivy and Jack as they moved toward their tent.

“We’re going to take a nap,” Jack replied, not caring in the least that everyone knew sleeping was the furthest thing from his mind.

“Didn’t you just do that in the woods?” Donnie asked. He sat next to the campfire with Alex and Scott, his expression full of mirth and teasing. “Seriously, are you animals or something?”

“We didn’t nap in the woods,” Jack replied. “We took a walk.”

“I think you did more than walk.”

“Hey, I am not risking getting Poison Ivy in a dangerous place,” Jack shot back, gesturing toward his groin. “Trust me. That will never happen to me.”

Ivy snorted, her mind going back to an incident shortly after she met Jack. “That’s right,” she said. “Jack knows all about Poison Ivy.”

“Do tell,” Alex prodded.

“He just fell in some accidentally one day,” Ivy replied, pressing her lips together to keep from laughing.

“I still maintain you knew that Poison Ivy was there and wanted me to fall into it,” Jack charged. “That was the first time you saw me with my shirt off. I believe there was actual drool on the floor when you got finished rubbing lotion all over me.”

“Nice,” Donnie said, pumping his fist. “These are the stories I want to hear.”

“You’re so full of yourself,” Ivy scoffed. “You cried like a baby when that happened. I’m the one who had to warn you not to put your hands in your pants, otherwise you would’ve really found yourself in a world of hurt.”

“Oh, that’s priceless,” Alex said, barking out a hoarse laugh. “Poison Ivy brought you and Ivy together, Jack. That’s almost poetic … even if you did cry.”

“I did not cry,” Jack snapped.

“You wanted to,” Ivy interjected.

Jack grabbed her around the waist and pushed her toward their tent. “I’m going to make you cry,” he muttered.

“You just want me to check your pants to make sure there’s no Poison Ivy.”

“That’s a very good suggestion, honey.” Jack looked over at his friends. “We’ll be back in twenty minutes … thirty tops. We won’t be long.”

“You need to stop bragging about stuff like that,” Alex said.

“
J
ACK
,
can you bring me that long container from the cooler?” Ivy asked a half hour later, relaxed and refreshed after a nice … nap. “It’s the flat one on top.”

Jack retrieved the item in question and delivered it to Ivy, dropping a kiss on the back of her head as he watched her work. “What are you making us for lunch?”

“Quesadillas.”

Maria glanced over from the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches she was slapping together. “Seriously? You’re making him quesadillas?”

Ivy stilled. “Um … .”

“Don’t let her get to you,” Jack chided. “Quesadillas sound great. Don’t bother my woman, Maria. She’s a master in the kitchen.”

“You said she made you eat mushrooms that tasted like feet,” Donnie challenged from his spot next to the bonfire. “That doesn’t sound like she’s a master in the kitchen.”

“I’ll have you know that the rest of that pasta dish tasted like Heaven in a bowl,” Jack replied. “Only the mushrooms were bad.”

“You don’t have to worry about me making you anything with morels again, Jack,” Ivy said. “When spring comes back around, Max and I will disappear in the woods to find mushrooms and you can eat fast food for those two weeks.”

“I can live with that,” Jack said, moving to sit on the bench so he could watch Ivy work. He was fascinated by her kitchen prowess – even more than usual now that they were out in the open and didn’t have an oven to work with. “If you and Max get lost in the woods, though, don’t come crying to me to find you.”

“Do you think Max and I get lost in the woods often?” Ivy asked, sprinkling cheese on two tortilla shells.

“I’m surprised Max can find his way out of bed every morning,” Jack shot back.

“Who is Max?” Lauren asked, doling lunchmeat onto bread across the table from Ivy.

“He’s my brother,” Ivy answered. “He and Jack like to compete so they can see who is more macho.”

“I’ve already won that competition,” Jack said, knitting his eyebrows together as he watched Ivy slip slices of onion, red peppers, and tomato into the quesadilla. “That looks good.”

“I’m not done with yours yet,” Ivy said, grabbing a baggie full of chopped chicken breast from the corner of the Tupperware bin and dropping it into his quesadilla before adding more cheese and gently placing another tortilla shell on top of it. “We can only cook one at a time, so I’ll do yours first.”

“I can do it,” Jack offered. “You just put them all together.”

“I want to do it for you.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “You think I’m going to ruin it, don’t you?”

“I think you’re extremely handsome and I want to cook it for you so I don’t spend the entire afternoon drooling over you,” Ivy replied.

“It’s a good thing you’re cute, because I’m not sure if I could put up with that mouth otherwise,” Jack said, giving her a soft kiss. “I’m going to join the men by the fire if you have no further need of my assistance.”

“I’m good until after lunch. Then I might need another nap.”

“Cute, cute, cute,” Jack said, sliding off the bench so he could join Alex, Scott, and Donnie at the center of the campsite. Jack watched Ivy carry the cast iron skillet to the other side of the fire and arrange two logs until she had them exactly how she wanted them. The determined tilt of her chin caused him to smile … and then he realized the other three men were staring at him. “What?”

“You’re so … funny … with her,” Donnie said. “You can’t take your eyes off of her.”

“She’s pretty,” Jack said, winking at Ivy.

“She’s definitely pretty,” Alex agreed. “You’re happy, though.”

“She’s funny, too,” Jack said.

“Personally, I think you’re a little whipped,” Donnie offered. “I’m sure you’ll outgrow that eventually.” He frowned down at his lap when Lauren unceremoniously dropped a paper plate with a sandwich on it on top of his thighs and then added a bag of potato chips to the growing pile. “Of course, you’re getting a quesadilla and I’m getting tuna fish. I think there’s a lesson in that.”

“I think there’s a lesson in that, too,” Jack said. “And, for the record, I’m fine being whipped. You should see what she can do with pasta.”

“
A
RE
you cold
?” Jack asked, settling Ivy on his lap shortly after sunset and wrapping a blanket around both of them so they could get comfortable. The day was warm, but as soon as the sun slipped below the horizon a chill settled in the air.

“I’m good,” Ivy said, snuggling closer to Jack so she could rest her head against his shoulder. “I like nights like this. We should build a fire pit behind my house so we can do this at home.”

“We can do that,” Jack said. “I’ve seen those bin things you’re supposed to use to ring the pit after you dig into the ground at Max’s lumberyard. I can get one there.”

“And Max can help you,” Ivy offered. “That sounds like a great way for you guys to flex and compete for an entire afternoon.”

“This Max sounds funny,” Alex said. “Is he older or younger than you?”

“Older,” Ivy replied. “Despite his competition with Jack, we’re actually pretty close.”

“But you hate him, right, Jack?” Alex pressed.

“I like Max a great deal,” Jack answered. “I find him to be completely annoying a lot of the time, but he’s dedicated to Ivy and he goes all out to protect her.”

“Why would he need to protect her?”

“Um … .” Jack scanned Ivy’s face, choosing his words carefully. “I told you about the body in the ditch when we first met, right?”

Everyone nodded.

“The man who killed that woman and left her in Ivy’s yard ended up going after Ivy,” Jack explained. “Max thought I was a prowler one day and jumped me.”

Scott barked out a laugh. “Is he still alive?”

“I didn’t know who he was, but when I realized what was going on I was glad Ivy had protection,” Jack replied. “To be fair, this was long before we started dating. I was still trying to figure her out – and why I couldn’t stop thinking about her.”

“That sounds freaky,” Melissa said. “How did the guy end up getting caught?”

“He chased me through the woods by my house and then Jack swooped in to rescue me at the last minute,” Ivy answered. “He was my hero.”

“Somehow I think you would’ve found a way out of that situation without me,” Jack said, squeezing Ivy’s waist beneath the blanket. “I’m glad I was there, though.”

“Is that when you first kissed?” Lauren asked, a dreamy expression on her face.

“Believe it or not, our first kiss came after the Poison Ivy fiasco,” Jack said, smirking at the memory. “I told you she drooled when she saw me without my shirt on. She did a little more than that, too.”

“Oh, something tells me she didn’t do that alone,” Maria scoffed. “Did you guys start dating right away after you saved her?”

“Nope,” Jack said. “I remained an idiot for another two weeks or so. Then I gave in. I couldn’t go another day without her.”

“Oh, that’s so romantic,” Lauren sighed. “How come you never say romantic things like that about me?” She poked Donnie’s side. “Jack can’t stop saying romantic things about Ivy.”

“I … .” Donnie didn’t have an answer. “Thanks a lot, Jack. You’re making me look bad.”

Jack shrugged and rested his chin on Ivy’s shoulder. “That’s your problem.”

“Does anyone know any ghost stories?” Maria asked, popping the tab on a beer. “We’re sitting around a bonfire. I love ghost stories.”

“That sounds fun,” Lauren interjected. “I love ghost stories, too.”

“I only know romance novel stories,” Melissa said. “How about you, Ivy? You camped a lot when you were younger. You must know some ghost stories.”

“Ivy only knows dogman stories,” Jack teased, practically daring her to make a scene regarding the good-natured ribbing.

“What’s the dogman?” Alex asked, intrigued. “Is that like a werewolf?”

“It’s Bigfoot,” Jack replied, keeping a firm grip on Ivy in case she tried to wriggle off his lap. “Ivy was afraid of him when she was younger because people at this campground told her he was real.”

“No more naps for you,” Ivy muttered.

Jack tugged on his limited patience and brushed her hair away from her face. “You were a kid,” he said. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Now I know what I’m going to dress up as for Halloween, though.”

“Oh, no, you’re going to dress up like a schmuck,” Ivy said. “Then you’re not even going to have to buy a costume.”

Jack kissed her cheek, refusing to embrace the potential argument. “Tell them a dogman story,” he cajoled. “Please?”

“Tell us one,” Maria pressed. “I love this idea. I didn’t know there were Bigfoot sightings in this area. Now I want to find him.”

Ivy stilled, surprised. “You believe in Bigfoot?”

“I would love to believe in Bigfoot,” Maria replied. “I’m not sure I really do, but the idea of Bigfoot is fun. I grew up in Detroit. We didn’t have Bigfoot. My mom did warn me about the guy who dressed like a clown on the corner by the pharmacy who kept asking me to see if I could find his rubber nose in his pocket.”

“Oh, gross,” Ivy said, making a face.

“Just for the record, he’s not called Bigfoot here,” Jack said. “He’s called the dogman.”

“You’re like a fountain of useless information, man,” Alex deadpanned.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Tell them one story, Ivy,” he prodded. “I’ll reward you with a massage later if you do.”

“You’re going to be massaging me for the rest of your life at this point,” Ivy shot back.

“That’s a job I will happily take on,” Jack said. “Come on. Just one.”

“This is secondhand,” Ivy warned, reluctantly relaxing into Jack’s embrace. “I was a kid when I heard the story. Then my brother jumped out of some bushes with mud caked all over his face and tree branches sticking out of his hair and scared the bejeezus out of me.”

“I told you I would beat him up next time I saw him,” Jack said. “Come on.”

“Okay, the lady who told the story was named Nancy Bristow,” Ivy said, launching into her tale. “She claims she was outside putting feed in her birdhouse one day and she heard a noise. They lived out by the Jordan River Valley, and that’s the area where a lot of the dogman tales originate.

“Anyway, at first she thought it was an animal – maybe a raccoon or something – but after a few more noises she realized it was too big for that,” she continued. “Then she thought it might be a deer because they came into her yard and ate from the birdfeeder.

“When she looked over her shoulder, she swears up and down she saw a tall animal on two legs,” Ivy said. “It had a long snout like a wolf and it was looking at her. She freaked out and ran into the house.”

“That’s not so scary,” Alex scoffed.

“The next morning she turned on the television and saw that the neighbor two doors down had gone missing,” Ivy said. “Actually, it was his teenage daughter. They assumed she was out doing teenager things, but when she didn’t return home later that day they sent out a search party.”

“Did they ever find her?” Jack asked.

“They found what was left of her shortly before sunset,” Ivy replied. “Her body was about a mile behind Nancy’s house and she’d been torn apart, with some of her … flesh … eaten. They couldn’t match the dental imprints to any known predators in the area – canine or otherwise – and supposedly the case is still open.”

“Holy crap,” Maria said, glancing over her shoulder to scan the dark woods. “Did Nancy ever see the dogman again?”

“She claims that she was hiking by Dead Man’s Hill one day and caught movement out of the corner of her eye,” Ivy responded. “When she glanced over, she swears she saw the same creature that was watching her from the woods that day. He was walking in the woods – kind of keeping pace with her – and she freaked out and ran back to her car.”

“Omigod!” Lauren said, clutching Donnie’s hand. “How far is Dead Man’s Hill from here?”