“We were together for four years. I know her tactics. She’s charming, persuasive, and, when a professional opportunity is on the line, she becomes laser focused. This park contract? It’s her biggest potential project this year.” Kendall had told Ivy the exact opposite. Cassie had conveniently reversed the roles between them.

  “And you’re telling me this out of…what? Concern? Jealousy?” Ivy didn’t believe her.

  “Honestly? A bit of both.” Cassie’s voice softened. “I don’t want to see you get hurt, and I don’t want to see the park get a design from someone who’s more interested in winning than in genuine restoration.”

  “I appreciate your concern. But Kendall’s proposal has real merit. I’ve reviewed it extensively.” Ivy had seen Kendall’s proposal with the actual environmental-impact assessments. Kendall had also told her how Cassie designed just enough to look responsible, but her real goal was always future construction contracts, not beautification.

  “Just be careful. Professional admiration and personal interest can look very similar with her, and I’m sure your assistance wouldn’t look good to your boss.” Cassie raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t that considered a conflict of interest?” Seemed Cassie was good at making threats.

  Tension hung in the air, unresolved. “Noted,” Ivy said.

  “Kendall and I aren’t done yet. We’re still together. I know we’ve been keeping things low-key lately because of everything that happened with the partnership, but we never actually broke up completely.”

  “Kendall never mentioned you were still together. In fact, she said you broke up with her, and I think I just overheard that as well.”

  “She might say otherwise, but she’s still in love with me. And honestly, that’s why I wanted to talk to you directly. I’m not upset. I just thought you deserved to know the truth about where things stand.”

  “I appreciate that. But I can take care of myself.”

  “I didn’t want you to get caught in the middle without knowing what’s really going on. This is awkward. I feel terrible.”

  “Please don’t. Thank you for being honest with me.” She had no intention of hanging Kendall out to dry, even if this all had started as a fake relationship.

  “I know this is uncomfortable, but I’m hoping we can move past it. Our friendship matters to me.”

  What friendship? She’d interacted with Cassie twice, and neither time had been friendly. “I’ll definitely take a step back if needed, but I’ll have a conversation with Kendall first.” All the things Kendall had told her about Cassie were true. She was a charming narcissist to the bone and seemed ruthless to boot.

  “Can you and I just figure out how to handle this going forward without letting Kendall know about this conversation?”

  “I’m not sure that’s possible. Kendall and I don’t keep secrets.”

  Cassie narrowed her eyes. “Once she gets this contract, you don’t stand a chance.”

  “Maybe not, but I need to address that possibility with Kendall. I’ll let her make that decision,” Ivy said as she turned and walked across the grass to check the recently vacated camping pad. She had to get away from this horrible woman before she lost her temper. That would only make the situation worse.

  Ivy sat alone in the booth at the diner. She’d contacted Kendall and asked her to meet. She hadn’t told her what she needed to talk about because there was no way she could or would put a conversation like this in a text. She watched as Kendall drove up in her blue Ford Bronco SUV and pulled into a parking space. Ivy’s stomach clenched as Kendall bounced out of the car with a smile on her face, as usual. This was going to be a difficult conversation.

  Kendall slid into the booth across from Ivy. “Hey. What’s up? Your text seemed urgent.”

  Ivy took in a deep breath. “I need to talk to you about something. I ran into Cassie today after you met with her.” Ivy fidgeted. “I also overheard part of your conversation.”

  “Oh. I didn’t see you.” Kendall straightened and raised her eyebrows. “What did Cassie have to say?”

  “She was trying to warn me not to get involved with you. She seems to think you two are still together.”

  “What? That’s not—”

  “She specifically mentioned that you and she aren’t done yet, that you’re still together, and that you both have been keeping things low-key and never actually broke up completely.” Ivy sighed. “If you’re working through things, that’s fine. You just need to be honest with me.” She’d be disappointed but wouldn’t get between them. The sinking feeling in her stomach told her it wouldn’t be easy getting over Kendall, though.

  Kendall ran her fingers through her hair. “Ivy, it’s not what you think.”

  Ivy leaned forward and laced her fingers together on the table. “Then what is it, Kendall? Because you told me that you and Cassie were done. Your exact words were completely over.”

  “We are. It’s complicated—”

  “Is it?” Ivy’s voice rose “Because it seems pretty simple from where I’m sitting. Either you lied to me or you’re lying to her.”

  “Cassie threatened your job if I don’t have dinner with her. She wants to talk. I want her to get closure. It’s nothing romantic on my side at all.”

  “Closure doesn’t usually involve making future plans together, which she also mentioned.”

  “She’s twisting things. Can’t you see that? I’ve told you how manipulative she can be.”

  “I know what we’re doing started as something fake, but now it’s real, at least it is to me, and I don’t want to end up the laughingstock of the lodge—the rebound while you figure things out with her.”

  “You’re not that at all. This is real for me too. I really care about you. That’s the only reason I agreed to meet with Cassie. I’m not getting back together with her, but I don’t want her to hurt you.”

  “It sounds like she didn’t get that from your conversation.”

  Kendall reached for Ivy’s hand. “I swear, Ivy. It’s completely over with her. I’ll talk to her again.”

  Ivy pulled her hand away. “That’s what concerns me. Why does it need another conversation if it was already done?”

  “I’m trying not to be cruel, but if she’s living in some sort of fantasy world where she thinks it’s a possibility, I will make it crystal clear to her that it isn’t.”

  “Being honest isn’t cruel, Kendall. Leading someone on is.”

  “I never meant to lead anyone on, especially not you.”

  “Maybe not intentionally. But I need more than good intentions. I need honesty.”

  Kendall’s voice rose in panic. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying I need time to think. And you need to figure out what—and who—you actually want. Because you can’t have us both.”

  “Ivy, please.” Kendall was begging. “I won’t see her tonight. I won’t see her ever again.”

  Ivy slid out of the booth. “Let me know when there’s no confusion about where things stand with Cassie. Until then, I think we should take a step back.” She left Kendall sitting alone.

  Chapter Fifty-nine

  Kendall had texted Cassie immediately after Ivy had left her at the diner. Cassie was angry when she’d told her she wasn’t going to meet her, but Kendall didn’t care. She had no interest in rekindling any kind of partnership with her. Now, she waited at the cabin, pacing in front of the window. Ivy hadn’t responded to any of her texts or calls all afternoon, and now it was getting dark, and she wasn’t home yet. Her stomach twisted when she saw the dust cloud in the distance. There she was.

  Ivy pulled her truck into the driveway and got out slowly. Not the usual eagerness to race inside that Kendall had seen in recent days.

  Kendall pulled the door open before Ivy got to the porch. “Where have you been? I’ve been worried.”

  “I had some things to catch up on.”

  “So many things that you couldn’t answer a single text?”

  “Cell service was bad.”

  Now Ivy was just making excuses, but Kendall wouldn’t press her. Clearly, she needed time to think about the lies Cassie had told her. “You know everything Cassie said isn’t true.”

  “That’s the point. I don’t, and I should. My dad even pointed out how I’ve been giving you special treatment.”

  “I didn’t ask you to do that.” She’d never expected anything professionally from Ivy.

  “When she told me about your plan to get the bid any way you can, I didn’t know what to think.”

  “I told you. There’s no plan.” What could Cassie have possibly told her?

  “Right. You also told me that you two aren’t getting back together, but Cassie thinks otherwise.”

  “There’s no way that’s happening.” Before Ivy had come into her life, she’d had no idea what a real relationship was supposed to be like. She couldn’t even stand to be around Cassie now.

  “You know, you should’ve just told me to begin with. You didn’t need to sleep with me. I would have helped you anyway.”

  “I didn’t sleep with you to get the contract. I slept with you because I wanted to. I like you…a lot.” More than she’d ever intended when this whole fake relationship had started.

  “The cabin is yours for the night. I have the night shift at the lodge.”

  “I know that’s not true. You would’ve told me that earlier if it were.”

  “I need to study if I’m going to pass my EMT Certification test.” She shoved a couple of books into her backpack and headed toward the door. “I won’t be able to focus here. I haven’t been able to since you arrived.”

  “Ivy. You have to believe me. Nothing is going on with Cassie. She’s just trying to mess with you because she knows she doesn’t have a chance at the bid or with me.”

  “Maybe.” Ivy pulled open the door. “I need a little space tonight. I’ll see you in the morning.” She didn’t look back before she closed the door behind her.

  What could she do to convince Ivy that she was telling the truth? She pressed her hand to her forehead. She was lying so much to everyone that she didn’t know the difference anymore. She packed up her stuff and zipped her suitcase before she hit the button on her phone for Noah. She wasn’t staying here alone…she hated being alone.

  “Do you have room for one more tonight? I really need to figure some things out.”

  “I need to check with Taylor, because she’s still uncomfortable with our past.”

  “That’s fine. Check with her. Tell her everything. I don’t care anymore.”

  “Oof. What happened?”

  “Nothing major. Only I might have just lost the best thing that’s happened to me in a very long time.”

  “I’m at work, but just go over. I’ll handle Taylor.”

  Chapter Sixty

  Taylor came to the door quickly. “Hey. You look like you’ve had a rough day.”

  Kendall dropped her bag in the entryway. “The worst day ever.”

  “What happened?” Taylor actually seemed concerned. “Noah’s text just said you had an emergency and were coming over.”

  Kendall let out a heavy sigh as she tried to hold in the tears. “It’s Ivy. She won’t talk to me, won’t answer my calls…I’m pretty sure we’re over.”

  “Over? Whoa. Back up.” Taylor drew her eyebrows together. “I thought this whole relationship was fake?”

  “It was at the beginning, but things have changed. Ivy is so much more than I expected. I really like being around her—being with her.”

  Taylor dipped her head and raised an eyebrow. “With her?” She whispered as though they were in a crowded room sharing a secret.

  Kendall nodded. “Yeah. We slept together and it was perfect.”

  “Huh.” Taylor bit her lower lip. “I didn’t see that coming.” She held up her hands. “I mean, I’m glad it happened but just didn’t expect it.” She motioned toward the kitchen table. “Come on in and sit down. I’ll get us some wine.”

  Kendall went through the events of the past week, how Ivy and she had gotten closer and eventually slept together.

  “So, you two were solid last week. What happened?”

  Kendall rubbed her temples. “Cassie happened.”

  Taylor widened her eyes. “Your ex? I thought she was out of the picture.”

  “She was, but as you know, she showed up for this bid at the lodge.” Kendall paused. “She left, but she came back and begged me to get back together with her, and when I said no, she decided to tell Ivy all kinds of lies.”

  Taylor leaned forward as she handed Kendall a glass of red. “What did she say?”

  “That I’ve been sweet-talking Ivy—no, using her to get an advantage on the bid, and that, get this.” She set the glass on the table harder than she intended. “We’re just taking a break and are still together.” She let out a bitter laugh. “She casually mentioned how we’ve stayed in touch and how special our connection still is. Made it sound like we’ve been seeing each other behind Ivy’s back.”

  “But that’s not true, right?” Taylor asked. Seemed she was fact-checking for her own sake.

  Kendall drew her eyebrows together. “Of course not. I mean, Cassie did reach out to talk, and I did meet with her because I was afraid of what she might do if I didn’t. That’s what started this whole thing. Apparently, Ivy overheard enough of the conversation for Cassie to manipulate it so that she thinks I was considering getting back with her.”

  “You didn’t explain it to Ivy after you met with Cassie?”

  “I didn’t have time.” Kendall held her hands out in front of her and let them drop to the table. “Ivy ran into her right after our conversation.”

  “Why did Cassie want to meet with you in the first place?”

  “She threatened Ivy’s job. Said she’d go to her boss and claim she’s giving me an unfair advantage.”

  “Oh.” Taylor drew the word out as she relaxed into her chair. “Is she…giving you an advantage?”

  “I don’t think so, but I guess, not knowing the whole situation, her boss might see it that way.” Kendall blew out a breath. “I’ve screwed myself two ways now, haven’t I?”

  “Kinda looks that way.” Taylor winced. “But you haven’t slept with Cassie, right?”

  “No,” Kendall said quickly. “Nothing happened or was going to happen. But I didn’t have a chance to tell Ivy about our conversation before Cassie told her, and Cassie made it sound like there’s been this ongoing thing between us.”

  Taylor took a sip of wine. “You kept secrets. That’s why Ivy’s upset.”

  Kendall’s voice rose. “There weren’t any secrets.” Her tone dropped. “Well, maybe there were, but I didn’t want Ivy to worry about her job.”

  “Kendall, come on. You know that’s not how this works. If you had to hide it, it was relevant.”

  “I know that now. I wanted to protect Ivy. What am I going to do?” She took a gulp of wine and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. “I think I’m falling in love with her. I can’t lose her over something so trivial, over Cassie’s games.”

  “First, you need to be honest with yourself about why you chose to meet with Cassie,” Taylor said thoughtfully. “If you can’t be honest with yourself, you can’t be honest with Ivy.”

  “I guess, at first, part of me wasn’t ready to let go completely,” Kendall said quietly. “Not because I want to be with Cassie, but because of becoming single again.”

  Taylor nodded. “Endings are hard.”

  “Yeah. And Cassie was such a big part of my life for so long. Almost four years. It felt wrong to just erase her.”

  “That’s understandable. But you need to decide what matters more, holding on to the past or building your future with Ivy.”

  “It’s Ivy. I want her. It’s been Ivy since I met her.”

  “Then you need to tell her that. And everything else. The whole truth.”

  “What if she doesn’t believe me? What if it’s too late?”

  “Then give her proof.” Taylor shrugged. “Show her your messages with Cassie. Those can’t be friendly, right?”

  “No. Not friendly at all.” Any messages between them had been all business or filled with contention.

  “Delete Cassie’s number in front of her if you think that’s what she needs. But most importantly, tell her why you weren’t upfront in the first place. Your fear of her losing her job and you losing her. Honesty like that is exactly what might make her believe you.”

  Kendall sucked in a deep breath. “You’re right. Complete honesty. No matter how much it hurts.”

  Taylor placed her hand over Kendall’s. “And give her time. Trust isn’t rebuilt overnight. You might need to be patient.”

  Kendall nodded. “I’ll do whatever it takes.” Including removing herself from the landscape project. “Do you think I should confront Cassie about this?”

  Taylor shook her head. “No. This isn’t about Cassie. This is about you and Ivy. Engaging with Cassie just gives her power over your relationship.”

  “Okay. I’ll find Ivy in the morning and talk to her. No more texts, no more voice mails for now.” She took another drink of wine.

  “Definitely a face-to-face conversation.” Taylor smiled. “Just remember, vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s the only way back to trust.” She rubbed Kendall’s shoulder. “Your room is ready for you if you want to stay.”

  “You don’t mind?” This was certainly an about-face.

  “No. Not at all. I’m sorry about booting you out. I overreacted a bit.” Taylor smiled lightly. “Noah and I had a long talk, and things are better.” She hadn’t been wrong about the situation, but Kendall hadn’t been encouraging Noah in any way.

  “Thanks, Taylor. I really appreciate you working through this with me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Probably something stupid.” Taylor laughed as she stood. “Noah should be home soon. You want to help me finish making dinner?” She went to the refrigerator and took out some lettuce.