Decked Out with Ivy (Red Maple Falls #13)

Chapter 8

Ivy didn’t live far from the tree farm, but she insisted they stop on Main Street and look at the windows. Apparently, she was in competition with the woman who owned Sweet Dreams Bakery. Ivy admitted she didn’t want to beat her; she admired her work too much and thought the owner deserved the win.

Cody was tempted to offer the funds she needed to compete, but he realized it really wasn’t about the win for Ivy. She enjoyed the process of decorating and sharing that common love with other people. Which was why they didn’t just stop and look at the window of Sweet Dreams Bakery… but wound up inside the pink-covered building.

The glass cases were filled with many cupcakes, and Cody had to remind himself he hadn’t worked out in a few days. He had to maintain a certain physique, and since he already had a hard time getting the leading roles, he didn’t want to add to the list of reasons why he wasn’t castable.

“Ivy!” An attractive woman with a golden-brown complexion and black hair threw her arms in the air.

“Louise,” Ivy answered just as Louise’s eyes landed on him. Her smile dropped, and her eyes narrowed.

“You,” she growled.

Cody pointed to his chest, confusion swirling inside of him. “Me?”

“You were a jerk to my friend, then I see you two lip-locked across my socials. You might have won Ivy over, but I might need a little more convincing.”

“Ivy and I got off on the wrong foot,” he admitted.

“You could say that,” Ivy said. “But we’re good now. Better than good.”

“Liar,” Louise said.

Ivy’s eyes widened, and mouth dropped open into a perfect O. “I am not!”

“I’ve known you since we were five. You’re lying.”

Ivy’s teeth slid over that bottom lip he’d been thinking about all damn day. “Can I tell her? She’s one of my best friends. She’s not going to tell anyone.”

“Tell me what?” Louise asked.

He inhaled, completely aware that if the truth got out, his career was as good as done. But the way her light brown eyes pleaded with him, he couldn’t tell her no.

“As long as you trust her.”

“With my life,” Ivy said.

“Are you going to clue me in or what?” Louise asked.

“We’re fake dating,” Ivy announced before slapping a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, that was so much louder than I expected.”

“You hated him not even a night ago,” Louise pointed out.

“I did, but he propositioned me, and the deal was too good.”

Louise’s eyebrow arched. “He gets to pretend he’s dating a small-town girl—which will probably help his image. What exactly do you get out of this?”

“She’s trying to make me fall in love with Christmas,” Cody said.

A laugh burst from Louise’s mouth. “That is ridiculous and makes so much sense.” Her attention turned to Cody. “Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into?”

“Considering I was just lying in the snow, cutting down a tree with a handsaw, I can imagine.”

“Didn’t waste any time putting him to work,” Louise said. “Nice.”

“He had to get the whole experience.”

“Hot chocolate? Reindeers?” Louise asked.

“You can’t cut down a tree without those,” Ivy said.

Lousie smiled. “Now let me guess. You’re here for the gingerbread cupcake with the cinnamon cream cheese frosting?”

“You know it.”

“One or two?” Lousie asked.

“One,” Cody said, and Ivy swung toward him eyebrow arched. He was in the middle of filming… of watching what he ate.

Louise lifted a tray filled with bit-size pieces of cupcakes and pushed it across the counter. A huge smile blossomed on Ivy’s face as she plucked a piece from the tray and held it to his mouth. “Taste this.” He stared at her, finger resting slightly on his lip, the scent of gingerbread filling his senses.

“I’m not eating that.”

“Why not? It’s amazing.”

“It’s poison.”

A loud laugh burst from Ivy’s very kissable lips. “I assure you Shay can be a bit scary for a five-foot nothing mom of two, but she puts nothing but love into her cupcakes.”

“And sugar. Do you know how bad sugar is for the body?”

“No, but considering you don’t have an ounce of joy in your body, I imagine it’s worse to deny yourself the little joys in life.”

He couldn’t even argue. “Besides, these are actually made by Louise.” Ivy nodded to Louise which made it slightly uncomfortable as the woman stared him down with a death glare. “You don’t want to insult her to her face, do you?”

“I definitely wouldn’t want to do that.”

“Trust me.” Her light brown eyes held his and, as if his mouth lost contact with his brain, it opened. Ivy popped the piece of cupcake in his mouth, and the flavors exploded on his tongue. It had been so long since he indulged in a sweet that it tasted like heaven.

“Is it still one?” Louise asked as if she already knew the answer.

“Two.” His eyes had been lingering on those glass cases since they walked in, and now that he got to taste the delicious creation, all his restraint was tossed to the wind. He already had an extra ten minutes to his workout tomorrow for the hot chocolate, now he’d have to add another extra ten minutes. Drink some more water to flush his system. He didn’t care. All he knew was that he wasn’t leaving this bakery without a cupcake. The challenge would now be not ordering any more.

“You heard the man,” Ivy said, a smug smirk curving her lips, and Louise headed to the case with the Sweet Dreams Bakery pink box. “This flavor is a Louise creation. It took years of working here before Shay let her experiment with her own flavors. And I have to say, she’s amazing at it.”

“You have to say that,” Louise said. “You’re my best friend.”

“Best friend and grateful for it. I got to be a taste tester.”

“With the amount of samples you ate, I’m surprised you don’t get nauseated at the sight of these.” Louise placed the box on the counter and pushed it toward them.

“Impossible.” Ivy took the box and practically hugged it to her chest.

Louise rang them up, and Cody paid. Not just because he was a gentleman, but because he was having a good time.

“Paparazzi at twelve o’clock.” Louise nodded toward the front door. “He’s just taking pictures through the glass. I swear, if I wind up on the internet looking the way I do…” Louise ran a hand down the apron tied at her waist.

“You look beautiful,” Ivy said.

“I know, but I wore this sweater the last time I was with Brooke and Bex, and Bex got photographed. People are going to think I only own one sweater.” Louise glanced at the tan v-neck and sighed. “I thought Matt got rid of all of them.”

“Sorry,” Cody said. “It seems I brought them with me.”

“It’s fine.” Louise swatted her hand through the air. “It’s only a matter of time before Matt or the town drive them away. In the meantime, looks like you’re ready for your closeup, Mr. DeMille.”

“Sunset Boulevard. Nice,” Cody said, admiring Louise’s knowledge of a movie from the fifties.

Louise laughed. “You can thank Shay and all the other people in town who make fun of me for my lack of knowledge about all things pop culture prior to 1990. They have me making a movie watch list. I just crossed that one off. Little Miss Christmas over here watched that one with me.”

“I thought you didn’t watch TV,” Cody said.

“I don’t, but I can always be persuaded by cupcakes and a movie night with one of my best friends. Plus, movies are different, especially Christmas movies.” Ivy laughed, but it was over the top and not her usual joyous tone. Her hand landed on his chest.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Playing it up for the camera,” she managed to say without as much as moving her lips, a skill that would have made her an expert ventriloquist. He hadn’t expected her to be this good—no one would be able to read her lips.

He inhaled, letting the actor fully step into the spotlight. His mouth curved into a smile, and his eyes lingered on hers. A photo would capture the pure interest in his gaze, the desire for her reflected in his body language. He could credit it to being a good actor, but with Ivy, he didn’t have to fake hard.

And while that realization would normally have him tuck tail and run, he had no desire to walk away. Not when he was just getting to know her. Not when the idea of not seeing her again scared him more than the feelings that were boiling dangerously close to the surface.

He held his hand out. “Ready to face the flashes?”

Her hand slid into his. “Let’s do this.” She waved at Louise, then they turned together as a united front.

“Knock ‘em dead,” Louise said.

They stepped out of the heated bakery into the frigid December air. The photographer moved closer, with no concept of personal space. Cody had dealt with a lot of paparazzi over the years, and some had no qualms about doing whatever they deemed necessary to get the perfect shot.

A protective instinct kicked in, and Cody wrapped his arm around Ivy, tugging her close, using his body to block the photographer. The sweet scent of sugar cookies and vanilla engulfed him.

“Cody, want to introduce me to your girlfriend?” the cameraman called out.

Cody kept walking, hoping the guy would get his picture and take off. That hope was dashed as they crossed the street, and the man followed. He got closer, shoving the camera in their faces.

“You got your shots,” Cody said with a calm and even tone. “Can you leave us alone now?”

He was okay with this entire arrangement, as long as Ivy wasn’t harassed, but this guy was really pushing the boundaries.

“Why the hell would I do that?” The paparazzo stopped in front of them, making them come to a halt. He hit the shutter, the noise echoing around them, making it obvious he had the camera on burst mode.

Cody switched directions, and Ivy managed to navigate the turn with him as he steered them back toward the other side of the street.

“Hey, Cody, still driving under the influence, or are you back on the wagon?” the asshole asked.

Cody’s fist tightened, but the tension in his body eased as Ivy’s thumb ran gently across his knuckles.

“Guessing the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Hear your old man liked the hard stuff.”

Cody grumbled, letting the curses hit his teeth instead of allowing them to flow freely from his mouth. Ivy’s head tilted up at him. He didn’t look at her. He didn’t want to see the pity. He worked too damn hard to become someone despite his shitty upbringing, and the last thing he needed was pity.

“Cat got your tongue? I’m sure you’ll find it again when you get that piece of ass back to your place.”

Ivy gasped. Cody bit back the desire to lay this guy out. One punch, and he could level him, but that’s what the asshole wanted. He wanted Cody to snap. Maybe it would be worth it. His reputation was already damaged, barely hanging on from total ruin. So what if he gave it all up? At least he’d be doing it honorably. The story would be twisted. He wouldn’t be made out to be the good guy, but Ivy would know. And that’s all that mattered right now.

“You are not a nice person,” Ivy said, and Cody couldn’t help but smile at her sweetness. Here he was contemplating ramming his fist into the bastard’s nose. She could have said a million different things, strung a litany of curse words together, but she didn’t.

“I’ve been called worse, sweetheart.”

Whatever little restraint Cody had left snapped. He dropped his arm from Ivy, positioning her behind him as he stepped toward the asshole. The jerk smirked and lifted his camera.

Flashes of light burst around them in double time. The sound of the shutter working overtime cut through the faint Christmas music floating out from a glass blowing studio.

More flashes illuminated the day, but these lights were red and blue. A sheriff’s vehicle pulled up to the curb, and a man with brown hair and an intimidating glare stepped out in a finely pressed uniform.

“This man harassing you?” the sheriff asked, nodding toward the photographer. Cody realized what the sheriff did there. Harassment was a crime.

“As a matter of fact,” Ivy said. “He is. He got his shots. We were more than generous, but he won’t stop following us.”

“It’s a public sidewalk, man,” the photographer said.

“You’re standing in the parking lot and that’s private property. How do I know that? Because my sister and my brother-in-law own the glass blowing studio and the bike shop.”

“Then I’ll just get back on the sidewalk.”

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of the sheriff’s no-nonsense face, his green eyes sharp and filled with authority, like a man who didn’t have time for games. “Oh, but then you’ll be walking by The Happy Apple, and that portion of sidewalk is owned by Terry and Walt. And while they are nice people, there is one thing they will not tolerate, and that is harassment of the people in their community. So I can write you a ticket now for trespassing, harassment, and jaywalking, since I saw you commit that crime earlier, or you can take your camera out of here.”

“Write the ticket.”

The photographer lifted his camera and took another shot. He was being spiteful now. Probably hoping Cody would snap, and he’d make enough money to live off through next year.

“Or I can hit you with failure to comply with an officer, and that’s a class two misdemeanor. We can work out the exact charge down at the station.”

“You’re not going to arrest me,” the photographer said.

“Try me,” the sheriff didn’t even blink.

“Fuck this, man!” The photographer turned the other way. He stopped, spinning around, and stared right at Cody. “Like I said, it’s only a matter of time before you fuck up, and the law won’t be there to protect you.”

“Is that a threat?” the sheriff asked.

The photographer held his hands up in front of him, before turning around and continuing down the sidewalk.

“Thank you.” Cody held his hand out to the sheriff.

The sheriff took his offered hand. “No problem.”

“Thanks, Matt. We could have dealt with him, but he was getting a little aggressive.”

Cody hated he put Ivy in the middle of that. The photographer got all the shots, they would be making the tabloid sites soon enough, but at what cost? Was it worth it to use Ivy like this? Even if she agreed to it, and they had a deal, she deserved better.

She deserved to walk down Main Street and take in all the window displays and sing along to the random lines of Christmas songs that escaped from an open door. She deserved the Christmas time she wanted to show him.

And he didn’t only want her to have it, he wanted to have it with her.

His body froze at the revelation.

What the hell kind of Christmas magic was she working?