Page 50 of Lonely Heart

Evelyn gave me a hug and offered similar sentiments.

When she stepped back, my eyes met hers, and I said, “I get the feeling you were the mastermind behind this.”

Evelyn Westwood lived for celebrations, just like her mother-in-law, Wendy.

“I didn’t do anything to stop it from happening.” She shrugged, a smile playing at her lips. “We all wanted to do this for you. Malcolm, me, the rest of the kids. That day I walked in on your meeting with my sons and asked Cooper to see me afterward was because I wanted to talk to him about this. Cooper reached out to your family, and everyone got in on the planning.”

I offered an appreciative smile and shook my head. “It’s a lot, though. This wasn’t necessary.”

Malcolm barely allowed me to get those words out when he said, “This doesn’t feel like nearly enough.”

“Pardon?” I tipped my head to the side and eyed him curiously.

He took a step closer, his hand on my shoulder again and squeezing. “I know I already told you this once, but I don’t think I’ll ever say it enough. What you did for my daughter weeks ago is a debt I’ll never be able to repay.”

I got it.

I understood his need to make it clear how much he appreciated what I’d done, even if I didn’t think it was necessary. Ivy was his daughter, and he felt an obligation to protect her. But I’d fully accepted his words of appreciation weeks ago. He didn’t need to continue trying to find ways to show his thanks.

If I hadn’t worried about how he—or perhaps Ivy’s brothers—might react, I might have told him I intended to look out for Ivy from this point forward, to make her safety and happiness my responsibility.

Until I could talk to her and see where she stood, I figured it was best to keep my mouth shut. There was no point in startingtrouble if Ivy had no interest in me being the guy who could give her the companionship she was seeking.

“It’s entirely unnecessary,” I insisted, finally snapping out of my thoughts.

“Not from where I stand.”

Right.

He was a dad. She was his little girl. I didn’t think his opinion would ever be swayed.

“Alright, well, this isn’t the time for such serious conversations,” Evelyn declared. “Happy birthday, Marco. I hope you enjoy your party with all of your family and friends.”

“Thank you.”

As they walked off, I had no choice but to do as Evelyn had suggested. With everyone surrounding me, it was impossible to walk off and find a quiet corner in which to sit and get lost in my thoughts.

For the next several hours, I was whisked from one group of people to the next, catching up with some I hadn’t seen in months. It was nice, and I was glad to be with everyone.

Between the food, music, and the company, the hours passed by in a flash. And all throughout the evening, I found myself battling between staying focused on the conversations I was having and stealing glances at Ivy.

In those moments I caught a glimpse of her, I was astounded. None of what I’d seen of her that day in the villa was there. She looked undeniably happy and carefree. She spent her time eating, laughing, and dancing.

There had been several instances when I’d notice her and move to head in her direction, but along the way, I’d get stopped and pulled into another lengthy discussion. It was nearing torture to be so close to her and feel like I was hundreds of miles away.

It wasn’t until the evening began to wind down, guests left, and the crowd thinned out when I finally had the chance to get within a few feet of Ivy. And I’d decided I wasn’t going to waste the moment. I wasn’t waiting until tomorrow morning.

I walked up and placed my hand on her elbow to capture her attention. She looked up at me and smiled. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you all night. I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself tonight.”

“I have. I was actually hoping I could talk to you for a moment, if that’s okay.”

Her lips parted, a hesitancy lingering in her stare. But she ultimately gave me a nod and excused herself from the conversation she’d been having with two members of her staff.

They walked away, leaving the two of us alone. “Will you dance with me?”

“What?”

“I’d like to talk to you, and as long as you and I are here, anyone can walk up and interrupt. I figure, if we’re out there dancing, I have a chance of getting you all to myself for a few minutes,” I explained.