Page 18 of Summer Serenade
Nash was dumbfounded. He’d tried to think of everything wrong he’d done, but the list was long and nowhere was Ivy involved. “She mentioned something, but I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
Bob’s nostrils flared. “You forgot her.”
The accusation in the man’s tone made Nash take a step back. He held up his hands, palms facing out.
“I only met her last night.” Briefly, before she shot him down. “Tonight was the second time.”
Bob rubbed his forehead, but that eased none of the tension in his stiff posture or muscles. “You’ve interacted with Ivy before.”
Interacted? That was a strange verb to use. “When?”
“You really don’t remember her?” Suspicion filled Bob’s voice.
Nash’s teeth clenched. He didn’t appreciate being accused of lying. “I don’t.”
“It was a decade ago.”
Ten years seemed like another lifetime to him. His career had exploded a year before that, and he was riding high. Too cocky, but that was a folly of his youth. He’d mellowed since then. He tried to recall something—anything—to do with Ivy but came up blank.
She was pretty enough he would have remembered meeting her. “I have no idea when or how we met. What did I do to her?”
Bob opened his mouth before shutting it. A pained expression crossed his face. As he looked everywhere but at Nash, Bob seemed to battle himself. “Ivy is family. She’s already angry no one warned her about you being in town. I can’t get in the middle of this.”
“Loyalty is important.” Nash didn’t know what he’d do without his former foster parents. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t want to put you in a rough spot, but how am I supposed to figure out what I did?”
Ignoring the question, Bob straightened a stack of brochures on the counter.
“Can you give me a clue?” Nash hated the desperation in his voice, but he needed to figure this out. “Something that won’t make you feel as if you’re betraying your niece?”
Bob’s lips parted, but no smile followed. He appeared as upset at Nash as Ivy had been. “Yes, I can.”
Relief washed over Nash. Finally, he could figure out what was going on.
“Do you have a laptop?” Bob asked.
Nash nodded.
“Search your name and Ivy Quinn.” The words were direct and harsh. “That should fill in the memory gaps.”
“Thank you.” Nash hoped he sounded sincere because he was grateful. He needed to figure this out. Whatever had happened ten years ago appeared to have affected other family members, too. “I’ll do that now.”
“One more thing.” Bob’s gaze was as hard as granite. “Ivy doesn’t want you at the pub again.”
Nash’s heart went splat against the floor. Okay, he’d planned on keeping his distance because she hadn’t wanted to see him. He hated that she felt that way, but he had a bigger concern now.
“I’ll stay away.” He pulled the NDA from his back pocket, unfolded the two pages, and handed them to Bob. “Would you ask her to sign this, please?”
Bob studied the papers. “Ivy agreed not to tell anyone you’re here.”
That didn’t ease the knots forming in Nash’s shoulder muscles. “I appreciate that, but this is…business.”
Bob’s face reddened. He started to speak but then stopped himself. He refolded the NDA. “She’s always been a good girl. Her word is as good as gold. But I’ll have her sign this tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” Nash wanted to run to his room and do a search, but his leg would never survive the stairs. He would have to take the elevator. “Goodnight.”
Once Nash was inside his suite, he tossed the beanie and sunglasses onto the coffee table and then sat on the couch. His stomach churned with a mix of dread and curiosity. He opened his laptop and typed in his name and Ivy’s into the browser’s address bar.
Pages of search results appeared, including videos. He read the subject lines.
