CHAPTER 210: I’LL ADMIRE FROM AFAR

"Hi, stranger."

Jasper lifted his head—ears raised, tail stiff, body alert. Eugene smiled as he reached them. "And who is this cute guy?" He bent slightly, extending a friendly hand, only for Jasper to growl.

"Ah. Message received." His hand retreated slowly, palms raised in surrender. "I’ll... admire from afar."

"This is Jasper," Ivy said quickly, resting a soothing hand on the dog’s back. "He is usually a well-behaved dog. Ignore him. He’s just hungry."

Eugene gave her a look. "Noooo... I don’t think he likes me very much."

Ivy chuckled despite herself. "Come on. Let’s go inside," she said, waving him in.

As they walked through the foyer—Eugene glanced around. "Is Sam home?"

"He went for his daily walk," Ivy replied, guiding him toward the sitting room. "I would go with him, but I didn’t want to risk Jasper getting in his way."

"So..." Ivy asked, perching on the edge of the sofa, Jasper flopping down at her feet with a possessive sigh. "To what do I owe this visit? Did you just miss me terribly?"

Eugene grinned. "Actually, yeah. A little." Then he cleared his throat. "But also—I came to invite you to a friend’s party this weekend."

"Oh... uh... I haven’t been to a social gathering in ages," she admitted. "I don’t think I even remember how to act."

"Just be yourself," Eugene said softly. "I’m sure everyone will love you."

"You’re sweet."

She shifted to get more comfortable on the sofa, and Eugene moved to sit beside her—only for Jasper to spring into action. The dog hopped onto the seat at lightning speed, wedging himself right next to her.

"See?" Eugene said, laughter bubbling. "I told you the dog doesn’t like me."

"Oh my God, you are jealous of a dog." Ivy burst into laughter.

Eugene’s eyes widened defensively. "No—I mean... yes—okay, look!" He pointed dramatically at Jasper, who tilted his golden head with smug satisfaction. "He gets to sit beside you. He bullied me. Bad dog!"

Jasper barked once and then deliberately lowered his head onto Ivy’s lap.

Eugene groaned theatrically and collapsed onto the adjacent couch, arms flung out. "Ugh... this is so unfair. My next life, I’m coming back as a dog. They get all the pretty girls."

Ivy rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the smile. "Please. As if you weren’t doing fine already."

"Not today, I’m not. Today I lost to a golden retriever."

"Anyway... how have you been?"

"I’ve been alright too. It’s just... my parents keep asking how our dating is going, and I truly do not have the mind to tell them we aren’t dating."

"Oh. Uh... you gotta rip the band-aid off at some point."

"Yeah, I know. I’ll get to it."

Before she could respond, the front door opened, followed by the rhythmic, uneven sound of Sam’s cane tapping against the ground.

"Hey, guys!" Sam announced cheerfully.

"Gramps..." Ivy rose immediately, Jasper lifting his head as if debating whether he needed to escort her. She started toward Sam, but he waved her off with a small grunt.

"I’m fine, child. I’m not made of paper."

"Sam!" Eugene said, bowing his head in greeting.

"Look who I found!" Sam announced.

Winn appeared behind him.

Jasper hopped off the sofa and barreled straight into Winn’s legs and let out a joyous whine.

Winn bent down, rubbing Jasper’s head with fond, grateful strokes. "Hey, boy. Miss me?"

Beside her, Eugene sighed dramatically. "I guess it’s just me he doesn’t like," he whispered to Ivy. "That hurts."

Ivy laughed under her breath. "Actually," she whispered back, "it’s his dog. I was dog-sitting."

"Ah... that makes more sense. So I can have you all to myself now?"

Before Ivy could answer, Winn cleared his throat—loudly.

"I came to pick up Jasper." Winn straightened, his palm lingering on the dog’s fur. "Thank you for taking care of him."

"No problem. I like spending time with him."

Eugene leaned in again, whispering. "Way to twist the knife further in, lady."

Ivy smacked his arm lightly. "It’s just a dog. Grow up!"

Eugene gasped. "Wow. Cold. You’re cold."

Winn’s jaw ticked.

At that moment, the chef stepped into the room. "Dinner is ready," he announced, bowing his head slightly.

Sam clapped Eugene firmly on the back. "Come on. Let’s eat. I need you to get a message to your father."

"Yes, sir."

As Eugene and Sam droned on—they made their way into the dining room.

"Hey, Jas!" Ivy called. She crouched slightly to meet the golden retriever at his eye level. "You want some chicken?"

Jasper’s ears perked up, tail wagging furiously. In a burst of energy, he darted toward her, tongue dangling comically as if he hadn’t seen her in a lifetime. Ivy laughed.

Then Ivy paused, looking at Winn. "You’ll come too, won’t you?" she asked softly.

"Do you want me to?"

"Does it matter what I want? You always did do as you please."

"I was wrong," Winn admitted. With what Evans had told him that morning—the horrors Ivy had endured, the pain she carried in secret—he didn’t want to overwhelm her. He didn’t want to rush. He didn’t want to be the reason she doubted her own strength. He would step back if she needed it. He would let her lead if that meant showing her the respect she deserved.

"Join us then if you want to," Ivy said casually.

Jasper nudged Ivy impatiently with his snout. "Okay, okay. I’m coming! Sheesh!" His tail wagged furiously, and his excitement was palpable.

Ivy smiled faintly, taking another glance at Winn before leading Jasper away toward the dining room. Being in the same room with Ivy and Eugene, would be a test he wasn’t sure he could pass without losing control entirely.

He pivoted, deciding to take a stroll around the Orchard estate to wait for Jasper and, more importantly, to give himself a few minutes to breathe, to think.

Winn sank onto one of the wrought-iron garden chairs, burying his face in his hands. He didn’t know how long he sat there.