Isabella says, “Nope. I’ll keep her with me. Maybe she can stay the night if she’s okay with that.”
Mercy says, “I don’t know, she just came home.”
Isabella smiles, “That’s up to you. Either way, I will be happy to sit with her while you go to court.”
“Thank you.”
Elle asks, “Are you going back to work?”
Mercy replies with a shrug and adds, “Once Ivy starts school, I’d like to go back part time. But I’m not willing to have a babysitter for the evenings, so it depends on if Monica will allow me to work shorter hours. Ivy needs me home.”
“What will you do when she’s at school?” Isabella asks.
Mercy giggles, “Read. Maybe I’ll start working out.”
“What do you read?”
Mercy blushes a beautiful shade of red.
Isabella cracks up laughing as she strokes Ivy’s hair.
“That’s the same genre I write.”
“Really?” Mercy asks with a shocked expression.
“I knew you wrote books, but I didn’t know what kind.”
Xander says, “Although, she’s thinking of retiring.”
Isabella glares at him with a look of death.
“I am not.You’rethinking about me retiring.”
The tension between them is palpable, and I feel this is an argument they’ve repeatedly had.
The entire room gets quiet. We all seem to be unsure what’s going on or what to say.
Isabella says, “I have a fan that’s a little overzealous.”
Xander runs his hand through his hair, “He’s obsessed.”
Mercy says, “He?” As she sits her empty wine glass on the table.
“Men are not my normal readers, but it does happen.”
Mercy shakes her head, “Do you write with a pen name?”
Isabella laughs, “If I knew then what I know now, I would have. But no, I write in my real name and my first twelve books have my picture in them.”
“I hope you’re safe,” Mercy says in a whisper.
“That’s why we have a state-of-the-art alarm system with cameras throughout the house. Isabella’s safety is priority number one for me.”
“Are you hungry, honey?” Isabella asks Ivy.
Ivy gazes up at her with complete adoration and nods her head.
“Okay, let’s go eat.”