What About Us

Prologue and Chapters 1-3

Prologue

Xander Hendrix rallies his teammates in the locker room before the third period. The game is tied, and a win means a spot in the finals. He shouts about not letting Dallas leave their home arena with the victory, and the room erupts in cheers.

The problem is Matthews, Dallas's star center. Xander was drafted first overall their rookie year, Matthews second, and Matthews has never let it go. He runs his mouth constantly, and Xander usually ignores it. Tonight, he has a bad feeling as he takes the ice.

Matthews taunts him during the face-off. Xander fires back, then the puck drops. Cooper, his best friend and teammate, passes him the puck, but Xander gets cornered at the boards by Matthews, who threatens him. Xander's response about taking Matthews's mother out last night sends Matthews into a rage. Gloves come off. They fight, and then Xander is on the ground, still swinging at Matthews and two of his teammates until his own guys pull them off. Matthews growls that he hopes Xander dies, hits him again, and then drives hard into Xander's knee. Xander hears a pop. He knows immediately. He's done.

The medical team rushes over. The crowd goes silent. Xander can't stand, can't put weight on the knee, and the medic confirms they need an MRI right away. He's helped off the ice, waving to the screaming crowd, certain he won't see them again this season. Probably not next season either.

The team doctor delivers the verdict: torn ACL, PCL, and meniscus. Xander might throw up, whether from the concussion or the rage and despair crashing through him. The doctor tells him he'll be out through next season, a nine-to-twelve-month recovery minimum. After the doctor leaves, Cooper walks in, swearing he should have killed Matthews. Xander says he should have known better than to let Matthews get that close. Cooper mentions the team lost, ending their season. Xander wants to go talk to the team, but Cooper tells him he looks pale as hell.

Xander already spoke with his family. His sister Harper had a baby today, a little girl he desperately wants to hold. Instead, he's stuck in Denver, and the injury means the team will insist he stay for their doctors and PT. This is not what he needed.

The Return Home

Xander watches his family's group chat blow up. Tucker is proposing to Darby tomorrow night, and everyone is excited. Ava wants to know if he'll be romantic. Easton doesn't want to be there if things get naked. Dad says it's about time. Xander hates that they'll all be together for this moment while he's trapped in Denver. He misses them so much it hurts.

He calls his surgeon, Dr. Rutherford, and demands a meeting with his medical team that afternoon. He's not usually this guy. He's lighthearted, keeps his cool. But being stuck in Denver while he hobbles around his penthouse when he wants to be in Silver Springs is infuriating. He can do therapy at home. He'll be damned if he stays here for six to nine months. He wants to see his brother get engaged, meet his niece, spend time with his dad, and tell Ava's fiancé he's not good enough for her.

At the meeting, Xander tells his team he's going home to Montana. Tonight. When Steve, the physical therapist, asks if it's just for the weekend, Xander says he doesn't know when he'll be back. They've already established he's out for the season. He can hire a therapist in Montana who consults with them. The room goes quiet. Dr. Rutherford asks him to reconsider. Xander refuses. Steve suggests monthly check-ins in Denver. Xander says he'll consider it but won't promise. This is what he needs. He'll heal faster there.

He walks out without wavering, feeling optimistic for the first time since the injury three months ago. He can walk without a crutch now, though he still limps when tired and wears a brace for stability. The dizziness is gone, headaches are occasional, but he still has issues with sleep and memory. Sometimes he stumbles over simple words, and he hates it.

In the car, he calls Tucker, who answers right away. Xander tells him he's coming home, flying in tonight. Tucker says he'll pick him up and make sure the house is ready, then asks him to text the flight details. Xander feels lighter already.

Three hours later, Cooper drives him to the airport. Cooper asks how long he'll be gone, and Xander says until he can play again. He can't be holed up in Denver anymore. Cooper notes that the team will micromanage his recovery and asks if he'll come back for the fundraiser. Xander says of course, he's never missed one. Cooper drops him at the door and says maybe he'll visit. Xander tells him anytime.

At the gate, a young boy in his jersey recognizes him and asks for a picture. Xander takes one with the boy and his dad, signs the jersey, and boards the plane. He's ready to go home.

The Engagement Celebration

The party is packed into Xander's childhood home, where Tucker and Darby now live. Darby's whole family is there, along with Tucker's best friend Zack, who's home from LA. Tucker proposed out at the firepit, then brought Darby inside to celebrate. She's glowing, showing off her ring.

Easton asks about Xander's knee, and Xander admits it sucks. Harper brings the baby over and hands Belle to Xander because her arms are tired. Xander holds his niece, telling her he's her favorite uncle and will buy her first car. Harper warns him not today, then wanders off. Easton agrees the baby is adorable, and Xander says he's staying as long as possible. He makes faces at Belle, who seems entranced.

Easton suggests they sit, and Xander won't admit he needs to rest his knee, but it feels good to put his leg up. Belle tries to chew her fist and smiles at him. Tucker and Zack join them. Tucker says Xander looks good with a baby, and Xander says they all need to have more because he won't be having any of his own. Tucker calls that famous last words. Easton says he's not having any either, and Zack agrees with him. Tucker tells them to just find the right girl. Zack jokes he's been accused of fathering plenty of children, all bullshit. Tucker tells him to learn to keep it in his pants. Zack insists he never touched those girls.

Xander asks where Ava is. Easton scowls and says she texted that she's running behind, waiting for Chad to get off work. Xander mutters that Chad is pissing him off. Zack agrees they need to talk to that guy. Tucker exhales, scanning the room until he finds Darby and softens. Xander tells Tucker he didn't have to invite everyone, should have kept the night for just the two of them. Tucker says he'll get her to himself soon, and she likes the family time since she never really had it growing up.

Ava walks in, schooling her face from a scowl to a smile. Chad follows, not bothering to hide his own expression. None of them like Ava's fiancé. He's a decent attorney, but they don't love how he treats their sister. However, Ava is a grown woman, and if Chad is who she chooses, they'll support her. That doesn't mean Chad will become one of the brothers.

Belle starts crying. Easton jokes that Chad must be here, earning fist bumps from Xander and Zack. Then Xander smells why the baby is wailing and calls for Harper. She tells him he's her uncle and can change her. He claims he's injured and flashes a charming smile. Harper rolls her eyes and takes Belle, but Xander makes her promise to give her back later so he can make up for lost time.

Ava sits next to Xander with a dirty martini, asking if he's going to milk the injured leg thing. He says of course. She snuggles into the chair with him, and he puts his arm around her, saying he's glad she's home. He kisses her head. Ava, Harper, and Xander are the closest in age and naturally hung out together growing up. Harper is the adopted kid, having come to live with them at twelve, but she's their sister in every way that counts.

Ava asks how he is, and he asks about her job. She says it's amazing, she's designing and decorating all the new condos at the ski resort, and suggests he buy one. He says he already has a big house he barely sleeps in and doesn't need extra real estate. She sighs, and he watches Harper kiss Belle and pass her to her husband Blake. Tucker has drifted back to Darby like gravity. Easton and Zack are chatting about something Xander can't hear. It doesn't matter. He hasn't been this relaxed in months. Being here, with these people, in the house he grew up in, is exactly the medicine he needed.

Ivy's Burden

Ivy finishes her charting at the hospital when her phone rings. She gets a bad feeling and answers. It's Ben, a bartender at Lucky's, her family's bar. Her mother, Brenda, didn't come in for her shift, isn't answering her phone

Chapters 4-6

Ivy survives her first day working with Xander Hendrix, but the effort leaves her wanting a nap, a drink, and a Xanax all at once. Being hands-on with the guy who once defended her from high school bullies makes it hard to stay professional. She stops home only long enough to change, put on makeup, and pet Cally before heading to the bar to place a liquor order and check in. On her way, she trudges upstairs to check on her mother out of duty and finds the apartment empty. It isn't the first time her mother has skipped out, and Ivy knows better than to be surprised.

Behind the Bar

Ben greets her with a quick smile and reports a slow day that will pick up tonight. Three hours later the ordering is finished, Ben is gone, and Ivy is working the evening shift alone, bracing for a two-thirty a.m. bedtime ahead of a ten a.m. session with Xander. Around eight, Xander walks in with his brother Easton. Her hands want to shake and her heart pounds, but she pastes on a smile. Both brothers turn heads as they take seats, and Xander's eyes sweep over her, taking in the tight white tank, black jeans, makeup, and high ponytail. Easton orders two Cokes and heads to the pool table, but Xander lingers. He asks why she works two jobs. She gives him vague answers about the family business and deflects. He asks about student loans, and she insists she'll just do it. He doesn't like the answer, shakes his head, grabs the drinks, and joins his brother. Ivy lets herself admire his jeans and immediately scolds herself for ogling her own patient, the one who has zero interest in her.

Then her mother walks through the door, drunk and hanging all over a guy about Ivy's age, her blouse unbuttoned to her navel. Ivy tells her to go upstairs. Her mother reminds her whose bar it is and demands vodka, then jabs a finger into Ivy's chest and threatens to fire her before calling her a little piece of shit. Ivy laughs and says she doesn't work here anyway. The whole bar has gone silent, and Xander stands a few feet away with pure anger on his face. Her mother snarls that she hates her, that she's a waste of air, that she never should have had her, while the drunk guy pulls her toward the stairs. Ivy wipes down the bar and cuts lemons, telling the room the show is over and then telling Xander his brother is waiting for him. Twenty people just watched her mother humiliate her, and they're looking at her with pity, but she fills drinks and cleans until people stop staring and she can breathe again. Xander leaves a hundred-dollar bill on the bar. She protests that the tab is eight dollars. He shrugs it off as covering the tip and is out the door before she can argue, so she pockets the money intending to return it tomorrow.

A Late Morning and a Desk

Ivy wakes from a dream featuring a naked Xander, a shower, and orgasms to discover she's an hour late. She missed three texts from him: one checking if she's okay, one hoping she's sleeping and asking her to let him know about meeting, and one threatening to send his brother for a wellness check. She calls, apologizes, and he tells her not to be embarrassed, that he's home all day and she should come when she's ready. She shows up in leggings and a Denver Flurry T-shirt because she has no clean scrubs, and Xander meets her at the door with a no-apologies rule. Her stomach growls, and he offers breakfast burritos Harper dropped off, teasing her when she says she doesn't drink coffee and calling her a pain in the ass. She admits caffeine worsens her anxiety, and he goes quiet, watching her.

He plates the food, she jokes about hiring Harper forever, and they eat in silence until she sets his hundred-dollar bill on the counter for the breakfast. He refuses it and says it's hers. She tells him his money makes her uncomfortable. He asks how often she works at the bar, and she shuts that door fast, saying she doesn't want to talk about it. His face sobers, he nods, and he tells her she can talk to him if she changes her mind, then frowns as if he hadn't meant to say it out loud. She softens, thanks him quietly, and admits no one has ever offered to be a sounding board for her before. She forgot her water bottle, and when he hands her one of his own, ice-cold and similar to hers, his hand brushes hers and a shiver runs along her skin. She apologizes for not being professional today and promises to be better tomorrow. He jokes about distracting her from wall sits, and she tells him he'll do the wall sits anyway because they're good for the joint. He catches the "hockey star" and presses, asking if he's her favorite, walking close enough behind her that she can feel his heat. In the cold gym, she pauses at the corner of the room and asks what something is.

The Desk, the Ice, and Ava

Xander admits it's a desk. He figured she'd rather sit to take notes than sit on the floor, and he made calls to have it arranged by the windows because she likes the view. He hands her the water bottle and takes her bag, setting it on the desk. Ivy thanks him, calling it nice, and he asks if that means she won't try to kill him today. She smirks and says hell no, then puts him through two hard hours of work. His knee finally feels decent and doesn't threaten to give out. She tells him he's doing well and that next week she wants him on skates, just gliding gently for muscle memory, bare minimum only. He asks about a rink, she confirms there's one in Bitterroot Valley, and they plan a field trip day. He watches her type at the desk and thinks she looks like she belongs there, then the doorbell rings.

Ava is at the door, glassy-eyed and quivering, and Xander shifts into big-brother mode immediately. Ava asks if Ivy is still there and says she saw the truck. Xander tells Ivy he'll wrap up, and Ivy insists she'll be back in the morning and won't be late, refusing his offer to move sessions later so she can rest, saying she has to be at the bar in the afternoon. He scowls, doesn't believe her that it's fine, but lets it go because his sister needs him. At the door he calls Ivy "Red," and when she notes he always called her that in high school, he freezes. He doesn't remember that, and not being able to picture teenage Ivy pisses him off. He says it fits her, the hair and the blush, and tells her the blush is sexy before she drives off.

Ava is curled in the corner of the couch with no drink, and she tells him Chad wants to postpone the wedding again, past the planned February date. She's told Chad if he doesn't want to marry her to just say so, that she won't beg or feel like she's trapping him. Xander tells her she's not a doormat, that she's one of the most confident people he knows, and to kick Chad to the curb. Ava stutters over whether she really loves him that much, then insists she does and that he isn't romantic but is a good person. Xander jokes darkly that that's the only reason Chad is still breathing, and Ava points out the brothers talk big but won't actually hurt him. She says she'll put her foot down on February and gets him laughing through the conversation about her and Harper and the subject of her having children. He tells her carbs aren't the devil, and takes her out for pasta and bread at Ciao before tucking her safely home.

A Text Exchange

Back in his garage, Cooper texts him, and Xander confirms dinner with his sister. Cooper jokes that Brit is complaining she can't cook for him on Wednesdays anymore, and Xander tells him to bring it on. Cooper thanks him, saying Brit will be excited. Xander props his leg up and ices his knee, sore from Ivy's daily sessions, then texts the redhead. She answers by asking who it is. He identifies himself. She replies that she said what she said. He laughs, decides he likes her, and hates that she's busting her ass at that bar at night. She sends a goodnight.

Washed Scrubs and a Bounced Check

Ivy stays up until three washing and drying her scrubs, then sets an alarm for every minute for fifteen minutes to guarantee she wakes up. She's exhausted but determined not to show up late and unprepared again. She brought her own water bottle and washed Xander's too. She decides she must have hallucinated him calling her sexy when she blushed, because there's no universe where Xander Hendrix means that about her. He's just a nice guy and a flirt. Years ago she got carried away once, and it ended horrifically enough that it's a mercy he doesn't seem to remember it. But the fact that he doesn't remember much about her at all, including patting her on the head and telling her not to worry about the bullies, hurts her feelings badly. She has a dozen stories of him coming to her rescue, from being shoved into a

Chapters 7-9

A pretty blush moves into Ivy’s cheeks, and Xander watches her shake her head. She wears a gray wool hat, but her red hair peeks out, and his fingers itch to brush the strands behind her ear. She tells him this is not about her, it is for him. Xander argues that if he is teaching her to skate, he has to go slow. If she is not on the ice with him, he will be a rebel, she will be mad, and he might sustain a career-ending blow. Ivy snaps not to say that, it is not funny. Xander says he knows it is serious, so she had better let him put the skates on her. He ordered his sexy physical therapist brand-new professional-grade skates because he cannot wait to see her in them and on the ice.

Reluctantly, Ivy sits and takes her shoes off. Xander helps her get the skates on, frustrated he cannot kneel to lace them. She assures him she has it and tells him to walk her through it. He mutters that he hates being injured, but between the two of them, they get her ready. She clings to him as they walk to the ice. She wants to hold on while he skates for a minute because she needs him to make sure his knee is ready. Xander nods, steps onto the ice, and it feels good. The cold air, the smell of the ice, the glide of his skates. Ivy calls out to ask how it feels. He says it feels like he could take on Dallas. She grins, looking like a dream in her black leggings and blue coat, and the skates look sexy on her.

After a few minutes, Xander returns and holds out a hand. He calls her Red and tells her it is her turn. She says she will make him fall. He snorts and tells her he does not fall. If he cannot hold her up on the ice, he has no business being in the league. He tells her to get her pretty ass out there. She says that is unprofessional language, narrowing her eyes, but there is no heat in it. He says to report him. She bites her lip, shakes her head, and reaches for his hand. Now she is on the ice with him, those blue eyes full of pure fear. He moves in and holds her face in his hands, making her look up at him. He tells her to just look at him. She admits softly that she does not like trying new things, and it makes his chest ache because he may not know her well, but he knows Ivy does not like to let people in and see her underbelly. He tells her she is great. She says no, she does not like being embarrassed, it never ends well for her.

Xander frowns, his eyes dipping to her lips. He says it is just the two of them. She does not answer, so he tries another tactic. He will hold her hands, skate backward, and pull her with him. She does not even have to do any of the work. She nods and takes a breath when his hands drift down her arms to her hands, holding her securely as he starts to move backward. Ivy bites her lip, but her eyes look determined now as they move. This might be the most fun he has had on the ice. Winning the Cup was better, but this ranks up there. He tells her she has to breathe. She says she cannot, she will fall. He says no falling allowed, those are her rules. She finally takes a breath and loosens up a bit, until he drops one of her hands and she squeaks. He tells her she has got this, her balance is great, her posture is good, she does not even have to push off yet. She says his name. He says yes. She tells him if her ass lands on that ice, she will stab him with her skate. He laughs and cannot resist pushing her hair behind her ear and grazing his fingers over her cheek, over those freckles. He tells her she is doing great and to push forward. She says she is not pushing anything. He says she is so funny and asks if she wants him to show her how. She says if that involves letting go of her, no thanks, he can pull her back to the side now. He says no way, she has got this, and calls her wildcat, telling her to push off from her right foot.

She asks what he just called her. He says she has bite, she is fearless, and he loves it when she purrs. She says she has never purred in her life. He thinks, you will. He tells her to push off. She bites her lip, holds her breath, and does exactly what he asks, perfectly. In less than five minutes, he is skating beside her, holding her hand, and they are making their way over the ice. She is a little wobbly, but she will be an expert within thirty minutes. He says see, she has got this. She admits she usually has decent balance, and her face transforms from terror to smug pride. He loves it. Getting this look on her face is a new life goal, every damn day. She admits it is not bad. He says it is the best and tells her to breathe in that cold air. She tips her head back and takes a deep breath, exposing her neck, and he wants to nibble on that tender spot where he can see her pulse flutter. He asks himself what he is, a vampire.

He tells her he hopes she does not mind, but they have to run an errand on the way back to Silver Springs. She asks what kind of errand. He says he has to go to the airport, but the word flies right out of his head. He says you know, where you go to get on a plane. She supplies airport. He says right, he has to go to the airport. Today has been a rough memory day, and he hates it. Ivy nods, staring straight ahead, concentrating hard. He says it is to pick up Cooper and his wife. Her head whips over in his direction, and she almost face-plants, but he has her firmly in his grip. She says he is bringing his wife. He says oh, wait, she said that. Right, he said that. He tells her if she tells him that Coop is really her favorite and she is sad that he is married, he will let her fall on her face. She smirks. He does not know why the thought of any of his teammates being her favorite does not sit well with him. Yes, he does. Because he wants her to like him.

She says they need to finish up, she does not want him to overdo it. He agrees and leads her to the side, helping her walk to where their shoes are. When she is seated on the bench, he sits next to her and takes a breath. He asks if she is okay. She frowns up at him and asks if his knee hurts, if they did too much. He says no, the knee is fine. He bends over and starts to unlace his skates. It just felt good to be out there. He missed it. She says she understands, her voice soft and soothing. They are going to get him there. His form was good, he did not seem to be favoring his leg. He takes her skates and puts them in the bag he bought for her, then does the same with his and zips them up. They head out of the rink.

The Airport Run

The drive to the airport only takes a few minutes, and as they pull up, Xander sees Cooper and Britney already standing on the sidewalk. Coop says he is late and offers a fist bump. Xander says he was skating, grinning, and not sorry. Brit says hey, handsome, in that southern accent that charmed her husband, and wraps him up in a hug. She says he is skinny. He snorts, steps back, and scowls when Ivy is not next to him. He walks to the passenger side and opens her door. She says sorry, she will sit in the back. He says no, he wants to introduce her. She looks confused. He says to his best friend, not her favorite player. That has her rolling her eyes as she pushes out of the car and walks with him to where Cooper is loading their things in the back.

Xander introduces Ivy as his physical therapist. Ivy says pleasure and shakes their hands. She says sorry to interrupt their time together, Xander should have let her bring her own car. Xander says no and guides her back to the front passenger side. Cooper raises an eyebrow, and Britney simply winks before climbing into the back. Coop starts to say something, and Xander cuts him off, telling him to get in the car. Coop smirks. As Xander drives them away from the airport, Coop asks where the Maserati is. Xander says in the garage, and no, Coop cannot drive it. He shakes his head and glances over just in time to see Ivy twisting her fingers in her lap, as if she is nervous. She has nothing to be nervous about. Britney says they should have rented a car and stayed at a hotel, to stay out of his hair. Xander assures her his house is big enough that he will hardly know they are there. They can take the car whenever they want. Not the Maserati. Coop mutters damn.

Chapters 10-12

Ivy arrives at Xander's house thirty minutes early after overthinking the timing for three hours. Xander opens the door before she reaches it, takes her bag, and tells her she's late—he wanted her there for breakfast. He hands her the water tumbler he's claimed as hers and leads her to the kitchen where Cooper and Britney are eating. Xander pulls her plate from the oven, kept warm, revealing he waited to eat with her. Ivy's heart stumbles but she tells herself he's just a nice guy.

Cassie made the burritos today instead of Harper. Britney asks if she and Cooper can work out with them, and Ivy agrees if Xander doesn't mind. In the gym, Ivy confesses she forgot to return his team hoodie. Xander brushes his finger across her cheek and tells her she has the most beautiful freckles he's ever seen. He explains he's the team captain and can do whatever he wants with his gear. Keep it, he tells her.

They start with double leg jumps, and Xander protests the box isn't tall enough. Ivy holds firm because she can't let him hurt himself. Cooper joins after an hour and asks if he should be going this hard. Ivy blurts out a "that's what she said" joke and freezes, mortified. The guys laugh, and Cooper declares he likes her. Britney runs over wanting to know what she missed and approves.

Then come the wall sits. Xander assumes the position, and Cooper joins him, pulling Britney into his lap. Xander grabs Ivy's hand and tugs her into his lap. She protests she's too heavy, worried about his knee. He shifts her onto his uninjured side, pulls her close, and buries his face in her neck, telling her to stop squirming because he finally has his hands on her. She feels his erection against her hip, and from his expression, he knows she knows. When she calls time, her core pulses and she realizes this isn't just Xander being flirty anymore. She has no idea what to do, scared she'll be humiliated if she's misreading him.

Britney invites Ivy to the bookstore and lunch. Ivy agrees, deciding to skip the bar and telling Ben to lock up if her mom doesn't show. She needs thirty minutes to write notes for the team doctor. Xander refills her water bottle while she works. When she finishes, he invites her to dinner. She wants to go, which is exactly why she shouldn't. She declines, citing housework and not having seen Cally.

Later, fresh from the shower, Ivy's phone rings twice. It's Xander. When she answers in a towel, he growls and tells her she's killing him. Cooper and Britney insisted she join them, so they're bringing pizza to her house. They're already on the porch. She laughs and tells them to give her five minutes, feeling warmth at making friends.

She opens the door in a Flurry T-shirt and jeans. Britney gushes over her house and art, calling her a savant. Then Xander's voice cuts through, hard and angry. He's staring at her shirt, demanding to know whose name is on her back. Mullins. A retired player. Vintage. Xander doesn't care. He doesn't want another man's name on her. He whips his own shirt over his head and holds it out, telling her to wear his. She refuses, laughing, but he's dead serious. She takes his hand and whispers that it's just a T-shirt, calling him a blockhead. Cooper and Britney snort. Xander leads her to her bedroom, shuts the door, and she changes into a Hendrix shirt. When she comes back out, he's wearing his own shirt again, relaxed, and asks if he's her favorite player. She tells him they need to talk about his psychotic tendencies. He says he never had them before she started coming to his house every day.

The next few days are fun. Cooper and Britney leave the day after the pizza party, but Ivy and Xander keep to their days together. She starts to relax, blushing less when he flirts. She arrives an hour early every day so they can eat breakfast together, her favorite part of the day.

She clears him for the elliptical, and he asks about jogging. She sets rules: he jogs, he doesn't run, and she'll tell him when to hold a certain speed. He steps on the treadmill, gait normal. He immediately boosts the speed, protests he can do this in his sleep, cracks a "that's what she said" joke barely winded. He invites her to watch something in his media room later and keeps nudging the speed up when he thinks she isn't looking.

Then her phone rings. She ignores it once, but it rings again. Xander tells her to get it. It's Bridger Blackwell from the Bitterroot Valley Fire Department, at her bar in Silver Springs. Her knees give out. They got her mom out, she seems fine, but she's not mentally with it and they need Ivy to come answer questions. Xander takes the phone, identifies himself, arranges for them to be there in ten minutes. He sits beside her on the floor and soothes her through breaths. She grabs her handbag, he grabs his wallet and keys. She mentions her truck, but he refuses to let her drive.

On the drive, she asks what it says about her as a daughter that her first question is what bullshit her mother pulled. He says it says she's a daughter who knows her mother, then laces his fingers through hers. She spirals about the other businesses in the building. Xander lifts her hand to his lips and presses tender kisses to her skin, slowing her heartbeat.

At Lucky's, the street is blocked off, the air heavy with smoke. Scorch marks ring the windows. Bridger fills them in. The upstairs apartment is a total loss. The bar has extensive smoke damage, part of the ceiling caved in, not safe to enter. They believe her mom, Brenda, fell asleep with a lit cigarette, intoxicated, and a passing customer saw smoke and called it in. The surrounding buildings were spared. Ivy silently prays her mother didn't cancel the insurance.

Ivy finds her mother in a gaping robe, holding an oxygen mask. Her mom's face transforms into a glare, accusing Ivy of only showing up now that she almost died. Ivy says she's been living her life. The medic confirms her lungs are clear and she's free to go. Her mom snaps at Ivy to take her home. Ivy points out her home burned up. Her mom means Ivy's house. Ivy realizes she has no choice but to take her mother home with her.

Xander strides over, eyes pinned on Ivy, furious but not at her. She asks for a ride. As they lead her mother to the SUV, her mom sneers that Ivy has been whoring around with the famous hockey player instead of taking care of her responsibilities. Xander rounds on her mother, gets in her face, and dares her to say it again. Her mom goes pale. Ivy tells her mother to shut up and get in the car. Her jaw drops, but she obeys and stays quiet for the three-minute drive.

The moment Brenda climbs out, she announces she needs clothes and that Xander's are too big for her. She tells Ivy to use his money because he's made of it. Xander stops Ivy before she can apologize. He tells her he doesn't like leaving her here with Brenda. Ivy wants to beg him to stay but doesn't want to subject him to more drama. She shakes her head and lets him hug her. She tells him she'll be fine and that she'll order Brenda things from Walmart. Xander offers more help, but Ivy insists she has this handled. He sighs and kisses the top of her head. He tells her to call if she needs him and says he'll get her truck over later. He suggests they take tomorrow off so Ivy can get a handle on things. She agrees to see him Wednesday. He grabs her chin and makes her promise to call if she needs anything. She nods with a shaky smile and walks inside.

Inside, Brenda says the cat ran under the bed, then keeps smoking on the couch. Ivy tells Brenda she will not smoke in her house, plucks the cigarette from her mouth, runs it under water, and throws it away. By the time she turns back, Brenda is lighting another one and blows out smoke with a smug look. She says, "Fuck you." Ivy tells her she's calling the cops and having her removed for trespassing. Brenda rolls her eyes, puts her butt out on one of Ivy's coasters, and calls her dramatic. Brenda tells her she's awfully lippy, that being with that asshole seems to have made her brave, and that she'll slap it right off her face. Ivy walks away, intending to lock herself in her bedroom. She can't stand her mother.

Xander is up early, about an hour before he needs to be at the ranch. He misses Ivy and hates that she's not there for breakfast, but more than that, he's worried. It took everything in him to walk away yesterday. He kept his phone nearby in case Ivy called, but he never heard from her. This morning he texts her, asking how she's holding up. Ivy replies that she's okay, not wonderful, but it will be okay. Xander thinks she sounds like she's convincing herself. He texts her back and tells her he