Free All of Me by Heatherly Bell Page A

course. I didn’t mean anything by it. I don’t know, Jeff. Should we? This Friday, next Friday. Neither one is a good idea.”
    They’d have to agree to disagree on that. This was one of the best ideas he’d had in months. “I promise I’ll behave.”
    “You better. Seven o’clock.” She wrenched herself out of her seat and fixed him with a look. “And don’t be late.”
    He wouldn’t dream of it.

Chapter 7
    Within a week Ivey’s SUV had been repaired and driven back to her home by none other than Tim, who might have suffered a crisis of conscience. He left a pink ribbon taped to the windshield, in case she had any doubts as to his apology.
    Maybe Jeff was right. It was a matter of winning the hearts and minds of every misguided person. Sooner or later they’d see that Jeff and Ivey weren’t interested in anyone taking sides, and the pink and blue ribbons would be a funny story she could tell her grandchildren someday.
    Of course, they wouldn’t be Jeff’s grandchildren. It was too late for them, even though that fact seemed to make her a little bit sadder every day.
    Recently she’d had the occasional random thought that maybe it could work this time. Maybe this time he’d realize how much he loved her, and—great, she was doing it again. No. Just friends, Ivey. Friends, and nothing more.
    Jeff had left the hospital to pick her up simply because he’d felt guilty, and not because he still had any feelings for her. He would certainly not be willing to rearrange his life for her in any way, to get married because he loved her, whether the timing was right or not.
    He would go where his career took him, because that was of primary importance. It came first in his life, and she was a selfish brat for ever thinking she deserved more. Someday he’d find an understanding woman who would put up with late nights at the hospital. And it wouldn’t be her. She had to be done with all that.
    She’d turned over a new leaf, and it was all Ivey, all the time. Numero uno, baby. Sounded horrible, but there it was. Brooke said it was a good idea anyway.
    That’s why she would do this dinner thing with Jeff tonight as he’d suggested. Because her own reputation was on the line, especially if she was going to stay here and make a life here.
    When her doorbell rang on Friday evening, Ivey took one last glance in the mirror and then reminded herself it didn’t matter a hill of beans what she looked like. Friends.
    But when she opened the door, words failed her. Jeff was dressed in dark blue jeans and a white button-down, rolled up to his elbows. Casual but oh-so handsome.
    “The security guy at the gate thinks your name is Iris.”
    “Oh,” Ivey said as she snapped out of it. “Yeah, Ron does that.”
    “Ready?” Jeff asked, braced in her doorway.
    She supposed she could let him in, but that wouldn’t accomplish their purpose. They needed to be seen publically having fun, laughing, and being friendly. Definitely not kissing.
    She grabbed her purse. “Let’s go.”
    As Jeff’s car passed the security gate on the way out, Ivey asked Jeff to roll down the window. She leaned across. “My name is Ivey. Ivey Lancaster. Not Iris. That’s another flower. I’m Ivey with a V.”
    The man blinked. Jeff grinned, and as he rolled the window back up, he asked, “You’re only now correcting him?”
    “I didn’t see much point to it. First I thought I’d be a short-timer around here. And after a while, it got awkward. I didn’t want to embarrass him. He’s been saying it wrong for a while.”
    “See you’ve got to stop doing that. Worrying too much about other people’s feelings.”
    “Exactly. That’s what that was all about.”
    They rode the short drive to the middle of town in silence. Jeff pulled into Giancarlo’s Bistro.
    “This is where we’re going?” It was one of the highest-rated Italian restaurants in Starlight Hill, known for serving the best wines in the valley. Giancarlo himself was almost a