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waited a month or two or a year before we dealt with my parents? Why did it have to be now, on a day that means so very much to us, a day you know they will ruin?”
    “We don’t know they’ll ruin it.”
    “When have they ever not ruined something that had to do with you and me? But that’s not even the point of what I’m saying.” She paced the width of the patio and back. Looking up at him, she said, “I need to know that you will not be running our lives unilaterally. My father did that, and look how it turned out for them. I need to know I have some say in the elements of our lives that are optional. This was optional.”
    “No, it wasn’t.”
    “It is. We could have dealt with them at any point in the future. It didn’t have to be now.”
    The patio was lit only by the glow that spilled out from the kitchen and living room, but it was enough to see the look in Kit’s eyes. He’d had the same expression so many years ago when the Army and the sheriff had dragged him away from her. It hurt to look at him now, as it had then.  
    She felt his pain, but did he feel hers?
    “We are only ever going to be married once,” he said in a quiet voice. “One time, Iv. One time. Your parents have missed all of your adult life. And all of Casey’s life. I don’t want them to miss this.”
    Ivy swiped the tears from her cheeks with both hands. “Kit, they’re toxic people. They are not good for us or for Casey.”
    “Maybe so, but they’re the only parents we have.”
    “They aren’t parent material. They’re not even fit to be called parents. How can you want to bring them here?”
    The light caught a spill of moisture on his cheek. Ivy drew a ragged breath.  
    “I never had parents, Ivy. My dad spawned me and that’s it. I was taking care of my mother when I was five. I need your parents, Iv. I need them. I want to try to find a way for us to be a family. Please.” He blinked. More tears spilled down his cheeks.
    “Oh, Kit.” Ivy shut her eyes. “I can’t do this. It terrifies me.”
    He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “Me too.”
    “What if it’s a really bad idea? What if they do their typical, hateful nonsense and make problems?”
    Kit sniffed. “I gave your father clear guidelines for the way I expected him to behave. I told him if he couldn’t control himself, I’d have his ass on a plane faster than he could blink.”
    Ivy gasped. “You didn’t.”
    “I did. And I meant it. But we have our side of that bargain to uphold. We have to at least be polite to them. And maybe, just maybe, we can find a way to move forward. As a family.”
    Ivy sighed. She leaned more fully against him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Okay. Okay, Kit. We’ll make this work. For you, I will do this. But I swear, if they let you down, I will have them on a plane so fast.”
    She drew back and looked up at him. “And now, about our other issue. You’re not going to do this again, right? You’re not going to make unilateral decisions for us about things that are optional.”
    “This wasn’t optional.”
    “We disagree on that. But now that I see how important it is to you, I’ll make it as important to me. But in the future—”
    “In the future, for all things that pertain to us personally, I agree we’ll make joint decisions on them. You have my word.”  
    Ivy sighed and leaned against him again. After a minute, she looked up at him and smiled. “So how was it talking to my dad, really?”
    Kit grinned. “I used one of Owen’s men to deliver the invitation. They’re coming out on Owen’s jet with a couple more men for the weekend.”
    Ivy laughed. “Oh my God. I would have loved to have been there.”
    “I talked to your dad on the phone afterwards. He and I are likely to have words. But we both made it clear that you, Casey, and your mom are to be treated like gold.”
    “Kit.” Ivy shook her head. “This will definitely be a wedding to