Davina was at her wit’s end with her youngest son and quickly pushed him away. “Halley, get down from there!”

“Oh, come on, what’s the rush? Aunt Ivy’s so pretty! I don’t think Uncle Jamison’s good enough for her,” Halley declared, grinning cheekily.

Ivy blinked, momentarily speechless.

Around the table, the rest of the Ludwigs exchanged looks—amused, exasperated, some trying to hide their laughter.

Jamison snorted. “Honestly, why do I even bother with you? Next time your dad gives you a scolding, don’t come running to me.”

Halley shot back, “I won’t go to you, Uncle. I’ll just stick with Aunt Ivy. She’s much nicer.” He winked, clearly enjoying the attention.

Jamison could only shake his head, at a loss for words.

“Halley, get down and sit properly!” Thad’s voice was stern, clearly losing patience with his youngest’s antics.

Halley looked at his father, a scowl settling across his face, but he didn’t protest.

Ivy tried to defuse the tension. “Come on, Hal, sit down before you fall and hurt yourself.”

The moment she spoke, Halley hopped off the table and obediently took his seat, flashing her a quick grin.

Jamison chuckled under his breath. “Big brother, sister-in-law, maybe you should just let me adopt Halley. He’s obviously more attached to me and my wife.”

The suggestion sent a ripple of surprise around the table.

Ivy’s eyes widened as she turned to look at him in disbelief.

This guy didn’t waste any time.

She remembered Jamison half-joking, half-serious, telling her—when she’d confided she might not be able to have children—that if it came to that, Thad could just let them adopt one of his.

But to bring it up now, in front of everyone, and without warning?

“What nonsense are you talking about? Can’t you have your own kids?” Thad shot him down immediately.

Jamison shrugged. “Having kids is a lot of work. If there’s already a perfectly good one here, why make things harder for ourselves?”

The entire Ludwig family sat in stunned silence, their expressions ranging from baffled to exasperated.

Seriously? You think having kids is too much trouble, so you just want to take someone else’s? How shameless can you be?

Adela Ludwig had finally had enough. Her expression frosted over. “Could you stop coming up with these outrageous ideas? Did you even ask Halley what he wants? Don’t just say whatever pops into your head.”

Danny chimed in as well. “Can we please just eat dinner and cut out the nonsense?” Jamison rolled his eyes and flashed a lazy smile, then picked up his fork and started eating, unbothered by the reprimands.

Micah, sitting quietly off to the side, felt like a volcano was simmering inside him. Every now and then, he’d steal a glance at Ivy, but the conversation moved so quickly, he never found a chance to join in. The bitterness in his chest was almost overwhelming.

Ivy had felt a little out of place at first. After all, she was the outsider, trying to fit into this sprawling, influential family that everyone seemed to look up to.

But Halley’s bright, mischievous energy helped her relax. His easy warmth broke the ice, and Ivy found herself exchanging a few words directly with his mother, Davina.

Jamison had shared a bit about the Foster family—how they’d built their reputation in politics, with both Davina’s father and grandfather holding high-ranking positions.

That explained why, when trouble came up for Jamison and Ivy in Westshire, the Foster family had been able to pull strings across state lines and resolve things so quickly.

Davina was in her early forties, but she was striking: graceful, well-kept, with a gentle, calm demeanor.

When Ivy glanced her way, Davina returned a soft smile.

Remembering how, during their first phone call, Davina had immediately asked if Ivy was hurt, Ivy’s fondness for her sister-in-law only deepened.

And, of course, she couldn’t help but like their clever, charming youngest son.

All in all, the meal went surprisingly well.

Jamison, with his injured back and useless left arm, quietly accepted Ivy’s help as she served him food—partly to take care of him, and partly to keep his injury hidden from the Ludwig elders.

To Thad and Adela, though, Ivy—despite her privileged upbringing—seemed genuinely attentive and caring. Their initial doubts and concerns about her started to ease.

Thanks to Jamison’s convincing act, the elders never suspected a thing about his injury, not even by the end of lunch.