Wicked Places (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 4) by Lily Harper Hart Page A

caught her attention near the base of the rock, the soft dirt there upturned and showing off a rather large paw print.
    Jack moved to Ivy’s side when he saw her kneel. “What are you looking at?”
    “I’m not sure,” Ivy answered. “It looks like an animal print.”
    “What kind of animal? If it’s a bear, we’re out of here. I’m manly, but I can’t take on a bear.”
    “You just told me that you could take on the dogman,” Ivy reminded him. “A bear should be nothing compared to the dogman.”
    “Yes, but if I tell you I can take on Santa Claus, that doesn’t mean I can take on all men in red suits, does it?” Jack countered. “The dogman isn’t real.”
    “You don’t know that,” Ivy challenged.
    “Are you saying you believe in Bigfoot?” Jack cocked a dubious eyebrow.
    “I’m saying that there are a lot of things out there we don’t know about,” Ivy clarified. “I didn’t believe in dream walking before we did it either.”
    “You have a point,” Jack said, sighing.
    For months – including long before they declared themselves a couple – Jack and Ivy shared nightly interludes in their sleep. Neither one of them mentioned it, initially believing they were the only ones having the dreams. Once they realized they were actually experiencing the dreams together, things took an interesting turn.
    While Jack’s dreams were plagued with memories of his former partner shooting him and leaving him for dead on a Detroit street, Ivy’s appearance eased that problem and he rarely revisited that particular nightmare. Ivy could control their destinations, and she preferred sandy beaches and fruity cocktails to grim and dirty urban settings.
    They didn’t dream walk every night, even though that was the case in the beginning. Jack was convinced their subconscious minds didn’t need to cling to each other in sleep because their physical bodies were together in the same bed every night. He still enjoyed their dream manifestations, but sometimes it was nice to know he was alone when his mind worked out the events of the day.
    “You’ve also seen a spirit jump from one body to another – and manage to control it,” Ivy reminded him. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t think that was possible either.”
    “I get it, Ivy,” Jack said. “I didn’t mean to cast aspersions on Bigfoot. It’s just … that’s one of those things you see on television and discard because it’s so surreal.”
    “I’m not saying I believe in Bigfoot, Jack,” Ivy said, dusting her hands off on her knees as she straightened. “I’m just saying that’s not a bear track.”
    “Okay, I’ll play. What do you think it is?” Jack asked.
    Ivy shrugged. She didn’t have an answer.
    “Could it be a wolf?” Jack pressed, leaning over so he could get a look at the print. “It’s big, don’t get me wrong, but it still looks like a dog print to me.”
    “That’s about twice the size of a dog print,” Ivy said. “I guess it’s not out of the realm of possibility that it’s a wolf. They have reintroduced some in the Upper Peninsula. I’ve never heard of one around here, though.”
    “What about a coyote?”
    “A coyote is smaller,” Ivy replied. “They’re also scavengers. They’re more likely to go through your garbage – or grab your poodle from the yard – than hang out in this area.”
    “You just want it to be the dogman,” Jack said, his face splitting into a grin. “Admit it.”
    “From a purely scientific approach, I would love to see the dogman,” Ivy confirmed. “I don’t really believe in the dogman, though. Although … I don’t know. Maybe I believe in the dogman. I honestly have no idea.”
    “I love how cute you are when you get scientific,” Jack said, slinging an arm over Ivy’s shoulders and pulling her close. “I don’t know what to tell you, honey. Other than this print – and I’m not sure what we’re really looking at here – there’s nothing in this clearing. Are