Taylor Lynne: The Women of Merryton - Book Two (15 page)

I shrugged my shoulders.
“It just didn’t seem right.”

“That’s been my life
story for a long time now.”

It was moments like these
that I wanted to be apathetic and indifferent. I wanted to feel vindicated, but
I could only feel sympathy and some other things I didn’t want to admit. My
ex-husband looked way too good in his light blue, button-down shirt and
well-fitting jeans. He had distinguished perfected. There were too many things
about him that reminded me of why I fell in love with him in the first place,
like his sincerity.

I didn’t have the courage
to comfort him; instead I took the ex-wife route. “Well, I’ll see you later for
dinner.”

“Is it all right if
Ashley comes home with me?” he asked.

I tried to hide my
disappointment as I looked at both girls smiling at me. “Sure.”

Easton smiled, too.
“Great. We’ll see you soon. Feel free to bring your bathing suit. It’s supposed
to be nice tonight. We could all swim,” he suggested.

That was definitely not
in the brochure. I averted my eyes away from the girls. I was not being roped
into that activity. “I’ll watch or bring a book.”

Easton grinned. “Suit
yourself.”

“I will.” I turned toward
the girls. “See you ladies later.”

Easton opened my car door
for me. He was always good at that. Even if it was pouring rain or snowing, he
had always held my door open when we were married.

“Thank you.”

He leaned in. “My
pleasure. See you soon.”

There was that electricity
between us. I wished there wasn’t, but I could feel it. It was almost as if we
were magnets that were drawn to each other. It had been that way since day one.
I remembered when I felt it slipping away toward the end of our marriage. I
felt like a part of me had been severed. I thought I would never feel that way
toward him again, but the pull was back. I needed it to go away. I reminded
myself that he didn’t come after me fourteen years ago. That seemed to do the
trick. I jumped into my car and blasted the music.

Not even Otis Redding
could soothe me.

I rushed home in need of
someone to talk to. Grams and Harry were always on top of the list. Either one
would do.

A gruff, but lovable
voice answered the phone. “I was wondering when we would be hearing from you
today,” Harry started.

“I was calling to say
hi.”

“Is that all?” he asked.

They knew me too well.

I sank into the overstuffed
chair in my living room. “Life is interesting,” I sighed.

“Easton giving you a run
for your money over there?” His signature deep rumble of a laugh came through
the phone loud and clear.

“Something like that. He’s
managed to push himself right back into my life.”

“It’s about damn time.” Harry
was a rough and tumble kind of guy, but he was the best man I’d ever known.

“He needs to be in
Ashley’s life, not mine.”

“Isn’t Ashley your life?”

“Yes, well—”

“You should get used to
it then,” he interrupted.

“Where’s Grams?” I asked
somewhat teasingly. I wasn’t looking for no-nonsense advice that made sense.
Though she might have said the same thing, she would have at least massaged her
reply.

“Taylor Lynne,” he said
more gently.

Anytime he used Lynne it
was with softer tones. Lynne was my mother’s middle name as well. I knew
neither he nor Grams had ever gotten over losing her. First to my father and
then to death. They never truly reconciled with her before her death and I knew
that haunted them. They didn’t even come to her funeral. A choice I believe
they now deeply regretted. I knew they didn’t want me to carry around similar
demons.

“You know I have little
respect for a man that leaves his wife and child, but I do respect a man that
owns up and tries to fix it,” he continued.

“I’ll give him that. He
is trying to make amends with Ashley.”

“And what about with
you?”

I thought for a moment.
“I think we both regret past choices.”

“No sense in looking
back. The past has no business in your future. This time around, don’t let your
head get in the way.”

“I’m not following you.”
I was confused about that last part.

“That’s because you use
your head too much, kid.”

“If you say so. I better
go. I love you, Harry.”

“Same, kid,” he returned
in all his gruffness. That was his way. He’d never once said he loved me, but I’d
never doubted that he did. The only person he admitted his love for was Ashley.
Not even Grams got an “I love you,” at least not in company. I had a feeling
she made him say it in private.

I hung up not really
feeling any better about the day’s events. But maybe Harry was right; I was
always over thinking things. I would have to learn how to control my hormones
around Easton, if that was even possible. For Ashley’s sake I had to learn how
to be the kind of ex-wife that could co-parent well. I would leave my
attraction to him out of the equation.

With that thought in mind,
I picked up the latest nutrition book I had purchased and perused it while I
waited to leave for dinner.

When five o’clock rolled
around, I reluctantly made my way to Easton’s. I wasn’t particularly fond of
his cooking, and I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing him in swim trunks.
I had a feeling the hormones were going to be in hyperdrive. I brought my book
along as a distraction, but knew deep down it wasn’t going to help much.

I arrived to a note on
the front door that said to come on back. It felt different to open his door
without knocking. I didn’t want easy access.

I entered uneasily and
looked around. This time I took a little more time to look. Curiosity got the
better of me. I didn’t see the Easton I knew living in such a place. His house
screamed affluence, from the art on the walls to the pricey furniture. It
looked more like a museum than a home. I knew Easton did well for himself, but
his nature wasn’t one to show it off. Take for instance the truck he drove, it
had to be at least five years old. It was nice, but nothing over the top. It
suited him, or at least what I remembered of him. Fourteen years was a long
time.

I glanced in his den near
the front door, and two things caught my eye. On his desk sat the clay
impressions I had made of Ashley’s feet and hands when she was one. In addition,
there were two photo albums open. Against my better judgment, I crept into his
den. I stood there with my hand over my mouth staring at the photo albums that
documented our life as a married couple and parents. I had always kicked myself
for not taking them with me when I left. I figured they were long gone, like
our marriage and family.

I longed to peruse them,
but left them untouched. The opened pages revealed pictures of the day he
graduated from medical school. He had picked me up and kissed me fervently in
his cap and gown. Grams caught that moment and the moment after, when we gazed
into each other’s eyes. We both looked ridiculously happy. I still remember
that feeling of elation. The second book showed several shots of me with Ashley
right after she was born. I didn’t look my finest, but I never looked happier
or more content than holding her wrinkled body against my chest.

My favorite picture of
all time was of the three of us. Ashley was lying sweetly on my chest and Easton
was kissing her head while I looked down adoringly. My hand moved from my mouth
to my eyes to remove the tears that had escaped. Maybe it was a good thing I
didn’t own the photo albums anymore. I would have only tortured myself with
them over the years. I wondered if he would at least let me make copies of the
ones of only Ashley. I wasn’t sure how to ask him—I didn’t want to own up that
I had been spying.

I took some cleansing
breaths and composed myself before I headed to his backyard. I wasn’t expecting
the trip down memory lane. I wondered how often he took that trip himself.

I walked out to find a
fully set patio table, food included. Easton and the girls were in the pool
having a grand time. I wasn’t surprised. Easton, for most of our marriage, had
been a work hard, play hard kind of a guy. I remembered several occasions where
we both had finished several grueling days in a row and I wanted nothing more
than to rest, but he would whisk me away and drive us the four hours down to
the beach. Sometimes we could only stay for a couple of hours before heading
back, but we made the most of it. And then there were the no getting out of bed
days.

I had to stop thinking
about the past. Harry was right. We couldn’t go back, and it killed me to
remember how close we used to be. To remember those last two years, where he
only worked hard and then harder. When somehow we lost it all.

It didn’t take long before
they noticed me. Easton was the first to look my way. The girls both smiled and
waved. Easton smiled genuinely while making his way out of the pool. I wanted
to avert my eyes. My previous thought about being in bed with him, coupled with
his lack of clothing weren’t helping anything. He didn’t have the exact hard
body I remembered, but close enough. So maybe his stomach wasn’t as flat and
sculpted as it used to be, but for forty-five he looked fantastic. I stared at
him as he toweled off. The memories of me running my hand across the hair on
his chest came rushing back. How many nights had that chest been my pillow of
choice? My body began to heat up. This was ridiculous and needed to stop. I was
suing the company that made that inaccurate brochure.

I turned awkwardly toward
the table when Easton caught me staring at him. His grin asked if I liked what
I saw. I knew that smile well and could still read it. I hoped he was far
enough away that he couldn’t see me blush. I’m not sure if twenty feet could
hide my reaction to him. My guess was it couldn’t, so I took a seat at the
table and took a long drink of the ice water in front of me. I hated that he
could still get to me, and worse, that he knew it.

He joined me at the table—shirtless—with
a mischievous grin.

“That’s quite the bruise
you’re sporting there.” I hoped this way he would think I was only staring at
him because he was injured, not because I was still attracted to him.

He looked down at his
multi-colored side. “No pain, no gain, right?”

I nodded slightly.

“Are you sure you don’t
want to swim? I’m sure I could find an old swimsuit of Kath—”

I arched my eyebrow at
the sound of her name. I would never be caught dead in anything she used to
own. I think he could feel the wrath from my eyes.

He cleared his throat.
“Maybe next time,” he said in haste to cover his misstep.

That was never happening.
I looked over at the girls and watched as Ashley tried to help Emmy learn how
to serve a volleyball. “I see you added a net to the pool,” I commented.

Easton looked at his
daughters. “Ashley asked for some help, and I don’t really have a lot of yard
space so I thought the pool might work.”

“That was kind of you.”

He looked back my way. I
could tell he was a tad irritated. “It’s what dads do. It’s out of love, not
kindness.”

I sat up straighter at
his rebuke. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to this.”

His features softened.
“Don’t apologize. I’m to blame. I know I should have made more of an effort
over the years. This shouldn’t be a surprise to you. But you know I love her,
right? That I always have. That not a day went by that I didn’t think about
her.” He almost sounded like he was pleading.

I looked between the love
of my life and the old love of my life. “I know, Easton.”

He smiled in relief. “I
noticed our daughter was wearing some new jewelry today.”

I tucked my hair behind
my ear. “I figured she should have it.”

“I’m surprised you kept
it.”

He didn’t know me as well
as he thought then. I shrugged my shoulders.

“You know, I’m sorry I
never got you that diamond ring I always promised you.”

I waved my hand. “It’s
neither here nor there.”

His shoulders dropped.
“It did matter. I’m realizing now how many promises I made to you and didn’t
keep. Why didn’t you call me on it back then?”

“That would have taken
all the romance out of it. And it was only a thing.”

He leaned forward across
the round patio table. “I wish you would have told me how you really felt,” he
said in hushed tones.

I leaned forward too. “It
seemed so obvious, and I accused you of cheating on me. I don’t know how much
clearer I could have said things weren’t going well.”

He sat back and blew out
a long breath. “It seems so obvious now.”

“What’s done is done. No
sense dwelling on it.” If only I could take my own advice.

“Easier said than done,”
he responded.

I felt the exact same
way. I decided we needed to change the subject. The girls apparently weren’t
getting out of the pool anytime soon. I hated interrupting them. Emmy actually
looked happy as I watched Ashley try to teach her how to do an overhand serve.
Emmy looked about as athletic as me, which wasn’t saying much. Ashley got her
athleticism from her dad.

“Did you know Joey is getting
married?” I asked Easton.

For a split second he
acted disappointed we changed the subject, but he smiled. “Caden told me. I
can’t believe we have a nephew old enough to get married.”

I’m glad he still felt
like Joey was my nephew. No matter my divorced status, I still considered those
boys my family.

“Do you remember when you
took me to meet them and Joey did everything you did? If you held my hand, he
held my hand. If you put your arm around me, so did he, though he had to
practically stand up on the couch to do so.”

Easton chuckled. “I do
remember. I had to tell him he couldn’t sleep with us that night. I felt bad I
made the poor kid cry, but a man can only share so much of his wife.”

I felt myself blush
again. I used to love it when he called me his wife. “I hope whoever he’s
marrying makes him happy. And what about Trent getting into Northwestern?”

Easton looked at me
thoughtfully. “You know, the first time I saw you hold Trent made me change my
mind about waiting until I was settled in a practice to start our family. You
were a natural. You looked perfect with a baby in your arms.”

He was thwarting my every
attempt to direct us away from these uncomfortable, yet beautiful memories that
made me ache more than he could possibly know. I thought back to how happy I
was when he changed his mind. I didn’t really want to wait until he was
settled, but I knew it was wise to wait, so I agreed we should hold off. But
once he changed his mind, I tossed my birth control pills in the trash and
never looked back. We didn’t get pregnant right away, but we had fun trying.
Again, I needed to quit thinking about it.

I didn’t respond. I hoped
I was giving off let’s change the subject vibes. He did change the subject, but
it was only making me hurt worse.