Taylor Lynne: The Women of Merryton - Book Two (13 page)

I walked into a dark, still
house. I wondered if I should go in and talk to her, or if it would be better
for us both to sleep on it. I didn’t like feeling unsure about what to do, so I
decided to head to my room. Cooler heads would hopefully prevail in the
morning.

I lay in bed thinking
about how fast my life was changing and how I couldn’t stop it. I felt out of
control, but not completely horrible about it. That looser knot in my chest was
helping the situation. I had to confess it was kind of a nice feeling to know I
might have someone to share the wonderful burden of parenting with. I couldn’t completely
count on Easton because I was afraid he would let me down. I wasn’t jumping on
that train, but who knew, maybe once in a while it could be good.

I felt like I was barely
asleep when my daughter woke me up. I hadn’t been woken up in the middle of the
night in forever. She didn’t say anything, but I knew she was in my room.

“Are you sick, darlin’?”

She didn’t answer;
instead she crawled into bed with me. I had been sleeping in the middle of my
bed for many years now—it seemed less lonely that way. I don’t even know why I
owned a king size bed. It seemed wasted, but Grams used to say you only need
two things in life: a king size bed and a television. I’m not sure why, but I
never argued with Grams’ logic.

I touched her cheek as we
lay facing each other. “What’s wrong, honey?”

“I’m sorry I yelled at
you, Momma.”

I smiled. “I guess it was
bound to happen eventually. I’m sorry I panicked and honked my horn at you. I didn’t
know what to do.”

“Honestly, it’s okay. I
was kind of glad in a way …”

“Why?”

She put her head in the
pillow embarrassed. “I don’t know. It was kind of slimy. Is that normal?” I
barely heard her as she talked into the pillow.

I rubbed her back and
tried not to laugh as I thought back to what kissing was like. It had been a
while. Too long, in fact. “Well … every guy is different; maybe he was nervous.”
I tried to make her feel better about it. It’s not like I liked thinking about
her kissing, but kissing is one of the greatest things ever invented, and I
didn’t want her to miss out on it. I just didn’t want to see her do it.

She turned my way. “So
it’s not normal?”

“Not really.”

“I thought my first kiss
was going to be this magical thing, you know, leg popping, sighing, tingles,
but it wasn’t. And I didn’t expect him to put his tongue in my mouth the first
time.”

I tried not to cringe.
“Well, in my experience, if you don’t feel any of those things when you kiss,
it’s probably not a good match.”

“Did you feel that way
when you kissed Dad for the first time?”

I wasn’t expecting this
turn in the conversation. We rarely discussed my relationship with her dad. But
the answer was easy. “In double doses.”

She smiled wide. “How
long did he wait to kiss you?”

“Not long at all. I think
it was the second day I knew him.”

“Momma,” she laughed.

“I know … but we kind of
knew.”

“Knew what?”

I closed my eyes for a
moment. What did we know? We were young and foolish, but it was all so real.
“We knew we should be together.”

Her smile faltered. “Then
why didn’t you stay together?”

I could feel the tears
pooling in my eyes. “Because I was too afraid to tell him what I needed and he
was a horrible mind reader.” And just like that, the tears rolled down my cheek.
I wiped them away.

“Do you ever wish … you
know?”

“Yes, but we both made choices
and it doesn’t do well to dwell on the past, darlin’. Remember that.” I sat up
and got out of bed. I went over to my jewelry box and pulled out my wedding
ring. It was only a simple gold band, but I loved it. The inside was engraved
with the title from our song,
Let’s Stay Together
. I cradled the ring in
my hand and crawled back into bed. I handed it carefully to my daughter. “I
meant to give this to you someday, and now seems like a good time.”

She took the gold band
from me.

I could see the quizzical
look in her eye.

“It’s my wedding ring.”

“There’s no diamond.”

“No. When we got married,
we didn’t even have rings. Your dad gave this to me on our first wedding
anniversary.”

“Were you disappointed
you didn’t get a diamond ring?”

I shook my head no. “It
was all we could afford at the time and it came from your dad’s heart.” I
remember proudly showing it off at work, but everyone thought I was crazy for
being so excited over a tiny gold band with no diamond. I didn’t care. Easton
promised me a big diamond once he was finally settled in a practice. I expected
one our first anniversary after we moved here, but I barely saw him that day. I
had to remind him it was our anniversary. I never really cared about the
diamond; I only wanted to feel like he loved me and I meant something to him.

“Can I wear this?” she
asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. I was grateful for the interruption.

“It’s yours now, you can
do whatever you want with it, but please don’t lose it.” I don’t know why I
would care one way or the other, but I did. I watched her slip it on her ring
finger on her right hand. It looked like a perfect fit.

We lay there, pillow
talking for a bit longer until she drifted off to sleep. My mind was too full of
memories to find sleep right away. I stared at my lovely daughter and tried to
remember not to dwell on the past, and especially the what-ifs. Unfortunately,
I found I wanted to. I found myself thinking about the non-slimy kisses shared
between Easton and myself and how he always tasted like apples and cinnamon for
some reason, and how there was a time I couldn’t get enough of him and how much
I had yearned for him when I felt him slipping away.

I felt the knot in my
chest tighten.

The Jessie Belle vs. Riley
Insurance game was the biggest and most talked about game of the season. Who
knew city baseball leagues could be so full of intrigue and angst? I showed up
with the girls thirty minutes before the game started and the stands were
already packed. I guess Easton and I were dividing custody on Saturdays, including
Emmy, too. I had the privilege of taking her and Ashley to get their hair done.
Cheyenne had convinced me to give her a try. I was a little wary, because she
seemed … what was a good word for her? Careless, perhaps? But everyone around
here raved about her, so we took a chance and it worked out beautifully. Both
girls looked terrific. Emmy finally got manageable bangs and a shoulder length
cut—I hoped her dad would be okay with it, because she looked super cute, but a
lot of hair had hit the floor—and Ashley got long layers. She looked way too
old and beautiful for my own good. The girls looked so good, I let Cheyenne
convince me to make myself an appointment with her the following week. My main
reason for not wanting to schedule an appointment with her was because once you
chose a stylist, it was like you were saying,
I’m making this place my home
.
At least for women. I don’t think men care about those kind of things.

Easton was waiting for us
near the stands, he wanted to kiss his girls for luck. In parting, I got a
smile and a wink as he strode off toward the dugout and a million thanks for
taking care of the girl’s feminine needs. He loved Emmy’s hair. I watched him
for a brief second as he walked off. Baseball pants … there was something about
them.

Jessie and her crew,
which I guess might now be considered mine, were saving us seats midway up the
stands. I still felt like the new kid and like everyone was staring at me. I
knew being “friendly” with my ex and always having his daughter with me didn’t
help, but I found I liked it best when Emmy was with Ashley and me. It felt
more complete, like I had been missing her. For my mental health, I had to push
how she got there in the first place out of my mind.

As soon as we sat down, I
found myself handing over cash to the girls and they were off again to buy
things I didn’t approve of. I turned back toward the other ladies and got the
skinny on who I should hate and why. Jessie pointed out Veronica Riley, Landon
Riley’s psychotic wife, and their son. But, of course, they liked Landon Junior,
who looked to be about five or six years old. He was a handsome little guy.
Then they pointed out Landon on the field and I could see where his little guy
got his looks. I thought I could remember Landon as a teenager. I had a brief
memory of being at his dad’s insurance agency when he was there. They didn’t
even need to tell me Veronica was off her rocker, I could see it in her eyes
and in the way she kept staring at Jessie Belle. I almost felt protective of
her, like I should go down and tell Veronica to keep her eyes to herself. Geez,
I was getting old. My thought patterns now sounded like Grams. I also noticed
Landon staring more than he should—for a married man—at Jessie. What a creep. I
had no respect for married men that didn’t act married, obviously. Though I was
softening toward my ex, in a friendship sort of way.

“So, we all saw the way
the good doctor winked and smiled at his ex-wife,” I heard Cheyenne say behind
me.

Just as I was starting to
warm up to her. I turned around and smiled warily at the three younger women
who were all looking at me with interest. “And which ex-wife would that be?” He
did have more than one, after all.

They all shook their
heads at me, but it was Cheyenne that had to get her two cents in first.
“Please tell me Kathryn isn’t here. No one can stand her.”

Abby and Jessie nodded to
emphasize the point.

I had promised myself not
to ask about Kathryn, but as she kept coming up, I thought, what the heck. I
mean, I already hated her. Only it needed to be quick, before my sweet Emmy
came back.

“So … what’s the deal
with Kathryn?” I whispered.

They all looked like they
wanted to chime in, but Jessie leaned down close to me. “She was beyond terrible.
She treated Easton, and even poor Emmy, like they were beneath her. She hardly paid
attention to her own daughter. But boy did she love to throw around that she
was the wife of a doctor.”

The thought made me sick.
Was that why Emmy was so sullen and withdrawn? I even felt bad for Easton.
Maybe it was a bad idea to ask. Hate for Kathryn was erupting like a volcano. I
had to turn and face forward. How did life get so screwed up? And why did
Easton choose her over me?

I was more than grateful
when the girls returned. I was in such a mood I almost snatched Ashley’s candy
bar out of her hand and ate it, but I refrained. I needed to know these people
better before I could let loose like that. I rarely ate junk food, and when I
did, I didn’t need everyone around in shock about it. Instead, I turned my
attention to the game. Right away I knew it was going to get ugly. The
testosterone was heavy in the air.

It was practically a
blood bath from beginning to end. It was made worse by the fact that the
umpires heavily favored Riley Insurance’s team. I was informed they had all
gone to school with Jessie’s crew and Landon, but they were Landon’s buddies,
which didn’t seem very fair. It wasn’t like I was emotionally invested in this
whole baseball league, but it didn’t take long for me to wish the whole Riley
team to the fiery pits of hell. I don’t even think they knew what good
sportsmanship was. It was like they were in the Hunger Games.

“I thought Brett and
Derek were banned from umping games between our teams,” Abby asked Jessie.

“I thought so, too.
Landon must have worked some of his sleazy magic. Believe me, I will be taking
this to the league board. This won’t be an issue again,” Jessie snarled.

In the fifth inning, that
creep Landon Riley threw a pitch that hit Easton in the side. I involuntarily
stood up and gasped as I watched Easton drop and bend over in pain.

Emmy and Ashley both
stood up as well.

I quickly realized I had garnered
a lot of attention with my show of emotion. I sat down uncomfortably, amidst
the stares of many around me. Along with the staring came some pretty cheeky
smiles.

I wanted to say, “It’s
not what you think.” Instead, I watched and held Emmy’s hand as Shane, Abby’s
husband and fellow doctor, took a look at Easton. I was also amused at the
shouts coming behind me from the butt inspector. Cheyenne had some choice words
for Landon, which set Landon’s wife, Veronica, off. She was sitting several
rows a head of us and to the left, but her voice carried well. Let’s just say
she was classless. I covered Emmy’s ears and Ashley grinned at my attempt to
shield Emmy.

I almost left. I think
three-year-olds behaved better. But then Easton looked up to where his daughters
and I sat. He gave us his best smile before he turned and faced Landon. Easton
stared him down as he took his walk to first base. If you’re hit by the ball,
you’re automatically awarded first base.   

The game was back and
forth and back and forth each inning. I will at least say Jessie Belle’s team
tried to keep it on the up and up, despite the dirty way the opposing side was
playing and the unfairness of the umpires. In the end, good did not triumph
over evil. Riley Insurance won by two measly points. Final score: eleven to
nine.

I was even less impressed
with Riley Insurance’s fans. The jeering and name calling was beyond
inappropriate. I decided if they ever played this team again, I would be
staying home. I wished I had taken Rachel’s advice the night before and skipped
this game. She warned me of the ridiculousness, but I thought she was a little
biased because she really disliked the sport in general. I guess you live and you
learn.

Our side was glum, but a
bright spot, at least for me, was Maddie turning to Jessie and saying, “Sorry,
Mom, we’ll get them in the championship.”

I loved watching Jessie’s
eyes light up at the term of endearment. I knew Maddie had been calling her
that since Mother’s Day, but it did my heart good to hear it. I remember the
message I received from Jessie about that first time. The happiness seemed to
leap off the screen when I read it last month. There really was nothing better
than being called Mom.

I walked down with the
girls and met Easton on the field. I think every guy on the team was sporting
some sort of injury. Easton was walking uncomfortably, and I’m sure he had a
nice bruise under his jersey.

As both girls approached
their dad, he warned them right away. “Hugs only on the right side, ladies.”

Both Ashley and Emmy
cautiously hugged their dad.

“Sorry you lost, Dad,”
Ashley started out with. “Those guys were complete jerks.”

I nodded in agreement.
Emmy nodded her head, too.

Easton looked my way and
grinned. “I guess I deserve ice cream then. You in, Taylor?”

The girls looked at me, letting
me know what they expected my answer to be.

I rolled my eyes. “Sure.
My treat.”

Easton’s eyes lit up
while the girls smiled.

We all walked toward the
parking lot together amidst the stares of those around us. I think I even
caught Jessie winking at me as she held Blake close to her. It was nothing—I just
didn’t want to be the bad guy. This was for the girls, nothing more.

“Where are we going?” I
asked Easton before we parted to our separate vehicles.

“Do you remember
Kaleidoscoops on Townsend?”

“I do,” I said with a
smile. We had taken Ashley there on her first birthday. It was the first time
she had ever tasted ice cream. The look on her face was priceless. It was like
pure magic; she couldn’t get enough. She wanted bite after bite. Easton and I
laughed and laughed. Those were precious memories, and some light during a very
dark time for me. Her first birthday was one of those rare moments I felt happy
here.

Easton pulled me out of
my memory. “See you there.”

I nodded my head as
confirmation and to try to get him out of my mind.

I really did need to
contact the people that made up that very misleading brochure about moving back
to the same town as your ex.

Emmy ended up coming with
me and Ashley went with her dad. I guess Emmy needed a woman and Ashley really
loved having her dad around.

As we drove over, I kept
glancing at Emmy, who kept running her fingers through her hair. “Do you like
your haircut, darlin’?

She smiled wide, well at
least wide for her, and nodded.

“Well, I think you are
the prettiest nine-year-old I know.”

“You have to say that
because your Ashley’s mom.”

I was not only shocked by
her full sentence, but by the fact she didn’t believe me. At the next red stoplight,
I turned to her. “Emmy, look at me honey.”

She turned her sweet
little face my way.

“You listen to me. You
are a very beautiful girl.” I tapped her nose.

She gave me a quick, small
smile. “Sometimes other girls make fun of me at school,” she admitted.

I had to start driving
again, so unfortunately I couldn’t look at her. “Why would they do that?”

She took a moment to
answer, like she was embarrassed. “Because my hair is always messy and …” She
hesitated. “I have really hairy legs.”

“Oh, honey, little girls
are supposed to have hair on their legs, and Ashley and I will help you with
your hair.”

“Some girls in my class shave
their legs, or they don’t have hairy legs like me. And you and Ashley don’t
live with me.”

I was in awe by how much
she was talking and opening up to me. “Have you talked to your dad about
shaving?”

She shook her head no.

“Do you want me to?” I
hated volunteering for the job, but I couldn’t imagine it would be easy to talk
to your dad about such things. I would have never talked to my dad, but that’s
because he was never any help.

She nodded.

Of course she did. “I’ll talk
to him.” I reached over and squeezed her hand. “And maybe we can teach him how
to do your hair,” I teased her.

She giggled a little.

“How about I teach
you
how to do your hair?”

She smiled for real this
time. I took that as a yes.

Going for ice cream was a
pleasant affair. I didn’t order any, but I did take a bite of Ashley’s mint
chocolate chip. Easton made fun of me for not ordering ice cream, and since I
was paying he ordered the largest sundae they had.

“You’re going to make
yourself sick eating that whole thing,” I said to him as he made his way
through the monster sundae.

He pushed the triple-chocolate
sundae my way from where he sat across from me with our girl (his girl was by
me). “Save me from myself and have some.”

I smiled and pushed it back
toward him.

“Come on. One bite isn’t
going to ruin your reputation,” he goaded me. He scooped up a large bite and
held it out for me.