Taylor Lynne: The Women of Merryton - Book Two (5 page)

“I’ll go with you,” he
offered once again.

I shook my head no. I
wasn’t sure when I could bring myself to go over there. And I wasn’t really
sure where “there” was anymore. Last I heard, he had lost the house. That was
fine with me. I had no desire to ever see that place on the outskirts of town again.

Easton reiterated his
prognosis of my father’s health.

“I know,” I said. “This
is just …. Anyway, I know.”

He touched my arm. “I’m
here for you if you need it”

I wanted to roll my eyes
and tell him I would never in a million years rely on him again, but I didn’t
want to give the women’s group too much to gossip about. I bit my tongue and turned
away to continue toward Sunday school. I could tell he was frustrated with my
reaction when we sat down. I could tell, too, that he wanted to say something
to me about it. But honestly, what could he say? His track record stunk for
being there for me.

It didn’t take long
before someone else grabbed his attention. Some woman who looked like she was
on the prowl sat down on his other side and practically purred at him. She
looked like she was dressed for the club, not church. I honestly wasn’t
surprised. A handsome, single doctor was a woman magnet. It was kind of fun to
watch my ex-husband squirm a little. That was, it was funny until I got dragged
into it.

“Amy, let me introduce
you to my daughter Ashley’s mother, Taylor Cole.”

It was the first time he
had used my last name. I had a feeling he did it on purpose. I also noticed he
still wouldn’t say ex-wife. I wondered if he called Kathryn “Emmy’s mom.”

She reluctantly held out
her hand across Easton and surveyed me very closely.

I smiled brightly as I shook
her limp hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. Aly was it?”

“No, it’s Amy.”

“My mistake,” I said,
sweetly.

That did the trick. She
moved several rows back from us.

Easton chuckled low in my
ear. “Thank you,” he whispered.

I did it for my own
selfish reasons. While I loved seeing Easton squirm, I had no desire to see
women hit on my ex-husband.

I looked around and
noticed the many eyes on us. We looked too cozy next to each other, especially
since Easton had his arm draped across the back of my hard plastic chair. His
arm wasn’t around me, but it gave the wrong impression. There would definitely
be talk. I did my best to shift away from him.

After Sunday school, I
was approached by Gloria Ryan, Jessie’s mom. She ran the women’s group. To say
she was eager to talk to me was a vast understatement. She kept looking between
Easton and me with great curiosity.

She grabbed my arm. “I
heard you filled the position of clinical nutritionist at the hospital. Davis,
though retired, is still in the loop on everything that happens at the
hospital.”

I remembered that her
husband had been the chief of staff there. “That is correct,” I replied.

“Perfect, dear. You will
have to come and teach a class for us one evening, and of course we would be
happy for you to join the women’s group.”

I was uncomfortable with
that thought. I wasn’t sure I wanted to open myself up to anyone, or worse,
have them piece together my family history. Frank had given this town plenty to
gossip about. I knew it was going to happen no matter what I did, but I was
hoping to ease into it. Besides, being Easton’s ex-wife was already going to be
a hot topic of conversation.

I smiled at the elegant
Gloria Ryan, who was beautiful, like her daughter, and still waiting for an
answer. “I’m going to have to see how my work load is and Ashley’s schedule.” I
hoped that would deter her.

No luck. She smiled
sweetly. “I’ll call you later to discuss.”

Oh, this town
.
Gloria left me and I found that Easton had waited for me. I shook my head and
he grinned. He really was annoying. Extremely handsome in his shirt, tie, and
jeans, but really annoying.

He stood up and took his
un-rightful place by my side. “Hey, I was thinking that we should do Sunday
dinners together. You know, for the girls.”

I looked at him like he
had lost his ever living mind. I’m sure my eyes bugged out of my head.

“Emmy needs family right
now, and I want the girls to have traditions together,” he explained.

I pulled Easton over to
the side so we wouldn’t be overheard. “I agree that the girls should get to
know each other and make memories and do all the things sisters do.” I pointed
between the two of us. “But we are not some happy little family.”

Easton inched forward and
leaned in. It made me freeze in place and hold my breath. I hadn’t been this
close to him in ages, and my body reacted in a way it hadn’t felt in years. Apparently
there was still electricity between us. I wondered if he felt it too.

 “You’ve been more of a
mother to Emmy these past few days than her own mother’s been to her in the
last few years,” he said in my ear. “I know I don’t deserve to ask this of you,
but Emmy needs your help.”

He stepped back, and for
a moment I stared into his pleading brown eyes. I didn’t sign up for this. I
wasn’t strong enough to do this. All I could do was walk toward the door.

He followed after me. “So
your place or mine?”

The brochure about how to
live in the same town with your ex-husband was false advertisement to the very
core. I expected us to remain apathetic, as the brochure had promised. Easton
had different plans; he must have picked up the wrong brochure. His brochure
read that we should spend as much time together as possible and that you should
guilt your ex-wife into it by using your children.

Ashley and Emmy both
thought Sunday dinners were a terrific idea. I disagreed, but I was once again
made to feel like the bad guy when I resisted the idea. I ended up being
guilted into it by my daughter, who thought I was behaving selfishly and
ruining it for everyone else. I wasn’t trying to be selfish. I was trying to be
self-preserving. Being around Easton killed me. Ashley had no idea what it was
like to be in love with the same man for half of your life while not being able
to be with him. And worse, hating him for hurting me and watching him move on
with someone else; and hating him because I still loved him. I couldn’t tell
her all of that. That secret was only shared with the dead.

That night I found myself
at my ex-husband’s enormous house on the south side of town. I’ll admit I was a
tad jealous when Ashley and I pulled up. Easton and I used to talk about our
dream house often. It looked nothing like the home in front of me. Our home was
going to look like a farmhouse, complete with a wraparound porch. The interior
was going to have wood clad ceilings, walls, and floors. We were going to raise
our babies there and live happily ever after. Once again, I got the wrong
brochure. Instead of the “happily ever after” brochure, I should have chosen
the “this is real life” brochure.

I knew life wasn’t a
fairytale, my childhood had taught me that. I knew marriage wasn’t a fairytale.
Marriage was hard, especially being married to a med student and then a doctor.
I knew Easton wasn’t Prince Charming, even though at times I thought he came
pretty close, but I never dreamed we would have ended up living separate lives.
I never would have imagined him cheating on me. But who does?

I wanted to stay in the
car. I didn’t want to see inside Easton’s home or peek into his life without
me. But Ashley wouldn’t let me, so I proceeded onward with a mixed green salad
tossed with a citrus vinaigrette in hand. I took note of everything as we
walked toward the house. For starters, the landscaping was xeriscape style.
While it had its own beauty and environmental benefits, it was not my style. I
loved green grass, colorful flowers, and large shade trees. I was a southern
girl at heart. The home’s exterior was adobe, which I wasn’t a huge fan of
either. But really, did it matter? I kept telling myself to knock it off. We
had lived apart for many years. He moved on and so should I.

We knocked on the mission
style door and were greeted by a smiling Easton. He looked too pleased to see
us. He invited us into his expansive home. He was warm, but the house seemed
cold and uninviting. Everywhere I looked it was dark, whether it was the
furniture or the tiled floor that covered what looked like the entire first
floor. The best word I could use to describe it was “sterile.” It didn’t remind
me of Easton at all, at least not the Easton I used to know.

Easton was grilling and showed
us to his backyard where Emmy was waiting for us on the patio. Her normally
sullen demeanor lit up when she saw us. She sat on a patio chair in a coral
bathing suit that looked like it was almost too small for her. Her dad really
needed to take her shopping, or her mom. Easton never mentioned where Kathryn
was, and I didn’t ask. I knew I didn’t like her from the first moment I met
her, but I had no idea how she would turn my life upside down. I couldn’t stand
the woman, and looking at Emmy made me despise her more. Again, I needed to
quit thinking about it.

Emmy and Ashley headed
for the in-ground pool in the backyard. I gave him props for the pool. It was
beautiful. There were large boulders on one end, with a waterfall cascading
down them into the basin of water. The warm-toned stone that lined the pool and
surrounding area was pleasing to the eye, as was the greenery. I was happy to
see some green. The sage plants in front did nothing for me. He even had a
smallish lawn near the patio.

I didn’t plan on swimming
and it didn’t look like Easton did either, because he was wearing a short-sleeved
button-up shirt and cargo shorts. Unfortunately, he looked good in everything.
It made me grateful he wasn’t in swim trunks. That was all I needed—to be
ogling my ex-husband. Even without the swim trunks, it was still uncomfortable
as I sat there watching the girls. He stood at the grill flipping hamburgers. He
used to be the easiest person for me to be around. I didn’t know if I’d ever
fully opened up to anyone, but I got the closest with him. But now I didn’t
know how to be in his presence, or want to be, but he obviously didn’t feel the
same way.

He smiled over at me as
he closed the lid to the grill. He came and sat down next to me. “Sorry, I only
have white buns.”

“It’s okay. I’ll eat mine
without.”

So we were stuck talking
about food.

“Next time it’s my turn,
I’ll be better prepared.”

I didn’t want to think
about all the next times.

“Please don’t go to the
trouble.”

“I want to, and I should
be buying better food anyway.”

I didn’t say anything in
response, other than to press my lips together. What he did was his business. I
wasn’t the food police, but a lot of people acted that way around me once they
found out what my profession was.

“Maybe I could hire you,”
he teased.

I rolled my eyes and my
lips twitched a tad.

“Did you smile at me, Taylor?”

“Isn’t it time to check
on those burgers?” I asked to avoid his stupid question.

He grinned at me. “Sure.”
He stood and took back up his duties at the grill.

I, on the other hand,
tried to remind myself that he was a lying, cheating jerk no matter how
charming his smile was, or how kind he was to me. I had to keep reminding
myself of it all night as we ate dinner and watched our daughters swim. It was
hard, though. I found myself wishing for the other brochure. You know, the one
where we would be in the pool together having fun with the four kids we’d
planned on having. And the one where after the kids had their fun, it would be
only him and me under the starry sky holding onto one another under the cover
of the water. I had to stop that line of thinking. I had to stop thinking about
him.

The following week our
contact decreased quite a bit from the previous weekend. It was a good thing,
too; I needed order in my life, which meant I needed my house to be organized
and decorated. I didn’t need the distraction of an ex-husband.

Easton may have stayed
away, but I found myself with a little shadow named Emmy all week. I had assumed
when Ashley agreed to babysit for her dad all summer they would be staying at
his house. Especially since his house had a pool and theater room. But every
day the girls found their way to my house. I teased Ashley that it must be
because I fed them, but she surprised me and said that Emmy wanted to be at our
house and, truth be told, she did, too. She said there was this weird feeling
at her dad’s house. I had to say, it did feel cold and uninviting, but I just
thought I was biased.

I put the girls to work,
and by Thursday the house was looking great. The only thing it needed was some
curtains. I decided that on Friday I would drive into Denver and do some
shopping. I told Ashley of my plan and she wanted to come and spruce up her
wardrobe since she had a date Saturday night. Taking Ashley meant taking Emmy,
which I didn’t mind. I kind of found myself looking forward to her company
every day. Staying uninvolved had completely gone out the window. But taking
her meant I had to talk to her dad. It also meant I was going to dig myself in
deeper with her. I figured if we were shopping for clothes, we should buy some
for Emmy. I didn’t know if she owned anything that fit properly.

I hemmed and hawed about
it, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Emmy deserved attention and care.
She was steadily working her way into my heart. I had to call Easton.

“Hello, Taylor,” he said,
surprised I had called him.

“Am I interrupting
anything?” I didn’t think he would answer in the middle of the work day.

“No, not at all.”

“Uh …Tomorrow I’m going
to Denver to do some shopping and Ashley would like to come—”

 “I can try and find
someone else to watch Emmy.” Tension threaded his voice.

“You’ve misunderstood. I
was calling to see if we could take Emmy with us.”

“Emmy would love that.
Thank you.” His tone was much brighter.

I took a deep breath
before I overstepped my bounds. “I was also wondering if it would be all right
if I bought Emmy some new clothes. It looks like she has outgrown what she has
now.”

“That would be so great.
Thank you!” He didn’t even hesitate.

I almost laughed, he
sounded so relieved about it. “I want to leave around eight.”

“No problem, I’ll drop
her off on my way in, along with my credit card. You can use it for both
girls.”

“I don’t want your credit
card.”

“They’re my daughters, I
insist. I’ll add you as an authorized signer.”

“That’s not necessary.” I
had no desire to be on his credit card. We had already done that once, but that
was when I was Mrs., not Ms. Cole.

He wasn’t listening. “Thank
you so much, Taylor. I need to run. See you tomorrow.”

I got off the phone and
found the girls. “Looks like our shopping trip is on,” I informed them.

Emmy even acted excited
in her own Emmy way—she grinned wide and her eyes lit up. I had to admit I was
looking forward to it, too.

The only part I wasn’t
looking forward to was seeing Easton. Being around him wasn’t good for my
mental health. I had been talking to Grams about him all week and she, on the
other hand, thought it was just what the doctor ordered. She claimed it was healthy
for Ashley to see her parents getting along. I don’t know that we were getting
along, but we tolerated each other.

Friday morning dawned and
Ashley and I were all dolled up and ready to hit the shopping scene in Denver
when Easton pulled into our drive. It was a little drizzly, so he opened Emmy’s
door and covered her with his jacket as they ran in out of the rain. It was a
tender scene, but it made me jealous for all those sweet moments Ashley had
missed out on with her dad. I closed my eyes for a moment and pushed those
thoughts out.

I opened the screen door
and let them in. “Good morning.”

Emmy came to my side. I
put my arm around her and gave a little squeeze. Like I said, she was my new
shadow.

Easton watched the two of
us with interest. “Good morning, Taylor.” He said my name with this longing in
his voice. It was weird.

I turned my attention
back to Emmy. “There are some blueberry muffins in the kitchen if you want some
before we go.”

She scooted off, which left
me and my ex standing in the foyer.

“Aren’t you going to
offer me any?” He had no shame at all.

I shook my head at the audacity
that never ceased to amaze me since our return.

He laughed. “I’ll take
them to go.”

“Fine.”

I turned toward the
kitchen, but Easton reached for my hand and pulled me back. His touch sent a
surge of warmth through my whole body. I had forgotten how perfectly our hands
were made for each other, but when I looked up into those brown eyes of his I
remembered why that didn’t—and couldn’t—matter anymore. I pulled my hand back
and the warm sensation disappeared. In its place was sorrow for what used to
be.

“Taylor,” he said, his
brown eyes serious and deep, “I know I keep saying this, but thank you.” He
reached up and stroked my cheek ever so lightly. When he pulled away, he almost
seemed like he was as surprised as I was.

I reached up and touched
my cheek where his warm hand left a trail, staring into his startled face.

He shook his head as if
to break the connection between us. I released the breath I hadn’t realized I’d
been holding in a rush.

He didn’t seem to notice
as he reached into his wallet to retrieve his credit card. “Please take this.”
He handed over his platinum card.

I really didn’t want to.
I know it sounds dumb, but it seemed like an intimate thing to carry his card.
Okay, it sounded really dumb, but still.

“Please, Taylor.”

I reached out for it with
great reservation.

He grinned mischievously.
“You should get yourself something pretty while you’re at it.”

I pushed it back toward
him. I already felt bad enough taking alimony from him every month. My lawyer
had informed his lawyer it wasn’t necessary on several occasions, but for some
reason, he still on insisted on paying it.

“I’m kidding, Taylor.
Well not really, but please take the card.”