Page 17 of The Next Mrs. Parrish

She waves a hand. “It’s nice to have space. Besides, the Monahans are in Europe all summer and are thrilled to have someone looking after the place.”

A sense of unease overtakes me, but I don’t want to seem ungrateful. The house is not quite as grand as the one we lived in with Jackson, but it comes close. My girls have become content with much simpler surroundings, and I want to keep it that way. This doesn’t feel like the most auspicious start to our summer.

I smile at Meredith. “Well, at least I know one of the neighbors is friendly.”

We laugh as Bella and Tallulah come running downstairs in their bathing suits. “Can we go swimming?” Bella asks.

“Sure. Pool or beach?”

“Pool!” they both squeal.

“Do you want to catch up later, or do you want to come sit with me while I watch them?” I ask Meredith.

“I’ll stay. Let me grab some waters from the fridge. I stocked everything for you this morning.”

“Thank you. So thoughtful of you.”

Meredith and I sit in the lounge chairs by the waterfall as Bella and Tallulah take turns going down the sliding board into the kidney-shaped pool.

Meredith’s eyes crinkle as she smiles at me. “It’s so good to have you here, Daph. I’ve missed you. It’s not the same without you.”

“I’ve missed you too. I wish I could steal you away to California with me.”

“You love it there, don’t you?”

“I do. It’s been a sanctuary for all of us. Well, with the exception of Tallulah that is. Things were going so well at the beginning. The girls loved the school and the neighborhood, made lots of friends. Having my mom with us was and is a godsend. She’s been absolutely wonderful.” I feel the tears ready to spill over. “It’s so comforting to have someone to help right the ship when I’m unsteady. I still can’t shake the guilt I feel, how I allowed Jackson to keep her at arm’s length for so many years.” My mother isn’t the only one I had to pretend with. Meredith had no idea that Jackson was abusive until after I had freed myself from him. There were so many times over the years that I longed to tell her the truth, but I hadn’t dared. Meredith wasn’t like the other women in my social circle. She was a genuine friend, one who cared nothing for outward appearances or social status. She was old money, raised to appreciate authenticity and loyalty. If I confided in her, I knew she would have doneeverything in her power to help me, but I couldn’t risk losing my children. Jackson held that threat over my head every single day, reminding me that with one phone call he could use his sway to have me committed again for the psychosis he and the doctors had fabricated when Tallulah was just a baby.

When I finally told her the truth, after Jackson and I were getting divorced, Meredith wanted his head. She wanted to expose him, ruin his reputation in Bishops Harbor society. But I made her promise to keep quiet. In return for my silence, Jackson agreed to give me full custody of the girls. So Meredith never told a soul.

She puts her hand on my arm. “You were a victim, Daphne. In an abusive marriage. But you had the courage to free yourself and start over. That’s something to be proud of, not feel guilty about.”

“Intellectually, I know that. Believing it in my heart is another matter. I can’t imagine how heartbroken I would feel if Tallulah or Bella cut me out of their lives the way Jackson made me do to my mother. It’s another reason I think she was so dead set against my coming here. She’s been a victim of Jackson too.”

“It’s behind you now. It’s time to look ahead.”

We’re both quiet, deep in our own thoughts, until Meredith speaks. “Speaking of looking ahead, tell me a little about this man you’ve met. Sebastian, is it?”

I smile at the mention of his name. “Yes. He made an extremely generous donation to Julie’s Smile. In fact, it was integral to my being able to buy the building where it’s headquartered.”

“Wow. How wonderful. What does he do?”

“International finance. He invests in other companies. He’s very suave and at first, I was a little hesitant, but when I opened up about my history with Jackson, he was so supportive. Totally let me set the pace. He’s been very patient.”

“He sounds like a good man.” She smiles at me and there’s a twinkle in her eyes. “Is he someone you see yourself with long term?”

I sigh. “You know, Mer, I can’t even think in those terms yet. We’ve talked about taking things to the next level. Neither mymother nor the girls have met him. It’s too soon. But here’s the thing. Meeting someone like him, seeing his compassion for those less fortunate, watching him give his help so freely and asking for nothing in return—well, it’s reminded me that not all men have hidden agendas. He’d like things to get more serious. We were thinking of going away for a weekend together, but now, of course, I’m here. I’ll see what happens when I’m back home.”

“Sounds promising.” Meredith sits up straight, clapping her hands together, and the gold bangles on her wrist make a jingling sound. “You know what we need?” she says with spirit. “One of our old-time beach nights. You and me, a bottle of red, and a full moon. We’ll sit and talk till four in the morning like we used to and solve the whole world’s problems.”

I squeeze her hand. “Those were great times. You helped me keep my sanity.”

“You’re my best friend, Daph. Always will be.”

I feel a lump in my throat and nod at her, unable to speak for a moment. Trying hard not to let myself be overcome with emotion. “So,” I change course, “you’ll have to catch me up on all the happenings here later on.” I nod toward the girls.

She leans over and whispers. “I will. I have all the dirt on the little welcome home party thrown in the honor of a certain ex-con.”

I start to chuckle, but the laugh turns to a gasp when I see a man walk up from the beach and open the gate to the pool. Jackson. He wasn’t supposed to come here until tomorrow—I had clearly established my expectations, and he had given me his word to abide by them. But I know better than anyone, Jackson’s word is worth about as much as an umbrella in a tornado.

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