Page 30 of The Next Mrs. Parrish

“No, thereismore to discuss.” Her words are loud and angry, and I can see a storm brewing in her eyes. “You don’t care how I feel or what I want. All you want is to hurt Dad. Haven’t you hurt him enough already?” She jumps up and starts to walk away fromme.

Meredith raises her eyebrows and looks at me with sympathy.

“Are you coming back in?” Bella calls from the water.

“No!” Tallulah shouts and keeps walking along the shoreline.

Bella hits the water with her fists. “Why’d you get out?”

“Because it sucks here.” Tallulah sits down on the sand near the water’s edge, her knees drawn up and her arms around her legs. Bella comes skipping out of the water and drops down next to her.

My phone buzzes and I look down, still off-balance after Tallulah’s outburst. A text from Jackson.

Can I come by in a bit? I want to bring Jax to meet the girls. Please?

I want to pretend I don’t see it, but I would only be putting off the inevitable. Looking at Meredith, I say, “Jackson wants to come over. Now. With his son.”

Her mouth turns down at the edges and she shakes her head. “I can’t be here. I have a dermatologist appointment in an hour. And anyway, it’s pretty short notice, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. But it would probably be good for Tallulah. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine on my own. He would never do anything stupid in front of the kids. He’s trying to be Mr. Nice Guy, remember?”

Meredith looks doubtful. “I guess.”

I type back a response and stroll to where Tallulah and Bella sit. “Girls, your father’s coming over and he’s bringing your brother. Won’t that be nice?”

“Yeah, great. Hanging out with a baby. Can’t wait,” Tallulah says then stands up and walks back to the house.

“I want to meet him,” Bella says. She wraps the towel I’ve given her around her waist and leans against me. I put my arms around her, grateful that one of my daughters still seems to like me. “How old is he?”

“Two.”

“I like babies. They’re cute,” Bella says. She frowns in concentration. “So, I guess I’m not the baby anymore. I’m a big sister now.”

I suddenly think of Amber and know there’s no way she’s going to encourage a genuine relationship between my children and her son, but I simply nod. “Yes, sweetie. You are.”

Twenty minutes later I hear the low purr of Jackson’s Mercedes. Tallulah has been sulking all morning, but Bella is in a good mood and jumps up to open the door. Her father smiles at her, hugging her with one arm while holding Jackson Junior in the other.

I haven’t seen Jackson’s son since he was a tiny baby. He’s now a toddler, and I can’t help but smile when he studies me with big brown eyes. He’s adorable, with chubby cheeks, brown curly hair, and lashes to die for. I tentatively approach, aware that toddlers are wary of strangers. Bella has no such restraint.

“Hi, Jackson! I’m your big sister.”

The child struggles to get down, and Jackson sets him on the floor. Bella sits cross-legged while holding a teddy bear, and he toddles over to her. I watch, surprised as he takes it, then allows her to pull him onto her lap.

“He likes you. We call him Jax,” Jackson tells her.

“He’s a friendly little guy,” I comment.

Jackson laughs. “He is. I was worried he wouldn’t know me, but it’s like I was never gone.”

“Dad!” Tallulah comes running into the room and throws her arms around Jackson.

“Hi, sweetie. Come meet your brother,” he says.

She deposits herself on the floor next to Bella and holds her arms out. Jax goes right to her. “Hi, Jackson.”

“We call him Jax,” Bella tells her.

Tallulah ignores her. “I’m your big sister.”

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