Page 86 of Her Ex's Father
Jack raises an eyebrow. “Sounds like you’re not the only one he’s loyal to. You sure you’ll be okay here, Maddie?”
I nod my head quickly, focusing on the sticky menu between us. My past with Jack is tangled enough without weaving Ben into it, but I need him to know—“It isn’t anything like that. I’m notrunning,” even though that’s exactly what I’m doing, “and if Hugh tells Ben, I’m sure he’ll be fine with me coming here.”
Jack stares me down across the table. “But he doesn’t know about me.”
All I can do is shake my head. Because it’s true; I walked into this marriage an open book, except for this one chapter. An early one; one written in secret with just the two of us, Jack and me.
“You don’t think he’ll freak out when he finds out?”
I know Jack McAllister well enough to know what he’s really asking:You don’t think you’ll punish you when he finds out?
And this I can answer honestly: “No.”
Things between Ben and I might be complicated right now… but I know he’d never hurt me, or our baby.
The waitress comes, gum snapping, and Jack orders another coffee and a side of pickles on ice. I ask for a short stack and a spinach omelet. She doesn’t even blink, just scribbles and walks away. God bless Philly.
When we’re alone again, Jack leans forward, forearms braced on the table. “Okay. Talk to me. What’s going on, Mad Dog? You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world.”
I let out a shaky laugh. “Because I am.”
We talk slowly at first, then faster as the decaf tea warms me. About home. About the ranch. About the way we used to lie in the grass behind the stables, staring at the stars and dreaming about getting out.
“You wanted to be an event planner in New York,” Jack recalls.
“I wanted to plan weddings in Paris,” I correct, grinning. “You wanted to fly jets.”
“And here we are.” He spreads his arms, mock-grand. “I fly jets. You…” His expression softens. “You plan other people’s lives.”
“Not exactly how I pictured it,” I admit. “And not really. I stopped when I got married.”
His face clouds over, an already-familiar look, a silentIs he treating you right?Before he can ask aloud, I add, “Benedict actually restructured part of his company… he created a role to bind and lead all the events at all the resorts. For me.”
A pebble dropped into the ocean of things Ben has done for me. I wish with all my heart I could somehow shareevery memory I have of him with Jack—make my oldest friend understand that this new, unexpected man in my life, almost twice my age,isgood for me.
And it hits me—all this time I’ve been focused on what’s lacking. Looking for issues.
Jack nods approvingly. “Good. I’m sure Bronson can afford a nanny, and you’re the kind of person who needs purpose in their life, Maddie.”
I smile, shuffling my feet up onto the vinyl seat in an awkward sideways position that probably makes me look like a walrus. But it’s comfortable. “This girl will be enough purpose for me.”
Jack’s eyes soften when they land on the bump again. He nods again, but we both know that there’s a part of me that’s excited by the idea of heading an entire event division. It’s a challenge, and I’ve always loved challenges.
The waitress drops off my “slushie”—a chipped glass full of crushed ice swimming in pickle juice. I sip, and it’s glorious. Jack watches with exaggerated disgust.
“You’re unbelievable.”
I grin around the straw. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”
We fall into an easy rhythm, trading stories. He tells me about his test flights, the times he came close to disaster but never let it rattle him. I tell him about the Bronson empire—how overwhelming it feels, how suffocating.
“But his sister, Caroline, is great. She’s funny and sharp and doesn’t care about the high society.” And then, quieter: “Thank you. For letting me stay. For letting me… breathe.”
“Mad.” His voice goes gentle, the way it used to when we were teenagers, and I’d freak out about exams or fights with my parents. “It’s only right. You did the same for me.”
I blink. “That was different.”
“Different?” He scoffs. “You married me, Maddie. So, I could get stationed close to my mom when she was sick. You changed my entire life.”
