The One That Matters

by Elle Linder

  Parker was seated at the kitchen table watching Marie zip around the house. Counters were wiped down, the fronts of the appliances sparkled after a firm cleaning, and she swept the floors. Marie didn’t stop there; she cleaned the sliding glass door and dusted the light fixture above the table. Everything was already clean, but her nervous energy drove her cleaning frenzy.

  “Marie, Neil said Craig doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of changing the custody agreement. Try not to worry. Come here.” Parker reached his hand out to her.

  She went to him and sat on his lap.

  “Everything will be okay, I promise.” He kissed her softly until the shuffling of a certain eleven-year-old’s feet was heard.

  “Mom, do I really have to go?” Jackson grumbled as he walked into the kitchen, startling Marie off Parker’s lap.

  Parker winked at him.

  “I want to stay here with you and Parker. Pleeease.”

  “Jackson, you’ll have a great time in Hawaii and Lexi will be there too.” She forced a smile. “You’ll be so busy, the week will fly by.”

  “You’re not going to do anything fun while I’m gone, right?”

  Parker laughed.

  “No, buddy. We’ll be hanging out with Brooke and Ann this weekend. Just grown-up stuff and then we both work,” Marie said as she rubbed his back. “I want you to have a good time and try not to talk about Parker and me, okay? Our lives are private from your dad’s and Sasha’s.” She glanced over at Parker and frowned.

  “Yeah, okay.”

  The knock at the door made Marie and Jackson flinch.

  “He’s here.” Jackson’s shoulders slumped. “Bye Parker,” Jackson said as he hugged him. It melted Marie’s heart to see them so close.

  “See ya buddy. Have a great time.” Jackson nodded and went to answer the door. Parker took Marie’s hand. “I’m right here, and I’ll be listening.”

  “Thank you.” She leaned down and gave him a peck on the lips.

  Marie felt it was best for Parker to stay out of sight when Craig picked up Jackson. He didn’t like the idea, but he respected her wishes. She knew what he really wanted to do was give Craig a piece of his mind…and a mouth full of his fist.

  Jackson opened the door, and Marie had his backpack and suitcase ready for the handoff. “Hi, Dad.” Jackson forced a smile.

  “Hey, Jackson. Marie.” He jerked his chin up at her. “Are you ready? I see the black Range Rover is here, so we’ll get you out of your mom’s hair. We don’t want to keep her man waiting.”

  Her mouth fell open.

  “He’s not her man!” Jackson snapped. “Parker is her boyfriend, and he’s great,” Jackson defended with a tight fist of attitude. The anger in his tone and eyes filled the entryway.

  “It’s okay, buddy. Your dad’s just teasing.” She bent down and kissed him. He grabbed onto her, hugging her tightly. “I want you to have a good time. Maybe you and Lexi can snorkel together.”

  “He’ll have a great time. We’ll be one big happy family,” Craig interrupted, ending Marie’s encouraging words with Jackson. “Let’s go, Jackson.”

  The house fell silent once they left. She closed the door, pressing her forehead to it like she often did. Parker walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She wasn’t alone.

  In the truck, Craig fumed beside Jackson. His little heart raced. He had seen that look on his dad’s face dozens of times. Stopped at an intersection, Craig turned toward Jackson. “If you ever take that tone with me again, I’ll make sure you never see your superhero again. Do you understand me?”

  Jackson stared ahead, unmoving.

  “Answer me!”

  “Yes, I understand,” Jackson answered. He pulled his phone out to text Ricky, but Craig snatched it out of his hands. “Hey!”

  “Watch your tone. It’s my time now. You’ll get the phone back in a couple of days when you call your mom.” Jackson crossed his arms over his chest, pursed his lips and tried not to cry. The Hawaiian vacation was off to a terrible start.

  Marie was staring out at the ocean, breathing in the salt air. With each breath she took the more relaxed she became. The ocean was her comfort. Its full vastness, multiple shades of blue, the sounds of waves crashing, and the smell of the salt air filled her with peace and breathed life into her. His arms engulfed her, and she rolled her head back against his chest. Now she was safe.

  “How are you doing, baby? Can I get you anything?”

  “I’m doing better, thank you. You can kiss me.” She turned to face him, and Parker kissed her with a warm tenderness. But kissing didn’t seem to be the only thing on his mind. His hands moved down her back, over her bottom and he pressed her against him.

  “Mmm… so much better,” she whispered against his lips. She pulled back. “Brooke and Dave will be here any minute.” She made a pouty face.

  “Yes, but they aren’t sleeping in our room tonight.” He kissed the tip of her nose. Her phone buzzed, jolting her, and she quickly grabbed it off the table.

  “Oh, just a text from Ann.” She exhaled with relief. “Huh, she says, ‘FYI I’m bringing a friend.’” She looked at Parker, perplexed. “She’s bringing a friend? It’s not Tessa; she’s in Maine visiting relatives.”

  “Maybe she has a male friend,” Parker said, making his best Groucho Marx impression.

  Marie nudged him playfully. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Brooke and Dave arrived, and the women hugged while whispering and giggling. It had been several weeks since Marie had last seen Brooke. Her relationship with Dave had taken off fast after Vegas. In fact, she was rarely around and spent every weekend in San Francisco with him. The only thing Marie knew was Brooke had met the man of her dreams and was seeing him exclusively. It shocked all the girls. Brooke was committed to a man, and she had never been committed to anyone before. Marie was thrilled for her and seeing Brooke so happy made her happy. It had appeared her Brookie might be in love for the first time.

  “So, you said Ann’s bringing a friend?” Brooke’s eyes sparked with intrigue.

  “That’s what her text said. Has she mentioned seeing anyone?”

  “No. But then I’ve hardly spoken to anybody these days. I’ve been a little preoccupied.” Her gaze moved to Dave, who had the same contentment in his eyes.

  “H-e-l-l-o.” Ann’s voice carried to the veranda where they were seated. Marie jumped up as did Brooke. They looked at each other with wide eyes. Ann’s friend was a handsome, bearded ginger. The girls all hugged and bounced excitedly.

  “Oh, he’s sexy,” Brooke whispered. Marie giggled.

  “Quite handsome, and we need details.” Marie nudged her playfully.

  “Of course you do.” Ann snorted. “But after the introductions.”

  Parker and Dave stood to greet Ann and her friend. “It’s good to see you, Ann,” Parker said, giving her a friendly embrace, and Dave followed suit. Marie moved to Parker’s side, and he put his arm around her waist.

  “Now, I know you are all curious about this gorgeous man,” Ann said, rubbing his chest. “This is Troy Hughes, my boyfriend.”

  Marie and Brooke’s mouths fell open.

  “Girls, you look surprised.” Ann laughed out loud.

  “How? But when? Why haven’t we heard about him until now?” Marie asked.

  “I was taking a line out of your book and keeping my life private,” Ann teased. Marie cocked her head and put her hands on her hips. “We met at a jazz club the weekend you girls went to Vegas with your men.”

  “Ann! That was over six weeks ago,” Brooke scolded.

  “Yes, well, if you recall, Marie fell apart after that trip.” She wrinkled her nose at Marie, who lowered her head in embarrassment. “Don’t worry hon; it’s okay. I guess I decided after that to keep Troy all to myself for a while.” Ann smiled up at him. “But he’s here now, and I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”

  “I’m very happy for you.” Marie
hugged Ann. “Troy, I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Thank you. Mr. Nichols, I’m in shock that I’m here. I’m a big fan, and I watch your show all the time.” He eagerly shook Parker’s hand.

  “Thank you. Please call me Parker.”

  A bell softly rang, and Parker looked over to the patio. Héctor nodded, indicating dinner was ready.

  The three couples joyfully and often animatedly talked the evening away. They had finished several bottles of wine, and when the ocean breeze picked up, they moved their small party indoors.

  In the morning they gathered on the patio for a lovely brunch prepared by Vicky. Parker made plans to take the guys golfing while the ladies stayed behind, reconnecting and gushing about their men. Their men—it was crazy, they all agreed. How was it they were all in relationships at the same time after all these years? All but Tessa, who they decided needed to find a man asap.

  Later that evening over dinner, Brooke made the shocking announcement that she was moving in with Dave, and the table fell silent.

  “I don’t believe it. You’re moving in together?” Ann asked. Marie sat lost for words.

  “We’re in love. We don’t want to be apart.” Brooke looked at Dave, and he nodded, pulling her closer.

  “Wow, I’m happy for you honey,” Marie finally said. “But I’m gonna miss you.”

  “I’m sure we’ll be down to visit often. Parker is Dave’s best friend.” Brooke smiled.

  “Right, and we’ll go visit them often too,” Parker added. “I’m happy for both of you.”

  After the shock wore off, the table came alive, and everyone resumed their conversation, talking until well after midnight. Parker invited everyone to his lake house for Thanksgiving, and his invitation was enthusiastically accepted. Laughter filled the mansion as the group made plans for the holiday and talked about skiing.

  The weekend was one of the best Marie had had since the divorce. It was also exactly what she needed after Craig’s email. All that was missing was Tessa. Having her with them would have made it perfect, especially if she had a man of her own. Still, Marie loved how everyone got along and genuinely enjoyed being together. There wasn’t any tension or fake smiles. She didn’t walk on eggshells trying not to offend or anger anyone. It meant the world to her, having authentic people in her life.

  After a spectacular luau with roasted pig and all the trimmings, Lexi sat with Jackson on the patio of their hotel room. Jackson had been unusually quiet the last couple of days. His funk concerned her. Even when they played in the ocean, he was less than thrilled about it. His behavior was off from the moment they boarded the plane. Lexi hadn’t seen him like this in a while or since Parker had entered the picture. Then again, it had been almost a year since Lexi had spent more than a couple of hours with Craig and Sasha.

  “Everything all right, buddy?” Lexi touched his hand.

  He nodded.

  “You’ve been super quiet.”

  He shrugged.

  “Come on, talk to me. What’s going on?” she coaxed.

  “Nothing, I just miss Mom and Parker.”

  “Well, give them a call. You know Mom says to call if you need anything.”

  “I can’t! Dad took my phone.” He pushed out his lower lip, on the verge of tears.

  “Oh, I didn’t know. You can use mine,” Lexi offered. He shook his head. “But if you want to talk to Mom or Parker, just use my phone.”

  “Will you stop,” he huffed. “I’ll get in trouble, and then Dad won’t let me see Parker.”

  “Jackson, that isn’t true.” He looked up at her. “Dad can’t keep you from seeing Parker. I promise you. Mom would never let that happen.” Lexi pulled out her phone. “Let’s call Mom right now.” Even though it was after ten o’clock, she knew her mom would want Jackson to call. She handed him the phone, and the relief on Jackson’s face spoke volumes.

  “Lexi, how’s it going?” Marie answered.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Oh Jackson, why are calling me on Lexi’s phone?” She shot a glance at Parker who was working on his iPad. “Did you break your phone?”

  “No. Dad took it away. He said he’d give back when it was my day to call you, but I missed you now.” Marie stood up and started pacing. Parker stopped what he was doing the second Marie popped up from the sofa. She could see he dialed into the conversation with interest.

  “I’m glad Lexi had you use her phone. Why did he take yours away?”

  “Because it’s his time and I think because of the way I talked to him in the house. He was angry in the truck.”

  “Listen to me, Jackson. I want you to have a good time with Lexi. Use her phone whenever you want. I miss you too, buddy, but I want you to mind your mouth, okay?”

  “Okay, Mom, I will.” He was silent a few beats. “I ate roasted pig tonight and watched a man put fire in his mouth. It was pretty cool,” he said with a smile in his voice.

  “Yeah, that does sound pretty cool. Now don’t get any ideas about putting fire in your mouth.” They broke out in a chorus of laughs.

  “I knew you’d say that.”

  Marie talked with Jackson for a little bit longer and then handed the phone over to Parker. Smiling, she watched Parker laugh, and then she giggled along with him while he teased Jackson about getting kissed after he departed the plane. Parker masterfully changed the mood, putting everyone in good spirits. She treasured him. Once Parker finished talking to Jackson, he handed the phone back to Marie while Jackson put Lexi on.

  “Lex, thank you for having him call me.”

  “Mom, he was really in a funk. He looks a lot better now.”

  “Good. I’m glad you’re there with him. Is everything else okay?”

  Lexi was silent.

  “Lex?”

  “Sorry, I was waiting for him to leave to take a shower. He told me he had to be good or Dad wouldn’t let him see Parker again.”

  “What?! That son of…” She stopped herself. “I can’t believe he would say that to him. Then again, I don’t know why I’m so surprised. Poor Jackson.”

  “I told him you wouldn’t let that happen. But Mom, can Dad stop him from seeing Parker?”

  “No! He’s just bullying him, to control him.” Marie started pacing again.

  “This is a prime example of why I don’t like to be around Dad. Don’t worry. I’m with Jackson all the time,” Lexi assured Marie.

  “Thanks, Lex.”

  “No problem. Tell Parker I said hi, and try not to worry. I’ll have him call you again tomorrow night.”

  “That would be great. Goodnight, hon.” Marie ended the call and turned on her heel to face Parker. She was furious. So much so, she could spew fire out of her mouth and join the show Jackson had mentioned. By the time she filled Parker in on Craig’s threats, he was equally livid.

  “Why does he have to be such a jerk? Always bullying and making threats,” she said, pacing the room with her hands balled up in tight fists.

  “Insecurity?” Parker said. “I hate that he is using me as the pawn to keep Jackson in line. Man, I hate that guy.”

  “I hate it too, but it’s classic Craig.”

  The mansion was quiet after their guests departed. Ann and Brooke had returned to their homes with their men. Vicky and Héctor were gone for the day. Parker was seated beside her on the sofa, reading his lines for the week’s filming, and Marie was happy. With her romance novel in hand, she thought about her life while she relaxed next to Parker. There was a rightness to it all, a rightness that was unfamiliar to her. Her eyes scanned the beautifully decorated room filled with only the finest materials and furnishings, and she sighed. Was it wrong to feel so comfortable and at home in Parker’s villa, or to know his housekeeper on a personal level, as well as his favorite chef? She came and went as she pleased like it all belonged to her. Was any of it wrong? Her life had dramatically changed over the last couple of months because of Parker Nichols. Was it wrong for her to think of a future with him, to want a
future with him? Or was Craig right and she’d end up alone? At this very moment in the still quiet of the mansion, she had a sense of peace that was indescribable, and it told her everything would be okay.

  Chapter 18

  I Love You

  September came and went, mercifully uneventful. There weren’t any ugly emails from Craig, and he didn’t harass her when he picked up Jackson on his scheduled weekends. Marie believed it was because Parker was always present when he came to the house and Craig could see Parker was ready to defend her the instant he became belligerent. Still, there was the daily worry of a hostile email from Craig, but her fears wouldn’t control her.

  Her relationship with Parker continued to deepen, and they had found their groove together. They lived their lives without fear of Craig getting custody of Jackson, trusting Neil’s experience and knowledge that Craig didn’t stand a chance. His assurances were just what Marie needed to relax…at least until October when she’d meet Parker’s parents, which would be a new stress. To say she was nervous was the understatement of the year. What would they think of the ‘divorced mother of two?’ She wanted them to like her as well as the kids. She wanted their approval, so moving forward with Parker wouldn’t be strained. And if they didn’t give their support, she worried what it would mean for her and Parker.