Her Ex: The Braxton Brothers Series

by Meyer, Anne-Marie

  She pulled it out and glanced down at it just in time to see it start to ring.

  Bobby.

  Relief flooded her chest as she swiped to accept the call and brought the phone up to her cheek. Finally, her life could go back to normal.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Isabel?”

  She nodded as she made her way over to her car and shoved the key into the lock. “Yeah, it’s me. It’s so good to hear your voice.”

  “What? I can’t hear you.” Loud rumbling sounds were coming from his end of the call.

  “It’s so good to hear from you,” Isabel shouted into the microphone.

  “Still can’t—” His voice cut off as the phone fell silent.

  Isabel glanced down at the screen and saw that the call had been dropped. She sighed as frustration rose up inside of her.

  Spending time with Jackson had made her realize just how alone she was. Her life had become a rat race, and she was starting to feel that no matter what she did, nothing was going to get better.

  Just as she slipped into the driver’s seat, the phone rang again. Glancing down, she saw it was a number she didn’t recognize.

  She answered the call, hoping it was Bobby so they could finally have a conversation that lasted longer than a minute. “Hello?”

  “Isabel?” Bobby’s smooth, non-scratchy voice asked. “Sorry. I finally found a phone with some service.”

  She let out her breath as she shut the car door and settled into her seat. “Hey. It’s so good to hear your voice.”

  “You too, babe.”

  Isabel tipped her head back as she allowed the sound of his voice to wash over her. This was what she needed. This would help her get over Jackson once and for all. “When are you coming home? I need you.”

  The line went silent and Isabel glanced down—they were still connected. “Bobby?” she asked as she brought the phone back up to her ear.

  She heard him sucking air between his teeth. Heat pricked her neck as she realized what he was about to do. He was going to let her down. Again.

  “Thing is, I just got this great job opportunity to broker some real estate deals in Australia.”

  Even though she tried to stop it, a groan escaped her lips. “Bobby, I need you here.”

  There was a pause, and Isabel could imagine the frustrated look on Bobby’s face. It was the same look he got whenever he talked about leaving Honey Grove and she talked about staying. “Babe, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I can’t stay cooped up in Honey Grove. You know this.”

  Tears stung her eyes as she stared out past the windshield to the world around her. She knew what he was saying was true. He’d always told her that he wanted to explore the world. He believed that they only had one life to live, so why not do it to the fullest?

  She had just figured, at some point, that his desire to stay with her would override his desire to leave. “You’re right. I know. When do you need to be there?”

  More silence. “Next weekend.”

  Isabel’s jaw physically dropped. “That’s our wedding.”

  “I know, I know. But imagine it, babe. A wedding in Australia! I mean, it doesn’t get more perfect that that.”

  Isabel shifted in her seat as all sorts of emotions rose up inside of her. Anger. Betrayal. Pure rage. Hadn’t Bobby listened to anything she’d ever said? “My dad’s not there,” she whispered. Emotions clung to her throat, causing her to sound weak and out of control.

  “I know…” His voice softened, and she braced herself for the but. “But we can’t live our life for him. I mean, he’s taken care of. Most of the time he doesn’t even remember you. Maybe it’s time you start living for yourself.”

  That was the last straw. Tears rolled down her cheeks as a sob escaped her lips. “No.”

  Bobby cleared his throat. “No?”

  “No. I can’t get married without my dad there. I don’t want to travel the world. I like my life in Honey Grove. I want to stay here.” She folded her arm across her chest, hoping to hold in the pain.

  “Isabel, you told me—”

  “Yeah, well, you told me a lot of things too. You know I can’t just pick up and leave. I’ve been killing myself to put on this wedding, and you’re just going to call it off like it’s nothing?” She was ugly crying now.

  And the strangest thing was it didn’t have to do with Bobby wanting to leave. Truth was, he’d left a long time ago when he chose his career over her. She couldn’t really fault him for it, though. She knew who he was when she met him.

  And now she felt like a complete idiot for believing that his desire to stay home with her would somehow, magically, take over his desire to travel.

  But he’d made it clear that wasn’t going to happen. Ever.

  “Listen, it’s a lot to take in. Maybe we should just put a pin in it and discuss it another time.” Bobby’s voice had grown soft, like he’d suddenly realized how upset she was.

  Isabel just chewed her lip as she forced her emotions to settle. Memories of Dad and how excited he’d been that she was marrying Bobby surfaced in her mind.

  Remembering the reasons why she was doing all of this helped calm her ragged nerves.

  Bobby was probably right. This wasn’t the time to do something drastic. She needed a night to sleep on what he’d asked. Even though she was pretty sure she was going to feel the same in the morning, it was only fair to at least consider his request. She could do that.

  “Okay,” she said, her voice breathy from exhaustion.

  “Okay,” Bobby repeated. “I’ll call you tomorrow?”

  Isabel nodded. “Okay.”

  They both said goodbye, and Isabel hung up.

  After throwing her phone onto the passenger seat, she gripped the steering wheel and tipped her head back, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

  So many feelings were coursing through her, and she wasn’t sure which one to hone in on. All of it was killing her inside. The strangest part about her conversation with Bobby was that these feelings weren’t because she might lose Bobby. Her real fear was that her dad might not live long enough to see her get married.

  It had been her dream for him to walk her down the aisle. He’d given her so much of his life that it felt wrong to not give him this one father-daughter tradition.

  And there just might be a chance he could fly to Australia. It wasn’t ideal, but Bobby did want to marry her, just not here in Honey Grove.

  If she could give her dad the moment he’d dreamt of, she was going to do it. After all, when would this opportunity come around again?

  It wasn’t like Bobby wasn’t thoughtful. He’d paid for her car repairs. She had to give him that.

  After dabbing her cheeks, she started up her car and pulled out of the parking spot. Her mind was clearing as her resolution formed in her stomach.

  She was going to find a way to make this work. If it meant hiring a nurse to fly with her dad to Australia, then maybe that was something she would have to do. Right now, it wasn’t her own happiness she was thinking about. Her dad had little time left, and she was going to make sure that every moment counted.

  Even if hiring a nurse would mean draining her savings and delaying his return home—fulfilling this dream mattered more.

  Her mind was so clouded with thoughts that she didn’t even realize she’d driven to Humanitarian Hearts until she pulled into the back parking lot and turned off the engine. Thankfully, Jackson’s car was nowhere to be found. She was pretty sure she’d had enough encounters with him to last a lifetime.

  Besides, she was a mess and Jackson would know that something was wrong with one look.

  And she knew that as soon as she told him about her situation, Jackson was going to poke holes into her already crumbling plan.

  She couldn’t have that. Not when her life was slapped together with duct tape and spit.

  After she slipped her keys into her purse and climbed out of her car, she headed to the back door and pul
led it open. The familiar sounds of dishes clanking together and laughter filled her ears.

  Isabel smiled as she made her way to the lockers and put her purse away. After grabbing an apron and a hairnet, she walked over to the sink, washed her hands, and slipped on some gloves.

  Right now, the monotony of working at Humanitarian Hearts was exactly what she needed. There was no Bobby. There was no Jackson. And there was no confusion about how she felt about either of them.

  Nancy glanced up as Isabel walked past her. She was stirring the contents of a large pot on the stove. Her face was red from the steam that was rising up from inside.

  “Hey, feeling better today?” she asked as she dabbed at the sweat on her forehead. She blew out her breath as she stared at Isabel.

  Not sure if Nancy would see through her lie or not, Isabel just shrugged and forced a smile. “Feeling great.”

  Nancy let go of the ladle and made her way over to Isabel. She wrapped both arms around her and drew her in.

  No longer able to keep her emotions at bay, Isabel felt hot tears sting her lids and then roll down her cheeks. This was what she needed. For so long, she’d felt alone. It was hard, trying to be the person keeping everything together. Especially when it felt like everything was falling apart.

  Nancy’s hug helped her realize that, perhaps, she wasn’t as alone as she felt.

  “Oh, honey,” Nancy said as she pulled back, keeping a firm grip on Isabel’s upper arms. “Something’s happening to you.” She squeezed Isabel’s arm. “Come on. The soup’s almost done. It’s just simmering right now. Let’s have a talk.”

  Not sure what to say, Isabel decided to just follow Nancy, who led her to a worn love seat in the break room. “Sit,” Nancy commanded.

  Isabel nodded and collapsed onto the couch. Nancy busied herself with an electric kettle. While the roaring noise of the water heating filled the air, Nancy opened two tea packets and set them in two mugs.

  After the loud whistle sounded, Nancy poured the hot water and brought the tea over to Isabel.

  “Thanks,” Isabel said as she gingerly balanced one of the mugs on her knee. She studied the steam as it rose up from the liquid.

  Nancy obviously wanted to talk about what was bothering Isabel, so she took a few deep breaths, hoping to steady her heart and her mind.

  This would be good for her. Talking through her feelings with a friend was just what she needed. It had always helped her in the past. There was no reason it wouldn’t work again.

  Now, if she could only make her heart and mind listen to each other, she might be able to figure out what she was going to do. Her heart was telling her not to pick Bobby. With every beat it was telling her that Jackson was the one she loved—had always loved.

  But her mind, a very loud and dominating part of her, told her Jackson Braxton wasn’t a stick-around kind of guy. He would leave. Every time.

  Her heart knew that Jackson Braxton had broken it once, but she was beginning to doubt that he’d do it again.

  And it was that hope, that ridiculous, naive hope, that was causing the ulcer to form in her stomach.

  “It’s best to start from the beginning,” Nancy said, tapping Isabel’s knee as she blew on her tea.

  Isabel nodded as she shifted on her seat. The beginning. She could do that.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jackson lay on the beach, his muscles throbbing. He’d spent the last few hours swimming and riding the waves. The sun was drifting below the horizon, and he was enjoying the feeling of the sand under his body and the sound of the water crashing against the shore.

  As hard as this vacation had been, he’d been right to take some time to visit the beach he grew up on. It was exactly how he remembered it. Pure perfection.

  He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He’d managed to push Isabel from his mind as he forced his body to swim harder and faster. But now her face flitted back into his mind.

  Her wide eyes and perfectly formed lips. Everything that made her beautiful. Everything that made her unique wiggled its way back into his heart, squeezing it like a vice.

  He cursed under his breath and sat up, grabbing a handful of sand and chucking it across the beach in frustration.

  “Hey!” A woman said.

  Embarrassed, Jackson glanced up to see Tori Hodges standing in front of him. They’d worked together at the Hog Pit during high school. She was sweet and flirtatious, but nothing ever happened between them because Jackson had only had eyes for Isabel.

  Tori’s eyes were wide, and her jaw dropped.

  “Tori?” Jackson asked, squinting up at her, just to make sure.

  “Jackson?” she asked, leaning down to study him. “What are you doing here?”

  Jackson brushed his hands off and stood. He walked toward her with his arms extended. “Jonathan’s getting hitched,” he said as he leaned down and they hugged. “And you know I’ll take every chance I can to throw sand at you.”

  Tori giggled as she pulled back and shoved his shoulder. “Yeah, I should have known.” Her lips were tipped up into a smile as she ran her gaze over him. “You’re lucky. When Trudy got married, there was no way in hades she would have let me spend my time on the beach.”

  Jackson faked a wince as he held onto his shoulder. Then he laughed. “I think my sisters-in-law would protest if I tried to get involved. Besides, they don’t have waves like these in New York.”

  Tori folded her arms as she rolled her eyes. “I heard something about that. You’re a big executive or something?”

  Jackson stepped back and ran his gaze over her. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her face was pink from exertion. She looked like she was out for a run on the beach with her tank top and yoga pants. He’d always thought she was cute, and he’d been right.

  “What?” she asked as she playfully shoved his arm again.

  Jackson ran his hands through his hair as uncertainty tugged at his mind. But he reminded himself of what Isabel had said. She was marrying Bobby, and that was that.

  It was time he moved on. And with the way Tori was smiling at him, she seemed like the perfect distraction.

  “Just wondering what you’re doing tonight. I’ve got a family dinner that I do not want to go to alone.” He shrugged. “Wanna come with me?”

  Tori’s eyes widened as she scoffed and then glanced around. “You want me to come with you? To a Braxton dinner?”

  Jackson furrowed his brows. “What’s wrong with that?” The way she said it made it sound nefarious.

  Tori studied him for a moment and then nodded, her expression softening. “Nothing. Never mind. I’d love to go.”

  “Really?” Relief flooded his mind. He wasn’t sure he could handle a night being stuck between his mom and Isabel—if Isabel even showed up. Tori was fun, and that was what he needed right then. Fun.

  Tori nodded. “Yeah, of course. It’ll be fun to see your family again.”

  Jackson grinned. “You remember the address? Feel free to come around six.”

  Tori smiled. “Sounds like a date.”

  Jackson studied her for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah. It does.”

  Tori gave him one last soft smile and took off down the beach. Jackson watched her disappear, his mind swarming with thoughts.

  This was good. He was moving on from Isabel, and Tori seemed like the perfect candidate. Plus, there was no way he would have survived dinner on his own. Not when his mom seemed hell-bent on setting him up with the one girl that didn’t want him.

  So why did he feel so guilty? Why did he feel as if he were cheating on Isabel? They weren’t together. She was engaged. That had become a chant he’d repeated to himself every moment he was with her, because it was getting easier and easier to forget.

  All he needed to do was survive the night, survive his brother’s wedding, and before he knew it, he’d be on the plane back to New York. Back to his Isabel-free life.

  Just as he liked it.

  Glancin
g down at his watch, Jackson realized he had only an hour before dinner. He still needed to get home and showered. Grabbing his stuff, he jogged over to the truck and threw the board in the back. After the engine roared to life, he backed the truck out of the parking spot and took off down the road.

  The house was alive with voices when he pulled open the back door and walked in. Beth and Tiffany were standing over pots at the stove. They were talking in low tones as each stirred some concoction.

  When the door slammed behind him, they both turned to stare at him.

  “Ladies,” he said, nodding in their direction as he passed by.

  He loved his brothers, and he was happy they’d found the girls that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with, but he really wasn’t in a mood to talk. Especially since all of them seemed so ridiculously happy.

  And that was far from how he felt.

  Tiffany said something as he walked past, but Jackson didn’t catch it. He needed a hot shower before he’d feel up to being social. So he just dipped his head, dropped his dad’s keys into the bowl on the counter, and then headed back outside.

  The cooling evening air hit him, and he jogged across the lawn and over to the garage steps, taking them two at a time. He found the key, shoved it into the lock, and opened the door.

  Twenty minutes later, he was showered and dressed and was staring at his reflection in the mirror.

  He looked like he felt. Like a mess.

  Isabel was coming. Tori was coming. And the last thing he wanted to do was to deal with whatever was going to happen downstairs. What had seemed like the perfect plan an hour ago suddenly seemed like a giant mistake.

  Having either Tori or Isabel at dinner was bound to be awkward.

  On top of that, he was going to have to smile and play nice with his disgustingly in-love brothers as they doted over their significant others.

  At least he had Jenna. Maybe he should just call the whole night off and spend time with his little sister. She seemed to be the only one who knew what he was going through. How tough it was to deal with the expectation for love that Sondra put on them.