Her Ex: The Braxton Brothers Series

by Meyer, Anne-Marie

  And when he wanted something, it didn’t matter who he hurt to get it.

  Realizing that her throat was tightening up, Isabel took a swig of her Sprite and calmed her mind. That wasn’t why she was there. She needed to focus on eating, and then she could fake exhaustion and head home.

  “How’s your dad?” Jackson asked, glancing over at her.

  Isabel shrugged. Talking about her dad wasn’t going to help with her nerves either. But, it did take her mind off the feelings for Jackson that nagged at the back of her mind. “He’s okay, I guess. I haven’t visited him in a few days. He’s losing his memories. It’s getting harder each time I go. But”—Isabel reached out to fiddle with her can—“I can’t leave him. He’s done so much for me. I just wish I could get him out of that home.”

  The feeling of failure hit her like a train. She knew in her mind she was failing, but speaking the words out loud killed her. She blinked back tears as she took another drink, hoping it would calm her down.

  It didn’t.

  Grabbing a napkin, she dabbed her eyes. Why did she keep breaking down?

  She was sick of being a mess. She was sick and tired of all of this. But she couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. She just felt lost.

  “Getting your dad back into your house means that much to you?” Jackson’s voice was low, and when she glanced over to focus on him, she saw that his eyebrows were drawn together.

  His familiar blue eyes were soft and so familiar that it made her soul ache. Jackson, for so long, had felt untouchable. But he was here right now, and in this moment he was all that existed.

  It was getting harder to convince her heart not to fall, fast and hard, for Jackson Braxton.

  “Yes,” she whispered, allowing her gaze to drop down to Jackson’s lips. Then, feeling like an idiot, she returned her gaze to his eyes.

  “Jackson, there you are!” A loud, high-pitched voice filled the air, grabbing Jackson’s attention.

  Isabel looked too, only to see Tori Hodges sauntering over to them. She was wearing a miniskirt and cropped tank. Her heels kept sinking into the sod, and she had to balance on her tiptoes to keep her shoes on.

  Not sure what was going on, Isabel glanced over at Jackson. He looked startled, but not surprised. Had he invited Tori?

  Feeling like an idiot, Isabel grabbed her purse and scrambled to stand. “I should go,” she said as she moved to grab her plate. Jackson beat her to it, grasping it with both hands.

  “Stay. Finish,” he said as he stood and motioned for Tori to follow him.

  Not sure what to do, Isabel sat there, staring at her remaining food. She couldn’t help but feel completely out of place.

  Jackson’s date showing up only solidified what she already knew—her relationship with the Braxtons was over and had been for a long time. It had been foolish of her to come.

  She should have stayed home in the protection of her house where she was focused on the only thing that mattered to her—getting married so her father could walk her down the aisle and getting him home.

  Desperate to get out of there, Isabel shoveled the rest of the food into her mouth. She could see Jackson and Tori talking to each other from the corner of her eye, and she didn’t want to see what the rest of the evening was going to bring.

  She was tired and ready to get the heck out of this place.

  So when Mr. Braxton started up the music and the party goers all cheered, Isabel took that as her sign to leave. Grabbing her purse, she made her way over to the garbage, threw her plate away, and clung to the shadows as she headed to the front of the house.

  There was a moment, before she disappeared from sight, that she thought she heard someone call her name, but she just continued on to her car and climbed inside.

  She drove home in silence, holding her emotions in until she was in her pajamas and crawling into bed.

  Once she was in the safety of her comforter, she let her tears flow.

  On the one hand, it was good that Jackson had asked Tori to come. It helped solidify just how done they were. And it was good that she went to the Braxton dinner. Hopefully, Mrs. Braxton now saw that she and Jackson was over and that her matchmaking efforts would be for naught.

  It was time for everyone to accept that nothing was going to happen between Jackson and her.

  Ever.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jackson was staring at Tori, trying to pay attention to what she was saying. But his mind kept wandering. He couldn’t help but think about Isabel and their conversation at the table. Right now, all he wanted to do was find a way to get Tori to leave.

  He really wasn’t sure why he’d asked her to come, and now she was the last person he wanted to see. He needed to let her down gently. He had been trying to fill a void with her, and it wasn’t fair. Leading her on wasn’t one of his proudest moments.

  He’d been nothing but a jerk to everyone this whole weekend. He’d focused entirely on himself and the pain that seemed to take over his entire body. That wasn’t the type of guy he was. He could be better than that. He would be better than that.

  “So, this is what goes on at a famous Jackson Braxton party,” Tori said, leaning into him and giving him a seductive smile.

  Jackson glanced around, confused about what she was talking about, and then realization hit him. Back in high school, Jackson had been known to throw some major parties. “Yeah, they’ve definitely mellowed out since senior year.”

  Tori snorted as she waved toward his parents, who were playing a card game. “I’d say so.” She adjusted her skirt and turned to glance up at him. “It’s okay. I know of a great place with booze and music. Wanna come?” Tori wrapped her arm around his.

  Jackson dropped his gaze as she inched even closer to him. Heat pricked his skin as he glanced back to the picnic table and saw that Isabel had left. Confused, he scanned the backyard only to come up empty-handed. She was gone. Had slipped out when he wasn’t looking.

  Frustration coursed through him as he stepped away from Tori. “I don’t think so. I haven’t really spent that much time around my family. I should stay here.”

  Tori’s nose wrinkled as she stared at Jackson. Then she let out a long and annoyed sigh. “Well, I didn’t get this dressed up just to sit in someone’s backyard.”

  Jackson nodded. “Yeah. I don’t think there’s going to be much partying around here.”

  Tori folded her arms as she tapped her fingers against her skin. “I think I’m going to go,” she said.

  Jackson shoved his hands into his front pockets. “If you think it’s best.”

  Tori glanced over at him. “It’s a real bummer. I’ve always wanted to go out with the famous Jackson Braxton.”

  Jackson laughed, thinking about his days as a teenager. There wasn’t a lot that would have held him down back then. “Yeah, well, those days are long behind me.”

  “Clearly.” Tori swept her gaze around again. “Well, I’m out of here.” She reached up and patted his cheek with her hand. “If you ever want to have a good time, call me.”

  “Of course.”

  Tori gave him one last smile before she turned and headed toward the driveway. Once she was gone, Jackson walked over to the chair next to his mom and collapsed on it. He groaned as he closed his eyes and tipped his face toward the sky.

  What an exhausting evening.

  “Well, that was interesting,” Sondra said, drawing his attention.

  Jackson glanced over to see her staring at him. Whatever game his parents had been playing, they were done. Jimmy had his head tipped back, and a soft snore escaped his lips. Sondra, on the other hand, looked very much awake and very interested in talking to him.

  And for the first time in a long time, Jackson actually wanted to talk to his mom about his problems. He was so confused, and it was resulting in him making dumb decisions. Right now, it was probably best to allow his mom to make his decisions for him.

  “Tori was here, because…?” she asked,
leaning toward him.

  Jackson shrugged. “I accidentally threw sand on her at the beach. One thing led to another, and I invited her to dinner.”

  Sondra raised her eyebrows, and as Jackson’s words settled in around him, he realized how juvenile he sounded. “I don’t know what to do anymore, Ma,” he said, scrubbing his face with his hands.

  Sondra clicked her tongue. “Oh, Jackson, you’re more lost than I thought.” She reached down to grab her water bottle and took a swig. “Tori is not the girl for you.”

  Jackson nodded. That was the truth. “Yeah.”

  But neither was the girl he’d thought was his soul mate. How could she be? She was engaged. Destined to marry someone else. He should have moved on, but every effort he made ended in failure.

  Sondra sighed, and Jackson turned to study her. He could see the thoughts floating around in her mind as she met his gaze. Leave it to his mother to have a solution for every problem her children faced.

  “This is about Isabel, isn’t it,” Sondra said, slowly.

  Jackson nodded. His mom was observant. As always.

  “Because she’s engaged.”

  Jackson nodded again, this time slower. It was painful, thinking about Isabel with another man. It was painful to think about Isabel at all.

  “What happened? When you called things off after high school—why did you just leave?”

  Jackson leaned back in the lawn chair and rested his hands on his thighs. He swallowed, hard, thinking about his conversation with Isabel’s dad. How he’d said Jackson wasn’t worthy of his daughter. How Isabel’s father had thought so little of him. It was a painful memory that he didn’t want to relive.

  But Sondra look expectant, so Jackson told her the story. By the time he was finished, Sondra’s lips were parted, and fury radiated from her eyes. “My son? Dirk Andrews said that about my son?”

  Jackson shrugged. There was a small part of him that was relieved his mother was angry that someone would say that about him. That, perhaps, he was worthy of Isabel’s affection.

  Sondra pinched her lips together as she tried to calm herself down. A few seconds passed before she spoke again. “Isabel never said these things to you?”

  Jackson sighed as he shook his head. “No.”

  “And she doesn’t believe that about you?”

  Jackson shrugged. He wanted to believe that it had only been Mr. Andrews, but he could be wrong.

  “Jackson, I’ve seen the way Isabel looks at you. There’s no way she felt that way about you. Or that she feels that way now.” Sondra grew quiet. “You left because you didn’t want to make her choose between you and her father. Right?”

  A twinge started in Jackson’s throat as he mulled over his mom’s words. Maybe there was some truth in that. He’d been afraid that if he told Isabel what her father had said, she would admit she felt the same. So, in an act of self-preservation, he’d responded first. He’d walked away while the pain still felt bearable.

  Sondra wrapped her hand around his and squeezed. “Mr. Andrews is an idiot. You are wonderful.”

  Jackson cleared his throat. He loved his mom, but he still wasn’t in the mood to get that sappy. “Thanks, Ma,” he said, smiling over at her.

  She studied him for a moment before pulling her hand back and tapping her chin with her forefinger. “Now, let’s focus on what can be done.”

  Jackson furrowed his brow. “About what?”

  Sondra tipped her head to the side. “This”—she waved around the backyard—“is not you. My son is loyal to a fault, so inviting another girl over when his ex is here is an act of desperation, not malice. You’ve sent out your distress signal, and now I’m here to help.”

  It amazed him that even though it’d been years since he’d come home, his mom still knew him. She knew what he needed. He wasn’t the kind of guy who used women like what he’d done with Tori. He knew spending time with her wouldn’t fill the gaping hole inside of his chest.

  “What would make you happy?” Sondra asked, bending down to catch his gaze.

  Jackson glanced at her and shrugged. “Seeing Isabel happy. Whatever it takes.”

  Sondra clapped her hands together. “Then that’s what we’ll do.” She laughed, startling Jimmy awake.

  Jimmy reached over and engulfed her hands with his. “What are you going on about, woman?” he boomed in a loving voice.

  “I’m fixing Jackson’s love life.”

  Jimmy glanced over at Jackson, who just shrugged.

  “I’ve been doing a poor job of it so far,” Jackson admitted. “Thought I’d give Mom a shot.”

  Jimmy chuckled as he reached down and grabbed his beer. “Do you know what you’re saying, son? Once your mother gets cooking, it’s hard to get her out of the kitchen.”

  Jackson chuckled. “Yeah. But this time, I think I’m okay with it.”

  “What’s going on?” James asked as he, Jonathan, and Josh made their way over.

  “Jackson is fixing his love life,” Sondra said in a matter-of-fact tone.

  Jackson winced. It was one thing to have his parents involved. It was a whole other thing to involve his siblings.

  “With Isabel?” Josh asked.

  Jackson nodded.

  “What’s the plan?” Jonathan asked.

  “What are we planning?” Beth appeared behind Josh, wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling herself in close.

  “We’re fixing Jackson’s love life.”

  “Ooo,” Layla said as she waddled over and rested her back against James. “I love this idea.”

  Jackson glanced around at his brothers, their wives, and his parents. Even Jenna walked up and gave him a wink.

  “If it makes Jackson happy,” Jenna said, “I’m all for it.”

  Jackson smiled. He’d felt so alone since he got to Honey Grove, but now, with his family all around him, he felt at home. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen or how things would work out, but he knew that being true to himself was going to bring him the greatest joy.

  “So what’s the plan?” Dean asked, rubbing his hands together.

  Jackson glanced over at his brothers. “Isabel wants her dad home, and I’m thinking we can make that happen.” He ran his hands through his hair as thoughts started swarming around in his mind. “If all of us work together, we can outfit her home to better suit her dad’s needs.”

  Jimmy clapped his hands. “With my boys all home, it’ll be easy.”

  Jackson glanced up at Tiffany, hesitating to see what she thought. After all, this was her wedding weekend.

  Tiffany had a huge smile on her face. “Jonathan and I have a few things to take care of tomorrow morning, and then you can count on us for the rest of the day.”

  Jackson smiled at his future sister-in-law. His brother had made the right choice. She was perfect.

  “Thanks, Tiff,” he said, winking at her.

  She grinned back. “Anything to help Isabel. Besides, you’ll need some of this raw muscle power to get the work done.” She moved to squeeze Jonathan’s arm but then flexed her own muscles, kissing her biceps for effect.

  Laughter erupted around the group.

  “Tomorrow, eight a.m. sharp, we’ll head over to the Andrews’ residence and get started,” Jimmy said as he stood and gathered his trash. “I’m headed to bed.”

  They all said good night to Jimmy and Sondra as they walked back to the house, hand in hand. Jackson watched his parents, a dull ache forming in his chest. That was what he wanted. A love to last a lifetime.

  His parents didn’t always have a perfect marriage. He remembered his dad spending time on the couch after a fight with his mom, but they always got through it. They always found a way to fight for their future.

  That was what he wanted to do. He wanted to fight for Isabel. Even if it meant she stayed with Bobby. Jackson needed to know he’d done everything he could to make her life a happy one. ’Cause she deserved that happiness.

  After his brothers and their
significant others had said their goodbyes, Jackson headed up the stairs to the small apartment over the garage. So many thoughts and plans were swarming in his mind, and he was ready to tackle them all.

  His family was going to help get Isabel’s house ready, but there was so much more that needed to get done. An in-home nurse came to mind. Someone to watch after Mr. Andrews when Isabel couldn’t be there.

  That was something he could do. A good use of the money he’d earned for himself.

  Grabbing his phone, he called Journey, his assistant. As it rang, he started jotting down a list of things he needed to do. Journey answered. She was sleepy but happy to hear from him.

  “I’ve got a job for you,” Jackson said as he leaned back in his chair, staring at the list in front of him.

  “Oh yeah?” Journey asked.

  “Yep. Get a pen and paper, we’ve got things to do.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Isabel flipped from one side to the other, pinching her eyes shut. No amount of hope was helping sleep come to her.

  Groaning, she flipped to her back and let out a very unhappy harrumph. It was two in the morning, and she hadn’t slept a wink. Instead, she spent the entire night tossing and turning. It felt as if a brick had taken up residence in her stomach.

  Her mind was swirling with thoughts of Jackson. Of Bobby. Of Dad.

  And they weren’t helpful thoughts either. All she could think about was how she was letting down everyone in her life.

  She couldn’t manage to be a good friend, daughter, or fiancée. It seemed like she was failing in every relationship she had. Epically.

  Tired of trying to force sleep, she pulled off the covers and padded into the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and let the water run over her fingers. The cool temperature shocked her body and magically relaxed her.

  After filling a glass and drinking the whole thing, she turned the water off and set the glass down on the counter. She made her way back into her bed, where she clicked on the side-table lamp and grabbed her phone.