Page 64 of A Whisper of Summer Magic

It helped that Jackson enjoyed working in the farm kitchen with her and also helping at the nursery. Jessica wasn’t really joking when she said they should put him on part-time staff. He’d also helped with the wedding prep. And then there had been helping Chloe plan her wedding. It was a small morning service in the historic house’s garden followed by brunch later on at the Wild Side.

“How’s Chloe doing?” Jackson played with the ends of her hair—her corporate law bob was growing out a bit, and she was still deliberating if she wanted to let her hairstyle morph from professional to casual, flirty, fun.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

She liked that about him. She didn’t have to pretend to know more than she did or sugar the truth to save face.

“Her mom arrived last week and is staying in the carriage house, Chloe’s old apartment. They’ve spent so much time together. She’s so… so like a sophisticated, elegant version of Chloe. It’s been so…” Meghan tried to gather her thoughts—she loved how Jackson was always patient, letting her find the right words or craft the argument. “Balanced. We all feel like a final piece of the Chloe puzzle is in or the full picture’s come into focus. I admire Chloe so much. She’s so forgiving. I don’t think I could be.” Meghan felt humbled. “I know I’m not. I hate secrets.”

Beside her, Jackson stiffened. “What do you mean, secrets?”

“Secrets. All of them. Especially family ones.” Meghan’s voice was bitter. “Finding out that our dad cheated on our mom, put like a whole country of distance between us and our parents. But what’s worse is that he denied his own child a father. A relationship. He was right there, but he too might as well have been on another continent. Chloe’s mom was so shocked. She cried and railed and offered to cancel some concert dates and fly out even earlier. Jessica hasn’t spoken to our dad. Our mom, who suspected but never talked about it, has left to see her sister at her vacation home in the Isle of Palms, and our dad won’t talk to any of us, but he’s especially pissed at Sarah fornosing around, is what he said. You don’t have a secret baby, do you?”

She’d jumped off the swing and stood in front of him, her hands in fists.

Dramatic much?

“It would be a secret from me,” Jackson said, “and I’m in touch with all my exes and always use protection so I don’t think I’m hiding anything epic from you.”

“You’d better not be.”

“Meghan—”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she interrupted him and sat down next to him again, wrapping her arms around him. “I’m being an idiot. I’m not going to be one of those bitter women who think that all men are liars and cheats and have ulterior motives.”

“Meghan,” he said, holding her close, stroking her arm with a warm, sure palm.

“I’m just stressed. Chloe finally confronted our dad today. He’s been dodging her, and she showed up at his office—alone when we would have happily gone with her, but no. Chloe busts in, pushes past his admin assistant, and says she’ll talk to him publicly if he won’t make time with her.”

“Wow,” Jackson breathed running his hand through his hair. “The badass is definitely genetic.”

His comment eased something in her soul.

She smiled. “Yeah, it kinda is, and I love that I can claim that. Claim Chloe for all of us and, pretty soon, everyone will know. She’s so brave.”

“She has nothing to be ashamed of,” Jackson said, and she felt he was about to say more.

She thought about his father, walking out, trying to walk in again and make amends. That too took courage, and she wondered if her father had what it took.

“Tonight, we’re have a sleepover.”

“I could sleep over.”

“Sisters only.” She kissed him again. “We’re going to unpack what happened between Chloe and Dad and then move the eff on.”

Her father’s disdain and dismissal and avoidance now made sense in an awful sort of way, as did their mother’s coldness—especially if she’d known or just suspected.

“No one’s perfect,” Jackson said. “We just try our best each day.”

“That’s a true statement,” she said and slipped her hands into his. “I promise to do my best,” she vowed, and then felt a bit too serious—after all, even though they’d shared the jam they’d made using the book, he hadn’t fallen to his knees and declared undying love.

Neither did you.

But she sure was feeling more than she ever had before, though she wished he’d also promise to be open and honest with her.

She kissed him. “I’ll see you tomorrow early for the final setup for the wedding.” She knew that he was linking up with Storm, Rustin, Lucas—Rustin’s brother—and a few friends to play some darts or pool or pinball at one of their favorite sports bars as a sort of bachelor party.

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