“I know.”
“You deserve to be happy.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat.“Do you think I’m a bad mother?”
“Not at all,” Jackson said.“You’re devoted to Emily.”
“She’s spoiled and difficult.”
“She’s lively and imaginative.”
Vanessa glanced over her shoulder at Emily.“What’s that saying about well-behaved women?”
“They seldom make history.”
Vanessa smiled and shook her head.“I’ve been so exhausted lately, between my job and my classes and the divorce.I haven’t given her enough attention.That’s why I wanted this vacation to be perfect.Instead it’s been a complete disaster.”
“Does she look disappointed?”
“She doesn’t know any better.”
“Exactly,” Jackson said.“And the summer just started, so give yourself a break.Where are you going next?”
“Last Chance.”The town was about an hour from Lost Lake, and it had a laidback vibe.“We can visit some of the parks.”
“I have a few days off next week.I’ll join you.”
“All right.”
“Let’s stay at the Grand.”
“I can’t afford the Grand.”
“I can.”
Vanessa turned to watch Emily play checkers with a boy twice her size.Her little brow furrowed with concentration.
“Dad’s makingcarne asadafor lunch.You should come.”
Her stomach rumbled at the thought of grilled steak tacos, their father’s favorite dish.He liked to cook the meat outdoors and serve it with homemade salsa.Vanessa had agreed to a visit between her father and Emily.Vanessa hadn’t planned to accompany them, but staying here at the campground, in Paul’s general vicinity, seemed worse.
“It will mean a lot to him,” Jackson added.
“Okay,” she said, on impulse.“I’ll go.”
Jackson grinned at her easy agreement.He slapped his palm against the bench in triumph.The family rift had put more of a strain on him than she’d realized.It had been difficult for him to play mediator.
“So, who are you dating?”she asked.
His smile faded.“Nobody, lately.”
“What happened to your girlfriend?”
“She moved back to Austin.”
“She didn’t ask you to go with her?”
He shrugged and looked away.His girlfriends always fell in love with him, but the relationships didn’t last.He seemed content to drift from one woman to another.She suspected their parents’ divorce had made him wary of marriage.
