House Divided by Jennifer Peel Read Free Book Online Page B

set up each tree. It was
going to be a long night of decorating. Each tree had a theme. The one in the
foyer was always decorated in orange and blue, the one in the family room was
decorated in all white, but the one in the drawing room was my favorite, it was
decorated with ornaments from around the world.
    Doris was off, so I had the
house to myself. Once again, I was alone with my thoughts, and of course they
centered on that darn Brady Jackson. My aunt was going to get an earful from me
tomorrow. She could have at least given me a warning I might see him. And why
did he have to be so dang nice to me? Ex-boyfriends should be cold and indifferent.
They shouldn’t look fabulous in their suits and ties, and they shouldn’t call
you Ellie, and they shouldn’t be perfect.
    I changed out of my suit and rummaged
through my old closet. I hadn’t really packed anything appropriate for tree
decorating. Everything I brought was too nice to get tree sap on. I was
grateful my aunt never threw my old stuff away and that I could still fit into
my jeans from high school. I guess there were some perks to not having any kids
yet. I slid on my old jeans and threw on an old Auburn jersey and then made my
way to the attic to begin pulling down box after box of decorations. I don’t
know why she insisted on decking out the house, she rarely entertained anymore.
I’m sure she would just say, “Because that’s what southern women do.”
    It took me an hour just to get all the
boxes out and placed in the appropriate rooms. By then, my stomach started
growling. I hoped Doris left something in the fridge for me. She knew I was an
awful cook. On my way to the kitchen, the doorbell rang. I turned around, and
for old time’s sake, I slid across the marble entry way in my socks on the way
to the door. It made me smile, but then I opened the large Mahogany door and I
wasn’t smiling anymore.
    “Brady,” I sighed. “What are you doing here?”
    He looked me over in my old jeans and
shirt, he probably recognized them. Then I realized he had the cutest little
ginger-haired girl with him.
    “Well, I was telling my niece that her
favorite author was in town, and she insisted that we come over and meet her.”
    I looked down at her sweet little
expectant face. I was being blackmailed again, this time by what I would guess
to be a five year old and her uncle.
    I smiled at her. “What’s your name,
sugar?”
    She grinned widely and revealed a missing
front tooth. She was darling. “I’m Caroline Jackson.”
    Oh, so she wasn’t from his wife’s side, but
that meant one of Brady’s brothers had had an oops. Brady was the baby by a
long shot. Did that mean that Brady wasn’t really married? Not that it
mattered, we couldn’t be together regardless. There were rules after all, and
he had proven Jackson men couldn’t be trusted.
    “Well, Caroline Jackson, would you like to
come in?”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    I loved her manners. “You can call me Miss
Elle.”
    “But Uncle Brady said you liked to be
called Miss Ellie.”
    I gave him the evil eye; he in return gave
me that country boy smile. I sweetly looked at her. “Did he now?”
    She shook her head yes. I led them into
the drawing room.
    She sat down with her uncle on the velvet
covered couch and I took the chaise.
    Brady looked way too happy sitting there.
He just kept staring at me.
    “So, Caroline, what else has your uncle
told you about me?”
    Excitement broke out across her sweet face.
“He told me that you are the nicest and prettiest person he’s ever met and that
you like Auburn just like me and my mommy.”
    “Sugar, did you just say Auburn?”
    Confused, I looked at Brady. Surely I
heard her wrong, no Jackson liked Auburn.
    “Yes, Miss Ellie. War Eagle!” she replied
to my ever living surprise.
    Brady looked down lovingly at Caroline,
and then he looked at me with that same sweet gaze. I had to remind myself I
hated him.
    “Ellie, Caroline’s daddy is Benjamin, and
he