Liv Constantine - The Last Mrs. Parrish

The four of them walked in together, and Amber had to struggle to keep her eyes off Jackson and on Gregg.

After they’d been seated and gotten their drinks, Gregg lifted his glass. “Cheers. So glad we were finally able to get together.” He put his arm around Amber. “I can’t thank you enough for introducing me to this gem.”

Amber leaned over next to Gregg and kissed him. When she sat back up, she tried to gauge Jackson’s reaction, but his expression was unchanged.

“We’re glad it worked out. I had a feeling you two would be perfect for each other,” Daphne answered.

Amber snuck a glance at Jackson. He was frowning. Good. Licking her lips, she raised her glass of wine and took a long swallow, then looked at Gregg.

“You were right; this is a better choice than the house cabernet. I wish I knew as much about wines as you.”

“I’ll teach you,” he answered with a smile.

“Actually,” Jackson said, “the 1987 vintage was better.” He gave Gregg an apologetic look. “Sorry, old chap, but I’m something of a sommelier. I’ll order a bottle, and you’ll taste the difference.”

“No worries. That’s the year I was born, so it was a good year,” Gregg answered, perfectly seriously.

Amber had to struggle to keep from laughing. Gregg had put Jackson in his place even though he was too thick to realize it. But of course Jackson picked up on it right away. No matter how much more money or smarts Jackson had, he couldn’t make himself fifteen years younger.

“Obviously age is what makes a wine so much more desirable. The older the better,” Amber said, slowly moving her tongue along her lips and looking at Jackson.

Amber was about to get a new glimpse into the Parrishes’ life. When she did the bills, she had seen that they rented a house on Lake Winnipesaukee from Memorial Day to Labor Day, although they probably used it less than an accumulated four weeks. Amber was curious to see what kind of place warranted such an exorbitant rental fee, and today she would. She was waiting for Daphne to pick her up for a weekend at the lake house in New Hampshire. Jackson was on another of his many business trips abroad.

At 8:30 sharp, the white Range Rover pulled up. Daphne jumped out of the car and opened the back hatch for Amber’s luggage.

“Good morning.” Daphne hugged her and then took the bag from her. “So glad you’re coming with us.”

“Me too.”

It was a four-and-a-half-hour drive to Wolfeboro, but it seemed to go quickly with the girls sleepy and quiet in the back as Amber and Daphne chatted up front.

“How are things at the office? Are you still liking it now with all the responsibilities?”

“I really love it. Jackson’s a great boss.” She looked at Daphne. “But you must know that.”

“I’m glad. By the way, I never thanked you for pinch-hitting for me the time you went to see Hamlet with him. Did you enjoy it?”

“I did. It was so different to see it onstage. I’m sorry you had to miss it.”

“I’m not a huge Shakespeare fan.” Daphne chuckled. “I know that’s an awful thing to admit, but I’m more suited to Broadway musicals. Jackson, on the other hand, adores Shakespeare.” She took her eyes from the road and glanced briefly at Amber. “He has tickets to The Tempest . I think it’s the week after next. Since you enjoyed Hamlet , if you don’t mind, I’ll ask him to take you instead.”

“I’m sure he would want you to go.” Amber didn’t want to seem overly anxious.

“He’ll love the idea of introducing you to more Shakespeare. And besides, you’d be doing me a big favor. I’d much rather be at home with the girls than listening to language I don’t understand half of.”

This was too delicious. Daphne was practically handing Jackson to her on the proverbial silver platter. “Well, when you put it that way, I guess it would be okay.”

“Good. That’s settled, then.”

“Will your mom be coming to stay at all? I imagine she’s not too far from here.”

She noticed Daphne’s hand tighten on the wheel. “New Hampshire’s bigger than you think. She’s actually a couple of hours away.”

Amber waited for her to go on, but there was an awkward silence. She decided not to press it. A few minutes later, Daphne looked in the rearview mirror and spoke to the girls.

“We’ve got about an hour left. Everyone okay, or do we need a bathroom break?”

The girls said they were fine, and Amber and Daphne chatted about their plans for the rest of the day once they got to the house.

They arrived at the charming little town of Wolfeboro around lunchtime and continued to the lake house, passing mile after mile of sparkling water and verdant hillsides. The homes along the banks were an exciting combination of old and new, some imposingly important and others small and eclectic. Amber was enchanted by the clear call of summer pleasures that seemed to hover over everything. Daphne pulled into the driveway, and the moment they opened the doors, the smell of honeysuckle and pine filled the car. Amber stepped onto the gravel, which was covered in pine needles, and breathed in the fresh air. This was paradise.

“If everyone grabs something, we can do this in one trip,” Daphne called from the back of the Rover.

Bags in hand, with even Bella helping out, they walked down the dirt path leading to the house. Amber stopped and stared, openmouthed, at the structure in front of her, an immense three-story cedar house abounding with porches, balconies, and white railings. Beyond it stood a large octagonal gazebo and a small boathouse that overlooked the pristine waters.

The inside of the house was homey and comfortable, with old pine floors and cushioned furniture that invited relaxation. The front porch spanned the entire front of the house and looked over the lake.

“Mom, Mom, Mom.” Bella had already gone upstairs and changed into her bathing suit. “Can we go swimming now?”

“In a bit, sweetheart. Wait till we all get into our swimsuits.”

Bella plopped herself onto one of the sofas to wait.

The lake water was cold and clean. It took a while for them all to get used to it, but soon they were squealing and splashing and laughing. Amber and Daphne took a break and sat on the edge of the pier, legs dangling in the water as they watched the girls swim. The afternoon sun warmed their shoulders as the cold lake water dripped from their hair.

Daphne kicked up a splash of water and turned to Amber. “You know,” she said, “I feel closer to you than anyone I know. It’s almost as if I have my sister back.” She looked out over the lake. “This is exactly what Julie and I would be doing now if she were alive — sitting here watching the girls, just enjoying being together.”

Amber tried to think of a sympathetic response and then said, “It’s very sad. I understand.”

“I know you do. It hurts me to think of all the things I would love to be sharing with her. But now, with you, I can do that. It’s not the same, of course, and I know you understand what I mean. But it makes me a little happier that we can make it hurt less.”

“Just think, when Bella and Tallulah are grown, they’ll sit together like this. It’s nice that they’ll have each other.”

“You’re right. But I’ve always felt it was a shame we didn’t have more.”

“Did Jackson want to stop at two?”

Daphne leaned back and looked up at the sky. “Quite the opposite. He was desperate for a son.” She squinted and put her hand up to shield her eyes from the light. Turning to Amber, she said, “It never happened though. We tried and tried, but I never got pregnant after Bella.”