The Magnolia Sisters (Magnolia Sisters #1) - Michelle Major Page 0,36
them both, and he’d believed her when she told him she wanted to be partners in co-parenting. Hollywood types might be the experts on “conscious uncoupling” but Gray had been determined to create a harmonious relationship with his ex for the sake of their daughter. Only Stacy wasn’t always a good mother. She ignored Violet a fair bit of the time, forgetting to pick her up on their scheduled weekends, or dragging her to speaking engagements or private Botox parties in the city’s wealthier neighborhoods.
So Gray was working on a plan to go back to court and file for sole custody. He didn’t want to keep Stacy from her daughter, but he needed to protect Violet.
“Here’s that water.” Tammy handed him a tall glass.
“Thanks.”
“Are we out of Voss?” Stacy asked as she entered the waiting room from her office.
“He wanted tap,” Tammy answered, then retreated behind her desk.
“Figures,” his ex-wife muttered.
Gray placed the glass on the table in front of him, trying not to let his mouth gape open as he stood. “What the hell happened to your face?”
Stacy looked like she’d been on the losing end of a fight with Mike Tyson in his heyday. Her entire face was swollen and red, with dark bruises shadowing both of her eyes.
Her lips pressed together. At least he thought that was what happened. He couldn’t be quite sure.
“I don’t have any more clients for the week so I did a couple of nonsurgical treatments on myself.”
“You did that to yourself on purpose?” He couldn’t hide his disbelief.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Gray. This isn’t the end result. Within forty-eight hours the swelling will go down and I’ll look ten years younger.”
“You don’t need it, Stacy.”
“I’m almost thirty-six.”
“And still gorgeous,” he told her. He might not like his ex-wife, but no one could deny her beauty.
She stared at him for several moments before shaking her head. “It’s a shame you have no ambition. We could have been something special.”
He laughed without humor. “Once upon a time, I thought we were.”
She took a step back as if he’d thrown a punch, then steadied herself. “What do you want?”
“I’d like to keep Violet this weekend.”
“She’s scheduled to be with me.”
“I realize that, but tomorrow is the kickoff for Summer Fair in Magnolia. It’s the last big festival of the season. Her Dragonfly troupe is marching in the parade. She wants to be a part of it.”
“No,” Stacy said without hesitation.
“Why?”
“I don’t have to give you a reason.”
“This isn’t about me, Stace.”
“Of course not. It’s about your precious town.”
“She wants to be with her friends. I’ll bring her to you in the afternoon if that’s what it will take. I’m not asking for much.”
“You could have called or texted about this.”
True, but he knew she never would have entertained the idea of letting him change the custody schedule unless he subjected himself to a decent amount of groveling. That was easier to do in person.
“Please, Stacy. I’ll make it up to you. If you need to adjust the calendar or want an extra weekend, we can work it out.”
“Violet and I had plans for the weekend.”
Liar, he wanted to shout. Stacy almost always slept late on weekends. Violet would often call him from her mother’s phone while she ate a bowl of cereal in front of the television.
“Please,” he said again.
“I’ll think about it,” she finally relented. “Right now I want to go home and put my feet up. I’ll text you later.”
The urge to argue almost overwhelmed him. But Stacy liked a fight too much to give her that satisfaction. Gray hated fighting. It reminded him of his parents.
“Thank you for considering it,” he said, making the gratitude in his tone overt. “I hope your face...” He ran a hand through his hair, still baffled by the lengths women went through to preserve their youth. “Turns out the