by Deanna Chase
“It’s still stiff, but I’ll work on those stretching exercises. Don’t worry about me. What’s going to happen while I’m laid up in bed?”
He let out a humorless chuckle. “Let’s not temp fate by asking that question, all right?”
Her smile was soft as she gazed up at him. “Fair enough. But really, I’m doing so much better. Now go so you can get back here and continue your hovering.”
Grayson glanced at her breakfast. “Looks like you’re not suffering too much from my attention.”
Amelia grinned, cupped both of his cheeks with her palms and pulled him down for a kiss. When they finally pulled apart, she said, “No. Not suffering at all.”
Grayson felt strange walking into his house. It had only taken a few days for Amelia’s place to feel more like home than his rental did. His house was cold and impersonal, while hers just felt right in a way that he was certain had everything to do with her presence and nothing at all to do with the décor.
He strode straight to his bathroom, took a quick shower, and then filled a duffel with the clothes he’d need for the rest of the week. He was on his way back out when he heard footsteps behind him.
“You’re not leaving already, are you?” Kira asked.
He turned to look at her and frowned. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she wore a pair of old sweatpants with a Hello Kitty T-shirt he thought he remembered from when they had just moved to New York. But what really surprised him were the dark circles under her eyes. “Have you slept at all?”
“Not really.” She curled up in the corner of the couch and asked, “Do you have a few minutes to talk before you go back to her?”
“I was on my way out to work.”
She glanced at the duffel in his hand and raised one eyebrow.
He shrugged. “So? I’m staying there for the rest of the week.”
Kira nodded. “I see. Are we going to spend any time together while I’m here?”
“Listen, Kira—”
“Never mind.” She shook her head. “It’s not your fault I turned up unannounced. I just…” Tears filled her eyes, and she turned away, sniffling.
Dammit. Kira had only cried twice since they were kids, and both times had been due to traumatic events in her life. He dropped his bag and went to sit on the coffee table directly across from her. “What is it?”
She stared at him for a long moment, seemingly trying to decide if she was going to tell him whatever was on her mind. Then she took a deep breath and said, “I tried to make contact with my mother the day after I arrived here. It didn’t go well.”
“Okay.” He frowned. What was going on with Kira and her parents? Even when they weren’t getting along particularly well, they’d never stopped speaking to each other. “What didn’t go well?”
“Everything.” Tears flowed freely down her face now. “She… doesn’t want to meet me.”
Grayson shook his head, trying to clear the confusion. Did she have an event she wanted her mother to go to? It wouldn’t be the first time her mother had declined an invitation. Kira’s mom didn’t really like the city or going to premieres. Too often Kira left her mother on her own while she networked with producers and directors. “Meet you where?”
“You don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head.
“I think that’s pretty clear,” he said. “What is it that’s making you so upset?” He was really getting worried now. The woman sitting in front of him was one he didn’t recognize.
She stared past him at the wall as she said, “There’s something I never told you about my family.”
He nodded once and then held his hand out to her. More tears spilled as she placed her hand in his. Then he waited, just holding on as he gave her the space she needed to get the words out. If there was one thing he knew about Kira, it was that she always did everything in her own time.
A clock on the wall ticked in the silence. Still, he waited.
Finally, she raised her gaze and held his as she said, “Right before we left for New York, I found out that I was adopted.”
Grayson sucked in a breath, shocked by her admission. When he’d first told her he was leaving their hometown and his foster family behind, she mentioned something about going with him. But it had been sort of wistful, the kind of talk when someone wanted to do something but didn’t really believe that they could. But then the day before he was set to leave, she’d crawled in his bedroom window. With tears in her eyes, she’d curled up with him in his bed and told him not to leave without her. She’d be on the bus with him. It was only the second time he’d ever seen her cry. At the time, he’d just thought she was emotional about leaving home or just didn’t want him to leave without her.
Damn, he’d been naïve.
“Why didn’t you tell me then? You could have, you know.” There wasn’t any accusation in Grayson’s tone, only curiosity.
“I don’t know.” She closed her eyes as she ran a hand through her platinum hair. Then she said, “I was going to, but then I just couldn’t. They told me in the heat of the moment, right after I told them I was going to New York with you. My mom used it as a weapon, accusing me of being ungrateful after all they did for me. My dad just sat there and let her rage at me. I guess once we got to New York, I just didn’t want to think about it.”
Grayson squeezed her hand, showing support in the only way he knew how. “You buried your pain.”
She shrugged. “I guess you could say that. I was angry at both of them, and then I started to romanticize meeting my birth mom.”
“Did your parents know who she was?”
“No. Just that she was an actress.”
The words hung in the air, and Grayson started to understand where all her determination came from to be the best. To always be on top. To appear perfect. To get a role that would put her in Oscar contention. His expression must have changed to one of understanding, because when he started to speak, she cut him off.
“Don’t start psychoanalyzing me, Grayson.”
“Okay,” he said with a soft smile. “So you found out who she is?”
Kira nodded. “After…” She cleared her throat. “You know, after what happened a couple of years ago, I just couldn’t stop thinking about her, so I hired a PI. It took all this time, but he finally got back to me.”
“And you tried to contact her?”
“Yes, but when that didn’t work, I had to get my lawyer involved because she wouldn’t take my calls. He found out she wasn’t interested in meeting or even talking to me.” Her eyes filled with tears again, and she angrily wiped them away.
Grayson questioned her use of a lawyer to contact her birth mother, but considering Kira was a huge star, he supposed it made a certain amount of sense. She’d want someone else to make the initial phone call to make sure she wasn’t walking into a public relations nightmare.
“The worst part is, the PI said she’s known who I am for years. I guess that explains why I didn’t get that part in Last Year’s Hope.” She let out a humorless laugh. “Talk about irony.”
Grayson blinked at her, trying to put together what she’d just said. That movie, about a troubled relationship between a mother and her adult daughter, starred Jeanette Brooks, a legendary actress in Hollywood. “You mean… Jeanette Brooks is your—”
She slowly nodded.
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah.”
The implications of her confession were astounding. One of the most powerful actresses in Hollywood was her mother, had known Kira was her daughter, and still didn’t want to meet her. Grayson’s heart broke for her. “I’m so sorry, Kira.”
“Me, too.” She was full of sadness as she said, “I’m sorry for being such a bitch to Amelia at the café. I’d just found out about my mother, and I guess I went a little crazy. You’re the only person in the world I can really talk to.” She lowered her voice and whispered, “I guess I’m afraid I’ll lose you.”
“Kira,” he said softly as he stood.
“We are family. You’re not going to lose me. Just because I need to make a life for myself that’s different than yours, that doesn’t mean I’m not your friend or that I won’t be here for you.” He tugged her to her feet and then wrapped her in his arms, holding her tightly. “You’re my oldest and best friend. You know that.”
“But Amelia needs you right now, and you’re starting a family.” Her voice trembled. “I just… I’m not sure where I fit into that.”
“As Auntie Katy?” he asked hopefully. “I can’t be the person who I used to be, the one who watched over all the stories and rumors. There are other PR people who can handle all of that just fine. But I can be the one you talk to when you need someone. The one who cheers you from the sidelines. And someone who never stops loving you no matter what.”
She held onto him with everything she had, and after a moment, she said, “I’d really like that.”
Chapter 19
By midafternoon, Amelia was restless. After surfing the internet, watching a movie, and then an hour of trying to concentrate on the book Grayson had left her, she was more than ready to get out of bed and actually do something. Anything. Yoga and baking were high on her priority list. She was so tired of sitting around, she’d even started daydreaming about cleaning out her freezer.
But she wasn’t about to do anything that would put her child in danger. Instead, she grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts, looking for someone to chat with. She immediately ruled out Rex. He’d just annoy her with questions about Grayson, and if she told him about her fall, forget it. She’d never get rid of him. The man would be calling every few hours for an update.
She finally landed on Georgia’s number, realizing she wasn’t going to make it to the girls’ night they’d planned. Besides, gossiping about Katy Carmichael didn’t really hold much appeal anymore. There was too much history between her and Grayson. Amelia thought it better to just keep her mouth shut.
The phone rang four times before Georgia’s voicemail picked up. Amelia left a quick message letting her know about the healer’s orders and asking if they could reschedule a time to get together.
She was just about to call Yvette Townsend, the one person she’d known before she moved to town, when a news notification flashed on her phone.
The headline read: Katy Carmichael in Love?
If that was true, it really was news, Amelia thought. The actress hadn’t said anything about dating anyone. In fact, at one point the night before, she’d even made a comment about how long it had been since she’d had a date with someone interesting. She’d laughed and jokingly referred to Grayson as the perfect man and said she should’ve never let him go all those years ago. It had been awkward and framed as a joke, but Katy hadn’t exactly been shy about making sure Amelia knew that she thought of Grayson as hers and that Amelia was temporary.
Curious, Amelia opened the gossip column, and her eyes nearly bugged out when she spotted a photo of the actress wrapped in Grayson’s arms. Her eyes were closed, while Grayson’s were hidden by the way his head was bent in a way that made him look like he was going in for a kiss. She scanned the credits of the photo and let out a grunt of disgust when it was dated that same day.
Katy Carmichael was spotted in the small enchanted village of Keating Hollow just a few days ago. Sources say she’s staying with her longtime friend and former employee Grayson Riley. It’s been reported in the past that the pair have known each other since they were children, and there’s speculation that they dated in the past. It appears that the couple are back on again, and a close source to Ms. Carmichael says, “She’s happier than she’s ever been.” Looks like the Until There Was You star is off the market.
Amelia’s stomach rolled and nausea made her queasy. She didn’t pay much attention to the words of the short article. That appeared to be all speculation. Even the source they quoted was vague and likely missing context. It was the photo that made her uncomfortable. There was an intimacy to it that was hard to deny.
She took a closer look at the photo and determined that they’d been standing in Grayson’s living room, near the front picture window. Clearly the paparazzi had taken it from outside without their knowledge.
Grayson had gone home that morning for a change of clothes and to pack a bag. Had he really gone home to see Katy? Amelia’s mind kept filling with images of the two of them. And she kept hearing Katy’s words when the woman had told her that Grayson would be back in New York soon. Had Grayson lied to her? Were they actually together, and was he just spending time with Amelia because of the baby?
Every insecurity Amelia had ever felt came roaring back, making her doubt herself and everything Grayson had said to her over the past few days.
It’s just a picture, she told herself. And a gossip page story was more often wrong than right. Amelia knew Grayson deserved a chance to explain, that likely Grayson was just hugging his friend… But when she looked at it again, the nausea only intensified. That picture was not one that implied “just friends.”
Amelia spent the next hour trying to put Grayson Riley and Katy Carmichael out of her mind. It didn’t exactly work. She started to call Grayson numerous times, but stopped herself before completing any of the calls. This wasn’t a conversation they should have over the phone. She wanted to see his facial expressions when she asked him about it. That didn’t stop her from googling both Katy’s and Grayson’s names. She found one article from early on in Katy’s career that connected her to him, but it didn’t say anything other than she’d taken him to a premiere. There was nothing else other than a mention here and there about ‘a statement made by Grayson Riley on Ms. Carmichael’s behalf.’ There was nothing scandalous, which made Amelia speculate that he’d been exceptionally good at his job.
A loud knocking on her door pulled Amelia out of her internet spiral. Grateful for a distraction, she got out of bed and went to answer it and found Georgia Exler on her doorstep. The author, who was wearing jeans, a thick sweater, and faux fur-lined boots, looked great with her dark curls framing her face.
“I guess you weren’t kidding when you said you were on bedrest,” Georgia said, smiling as she looked Amelia up and down.
Amelia glanced down at herself. She’d ditched her satin pajamas for a pair of soft leggings, thick wool socks, and an oversized sweatshirt with a wine stain on the left side. “Isn’t this a standard stay-at-home outfit?”
“Sure, but most people comb their hair,” she teased.
Amelia ran a hand through her locks and grimaced when she realized one side was all knotted up. But then she shrugged and let the other woman in. “I wasn’t expecting company, so who cares, right?”
Georgia chuckled. “As a shut-in who sometimes goes days without seeing anyone, I fully understand. But get cleaned up. We have somewhere to be.”
Amelia blinked at her. “Didn’t you get my message? I’m not supposed to be on my feet.” She glanced down at herself and sighed. If Grayson were there, he’d have already ordered her to sit down.
Grayson.
Her heart ached just thinking about him.
“I got it. But where we’re going, you won’t be on your feet at all. Just brush that hair of yours and put on a clean sweatshirt. Trust me.” She grinned at Amelia. “You’re in safe hands.”
Amelia hesitated, unsure. She desperately wanted to get out of her house, but she wouldn’t do anything that would put her pregnancy in danger. “Where are we going?”
“Faith’s spa. It’s closed for the evening, but Hanna convinced her to let us come have a girls’ night with facials, mani-pedis, and sea scrubs. No massages for you because of your condition, but I bet you could talk someone into an eyebrow threading or various waxings if that’s your thing.”
Amelia pressed her fingers to her eyebrows, suddenly self-conscious. “Are my brows that bad?”
Georgia leaned in, studying Amelia. “No, but they probably could use a little shaping.”
Nodding, Amelia made a sna
p decision and said, “Give me a few minutes.”
It had been a at least a couple of months since Amelia had indulged in any self-care. And if there was ever a day that she needed it, this was the one. As long as she could sit back and relax, there was no harm in going to the spa.
“You made it!” Hanna said, reaching out and hugging Amelia. The café owner held on for a little longer than was necessary, but Amelia didn’t mind. After spending two full days holed up in her house, it was good to be with other women. Hanna released Amelia, said hello to Georgia, and then gestured for them to follow her. “Come on, let’s get this party started.” She led them out onto the spa’s patio and gestured to the zero gravity chairs. “Sit here. Anything you want will be brought to you.”
“Thanks.” Amelia laid out in one of the chairs and glanced around the outdoor area of the spa. Even though the temperature in Keating Hollow was cold enough to make one’s teeth chatter, the outdoor space of the spa was anything but cold. The zero gravity chairs were positioned in a circle around an impressive outdoor firepit, while other outdoor heaters were set up at various spots behind them, creating a warm cocoon. There were also twinkle lights illuminating the lush space that was filled with various plants and gorgeous flowers that were clearly out of season for their temperature zone.
The door leading into the spa opened and a petite woman with blond hair tied up in a flowing ponytail stepped out. Her green eyes were alight with joy as she glanced around at Hanna, Georgia, and then Amelia, who said, “You must have an earth witch on staff who keeps everything blooming.”
Faith Townsend chuckled. “Not on staff. It’s my dad. Now that he’s basically handed over operations of the brewery to my brother-in-law Clay and Hanna’s husband, Rhys, he’s had a little time on his hands. He likes to stop by once a week or so and tend to the garden out here. Isn’t it fantastic? Before he started managing it, all we had were soothing rocks and waterfalls.”
