by Deanna Chase
“It’s really lovely.” Amelia felt so at peace there with the fire in front of her and the lavender blooming behind her.
“Lin, Faith’s dad, is fantastic,” Hanna said, leaning toward her. “He’s sort of like the town’s father figure. Willing to do anything for anyone, and he deeply cares about the town. We’re lucky to have him.”
“He sounds great,” Amelia said, knowing that the Townsends were pretty much the heart of Keating Hollow, right along with the Pelshes. “Your dad seems pretty great, too. I met him at Shannon’s wedding. He’s really excited about turning the winery into something great for the town.”
Hanna’s expression softened. “Yeah, he is. How about you? I know Rex is your brother and is living in Christmas Grove. Is the rest of your family there, too?”
Amelia shook her head. “Nope. My mom, stepdad, and my stepmom and all my other half siblings are Back East. My dad passed when I was pretty young. I’m really only close to Rex.”
Hanna reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry to hear that about your dad. And it’s too bad your family is so far away. But don’t worry. We’re your family now.” She winked at her. “After this inauguration, as soon as it’s safe for you, you’ll be forced to engage in golf cart races, racy romance book clubs, and wine tasting parties. Not to mention the weekly facials and pedicures.”
“Golf cart races?” Amelia asked with one eyebrow raised. “Where and when do those happen? And are there prizes involved?”
Hanna and Faith chuckled while Georgia listened with interest.
Faith passed out cups of herbal tea and said, “They usually happen down by the river. When? Just whenever the girls get together. Abby has a cart and so does Wanda. As far as prizes go, the reward is the sweet taste of glory.”
“That about sums it up,” Hanna said. “We ride in teams, and everyone is allowed to use their magic in any way that can give them an advantage. The only rule is that there aren’t really any rules.”
Amelia stared at them, not sure if they were being completely serious, but then decided she didn’t care. If there were golf cart races, she was down. “Sign me up. Well, after I pop this baby out. I don’t want to do anything to risk having to be on bedrest again.”
“What happened?” Faith asked.
“I slipped on the snowy steps. Healer Whipple has taken good care of me, though. I’m sure everything will be fine. I just need to take it easy until the turkey is done, I guess.” She smiled at them, thoroughly enjoying her girl time.
“That’s why we modified girls’ night. To mitigate your stress after that story hit this afternoon,” Hanna said.
Amelia winced. She hadn’t wanted to talk about Grayson or Katy. In fact, during the time she’d been hanging out at the spa, she hadn’t thought of either of them once. She supposed it was unavoidable when the person you were dating had their face plastered on gossip sites with a massive star.
Georgia and Faith both stared at Hanna with disapproving expressions.
“What?” Hanna asked. “Are we really just going to ignore the elephant in the room? I wanted Amelia to know we have her back. After the way that jerk Katy acted the other day at the café, our girlfriend deserves some reinforcements, right?”
“Of course she does,” Faith said, patting her friend’s arm. “But if I saw Hunter in a picture like that with his ex, I probably wouldn’t want to talk about it with a group of women I’d just met.” She turned to Amelia. “I’m sorry. We can drop this. Just tell Hanna to mind her own business. It’s okay. She’s used to it. I tell her that all the time.”
“No you don’t,” Hanna said with a laugh.
“I would if I thought you were being nosey,” Faith said with an air of indignation.
“Well, that’s true enough. You’re not one for holding back with anyone.”
The pair of them chuckled while Georgia and Amelia looked on. Finally, Georgia turned to Amelia. “We’re going to be besties like that one day.”
“We are?” Amelia asked, grinning at her.
“Yep. I’m declaring it now, so expect me to start calling you all the time and meeting up for coffee dates.”
“How often is all the time?” A lightness settled over Amelia that she hadn’t felt in forever. It was that feeling of budding friendship that she hadn’t allowed herself to really explore since she’d lost Victoria. Would she find what she’d been missing with Georgia? And if she did, would she allow herself to embrace it? She really hoped so, because after talking about Victoria with Grayson, it became clear to her that she couldn’t continue to keep people at arm’s length if she wanted to heal from that tragedy. The nightmares would just keep creeping up on her. But opening her heart again to friendship just might help her move on.
“Like once or twice a week. I’m a hermity writer. You can’t expect too much,” Georgia said with a smirk.
“Oh, good,” Amelia said, relieved. “I’m not an everyday-phone-call kind of girl. I think this is going to work out just fine.”
“Perfect.” Georgia held her cup up to toast with Amelia. “It’s a deal then. Girlfriends for life.”
Amelia touched her mug to Georgia’s and said, “Deal.”
The other two cheered their approval.
“Who’s ready for facials?” Faith asked, rising from her chair.
“Me!” the other three said in unison.
“On it. Let me get Esme and Lena. They’re going to take care of us tonight.” Just as Faith started to retreat into the building, Amelia’s phone started to ring.
“Oh, sorry,” Amelia said, fishing it out of her pocket. “I’ll put it on silent—” She stared at the name flashing across the screen and then felt her nausea reemerge.
“What’s wrong?” her new bestie asked. “Who is it?”
“Grayson,” Amelia said, staring at the phone as if it were going to bite her.
“You can just not answer, you know,” Georgia said. “You don’t have to talk to him.”
“I know. I just… I’m supposed to be at home, and I’m sure he’s wondering where I am.”
Georgia held her hand out for the phone. “Give it to me. I’ll tell him for you.”
Amelia shook her head. “No. You don’t need to do that. I’ve got this.” She pressed the Accept button.
Georgia leaned in and whispered, “If at any point you’re over it, you can just give me the phone. Understand?”
With her lips curved into a half smile, Amelia nodded. Yeah, she could be besties with a woman like Georgia, one who respected her choices but always had her back. Was that what all adult friendships looked like? She didn’t really know because she’d kept herself closed off for so long. It was definitely time to change that.
“Amelia? Hello?” Grayson asked.
“It’s me.” She stared at the fire, trying to sear that image of him and Katy out of her mind.
“Where are you?” he asked. “I’m worried about you.”
“Out with friends,” she said, deliberately not telling him the details. It was sort of petty, but she was still smarting from the article.
“What do you mean by ‘out’? You’re supposed to be on bedrest.”
“I’m with Georgia and a couple of other ladies. Don’t worry. I’m off my feet and taking care of the baby.” Then she added, “You can go home. I’m sure you’d like to spend more time with Katy anyway.”
He sighed. “No, I don’t want to go home. I want to be here.”
“Are you sure about that?” This time there was ice in her tone.
There was a long pause. “You saw that gossip article, didn’t you?”
“Unfortunately.” The ache in her stomach intensified, and she wondered if she was going to throw up.
“You know all of that is just speculation after a gross invasion of privacy. I’m not with her. You know that,” he said softly.
“Maybe not, but that picture was from today, and you know what, Grayson? It’s hard for photos to lie. You two looked far too
intimate.”
“That was nothing,” he insisted. “She’d just finished telling me something important, and I was giving her a hug. Nothing more. I swear.”
She didn’t say anything. There wasn’t anything to say. She knew what that picture made her feel, and none of it was good.
“You do believe me, don’t you?”
“To be honest, I’m not sure.” She just didn’t know what she was supposed to think. Maybe being involved with a man who was so closely connected to someone else was a mistake.
“Dammit,” he muttered. “Is there anything I can say to make you believe me? Because it sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.”
“I just need some space, Grayson. Can you give me that? Go home, and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
There was silence over the line, and she started to wonder if he’d ended the call. But then he said, “All right. If that’s what you need. Call me if… Well, just call me.”
“Okay,” she said softly and then pressed End. She closed her eyes and let out a groan because she wasn’t entirely convinced that she wasn’t making a mountain out of a molehill.
“Taking a step back to think is never a bad thing,” Georgia said.
“She’s right,” Hanna agreed.
“Yep.” Faith said.
Amelia opened her eyes and smiled gratefully at them. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Faith said. “Now, about those facials. Are we ready?”
They all nodded enthusiastically, and from the moment Esme started cleaning her face, Amelia really did manage to put Grayson and Katy Carmichael out of her mind for the next few hours while the ladies who worked at the spa pampered her silly.
Chapter 20
Grayson paced his kitchen, frustrated beyond belief. He’d come home to a crowd of paparazzi hanging out on his front lawn. Flash bulbs had gone off in his face, followed by a dozen questions about his relationship with Katy Carmichael. He’d ignored their questions and done his best to try to get the photographers to move off the property. When they didn’t listen, he’d had to make a call to Drew Baker, the town’s deputy sheriff, to get them to move across the street.
Dealing with the paparazzi was something he’d become accustomed to over the years, but it was different when he was living in a small house on a regular residential street. There weren’t any gates or security to keep them out. And it pissed him off.
At least they hadn’t drawn a crowd of fans the way they often did in the city. It was the only consolation. He’d stepped into his house, and immediately went to work on closing all the blinds. He’d be damned if another picture of him or Kira showed up online.
He didn’t blame Amelia for being skeptical about that story in the gossip rag. The picture really did make it look like Grayson and Kira were a couple. The irony was that after all the time they’d spent together, not one gossip rag had run a story about them before. He wondered why now.
He picked up his phone, and after scrolling through his contacts, he found the number he wanted and made a call. Ten minutes later, after a terse conversation with the legal department at the parent company of the gossip site, he got a verbal agreement that they’d take down the story. It was something he’d done countless times throughout his tenure as Katy Carmichael’s public relations manager. In fact, he’d dealt with that particular lawyer before. The history often made things move along faster.
Movement in the hallway caught his attention, and he looked up to see Kira standing there and clutching her suitcase handle. He raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t even realize you were here.”
“I went out for coffee, but as soon as the story broke, I came back here. It was only a matter of time before the paps showed up.”
He nodded. It was just a reality for her everyday life. He glanced at her suitcase. “You’re leaving already?”
“I think I should. I’ve done too much damage here.” She pressed her lips together in a thin line. “I don’t want to mess up your life, Grayson. I just needed a safe space to land for a bit after everything that’s happened. But now that the press has found me, they won’t leave either of us alone while I’m here. We both know that.”
He didn’t move from his spot as he studied her. She was wearing jeans, a long-sleeved cotton shirt, and white Chucks. Her hair was tied into a low ponytail on one side, and if she was wearing any make-up, he couldn’t see it. The woman standing in front of him didn’t look at all like Katy Carmichael. She looked like Kira, the girl he’d run off to New York with when they were just eighteen. On the one hand, he was relieved she was going back to New York. Without her there, the press wouldn’t care what he was up to. And he was certain it would ease tensions with Amelia. On the other, he was worried about her and feared if she went back home she’d fall right back into her old patterns. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”
“I’m sure.” She nodded solemnly. “I’m a big girl, and I can’t count on you to fix all of my problems for the rest of my life.” Kira gave him a soft smile. “You’ve got a good thing going here with Amelia and the family you’re going to start. It’s not fair of me to mess that up for you.”
It was strange to hear those words from her. For the past decade, she’d treated him like he belonged to her. As if he’d be forever by her side for the rest of their lives. Something had changed with her, but he wasn’t exactly sure what. “What will you do when you get home?”
“The usual. Spend the day at the spa. Go shopping. Hang out at the club.” She forced a smile, the one she always used when she was lying.
“Kira,” he said. “Come on. Be honest. What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing. I just…” She walked over to the table and sat down, gesturing for him to sit with her. Once he was seated, she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and said, “I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching these past couple of days. Ever since I heard that my birth mom doesn’t want to meet me, I’ve been questioning what I’m doing with my life. I think maybe I just need to go spend some time with myself, trying new things that don’t involve acting or red carpets or photo shoots.”
He reached out and squeezed her hand, glad that she was planning to take some time for herself. She’d been working nonstop for over a decade. It was about time she did something just for her. “I think that’s a great idea. Will you do that in New York?”
She shook her head. “No. There’s a house in Rhode Island that I’ve already put an offer on. It’s on the coast but away from people in the industry, and it’s available for me to move in immediately. I told my finance manager to put the Cape Cod house on the market. It’s time to let that one go.”
He nodded, understanding. The Cape Cod house was full of terrible memories for both of them. It wasn’t a place to go to heal. “Text me the address so I’ll know where to find you.”
She grinned at him. “I already put it in your contacts.”
“What?” He yanked his phone out, tapped in his passcode, and scrolled to her name. Sure enough, there was a Rhode Island address. “When did you do this?”
“This morning when you were in the shower.” She got up, patted his knee, and said, “Benji is waiting outside. I’ll call you when I’m settled in Rhode Island.”
He rose and followed her to the door. “Kira?”
“Yeah?”
“There’s something that’s been bothering me,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Where the hell has Benji been this whole time, and is he the one who’s been driving you around town?”
“Yes. He’s my driver. Who else?” When he just shrugged, she continued. “He’s been staying at the Keating Hollow Inn. When he wasn’t there, he was exploring the town. His favorite place is A Spoon Full of Magic, the chocolate place near the café.”
“Of course it is,” Grayson said with a laugh. Her driver had the biggest sweet tooth he’d ever seen. “Tell him I said hello and that I’m sorry I missed him.”
; “Will do.” She pulled the door open, turned to stare right at the paparazzi, waved and blew them a kiss, then hurried over to the black Town Car sitting in his driveway. Benji opened the door for her, grabbed her suitcase and stored it in the trunk before taking his place behind the wheel. By the time the car disappeared around the corner, all of the photographers were already dispersing. It looked like his days of dealing with paparazzi had come to an end.
Grayson shook his head, grabbed his keys, and headed for the Keating Hollow Brewery. The place was certainly quieter than it had been the last time he’d been there. This time Rhys was the only one behind the bar. Grayson slid onto a barstool and waited patiently for him to finish pouring someone else a beer.
“Hey, man,” Rhys said jovially. “I thought for sure you’d have your hands full tonight after that story broke.”
Groaning, Grayson rubbed a hand over his face. “They probably would’ve been if Amelia hadn’t canceled on me and Katy hadn’t left town.”
“Damn. That sounds rough. So you lost them both in one day?” Rhys had that concerned tone that most bartenders had managed to perfect.
“I didn’t lose, Katy. She’s just a friend who showed up for a few days and then went home. Amelia?” He gritted his teeth as he thought about their last phone call. “I have no idea. But I guess I can’t blame her if she doesn’t want to sign up to spend time with a guy who sometimes ends up in the tabloids because of his association with a famous actress. No one wants that drama.”
“But isn’t Amelia having your child?” Rhys asked, leaning forward on the bar.
“Yep. That’s the real bitch of it.” He glanced at the taps. “Can I get a beer? Something dark.”
“Of course.” Rhys moved over to the taps and went to work. “Listen, I know you’re worried about Amelia, but something tells me it’s all going to work out. So just hang in there, okay?”
“Why do you say that? Do you even know Amelia?” Grayson asked.
“Sure. She’s come in here, and I’ve seen her around Hanna’s café quite a bit. She and Hanna have formed a friendship. In fact, aren’t they together right now at Faith’s spa?”
