Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
“ S o, how does it feel?”
Amy lifted the mug up to her lips and took a long sip of her scalding hot black coffee. Although it burned the tip of her tongue, she lingered over it and tilted her head back to enjoy the warmth of the sun on her face.
Overhead, white clouds rolled by, and a flock of birds called out to each other. When she lowered her head and looked over at Lily, she gave her stepdaughter a bright smile.
It felt strange to be sitting across from Lily, knowing the two of them were no longer bound by Amy’s marriage to Eric. As of a few hours ago, having mailed the paperwork to her lawyer to go over, Amy was no longer a married woman. As she sat in the outdoor section of Decadent Treats, Amy’s mind spun with all of the endless possibilities and everything she had to look forward to now that she was free.
The thought sent a quiet thrill to her as she continued to sit there, mulling over her words.
Finally, she sat up straighter and looked over Lily’s shoulders at the steady line of customers and the throngs of people filling up the booths inside Emily’s bakery. When she glanced back at her stepdaughter, Lily was peering at Amy intently, a furrow between her brows.
“I’m not sure if I can put it into words,” Amy admitted with a slight shake of her head. “It’s like I’m taking my breath for the first time in a long time.”
Some of the shadows cleared away, and Lily smiled, the first genuine smile she’d given Amy since showing up at Ashley’s doorstep an hour ago. “I’m glad you don’t have any regrets. You’ve been so quiet… I was worried.”
Amy reached across the table and took both of Lily’s hands in hers. “No matter what happens next, you will always be my daughter. I don’t need to be married to your father for us to remain family.”
Lily’s smile grew wider, and her cheeks turned red. “Oh, I know that already. You don’t need to tell me that.”
“When you stopped calling me Mom, I know it’s out of respect for Kelly, but I just wanted you to know that nothing has changed for me,” Amy added with a smile. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me.”
Lily’s flush deepened. “I’m happy I was able to help, but we’re not done yet.”
Amy released Lily’s hands and smiled. “After breakfast, I was thinking we could walk around and look at some properties that are for sale.”
“In Falmouth?”
“Or in Provincetown,” Amy added hastily. “I want to be as close to you as possible. I don’t mind living in either of them.”
Lily laughed and picked up her own drink. “I don’t mind either. As long as you’re happy and healthy, that’s all that matters to me. Do you have addresses for the places you want to look at?”
“Yes, a few of them are nearby.” Amy tucked a lock of hair behind her ears and leaned back in her seat. “How would you feel about coming with me to look at them? There’s one in particular I really like.”
Lily nodded a little too eagerly.
The two women lingered over coffee and croissants. When they were finished, Lily insisted on picking up the check, waving Amy’s protests away. Then, arm in arm, the two of them walked off, with Amy feeling lighter than she had in years. She had a spring in her step as they wandered through the busy streets of Falmouth, past groups of people in suits and ties. A few blocks away from the bakery, Amy steered them right onto a less crowded and residential street.
Their surroundings blurred together as the two of them chatted about anything and everything they could think of. Slowly, Amy came to a stop outside of a cottage nestled in between rows of Victorian-style houses. It was two floors with a small garden and a gabled roof with a chimney in the center. After peeking at the for-sale sign, Amy unlocked the wrought iron gate and stepped through and onto the cobblestoned path leading through the center of the garden.
On the front porch, she paused and glanced over at Lily.
The doorbell rang, and Amy heard the shuffle of feet. Then the door opened, revealing a woman in flats and a pressed suit with silver in her blond hair. She welcomed them both with a smile and a wave, her hands gesturing wildly the entire time. The bottom floor had two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, an open-floor kitchen overlooking a small but cozy living room, and a sliding glass door that led into a lush-looking backyard.
Upstairs, there were two more rooms, connected by a single bathroom, each with its own balcony. The real estate agent kept up a steady stream of conversation the entire time, pausing when she led them downstairs to indicate the reading nook hidden in the back of the cottage near the back door.
Amy was in disbelief the entire time, like she was watching the entire thing happen to someone else. By the time the real estate agent led them back to the living room, Amy was buzzing with excitement. She offered the agent a small smile and waited till she was far enough away to turn to Lily, who was still studying the area intently. Together, the two of them stepped out into the backyard, and Amy tilted her head back to enjoy the warmth of the sun on her face.
“It’s a beautiful place,” Lily said, a smile in her voice. “I think it suits you. It’s big but not too big.”
And thanks to Eric’s eagerness to silence her, she now had a generous amount of money.
Enough to buy the cottage and leave some aside for a rainy day.
It was more money than Amy knew what to do with, and she already had several good uses for it. Not only had her lawyer redrafted the NDA to include a clause that allowed Amy to discuss her personal life with her family and friends, but Kate had also made sure to indicate there was no interest in outing Eric to the press.
Law enforcement, on the other hand, was another matter, and Amy refused to be complicit.
No matter how much money or property Eric threw at her, it wasn’t worth impeding any investigation into Eric’s illicit activities.
A part of Amy knew he was unlikely to get caught since he’d spent all of these years staying one step ahead of the law, but she also realized that no one’s good luck lasted forever, not even Eric’s.
Sooner or later, he was going to get caught with his hands in the cookie jar.
Amy just hoped she was able to be there to cushion the blow for her children.
Slowly, Amy spun around to face Lily and shoved a hand into the pocket of her pants. “You’re sure it’s not too much? Maybe I should go for something smaller. It is going to be just me, after all.”
Lily stepped off the stairs and bridged the distance between them. “That’s not true. You’ll probably have Lucas and Sylvie here most of the time. Along with Judy, June, and Beth. And I’ll probably be by often.”
Amy’s lips lifted into a smile. “Are you just saying that to make me feel better?”
Lily laughed and linked her arm through Amy’s. “Take a few days to sleep on it anyway. Buying a house is a really big and important decision. It’s a good way to start over.”
Amy gave Lily a grateful smile, and the two of them stepped back into the cottage.
After a round of pleasantries with the real estate agent, during which Amy expressed her gratitude and enthusiasm, the two women left with a card and a promise to return. Lily was walking back to the bakery when her phone rang. She unlinked her arm and fished her phone out of her purse. Then, she took a step back and murmured in a low tone.
When she hung up, Amy was peering through the glass windows of Decadent Treats, searching intently for Emily. “Another client meeting?”
Lily sighed. “Yeah, unfortunately. I can call you when I’m done.”
Amy spun around to face her and gave Lily a tight hug. “Please do. We can do lunch or something.”
Lily was still smiling as she walked off. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
Once inside the bakery, Amy selected a booth in the back. With few other customers around, she glanced at the place over the edge of her menu. When Emily materialized in an apron with a smattering of flour over her nose and cheeks, Amy lowered the menu and waved her over. Smiling, Emily hurried over, pausing to greet a few other customers along the way.
“Busy day?”
Emily sank into the booth opposite her and exhaled. “A few of my employees have the flu, so we’re a little understaffed, but we’ll manage.”
Amy set the menu down and linked her fingers together. “Anything I can do to help?”
Emily shook her head. “No, we’re okay, thank you.”
Amy’s heart missed a beat as she pretended to scan her own menu.
She was suddenly very, very nervous.
And she couldn’t remember how she was meant to start.
Just spit it out already. Emily has become a dear friend. She deserves this.
Amy clenched and unclenched her hands under the table. She blew out another breath and sat up straighter. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, and I want you to really think about it before you give me an answer.”
Emily’s brows knitted together. “Sounds serious.”
Amy nodded, sweat forming on the back of her neck. “It is. I want to invest in Decadent Treats.”
Emily reeled back as if she’d been slapped, and the easy smile fell from her face. “ What? ”
“Part of the divorce included a generous amount of money, and I’ve been wanting to invest it in something,” Amy continued, the words pouring out of her in a rush. “I can’t think of anything better than helping to save Decadent Treats. As a silent partner, of course. I don’t want to get in the way of what you have here.”
Emily’s eyes filled with tears as she ran a hand over her face. She opened and closed her mouth several times. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
Amy reached across the table to take Emily’s hand in hers. “You don’t have to say anything right now. Think about it, and if you feel uncomfortable, I won’t take it personally. You and I are friends first.”
Silent tears slid down Emily’s cheeks, and her face turned bright red. “It’s a really generous offer…”
Amy gave Emily’s hand another squeeze before withdrawing. “I can have my lawyer draft up a contract for you to look at, and you can review it for as long as you’d like. I’m not in any kind of hurry.”
Stumbling over her own two feet, Emily stood and launched herself at Amy.
A swell of happiness and pride grew in the center of Amy’s chest as she held on to her friend. Considering where they were when they stumbled upon a friendship a month ago, Amy couldn’t have been more pleased with Emily’s reaction.
It was exactly what she was hoping for, and it was the fresh start they both wanted and deserved.
What more could either of them ask for?
All too soon, the hug ended, and Emily had to reluctantly pull away.
For the rest of the afternoon, Amy felt Emily’s eyes on her, wide with disbelief and gratitude, but she didn’t say anything.
Emily could take all the time in the world because Amy wasn’t in a hurry.
On the contrary, she planned to savor and enjoy whatever came next with her friends and family by her side through it all.