CHAPTER NINETEEN #2
Once at the apartment, he went to his office.
He slumped down in his chair and stared at the framed picture that sat on the corner of his desk.
It wasn’t the same picture that was on his nightstand.
That one had been taken on their honeymoon.
This one had been at their wedding. He reached out and snagged it, staring intently, not at Delia, but at himself.
That guy seemed so young now. But he had loved Delia deeply and would have moved the world for her.
Weathering that first storm during her pregnancy had been a major hurdle, but Will realized now that all the concessions to make her happy had come from him.
Her argument had been that he was getting the child he wanted, so she should get everything she wanted.
And he’d been young enough to agree to her demands.
He would like to hope that had she lived they both would have matured and learned how to make decisions together, and how to deal with the rough patches in their marriage in a healthier way.
But it was possible that they wouldn’t have.
The small part of him that was still that Will from eight years ago would always love Delia. But what he’d told Amy had been absolutely true. The man he was now had chosen her. Too bad it hadn’t made any difference at all.
His breath caught in his lungs as he laid the framed picture face down on his desk.
~*~*~
Amy hadn’t wanted to return to the manor and face the people there. No doubt they would be angry at her for leading Will on and hurting their brother. If they could only understand how much she hurt, too.
When she’d felt the swing move and realized he’d left, the shaft of pain through her heart had taken her breath away.
She hadn’t even known it was possible, but the pain she felt right then was even worse than her teenage heartache.
Back then, her pain had been from unrequited love.
This time around, it was from the knowledge that if she could have just overcome his past, she could have realized her dreams. If only she had been stronger.
It wasn’t long before Cami came to her once again.
They sat in silence for a while. Amy had no more words to share the maelstrom of emotions within her heart.
Finally, Cami slipped her arm around her shoulders.
“If only this swing could talk. The stories it could tell. I think all of us have had a crisis of relationship here on the edge of the lake.” She fell silent again for a few minutes then said, “Let’s go back to the manor. It’s getting late.”
Though she didn’t want to, Amy nodded. Dusk was beginning to settle around the lake. Slowly she stood. “Have the others left?”
“Yes. They were getting their things together to leave when I came here.”
Grateful for that much, Amy followed behind Cami along the path among the trees.
As they walked side by side across the back yard, Cami slipped her arm around her waist, and Amy returned the gesture.
She was so thankful for Cami’s presence in her life.
Amy was sure it was difficult to see her and Will upset since she loved them both.
No one questioned her when she got to the manor. Cami ushered her up the stairs to her room. “Isabella’s here, and I’m sure she’s going to want to say goodnight in a little while.”
“That’s fine. I’ll just take a shower and get ready for bed. Bring her in when it’s time for her to go to sleep.”
Feeling marginally better after her shower, she was able to say goodnight to Isabella without her asking any questions.
And though she’d worried she wouldn’t be able to sleep, by the time Amy crawled into bed, exhaustion brought on by her emotional turmoil pulled at her, and she slipped into the blissful oblivion of sleep.
She woke the next morning hoping it had all been a nightmare, but that thought was quickly pushed aside by reality.
As she sat on the edge of the bed trying to find the strength to face the day, her phone rang.
Her heart pounded as she reached for it.
Looking at the display, she saw it was Sammi.
Though she wanted to share everything that had happened with her best friend, Amy didn’t think she had the ability to do it right then.
She contemplated not answering, but she figured Sammi would just keep calling back.
“Hello?”
“Amy! Can you make it here by Wednesday?” Sammi asked without any preamble.
“What? Why?”
“They’ve decided to do interviews for substitute teachers at my school.
Apparently they lost a couple over the summer to other schools.
We just found out today. They’re doing interviews over the next couple of days.
I put your name down for an interview on Wednesday.
I vouched for you, so they were willing to include you without your resume. Just bring it with you when you come.”
Amy let out a long breath. Home. Suddenly she knew it was where she wanted—needed—to be right then. She didn’t care what it took, she would make it to that interview. “I will make sure I’m there.”
“Excellent! I can’t wait to see you!”
“Me either. We need to have a serious talk, but right now I need to get off the phone and make arrangements to fly tomorrow. It’s probably going to cost me a fortune, but I need that job.”
“I can’t guarantee you’ll get hired, but I know for sure you won’t be if you’re not here. So get your butt home.”
Amy knew that it would be okay for her to leave now that Cami and Josh were there to help Jessa and Lance. And maybe focusing on her future was what she needed right now. That and the sanctuary of her home.
She quickly got dressed, once again forgoing the makeup, and then headed downstairs. Cami, Josh and Lance were in the kitchen when they got there and looked at her expectantly as she rushed into the room.
“What’s up?” Josh asked.
“Sammi just called. She said she’s arranged an interview for me at her school for a substitute teaching position.
The interviews are on Wednesday. Is there any way I could get a flight there tomorrow, do you think?
” She glanced at Cami and then Lance. “I figured that with Cami and Josh here, you could spare me to do this interview.”
“Well, you’re in luck. I have to drive to Fargo tomorrow to meet with a supplier and can take you to the airport there if you’re okay with not flying out of Minneapolis.
” When Amy nodded, Lance said, “Let me go talk to Jessa to see about flights and if they’ll work with when I have to be there.
” He stood up and walked toward the door then turned back around. “Roundtrip?”
Amy paused. “I guess.” She looked at Cami and Josh. She really did want to spend more time with them. “Yes. Roundtrip.”
Lance nodded and disappeared.
As she sank down in the chair next to Josh, Cami asked, “How are you doing this morning?”
“Trying to move forward. This interview is an answer to prayer. I need a job.”
“It’s just an interview though, right?” Josh asked. “Not a job offer.”
“No, not a job offer, but I’m trying to think positive. I need something. I can’t just stay here indefinitely.” She swallowed. “Especially now.”
Cami nodded. “I understand.”
Any further conversation was stopped by the arrival of Julia, Isabella, and Cami and Josh’s two kids. Cami and Amy stood up and began to prepare breakfast. They were just getting ready to serve it when Charlotte and Henry walked in the back door.
“What a beautiful morning for a walk,” Charlotte exclaimed.
“Did you go down by the lake?” Josh asked. “On still mornings like today the water is like glass.”
“We actually walked on the path through the woods past the greenhouse,” Henry said as he sat down at the table next to his granddaughter.
Lance appeared in the door of the kitchen. “Amy, what day did you want to come back?”
She stood for a minute trying to think. With Josh and Cami’s concert on Sunday, she wanted to be back before then. “Would someone be able to pick me up on Friday?”
“Yep, we can arrange that,” Josh assured her.
“Okay then, Friday.”
Again Lance disappeared.
“You’re leaving?” Charlotte asked as she placed slices of apple on a plate.
Amy glanced at the older woman, wondering what she thought about everything that had transpired the previous evening. “Just for a couple of days. I have a job interview on Wednesday for a substitute teaching position.”
“You don’t live here?”
Amy shook her head. “No, I live in Dallas with my folks. I’m just here to help Jessa and Lance while Jessa is on bed -rest.”
“You’re a teacher?”
“Yes. I teach first grade. Unfortunately, the school I’ve taught at the last couple of years burned down the other week. That put me out of a job, so I’m on the hunt for a new one.”
“Maybe you should consider staying here in Collingsworth. From what I hear, Isabella would be delighted if you did.”
Amy let her gaze go to the little girl sitting beside Henry. “Yes, I know she would. Unfortunately, right now my life is in Dallas.”
“Is it? How about your heart?”
Tears pricked at Amy’s eyes at the question. She looked down at the platter of pancakes in front of her. She felt a touch on her arm and saw Charlotte’s hand resting there. Wrinkled with age spots, but oh so gentle in its touch.
Charlotte’s hand slid down to cover Amy’s, and she said, “I would very much like to spend a few minutes talking with you.”
Amy glanced over at the woman and saw a soft smile on her face. “Okay.” The word came out as barely a whisper but when Charlotte moved her hand, Amy knew she’d heard.
She picked up the platter and moved around the counter to set it on the table.
In Lance’s absence, Josh prayed for the food.
With all the chatter from the children, Amy found it easy to avoid conversation.
She was trying hard not to think about what had happened the night before.
She needed to get through the next few days without crying and, if possible, thinking about Will.
Lance arrived halfway through breakfast to inform her that the ticket was booked, and everything was a go for her to fly out of Fargo the next afternoon.
“I didn’t mean for you to pay for the ticket,” Amy protested. “I will pay you back.”
Lance laughed. “You’ll do no such thing. Consider it a bonus.”
Amy got up and gave her cousin a hug. “You spoil me.”
She felt a rush of affection as he tweaked her nose and said, “I don’t have a sister of my own, so you’ll have to do.”
Once breakfast was done and cleaned up, Amy texted her flight plans to Sammi, who had offered to pick her up from the airport. She figured she’d surprise her parents with her arrival. It would also give her some time with Sammi to spill everything.
“Come walk with me?”
Amy glanced up from her phone to see Charlotte standing there. “Walk?”
“Yes. Just around that lovely big back yard.”