Page 71 of Never Quiet

“Just Pops?” Amanda asked with a smile.

“He’s very gooey on the inside, sweetheart.”

“I know someone else who’s just as secretly gooey.”

She gathered a woman in her arms who meant the world to her, just hugging her close and breathing the scent of her deep into her lungs. Tears welled in her eyes and she looked at Bill. Her grandmother started to pull back and she held her harder.

Finally, she felt strong enough to let Caroline go. Leaning back, she touched her hair, her brow, her cheek.

“You’re so beautiful. Since I was a little girl, I thought to myself that I wanted to look just like you when I grew up. How exhausting it can be, Grandma.”

“I know.” Caroline cupped her face. “More than I did, more than Noel does, use your beauty as a weapon, Amanda. Use it to keep yourself safe. Flaunt it until you’re recognized on every street corner in the world.”

“Yes…” Her tears slipped free.

“I’m sorry we kept so much from you. I, more than your father and aunt, wanted you to have time to be a child.” Caroline blinked against tears. “We should have told you, trusted you. Noel takes full responsibility but I pushed her, Amanda. After the shooting at the gallery, I knew Harper wasn’t the target and I knew why Noel was. William helped me hire a four-person team to shadow your every move.”

“I didn’t know…”

“I would do it again, Amanda. To give you the extra years of peace, to see you laugh, work on your experiments, and breathe calmly through each day. It was worth that.”

“Thank you for loving me so much, for helping me get here to this moment, and accepting that my old path won’t work now.”

“I’ve known it for a while. I knew you’d get there on your own. I also knew the inheritance Sheamus left you was sitting there growing and it would ensure you could do anything you wanted. I think this career makes sense. Use your body but never hold back your mind, heart, or spirit. Make the world want you…then it will protect you, even if accidentally.”

Amanda hugged her for a long time and then reached out to pull her grandfather to them. He wrapped them in strong arms and she whispered, “I’m so glad she has you to love, to love her. Please keep her safe for me, Pops.”

“I promise, honey.”

Finally pulling back, she stared between them. “You’re a gorgeous couple. I love you both so, so much. I’ll miss…”

Then she was sobbing and they held her until she could pull herself together. They were crying, too.

Taking several deep breaths, she wiped her face. “When you come to New York, we’re going to walk all the galleries. The three of us will get sick on ice cream and coffee. We’ll antique shop and people watch. I’ll be there by Heather’s birthday. If everyone could figure out a way…”

“Amanda darling, William and I will descend on you.” In a whisper, she added, “We can do anything for six months.”

“That’s right.” Amanda nodded. “It’s not so long.”

“Now. Go wash your face and breathe through this. Chin up and mingle in this insanely snug dress. Morgan isn’t worried about circulation in the slightest.”

Amanda winked. “Beauty is pain.”

Caroline arched her brow. “Yes. A pain in the ass.” Her grandparents hugged her once more and kissed her cheeks. “Go, darling girl.”

She started to turn and paused to say, “I’m still the luckiest girl in the world. So many people to love who love me.”

For hours, Amanda moved through the house, around the outdoor activities, and generally made sure she was visible all over the place from the road as she talked to person after person. Many requested photos with her.

“You’re gonna be famous…”

She posed and smiled. It was late afternoon when she’d had enough of fancy wear. Upstairs, she stripped out of the designer clothes and changed into jeans, a t-shirt, and boots.

Braiding her hair, she left her room quickly and bumped into Erick in the hall. He steadied her, there was a heavy pause, and then he kissed her.

Hearing someone on the stairs, she pulled him into her room and closed the door behind them. He held her against it with his body and her eyes widened when she felt his erection against her lower belly. It throbbed.

He smiled. “Did you think I was lying?” One hand lifted to smooth down her thick braid. “Since you were fourteen. Way too young for me to even consider that way. Every year, it got worse. I genuinely liked and respected you as a person from the start. How much I wanted you overshadowed everything else over time. I couldn’t think straight.”

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