“Well, I guess we owe Will an apology,” Violet said.
“What do you mean?” Cami asked.
“They accused me of upsetting her somehow,” Will said loudly in the direction of the phone.
There was silence on the other end of the phone for several seconds. “Was she upset before she got the news about the fire?”
Will leaned his hands on the table and stared at the phone. “Are you also suggesting that I upset her in some way?”
“No. Not at all,” Cami said far too quickly. “Anyway, could someone have her call me when she gets home? I just need to make sure she’s okay.”
“When are you guys coming?” Violet asked.
“We plan to be there at the end of the week.”
Will partially tuned out the sound of his sisters’ chatter as he pondered what Rose had suggested as well as Cami’s reaction to what he’d said. Was there something he was missing when it came to Amy? For a minute, he let himself seriously consider that Amy had feelings for him. And then he thought about how he felt about that. The flutter of butterflies in his gut took him off-guard.
He hadn’t felt anything like it in the years since Delia had died. But what if they were all wrong, and she really didn’t have those types of feelings for him? If he approached herand she wasn’t interested, it would make things awkward between them. He was very rusty at the subtleties of wading into a potential new relationship. And he hadn’t given it much serious thought until that moment.
As he sat there, Will realized that if he’d been open to the idea of a relationship, he might have figured out sooner that, in fact, he didn’t think of Amy as a sister. The concern he’d felt for her on Friday night should have been a big clue. Or the way he found himself loosening up around her. And laughing with her. She’d brought light and laughter into Isabella’s life, but she’d also brought those same things into his. And though she’d been responsible for some of the changes in his relationship with Isabella, she had also been responsible for some of the changes in him.
What was he supposed to do now? Before the news of the school had come, she’d been planning to leave at the end of the summer. That wouldn’t have given him enough time to figure things out. Maybe he could start by suggesting she hang around Collingsworth. He could hire her as a nanny for Isabella—not that he really needed one—but he was willing to consider anything to keep her there long enough to find out if what he felt was really genuine, and if she felt anything for him in return.
But then Will had to give his head a shake. What would a twenty-something beautiful young woman want with a man like him? There were probably any number of guys who would happily be in a relationship with her, and none of them likely came with the baggage he did.
“Earth to Will!” Violet snapped her fingers in front of his face.
Will turned to scowl at her. “What?”
Violet lifted a brow at his response. “Just wondering what you thought about the news about Amy’s school.”
“It’s horrible.” Will asked. “I feel bad for her.”
Laurel nodded. “Me too. It’s hard to believe something like that could happen.”
“What do you think she’s going to do for a job?” Violet asked. “I’m sure it must be upsetting for her.”
“Her parents will make sure she’s taken care of,” Lance said. “But knowing Amy, I’m sure she’s already trying to figure out what to do next. That girl was never one to let grass grow beneath her feet.”
“What if we offered to hire her as the family nanny?” Will suggested.
“The family nanny?” Laurel asked.
“Yes. Between Jessa and Lance’s new little one and the rest of the kids in the family, I’m sure we could keep her busy.”
“I’m not so sure she wants to hang around here,” Laurel pointed out. “She’s commented a few times about how she doesn’t really like the winters up here.”
“And I’m not sure she’d want to be so far away from her parents,” Lance said. “They’re a very close family.”
Will was surprised at the depth of his disappointment at having his idea shot down. “Well, I’ll certainly pay her extra for organizing Isabella’s party so hopefully that will help her out for a little while.”
Not sure that he was the best person to put forth ideas to help Amy, Will held his tongue while the others talked about it. At one point he tried to convince Isabella they should leave, but as usual, she was determined to wait for Amy. He didn’t try too hard though. Knowing what he did now, he wanted to make sure that Amy was okay and that she was still up to doing the party for Isabella. He didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed by it if she was trying to deal with a bunch of other stuff in her life.
~*~*~
Amy gathered up her things and walked to Jessa’s car. She had enjoyed her time of quiet and reflection but knew she needed to get back to the manor. Though she still had no answers for what her future held, she felt a little bit more incontrol of herself. The sadness she’d been dealing with had ebbed a bit. Maybe the future she envisioned was still out there, it would just take a little bit longer to get to it. There would be other teaching jobs. And there would be other men.
Though she could no longer deny she had feelings—both old and new—for Will, she had no intention of acting on them. She just couldn’t see them having the type of relationship she wanted. She didn’t think it was wrong to want to be a man’s only love. Delia had, and most likely always would have, a big part of Will’s heart. She was his firstreal love, the one he’d loved enough to marry.And they had a daughter together—a physical manifestation of their love—and not just a daughter, but one that was the spitting image of her mother. Though Amy adored Isabella, she wasn’t sure she could ever be comfortable with the fact that every day Will would see the beauty of his deceased wife in her face.
