shut with a rattle of glassware.
“Second time? He’s barely divorced and you’ve already married him off again.”
“Only being realistic, sweetheart. Some smart woman will snap him up. And it won’t take long, either.”
Amy stared at her mother, wanting to object but knowing her mom was right. Quinn was a great guy. The best. Gorgeous, smart, funny.
Single.
There’d be a queue forming the moment he started dating again.
Bloody hell.
As if watching Quinn get married once had not been hard enough. She was going to have to do it all over again. Watch him fall in love. Listen to him talk about his future wife. The bachelor party, the wedding…All of it, all over again.
She closed her eyes for a long beat.
“Amy. You’ve gone so pale. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Amy opened her eyes. “I think I’m a bit tired. It was a big day.”
“You have to pace yourself. I know you’ve been panting to get into that old theatre and fix it up, but you need to look after yourself.”
“I just need a good night’s sleep.”
And a reset button on her heart.
When they returned to the living room her father was asking Quinn for advice on a contract with one of his major suppliers. Amy listened to them talk for another fifteen minutes before making her excuses. It was too hard sitting across from Quinn, thinking about what her mother had said.
She drove three streets over to her own cottage and shivered as she entered the front hall. As usual, her place was freezing, thanks to the fact that there was no central heating. The price she paid for keeping her rent down.
She turned on the small fan heater in her bedroom and stripped for the shower. She was going to wash off the sweat and grime of the day, put on her warmest flannel pajamas and go to bed thinking about the Grand and how great it was going to look when she’d completed the restoration. She was not going to brood or sulk over Quinn. She’d wasted too many years already. Quinn not loving her was not a tragedy. It wasn’t. It was disappointing. Sad. But it was not the defining fact of her life. She refused to let it be.
She was naked and ready to walk into her ensuite bathroom when her phone rang. She glanced toward the shower longingly before scooping up her phone.
“Amy speaking.”
There was a long silence. Then she heard someone swallow.
“Ames. It’s me.”
Amy sank onto the edge of her bed. “Lisa.”
“Surprise!” Lisa said with ironic brightness. “I bet you weren’t expecting to hear from me. Especially after what Quinn’s probably told you.”
Amy scrambled to assemble her thoughts. How did Lisa know Quinn was in town? Had he told her? Were they still in contact?
“He hasn’t told me that much, to be honest. Just that you two are getting a divorce,” Amy said.
She could hear the coolness in her own voice. She couldn’t help it, but she felt guilty for it, all the same. Lisa was her friend, too, no matter what had happened between her and Quinn.
“I’m sure he told you more than that.” Lisa’s voice was so faint Amy had to press the handset to her ear to hear.
“He told me that you were with someone else.”
“That I had an affair, you mean.”
“Yes.”
“Do you hate me?”
Amy was shivering. She leaned across the bed to drag her quilt over her shoulders. “No. Of course I don’t.”
But it was impossible to pretend that she didn’t feel differently toward her old friend.
“But you disapprove, right? You think I’m a dirty bitch for messing up Quinn’s life?” Her speech was slurred.
“Are you okay?” Amy asked, concerned. Lisa sounded deeply unhappy.
“Sure. I’m great. New man, new house, new life. What’s not to love?” There was a short pause, then Lisa sighed heavily. When she spoke again her tone was more sincere, less brittle. “Sorry, Ames. I’m just…How are you? We haven’t spoken for ages.”
Because she wasn’t sure what else to do, Amy gave her old friend a quick
“Second time? He’s barely divorced and you’ve already married him off again.”
“Only being realistic, sweetheart. Some smart woman will snap him up. And it won’t take long, either.”
Amy stared at her mother, wanting to object but knowing her mom was right. Quinn was a great guy. The best. Gorgeous, smart, funny.
Single.
There’d be a queue forming the moment he started dating again.
Bloody hell.
As if watching Quinn get married once had not been hard enough. She was going to have to do it all over again. Watch him fall in love. Listen to him talk about his future wife. The bachelor party, the wedding…All of it, all over again.
She closed her eyes for a long beat.
“Amy. You’ve gone so pale. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Amy opened her eyes. “I think I’m a bit tired. It was a big day.”
“You have to pace yourself. I know you’ve been panting to get into that old theatre and fix it up, but you need to look after yourself.”
“I just need a good night’s sleep.”
And a reset button on her heart.
When they returned to the living room her father was asking Quinn for advice on a contract with one of his major suppliers. Amy listened to them talk for another fifteen minutes before making her excuses. It was too hard sitting across from Quinn, thinking about what her mother had said.
She drove three streets over to her own cottage and shivered as she entered the front hall. As usual, her place was freezing, thanks to the fact that there was no central heating. The price she paid for keeping her rent down.
She turned on the small fan heater in her bedroom and stripped for the shower. She was going to wash off the sweat and grime of the day, put on her warmest flannel pajamas and go to bed thinking about the Grand and how great it was going to look when she’d completed the restoration. She was not going to brood or sulk over Quinn. She’d wasted too many years already. Quinn not loving her was not a tragedy. It wasn’t. It was disappointing. Sad. But it was not the defining fact of her life. She refused to let it be.
She was naked and ready to walk into her ensuite bathroom when her phone rang. She glanced toward the shower longingly before scooping up her phone.
“Amy speaking.”
There was a long silence. Then she heard someone swallow.
“Ames. It’s me.”
Amy sank onto the edge of her bed. “Lisa.”
“Surprise!” Lisa said with ironic brightness. “I bet you weren’t expecting to hear from me. Especially after what Quinn’s probably told you.”
Amy scrambled to assemble her thoughts. How did Lisa know Quinn was in town? Had he told her? Were they still in contact?
“He hasn’t told me that much, to be honest. Just that you two are getting a divorce,” Amy said.
She could hear the coolness in her own voice. She couldn’t help it, but she felt guilty for it, all the same. Lisa was her friend, too, no matter what had happened between her and Quinn.
“I’m sure he told you more than that.” Lisa’s voice was so faint Amy had to press the handset to her ear to hear.
“He told me that you were with someone else.”
“That I had an affair, you mean.”
“Yes.”
“Do you hate me?”
Amy was shivering. She leaned across the bed to drag her quilt over her shoulders. “No. Of course I don’t.”
But it was impossible to pretend that she didn’t feel differently toward her old friend.
“But you disapprove, right? You think I’m a dirty bitch for messing up Quinn’s life?” Her speech was slurred.
“Are you okay?” Amy asked, concerned. Lisa sounded deeply unhappy.
“Sure. I’m great. New man, new house, new life. What’s not to love?” There was a short pause, then Lisa sighed heavily. When she spoke again her tone was more sincere, less brittle. “Sorry, Ames. I’m just…How are you? We haven’t spoken for ages.”
Because she wasn’t sure what else to do, Amy gave her old friend a quick
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