to figure out what to do. Are you ready?” Flynne worried that Kali would be more affected by the revelations than anyone else. Kali didn’t have any family left and she valued the Wilsons as her family now. Flynne knew that and he refused to let Jennifer come back into town to tear up anything that they had all worked so hard to get.
“Everything is going to work out just fine, Flynne. They’re all family. Even the Deans. We just need to make sure we’re helping in any way we can.” Kali patted his arm and he shifted into drive.
She was right. He would do whatever he could to help his family. But Kali came first. She always would. Did she know that? Because he would always put her first. She was the most important person to him.
Forever.
Chapter 39
Amanda
Amanda tapped her finger against her thigh while her foot beat out a rapid staccato on the floor of the large conference room. She was so jittery, even her teeth chattered and not because she was cold.
No, in fact the office was overly warm. She’d have to ask Taylor if they were getting paid to heat the town. One of the windows was cracked so Amanda wasn’t the only one who had noticed the heat.
“Everyone is almost here. I have to say, I can’t believe how well you’re dealing with everything, Amanda. If I was in your shoes…” Tanya shook her head, scanning the occupants of the room from where she sat beside Amanda at the massive table. “You’re just keeping everything together. I would have yelled at someone by this point, maybe even tied up a few to a tree or so.”
Tanya leaned forward, pulling a coconut cream donut from one of the multiple boxes Cari had brought and deposited around the board table for the meeting. Maybe she thought there would be less anger with that much sugar at their disposal. Amanda wasn’t sure. All she knew was that she was more nervous than anything sugar could solve. And that was saying something.
She knew as soon as Tommy walked into the room. Like every hair on her body stood up and her nerves took notice of the different charge.
His presence was larger than life to her, but it seemed like no one else noticed. How could they not notice?
And how could she notice his very presence when he was a liar? And a… Amanda couldn’t think up any names bad enough to call him. She was so mad at him. He’d hurt her.
That’s where it stemmed from. Pain. He’d hurt her so bad and all while she’d extolled great praises for his integrity and honesty. She’d gone and spoiled his grandmother and all the while he’d been setting Amanda up for destruction.
Whatever Jennifer was up to, at least she was honestly against them. At least she wasn’t lying about who she was or what she wanted. No, she’d played her games of deception and betrayal and she’d owned up to them.
And true, Tommy had come clean, but the damage was done. He’d lied to her while listening to her secrets and her fears. She’d been someone with him she wouldn’t have been in any other circumstance.
That last thought gave Amanda pause and her jerky movement came to a halt. No more antsy tapping as she dropped her gaze to the wood grains of the table.
In any other situation, Amanda would have been different than how she’d been with Tommy. With Tommy she’d been honest and open. Did that mean she wasn’t honest or open with others?
Was she being a hypocrite by being mad at Tommy for lying to her when she usually lied to everyone else in her life?
And what was she lying about, exactly?
Tommy sat across from her, the space between them at least twelve feet but feeling like the deepest chasm. He offered Amanda a soft smile, but she looked away.
How was she going to be able to look at him without seeing her own lies? Her own anger?
Flynne and Kali came through the doors and Taylor shut them with a snap of finality. Everyone took their seats and Elizabeth and David sat at opposite ends of the table.
Elizabeth stood to start the meeting and she looked directly at Amanda. “I just first want to start this meeting with an apology and acknowledge that I know this has got to be extremely hard for you, Amanda. None of us want to make things harder for you. We were