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“He knew I would learn the truth soon enough, he didn’t want you to harbor guilt over letting me feel responsible, knowing he’d clear it upsoon.”
I buried my face in my hands. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry,Amelia.”
Her hand peeled mine away from my face. “Look at me,Blaire.”
“I don’t know why you’re so nice to me,” I said when I finally returned hergaze.
“People have short memories, but I don’t,” Amelia said. “And neither does Marcus. You saved my son’s life once upon a time, Blaire. It was barely nine months ago, but it seems Gus has forgotten that. What do you think Marcus would prefer? To win the senate race or to have his son alive andwell?”
“But I’ve put your entire family indanger.”
“Ever since Marcus entered politics we’ve received all kinds of threats,” Amelia said. “Don’t get me wrong, I can be very protective of my family, but I know Marcus and Grant are too alpha to be coddled. It’s Valerie I’m most concerned about since she keeps eluding her security team, it’s a wonder Marcus has not restricted hermovements.”
“Has she been made aware of the new threats from theROC?”
“Yes,” Amelia replied. “She’s not happy.” She sighed. “I know she’s giving you a hard time, but don’t think it’s you. She’s possessive of herbrother.”
“Grant said he spoiledher.”
“Did he tell you what happened when she wasyounger?”
“The near-drowning?Yes.”
Amelia’s face sobered. “Thorne men take responsibility seriously and they carry guilt for a very longtime.”
I merely nodded. Besides that time at the log cabin, there were two other times I’d awakened to Grant’s nightmares of Val’sdrowning.
“Did he tell you he’d been mad at his sister right before she fell off thesailboat?”
My brows furrowed. “No. He just said they’d encountered rough waters and everything went wrong afterthat.”
“Grant wanted to help his dad secure the boat, but Valerie wouldn’t stop crying. He lost his temper with his little sister as only a fifteen-year-old boy could. Grant admitted to me he had said pretty hurtful things, ordered his sister to stay in the interior cabin, and left her to help control the sailboat. Val followed him right up, lost her balance, and fell overboard. The waves ripped the life jacket offher.”
“Grant said he was the one who put the vest on her,” I murmured, feeling a surge of compassion for the boy he had been, for the guilt he’d harbored all these years. And for Val—what a traumatic experience for such a younggirl.
“That’s why his guilt is three-fold,” Amelia explained. “Val barely remembers anything, but for Grant, everything—including the scathing words he said to his sister—is forever etched in hismemory.”
A thought occurred to me. “Is that why Grant shuts down when he’sangry?”
Amelia sighed. “Yes. Grant has my grandfather’s Irish temper. Very passionate and quick to anger. After that incident with Valerie, Grant found a way to keep it all inside but the result is avoidance and shutting people out which, unfortunately, is a trait he got from Marcus.” She sighed again. “It’s a good and a bad thing. Good in that he won’t say words that can never be unsaid. Bad that unless that anger dissipates on its own, it will only build and the explosion could be just as bad, if notworse.”
“Marcus told me that Grant wasn’t happy when he found out you’d left out information.” Amelia pursed her lips. “And now he’s off to New York when you’ve just returned. He’s shutting you out, isn’the?”
I didn’t answer. I was sure Amelia meant well, but I felt she was getting too intrusive into my relationship withGrant.
She must have sensed my uneasiness and laughed. “Goodness, I’m getting too meddlesome, aren’tI?”
I smiled wryly andnodded.
Her eyes sparked merrily. “Oh, well, I understand. I promise I won’t be a troublesome mother-in-law.”
“Amelia,” I groaned. “Stop. You’re making menervous.”
“All right,” Grant’s mother relented. “We need to get you and Valerie togetherthough.”
My eyes narrowedwarily.
“Grant means well, but he’s going about this the wrong way,” Amelia explained. “He needs to take himself out of theequation.”
