Chapter 19
Lisa was nervous about staying at the Carter's house. Not so much about Amanda, but would Nick and the family accept her?
"You can stay here, this will be your room, Lisa." Amanda said. She was able to walk now, but still had trouble getting around sometimes. Nick was still running himself ragged taking care of everything.
"This is a beautiful room. Thank y'all for having me." Lisa said, looking out the window at the ocean behind the house.
"I hope you have a good time with us, Lisa." Amanda smiled. Lisa walked around the room until she stopped at a picture in a gold frame...a pretty woman in a white dress and Nick in a suit holding hands....
"Amanda?"
"Yes?"
"Who is this?" Lisa asked. Amanda hobbled over to get a better look and sighed when she saw the picture. Part of her was disappointed that Nick was not over Tracy's death yet....but the other part of her thought it was sweet he had hung her picture. But why here?
"I will just put this away for now." Amanda said, taking the frame from its post on the wall. She heard footsteps behind her and Nick appeared in the doorway.
"This was her room....her room......" he whispered, looking longingly at the photo. His eyes watered and he looked at his feet before walking away, down the stairs towards the kitchen. Amanda held the picture frame, feeling a little embarrassed.
"No, leave it up. I don't want to cause any trouble. It must be special to him." Lisa said. Amanda made a mental note to talk to her husband later but helped Lisa get settled into her room. During most of the afternoon, Lisa noticed Nick seemed distant towards her and wondered if she had made a mistake in staying with them.
"Amanda, I hope you don't mind....I think I should go home early. Y'all have been real nice, but I feel like I've been intruding." she said as Amanda held Bryan.
"Sweetie, Nick's been overworking himself. Don't pay him any mind. He's just tired." Amanda said as the baby gurgled and smiled at her. Bryan definitely had inherited his father's charm, he looked just like Nick....but his hair was growing in a bit darker. He was a quiet baby, but when he needed mommy, he made sure the whole house knew.
"Baby, what's the matter with you?" Amanda asked when she found Nick sitting on the back porch with his guitar facing the ocean. He had a notepad spread out next to him, a pencil laying on top. Amanda could make out the beginnings of a new song he was working on.
"I'm fine." Nick replied. He looked up at his wife, her hands on her hips.
"Lisa thinks we don't want her around, baby. You can't keep shutting people out like this. I don't like when you do that."
"I'm not-"
"Yes you are. She doesn't feel welcome. I was going to tell her I want her to take the nanny job, Nick." Amanda protested. Nick jotted something in the notebook and hit a few chords on his guitar, thinking.
"I like Lisa a lot....but like I said, she is a fan. I don't know if she'd be able to handle living with the real Nick. I have a lot of secrets that I don't need getting out, remember?" he said finally. Amanda sat down next to him, rubbing his back gently and kissing his cheek.
"We can have her sign a confidentiality agreement and Brian take a background check if it bothers you that much, honey. I don't want to push you, but the kids love Lisa and I like her." she said softly. Nick rested his head on top of hers, thinking again.
"I think that is a great idea, Amanda. I'm sorry I'm so paranoid."
"I understand, but please don't shut her out like you've done to me and everyone else before. I didn't know that you wanted the picture to stay in that room." Amanda said. Nick set down the guitar and put his arms around her in a tight embrace, kissing her again, his soft lips brushing against hers.
"That was Tracy's bedroom before we got really serious.....before we got married. I hung it there kind of to honor her memory. I regret never telling her how I really felt about her." he whispered.
"Oh, Nick....that's so sweet. She would have loved that." she smiled.
"Yeah, Falling Down was about her." Nick added. Amanda remembered listening to Falling Down the day she went into labor with Bryan and wondering what the song was about, it was such a sad song....
"I'm sorry you're still dealing with that, baby. I know her death was tragic for you."
"She comes to me in my dreams sometimes. She's happy I am with you....I know I made a good decision making you my wife. I'm grateful for you, Celine and Bryan. Everything is perfect." Nick said, kissing her again as they held hands, walking back into the house with his guitar.
"You should make Lisa feel more welcome, baby." Amanda whispered, watching him set down the guitar on its stand in the living room.
"I know. I just need to think of something." Nick replied.
"You wanted to see me, Nick?" Lisa asked the next morning when he met her in the kitchen for breakfast.
"I am off today and I want to show you something." he smiled as he washed the dishes.
"Okay...." Lisa replied hesitantly, remembering the day before. She wasn't sure what to think of Nick now.
Nick led her to his studio in back of the house, it was shut off from the main house with soundproof walls.
"Is this where you recorded your album?" Lisa asked, astonished he was bringing her here, when Amanda had said Nick never usually allowed people to visit.
"Yes, I wrote a lot of the tracks here. Would you like to watch me record a bit? What is your favorite song?"
"Heaven by Bryan Adams." Lisa said with a smile.
"Really?"
"I've always wanted to hear you sing it." Lisa blushed. Nick began to play on his keyboard, giving Lisa a private concert in his studio. Something told him his plan had worked perfectly.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry it took so long to update, I have a lot of stories I'm working on at the moment. Enjoy the update :)
