Bridesmaid Blitz (27 page)

“That’s fab news, Seth. You must be relieved.”

“No kidding.”

I stop to adjust the straps on the sling. For a wee thing, Gracie is surprisingly heavy.

“You OK?” Seth asks. “I can take her if you like.”

I stare at him in surprise. “You’d seriously do that?”

“Sure, why not? Babies are the latest fashion accessory, didn’t you know?”

I smile. This I have to see. I stop and carefully untie the straps, supporting Gracie’s little body with my other hand. Then Seth holds her carefully against his chest while I secure the straps around his neck. I stand back and stare at him. He looks so cute. And I can’t help it: I start laughing.

“What’s so funny?” he asks.

“The shades. If you weren’t so fit, you’d look exactly like that dude from
The Hangover.
”

Seth smiles. “As long as no one from school sees us, I don’t care. Imagine the rumors. The D4s would have a field day. Speaking of school, what’s Mills up to today?”

“Don’t know. Nothing involving the male of the species, I hope. She has more boy trouble than anyone I know! I wish she’d just keep away from them; it would make my life a whole heap easier.”

“Even Bailey Otis?” He grins. “He hasn’t said anything but I think he likes her.”

“
Especially
Bailey Otis. He’s far too moody and secretive.”

“Amy! Give the guy a break. There’s nothing wrong with having a few secrets.”

Gracie starts to whimper, and as I reach over and stroke her downy hair, she twists her head and tries to suck on my finger.

“I think she’s hungry,” I say. “Better get her back to Sleeping Beauty.”

By the time we reach the front door, Gracie is slumbering again — typical. Before I take my keys out, I turn to Seth.

“Do
you
have secrets?” I ask him.

His sky-blue eyes are warm and kind. “Not from you, Amy. Never from you.”

And you know something, I believe him. I look at him, Gracie still strapped across his muscular chest, and my heart soars. I’m the luckiest girl in Ireland.

This is the bit where I get to thank my long-suffering friends and family. So: to my mum and dad, my little sisters, Kate and Emma, and Richard, the brother that no one believes exists (he lives in Australia!) — I thank you yet again. For all the babysitting and general hand-holding, and for taking it so well when I won’t let you in the front door ’cos I’m in the middle of a vital Amy and Clover scene — that would be you, Mum!

To Ben and the kids — thanks for keeping out of my way at vital moments (see above). Sorry for putting my hand up like a traffic warden and saying, “Don’t talk to me.”
Très
rude, I know, but what can I say? Writers are strange beasts. And to Sam especially, who was amazingly helpful with Brains’s article on boys. I won’t tell you which bits are his — he’d kill me.

I have to thank Nicky and Tanya and Andrew, ’cos I always thank them, and if I don’t, people might think we’ve had some sort of dramatic fall-out, which we most certainly have not. I’ve given each one of them countless reasons to dump me, but they’re still hanging in there. Bless! And here’s to more girls’ trips to far-flung lands.

And a big shout-out to my lovely writerly friend and honesty gauge Martina Devlin, who knows far more big words than anyone I’ve ever met and doesn’t laugh at me when I ask her daft grammatical questions.

Big thanks also to my fellow Your Wildest Dreams Tour writers Judi Curtin and Sophia Bennett, for all their enthusiasm and funny e-mails. And to Oisin McGann and David Maybury, for all the informative book e-mails and blog entries. You are stars, gentlemen! And to my agents, Philippa Milnes-Smith and Peta Nightingale, who have both taken such good care of me over the past year.

To the gang at Walker — what can I say? For taking Amy and me under your collective wings and for nurturing her like a newborn chick — I thank you. My editors, Gill Evans and Annalie Grainger, deserve a particularly huge thank-you. Especially Annalie, who is so
au fait
with Amy and Clover’s shenanigans that at this stage she should really be writing book four! She licked this book into shape in record time, and I am truly grateful for all her careful attention.

To the lovely Jo Hump-D, for all the clever marketing and tour-type thingys; Alice and Eve in publicity, for flying the Amy flag at every opportunity; Katie, for the glowing cover; Jill and her team, for all the work on the YouTube trailer; and, of course, thanks to the wonderful Jane Harris and all the sales and marketing team, especially those who worked on the U.K. tour in February. And not forgetting Sean, Julia, Ruth, Hanna, Heidi, Jess, and finally Mr. Walker Books in Ireland, the
über
fab Conor Hackett! And thanks also to all the lovely folk at Candlewick, my U.S. publishers, especially Liz.

Kate Gordon is my special teen editor, fellow Gleek, and general genius-type person, and I’d be lost without her help. And she’s coming to do work experience for me soon — how lucky am I? My own book-loving galley slave. And another special “Hi” to the lovely Michelle in Navan, for sharing her story with me.

I’ve had such a fun-packed year with tours, festivals, and school events, and I have to thank the team of people who have made all this possible. To Tom at Children’s Books Ireland, for all his Trojan work on the Wildest Dreams Tour — you’re fab, darling! And to Mags and Jenny, for being amazing too. To Joy Court at Coventry, for organizing a fantastic event and being so kind, and to Anna and all the gang who run the Writers in Schools Scheme in Dublin.

Now I must mention the children’s booksellers who get the books to you, the readers. I was one myself for many years, and I know just how important and cool (obviously!) they all are. So: much love to the amazing David O’Callaghan, a veritable Ulysses of a children’s book champion; all the gang at Dubray, for their support, especially Ruth, Kim, and Mary Esther; Mary Bridget at Hodges; and Grainne at Hughes and Hughes, Dundrum, for the Girl Guide readers’ badge meeting, complete with shark songs.

And, finally, a thanks to you, the lovely reader, who picked up this book in the first place, and who frankly must be a bit mad to be also reading this rather long and rambling thank-you letter. For the e-mails, letters, cards, and photos — I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Writing is a lonely old job, and hearing from YOU makes it all worthwhile!

My e-mail is
[email protected]
and do drop me a line or check me out on Facebook — sarahwebbwriter. I genuinely love hearing from Amy Greensters.

À bientôt,
^*

Sarah XXX