threatens our marriage, are you going to talk about it? Or are you going to hold it inside until it gradually infects what we have. I can’t marry someone who doesn’t feel they can talk to me. It’s fundamental for making a relationship work.”
She couldn’t breathe.
Tears made it hard for her to see him. She felt strange. If he’d told her he didn’t love her anymore, maybe she could have accepted it but to tell her he loved her but was still breaking it off—it was like being kicked hard in the chest. She felt broken. “I can’t believe you’re being so stubborn.”
“I’m doing what I feel is best.”
She made a last desperate attempt to understand. “Is this about your dad? Are you scared?”
“This is about us, not my dad.”
She didn’t believe him. There had to be more going on, surely? But if he wouldn’t talk to her, what could she do?
Underneath the thick blanket of misery, she felt the stirrings of anger. Anger that he wasn’t prepared to talk it through with an open mind. Anger that he was so easily throwing away what they had.
“Don’t do this, Dan. Seriously, don’t do this. You said you knew me. If you truly know me then you’ll know I struggle with confrontation and difficult conversations. I’m working on it. I’ve probably made more progress in the last day than I have in the last ten years, but you have to be patient.” She swallowed. “I’m asking you to be patient.”
He turned away. “It’s over, Rosie.”
In that single moment anger eclipsed misery. “Yeah? Well, it’s good to know that what we had was worth fighting for. You say you can’t marry someone who won’t talk to you, well, I can’t marry someone who won’t listen and is so inflexible.” She stomped away and somehow made it back to the snowmobile. Scrubbing the tears from her eyes, she jammed the helmet back on her head and sped back down the trail. She wanted to find somewhere warm to sob in comfort. Frozen tears were no one’s idea of fun. And she could feel herself wheezing. If she went to the main lodge she ran the risk of bumping into Catherine. She couldn’t handle her parents right now. Which left the tree house she’d been sharing with her sister.
With luck, Katie wouldn’t be there.
She delivered the snowmobile safely back and made it to the tree house.
The first thing she saw was the Christmas tree glistening, and the second thing was her sister. She was wearing her coat and scarf, and pacing across the living room.
So luck wasn’t on her side.
With a sigh, Rosie tugged open the door and was instantly enveloped by her sister.
“I’ve been so worried. You didn’t answer your phone.”
She hadn’t even heard her phone. “I was busy. Why are you wearing your coat indoors?” And then she noticed the suitcase. “You’re leaving?”
“I—I’ve ruined everything.” Katie stopped hugging her and took a step back. “You’re mad at me, and I don’t blame you. And Mum and Dad are probably mad, too, because of my performance earlier. And I’m not even going to think about what Dan and Catherine probably think. It’s best if I leave, but I couldn’t leave before checking on you first. How are you doing?”
“Your wish came true. The wedding isn’t going ahead.”
Katie’s skin color matched the snow beyond the windows. “That wasn’t my wish. I didn’t want that. I wanted you to be sure, that’s all. I didn’t mean this to happen. I’m so, so sorry. You didn’t find him?”
“I found him, but the conversation didn’t go the way I wanted it to.” Rosie peeled off her coat and hung it up. “Maybe I should fly home with you. We could all fly home and have Christmas in Honeysuckle Cottage.” Once, that would have sounded so appealing, but for some reason it no longer did. She felt sick and a little panicky. She’d lost something she knew she’d never get back. She was frustrated, miserable and a little angry, but mostly she was sad.
“We’re not flying home.” Katie looked horrified. “We’re going to fix this. You’re getting married. Do you want to get married?”
“Of course! But it’s too late.”
“It can’t be too late. He’ll change his mind.”
Rosie thought about Dan. “He’s not going to change his mind. And you don’t think I should be marrying him anyway.”
“I do. All I ever wanted was to make sure this was what you wanted. That night on the phone when I