either of us need to worry that this is going to be a lasting relationship.”
“And you’re not mad with him for that?”
“The only person I’m mad with right now is myself. I am going to call the airline, then a taxi. And I will take advantage of the long flight to rethink my life.” Katie heaved herself to her feet. “But first I need coffee, and now that your breathing seems to have settled down you need a hot shower to warm up.”
“Please don’t leave. If we leave, then we’ll leave together. I still need to talk to Catherine. Promise me you won’t leave?”
Katie stilled. “I thought you’d had enough of me.”
Rosie stood up, too, and wrapped her arms around her sister. “I’ve had enough of you protecting me, but I haven’t had enough of you.”
“Okay, well—” Katie hugged her back. “I won’t leave until you do. That’s a promise.”
“What about Mum and Dad? Are they splitting up? I’m confused.”
“You and me both. They were definitely thinking of it, but once I calmed down I realized they couldn’t possibly have known we were all going to show up this morning, so the whole bed thing couldn’t possibly have been for effect.”
“Can we not talk about the bed thing?”
“Good plan.” Katie gave her a final hug and walked to the kitchen.
“Do you think it was my fault they were having problems?”
“Why would it be your fault?”
“My asthma put strain on the whole family.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Katie handed her a mug. “Relationships are complicated.”
“You don’t need to tell me that.” Rosie took a sip of coffee. She felt exhausted. Drained of energy. And on the verge of tears. Knowing that crying in front of her sister would make Katie feel worse, she put her coffee down. “You’re right. I need to take that shower. What are you going to do?”
“I have a couple of errands. First I have to apologize to Mum and Dad, for flinging accusations and invading their privacy. After that,” she said, shrugging, “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right. Maybe we should fly home. Whatever we do, it’s been interesting.”
Rosie managed a smile. “You can’t beat a White family Christmas.”
Katie
Katie pulled on her outdoor gear and paused by the door.
She could hear the shower running, and she knew her sister was crying under that shower.
She clenched her hands, fighting the impulse to break down the bathroom door and hug her.
But what good was comfort?
Rosie didn’t need comfort. She needed the man she loved. And seeing as Katie was entirely responsible for what had happened, she was the one who should fix things. And that was in no way interfering. How could fixing a wrong be classed as interfering?
It was the natural order of things.
She’d messed up. And it was no good playing the what if game and wondering if she might have reacted differently had Rosie not called in the middle of a difficult shift, if Sally hadn’t been on her mind, if her head hadn’t been full of her own problems, or if the words perfect and whirlwind hadn’t triggered her protective instincts. That was in the past. All she could do was deal with now.
She closed the door behind her and walked toward Snowfall Lodge. It was freezing. Surely Dan wouldn’t still be out on the snowmobile? If he was, then she was sunk.
The walk to the lodge gave her time to think, and by the time she stepped into the elegant foyer, she knew exactly what she wanted to say.
Taking advantage of the fact that the reception staff were deep in conversation with guests, she ducked into the private stairwell and took the stairs up to the apartment.
She didn’t intend to give Dan warning of her arrival, and when she tapped on the door and he opened it she saw immediately that had been the right decision.
“I know you want to close the door in my face and I don’t blame you,” she said. “Give me ten minutes. That’s all I ask.”
“Rosie sent you.”
“Rosie would kill me if she knew I was here now.”
“But you’re willing to take that risk.”
“Yes, I am, because all of this is my fault.”
He opened the door and she stepped inside.
She could see from his body language that he was in agony. She took that as a good sign.
“So here’s the thing.” She paced to the window and stared across the now familiar beauty of the mountains. “I came here to stop your wedding.”