but now she wasn’t so sure. What happened when two families didn’t blend, but collided?
Was it going to be a happy family Christmas, or a recipe for disaster?
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.
If she needed evidence that a whirlwind romance could work, she had only to look at her parents. They’d married a few months after they’d met and were still happy together thirty-five years later. Take that, Katie!
The more she thought about that one simple fact, the better she felt.
Her parents’ marriage was strong and indestructible. They were rock solid. Why shouldn’t she and Dan be like them?
Her parents were a shiny example of what a marriage should look like.
She’d confess her worries to her mother, although she could already imagine what she’d say. Your father and I met and married in a whirlwind, too, and we’ve done fine together for more than thirty years.
Feeling better, Rosie smiled.
If anyone could put her doubts to rest about marriage, it would be her mother.
Katie
Katie unlocked the door of the small two-bedroom house she’d rented for the past decade and dropped her bag on the floor.
Vicky appeared in the doorway, wearing a thick red Christmas sweater over spotted pajama bottoms. “Who are you?”
“Very funny.” Katie slid off her coat and hung it on the peg. It had been raining nonstop for a week and London was gloomy and cheerless. Her fingers were frozen, and her hair was lank. She’d never felt less festive in her life.
“I’m serious. I used to share this place with a friend, but I reported her missing weeks ago. The police are looking for a body.”
“Great. If they find one, let me know. I’ll swap it for the one I’m walking around in.” Her shoulder throbbed. It kept her awake, not because of the pain, although it was painful, but because of the memories that came with it. She glanced at Vicky’s feet. “You’re wearing two pairs of socks. Did the heating break again? Please tell me we have hot water.”
“You look like hell, Katie.”
“Thanks a bunch.”
“You’re at work the whole time, you hardly ever go out, and when you’re home you’re either Cactus Katie or you fall asleep in front of the TV.”
“‘Cactus Katie’?”
“Prickly. Dangerous to be close to.”
“Oh. Well, if you’re planning to water me, use vodka.” She pushed her damp hair away from her face. “I admit I may be on a short fuse at times, but we have a staffing crisis.”
“You’ve had a staffing crisis for the past few years. We used to manage to eat together at least once a week, and now I can’t even get to speak to you on the phone. I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t be. I’m fine. Is the kettle hot? It’s cold out there. If I don’t warm up soon, I’ll be treating myself for frostbite.” She walked into the kitchen and put her phone on the table next to a take-out pizza box. “Any of that left?”
“One slice. If I’d known you’d be home, I would have saved more for you.”
“A slice is enough.” Katie pulled it out of the box, took one mouthful and pulled a face. “What is this?”
“Christmas pizza.”
“That exists?”
“Apparently. I was trying to get in the mood.”
“I’m not even going to ask what sort of mood. Turns out one slice is more than enough. I should warn my colleagues. It might be a new cause of death.” Katie put the half-eaten slice back in the box. She couldn’t remember when she’d last eaten a healthy meal. She should probably cook something, but by the time she arrived home she was too tired. “Sorry I haven’t been around much.” Her phone started to ring and she glanced at the screen. “How are you?”
“Better than you.” Vicky put a cup of tea in front of her. “Aren’t you going to answer that? It’s your mum. She might want something.”
“I know what she wants. She wants to take me to lunch and talk weddings.”
“Weddings?”
“Rosie is getting married at Christmas.”
“This Christmas?”
“Yes. In Colorado. And before you ask, no, I won’t be going home to Oxford. Somehow I have to get myself on an airplane and fly to Aspen and stop her doing something she’s going to regret forever.” She lowered her head onto her arms and closed her eyes. “It’s a long flight. At least I can sleep all the way.”
Although these days she didn’t sleep. She collapsed into bed exhausted, but her mind refused to cooperate. Instead of shutting down it came