“You don’t like Dan,” she’d said as Katie had cleared the kitchen and made her way to bed.
“I never said I don’t like him. I don’t know him, that’s all.”
“Why can’t you get to know him over time, the way normal people do?”
“Because there is no time. You’re marrying him in a few days.”
“Exactly. I’m marrying him. I’m the one who is going to be spending the rest of my life with him, so why does it matter to you?”
“Because I love you, and I want you to be happy. I’m scared you’re making a mistake. You can’t know someone in three months.”
“It’s exactly the same amount of time Mum and Dad knew each other before they were married.” And she was using that fact to support her belief that her relationship could work and wasn’t doomed from the start. “They’ve been together more than thirty years, Katie. You know how happy they are. They were virtually ripping each other’s clothes off in the back of the car on the way from the airport, which isn’t something I particularly want to relive if I’m honest, but it’s proof that they’re still blissfully happy after all these years. If they can do it, why can’t we?”
“I’m sure you can.” Katie had looked exhausted. “I’m sorry. Ignore me, Ro. I love you, that’s all. You’re my little sister, and the thought of you being unhappy terrifies me. It’s possible I overreact a little occasionally.”
Rosie had felt a rush of love. “A lot. You overreact a lot.”
“I’m tired. Long journey. Forgive me?”
“Of course.” Rosie had hugged her then, relieved. The last thing that she wanted was to fall out with her sister. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow we’re joining everyone for a big family breakfast at Snowfall Lodge, and then we’re going for a snowmobile ride into the forest.”
In the end Rosie had managed very little sleep. That tiny flame of doubt was still flickering in her brain, lit by her sister.
She woke feeling as tired as she had when she’d gone to bed. She wished she was waking up with Dan. That was a good sign, surely? If she missed him, then that had to mean she loved him. Those feelings she’d been battling with at the airport seemed to have vanished.
She grabbed her phone to message him, and saw that he’d already sent a message to her.
Miss you, babe.
Her eyes stung as she texted him back.
Miss you, too.
His reply came back instantly.
Hope you’re having fun with your sister.
Not so far, but hopefully today would be different.
Anxious to mend fences, she showered and dressed, made coffee and took one to her sister.
She opened the door and Katie, who had been in the process of removing her pajamas, gasped and grabbed a robe.
“Don’t you ever knock?”
Since when had they knocked? And why was Katie clutching her robe around herself as if she had something to hide? It wasn’t as if sharing a bedroom was unusual for them.
“I’m sorry.” The bond between them bruised again, she put the coffee on the nightstand. “I thought you’d want coffee. I’ll meet you in the living room when you’re dressed.”
What was wrong with Katie? Was this because Rosie was marrying a man she hadn’t known for long, or was there more to it than that?
She walked back to the living room, gathered together her outdoor clothes and was tugging on gloves when Katie appeared.
“I didn’t mean to snap. You surprised me, that’s all.” She joined Rosie by the door and pulled on her coat and boots. “Remember when you were little? You’d crawl into bed with me on Christmas Eve and tug open my eyelids to see if I was awake.”
Rosie was relieved her sister seemed back to normal. “Because Mum told us I couldn’t get up and open my stocking until you were awake.”
“So you thought you’d help me.” Katie wrapped Rosie’s scarf around her mouth and nose. “I don’t want you breathing in cold air and triggering an attack.”
Rosie’s love for her sister was threaded with frustration. She hadn’t seen her sister since early in the summer and was surprised Katie couldn’t see how much she’d changed in that time. But maybe it was going to take time. Before she’d met Dan, Katie had always been her first phone call in an emergency. Rosie hadn’t called for anything other than a chat since she’d arrived in the US. She felt stronger. More confident, and she knew that was Dan’s influence.