A Kiss in the Snow - Rosie Green Page 0,30

because we’re sharing the cottage doesn’t mean we have to become best pals.

What on earth was I thinking?

I get back into bed, still feeling spooked by Moon Cottage and its ghostly occupier. Suddenly, the thought of Ronan staying here, instead of moving to a hotel, seems like a very good idea indeed…

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Next morning, I’m dreading talking to Krystle about her night out with Adam.

I’m baking a batch of cherry and coconut scones when, just after eleven, her text arrives. It’s worse than I thought. Apparently, they had a great time and she wants to set up a Zoom call at noon for the three of us!

I slide the scones into the oven and head wearily into the living room to fetch my laptop. I’ll need to keep an eye on the scones while I’m chatting to Krystle and Adam. My mind is running over evasion strategies. Perhaps I could get lost in a snowdrift? It’s perfectly plausible that I could have exhausted myself, trudging through deep snow, and simply had to call in for a hot chocolate at the café (which doesn’t exist, but Krystle doesn’t know that)…and then, blow me, I totally missed the Zoom call!

Sighing, I plug in my charger and switch the laptop on. Lying about it would just be putting off the inevitable. I can’t exactly avoid Krystle and Adam for the rest of my life.

The upshot is that at two minutes to twelve, I’m sitting there, taking deep breaths and rehearsing my cheery smiles; in front of a laptop that’s chugging along, making whirring noises of protest every now and again. It’s definitely dying.

At one minute to twelve, Ronan comes into the kitchen, sees me practising grinning from ear to ear at my laptop and does a double take. ‘Something amusing on there?’ He glances at my screen saver, which happens to be a photo of a mountain in Austria.

‘No, no. I just…um…love mountains. They make me happy.’

He nods a little uncertainly. ‘Coffee?’

‘Yes, please.’ I half rise, accidentally knocking the connection and my screen goes blank. I curse loudly, feeling on the verge of tears.

Ronan turns. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘The laptop’s rubbish. It keeps going off.’ Sighing, I confess, ‘I’m chatting to Krystle and Adam via Zoom in a minute.’

He makes an understanding face, which in my agitated state of mind only irritates me. I don’t need sympathy!

Next moment, I jump as the message from Krystle pings through.

I click on the link, and then there they are on the screen in front of me. Two of my favourite people, snuggled side by side on the sofa.

‘Hi, Carrie. How’s it going in Silverbells?’ calls Krystle, as Adam leans over, playfully blocking her from view, and shouting, ‘Bet we’ve got more snow than you have, Carrington-Barrington-Harrington.’

Krystle giggles and tries to push him away. ‘Exactly how old are you, Adam? Five?’

He pinches her waist in retaliation and she squeals. ‘Down, boy. Behave yourself. I want to talk to my sister.’

Already, my cheeks are starting to ache with smiling.

‘So, tell me what you’ve been doing, Carrie. I’m really missing you,’ says Krystle, still fending him off.

‘Are you? It doesn’t look like it to me!’ I accompany this with a huge grin at them both.

‘Appearances can be deceptive. But yes, I confess that Adam has been taking up quite a lot of my time in your absence. I haven’t laughed so much in years. He stayed over last night because we’d drunk too much.’ She digs him affectionately in the ribs. ‘I told him he could sleep in your bed…’

‘Right.’ I gulp. ‘Yes, of course. That’s fine.’

Adam casts a mischievous smile at Krystle. ‘Didn’t make it to Carrie’s room, though, did I?’

She pretends to look cross. ‘No, Adam, you didn’t. You’re terrible.’

‘But you like it really.’

‘Maybe I do.’ She turns and addresses me. ‘We had a really brilliant night, Carrie. I wish you’d been there.’

I nod, but this time the smile simply refuses to happen. I can feel the colour draining from my face. This is far more of an ordeal than I thought it would be…

A mug of coffee is suddenly placed beside the laptop. It knocks the lead, and next second, the screen goes blank again.

Krystle and Adam vanish. Just like that.

I glance up at Ronan.

The look in his eyes tells me the placement of the mug wasn’t exactly an accident.

‘Sorry,’ he murmurs. ‘Did you lose them?’

CHAPTER TWELVE

I stare up at him. ‘I…yes, I did.’ My voice breaks slightly. ‘But don’t worry.’

‘You can get them back. If you want