A Kiss in the Snow - Rosie Green Page 0,35

see anything, so I fumble for my phone.

‘Here, puss!’ I whisper at the door, shining the light from my phone around the cavernous space. It’s so much bigger inside than I imagined - and almost completely empty - but I can see no sign of the cat. Walking inside, my footsteps echo on the concrete floor. There’s an old wooden table pushed against the wall by the door, and I approach it cautiously, wondering if the animal might be hiding underneath it.

A sudden yowl confirms my theory, and next second, a beautiful tabby cat streaks out from underneath the table, slips through the narrow opening and disappears outside. My heart pounding from the shock, I turn to follow the cat out of the barn, but the gleam of an object lying on the table draws my attention.

I step closer.

It looks like a butcher’s knife. I shine the light on it and I freeze. There’s blood on the blade. Lots of it. It’s a dark, rusty colour, which means it isn’t fresh. But it’s definitely blood. I can smell it. The acrid iron scent drifts up my nose, making me shudder.

Turning to go, all I’m thinking is that I just want to be safely back in Snowdrop Cottage with all the lights on, and the front and back doors firmly locked.

But just as I reach the barn door, it clicks shut. That pesky wind. But it’s only on the latch, so -

My heart lurches and I freeze. A key scrapes in the lock. Then footsteps. The crunch of snow. Feet walking away from the barn.

I try the handle, desperation rising inside me. I call out. But it’s no use.

I’m locked in…

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Oh, bugger. Now what?

Panicked, I start banging on the door and shouting for help. But when no-one appears after ten minutes of this, a horrifying thought occurs to me as I nurse my raw knuckles: What if they knew I was in here and locked me in deliberately?

If that’s the case, how will I get out? Will anyone hear my shouts for help?

Anita would come and rescue me. But – oh, hell - I haven’t got her number in my phone. But I can’t stay here all night. Heavy snow is forecast and the temperature is sure to dip below freezing during the night…

The house phone!

Maddy gave me the address and phone number of Snowdrop Cottage. Although since it’s only just after five, Ronan might not be back yet. Worth a go, though…

I manage to find the number, and amazingly, after a long series of rings, he picks up. I don’t think I’ve ever been so pleased to hear another human voice in all my life.

‘Hi, it’s me,’ I gasp breathlessly. ‘Carrie. I’m – um – trapped. Can you help?’

‘Carrie? Where are you?’

‘Next-door. At least, in the barn next-door. I’ve managed to get myself locked inside it. I can’t get out.’

‘The barn?’ He sounds mystified, probably wondering what on earth I was doing in there.

‘Yes. At the back of Moon Cottage?’

‘Right. Give me a minute,’ he says, and the phone goes dead.

A few seconds later, I hear him walking up the path, and when he pulls open the door and I see his face, I’m so full of utter relief that I won’t be spending the night in a freezing cold barn, after all, that I utter an ecstatic squeak and fling my arms around his neck.

Yes. I actually hug the poor man.

He laughs, surprised, and I feel his strong hands on my back as he cradles me against him.

‘Oh, my God!’ I gasp. ‘Thank you so much.’

I look up into his eyes and he’s smiling down at me, his hands around my waist now. ‘You’re very welcome. All I did was open a door.’

‘All you did? I might have had to spend the night in here. Honestly, it feels so good to be rescued, I could actually kiss you!’

Elated, I reach up to plant a kiss on his jaw. But he moves at that precise moment and somehow, our mouths collide. It’s a brush of lips, over in a second, but the intense tug of feeling deep inside me takes me by surprise. I pull back and he does the same. He’s staring down at me in the semi-darkness, and the intensity in his eyes sparks a funny little shiver to skitter along my spine. I’m still in is arms, feeling the hard strength of his body against me, and the urge to kiss him again is suddenly overwhelming.