A Kiss in the Snow - Rosie Green Page 0,39

work with the powdery surface snow. The icier it is, the more solid the bricks.’

I examine the “snow bricks” he’s already cut out. They’re fairly big – about three feet long. ‘So what’s the plan?’

He picks up the saw and starts cutting out the next building block. ‘I watched a Youtube thing on the best way to construct it. Apparently, you make a circle with your first lot of bricks, then you cut three or four of them at a slight slant, so that when you lay the next ones, you’re building them in an upwards spiral with the bricks leaning slightly into the centre.’

‘So you end up with the rounded shape of an igloo?’

‘That’s the theory.’ He grins up at me. ‘I’m no engineer, mind you. It could be a disaster.’

‘You’re good with your hands, though. I’m sure it’ll be great.’ I glance at the hands in question. They’re very good hands. Big and manly. Long fingers. Neat nails. I can’t stand it when a man doesn’t keep his nails trimmed!

He looks up at me, squinting slightly in the sunlight that’s bouncing off the snow. ‘Are you okay this morning?’

‘I’m fine.’ I feel myself redden. ‘Listen, about last night. I didn’t mean to fling myself at you like that. You must have thought I was completely mad.’

‘Hey, forget it.’ He sits back on his heels. ‘You’ve had a hard time, dealing with Adam and your sister. Things like that play on your emotions. And then thinking you were locked in the barn must have been scary…’

I smile, relieved he understands. ‘I was just so glad to see you.’

‘I’m not surprised.’

‘Do you want any help with the igloo?’ I say doubtfully.

‘If you like.’

‘I thought I’d just nip down to the village store and see if Anita is all right. She was ill yesterday. But I’ll help when I get back?’

He grins. ‘I’ll still be here. Apparently, Eskimos can build an emergency igloo in forty minutes but I’ve got a feeling this is going to take me the best part of a day.’

‘I hope you’re going to sleep in it tonight,’ I challenge him with a smile.

‘Don’t know about that. But I was thinking with a few candles and a rug, it could make quite a cosy ice bar.’

I smile. ‘A drink in an igloo? That’ll be a first.’

I go in to collect my purse, feeling relieved that we’ve cleared the air, and then I head down the path Ronan has cleared to the gate.

A sudden noise like a motorbike revving up startles me.

Ronan looks over. ‘It’s the farmer in the field over there,’ he says pointing beyond the back garden. ‘He’s got himself a snowmobile. I was watching him on it. It looks really cool.’

‘Nice.’

I’m at the gate when he calls over. ‘Carrie?’

‘Yes?’ I turn.

‘I didn’t mind you flinging yourself at me. I quite liked it, actually.’

Colour whooshes into my cheeks at his smile. I open my mouth to attempt a reply but nothing comes out. Instead, I smile back and raise my hand, and scoot away as fast as I can possibly go without ending up on my butt in the snow…

*****

I walk through a world rendered weirdly silent by the deep covering of snow. As I approach the village store, a man and a woman are emerging, each with two bulging carrier bags. They trudge away, laughing and taking their time, walking in the centre of the snow-bound road.

In the shop, Anita is nowhere to be seen.

‘Hell-o-o!’ I call, noticing the empty fridge and the almost bare bread shelf. All that’s left is a single loaf that looks like it might be made out of old shoe leather and wood shavings. Very healthy, but not really my kind of bread.

‘Hi, Carrie!’ Anita bustles in from the back, carrying a basket. She sets it on the floor and adds a packet of savoury biscuits to the tins of baked beans and tuna fish already in there. ‘I’m worried about Mrs Richards. She lives on her own and she’ll be too scared to come out because of the snow. So I thought I’d take some provisions along, to keep her going. Before there’s nothing left!’

‘What a lovely idea. Are you feeling okay today?’

She shrugs. ‘Yes. The pain comes and goes. It’s a benign fibroid but I’m having it removed soon.’

‘Your mum mentioned that.’

She nods. ‘I’m worried about what will happen when I’m in hospital having the op.’

‘Won’t your mum and dad look after Rufus?’

‘Yes, but there’s the shop to look