Page 8 of Snow Going Back

Amy shrugged, unbothered. ‘Shame is for bores.’ She sipped her champagne then turned and took Kate’s hand in hers to take a closer look at the ring. ‘That really is aninsanelybig diamond.’

‘Yes,’ Kate replied, the grin fading as she stared at it.

Amy’s brow dipped in brief concern, and she lowered her voice. ‘Do you not like it?’

Kate let out a troubled sigh. ‘It’s a very beautiful ring?—’

‘But it’s notyou,’ Amy said, cutting her off with a grim nod. ‘I thought that when he showed me, but he’d already bought it. It’s veryLancethough.’

‘Itisvery Lance,’ Kate agreed. She’d didn’t wear much jewellery, but what she did have was delicate and subtle. The complete opposite of this dazzling statement ring. She sighed. ‘It’s not that though, Amy. It’severything.’

‘What do you mean?’

Just as Kate tried to answer, there was a loud cheer. More champagne was being poured over the tower of glasses. She closed her mouth and exhaled tiredly.

Amy squeezed her arm and pulled her to the door. ‘Come on. Let’s talk in the kitchen. And give me that. We both know you hate champagne.’ She took Kate’s glass as they slipped out of the room. ‘I shoved some Prosecco in the fridge for you earlier.’

‘Thanks,’ Kate replied gratefully. That wasexactlywhat she needed right now.

She made a beeline for the glass cupboard and pulled one out, while Amy grabbed the Prosecco and placed it on her mother’s large kitchen island. Glad to be away from all the noise and the people, she sat down on one of the bar stools as Amy popped the cork and poured.

‘Here.’ She passed it to Kate and sat down, taking a sip from her own glass. ‘So what’s going on? Talk to me.’

Kate sighed and shook her head. She wanted to tell Amy everything, but as she sat there, she realised she couldn’t. Not unless she was prepared to tell everyone. It wasn’t fair to place that burden on her. She fiddled with one of her nails.

‘This was all just really out of the blue,’ she said finally. ‘It just completely blindsided me.’

‘Surely you’d considered the possibility of this happening at some point though?’ Amy asked. ‘You’ve been together about a year now, right?’

‘No. I really didn’t,’ Kate answered honestly. ‘And yes, just over, actually.’ She rubbed her head and looked up with a troubled frown. ‘It’s just, we’ve never talked about it. I thought we weregood, you know? As we are. I didn’t think we werehereyet. We don’t even live together. And then this today, everything is just, I don’t know…’ She pushed her hand back through her hair and felt all the knots from the wind snag on her fingers. ‘Why didn’t youwarnme he was planning this?’

‘Warnyou?’ Amy repeated. ‘Kate, it was a proposal, not the four horsemen riding into town! I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.’

‘But Ihatesurprises,’ Kate reminded her. ‘I always have.Youknow that.’

Amy’s forehead creased, and her eyes clouded with guilt. ‘I’m sorry, Kate. I thought this was one surprise you’dwant. I didn’t mean to let you down.’

‘No.No, Amy you haven’t done that,’ Kate replied quickly. She was being unfair. ‘You’re an amazing friend. I’msorry. It’smewho’s being weird.’ She kneaded her forehead, stressed.

Amy rubbed her arm. ‘Listen, it’s been a lot today. You’re just overwhelmed. That’s all this is. And you reallyareterrible with surprises. You’re right – I should have told you. You’ve never reacted well.’ She pushed her long blonde curls back over her shoulder then propped her elbow on the breakfast bar and rested her head on her hand with a smile. ‘Remember that time I tried to surprise you on your birthday by jumping out of a box on your doorstep dressed like a clown? We must have been twelve or thirteen. You cried for an hour and didn’t talk to me all day.’

Kate stared at her accusingly. ‘That was myninthbirthday and that was the scariest thing – to thisday– that has ever happened to me. Istillget nightmares about it now and then.’

‘Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad,’ Amy said with a dismissive wave. ‘I was even holding your birthday present. It was cute.’

‘It was a doctor’s kit,’ Kate said flatly. ‘I could see the fake syringe and pill box through the front, which reallydidn’tlook cute in the hands of a clown, I assure you. Anyway…’ She shook off the memory with a small shudder.

‘Anyway,’ Amy echoed, ‘my point, though I could have perhaps used a better example, is that you’re right – youdon’ttake surprises well. That’s all this is. You and Lance are one of the best couples I know. You’re perfect together. And don’tforget, despite being surprised, you saidyes,’ she said with a smile. ‘You wouldn’t have said yes to marrying the handsome, charming, successful boyfriend you love while in shock if you didn’t really mean it.Wouldyou?’

‘No,’ Kate replied, looking down at the bubbles rising in her glass. ‘I guess not.’

‘Well, there you go then,’ Amy said. ‘You just need another three glasses and a good sleep, and in the morning you’ll feel much better, I promise. You always do in situations like these.’ She took another sip of champagne. ‘Except for that time with the clown. Admittedly that was an exception.’

Kate forced a smile and sipped her Prosecco.But I didn’t say yes, Amy, she wanted to scream.I didn’t say yes. So what am I supposed to do now?

SIX

The sound of Eleanor’s voice wafted into the kitchen from the hallway just as Kate and Amy finished off the bottle of Prosecco.

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