Page 25 of Snow Going Back

‘Thepaper?’ Sam asked blankly.

‘Yeah, I, um…’ He rubbed his stubble awkwardly. ‘You know what, it doesn’t matter. She’s legit. Cora left instructions for her lawyer to stay here while sorting everything. The rest ain’t important,’ he replied quietly.

Sam studied her with an uncertain frown. Kate cleared her throat and straightened up, trying to appear in control – which was no easy task, standing as she was in cocoa-stained pyjamas with bare feet and a bright red nose.

‘Look, I think we started out on the wrong foot,’ she said resentfully. ‘Not that you can blame me for jumping to conclusions. I was simply following the road laws,like I should, and then after nearly killing us both, you wereveryaggressive and rude.’

‘Aggressive? Lady, rude, you can have, but the rest couldn’t even be classed as full-blown irritation,’ Sam retorted.

‘Well, it is where I come from,’ Kate replied.

‘Well,youain’t in Kansas anymore, Dorothy,’ he exclaimed. ‘And I have to say, I find it hard to believe my annoyance at wrapping my truck around a tree offended the delicatesensibilities of a woman who, not ten minutes ago, threatened to wrap a bat around my head.’

Kate felt the heat rush to her cheeks.

Jerry walked back in quietly.

‘Yes, well,obviouslyI had to trysomething,’ she argued.‘Like I’d stand a chance if youhaddecided to go for me. I mean, look at thesizeof you.’ She gestured to his broad muscular physique. ‘Imagine being five-foot-three in a town you don’t know, and then after the encounterweshared this morning, finding that guydownstairs, late at night, holding a knife.’ She gave him an accusatory stare. ‘And as if that wasn’t already reason enough to assume you had bad intentions, you’re hardly putting out choirboy vibes, either.’

‘What does that mean?’ he asked.

‘Oh,come on. The crazy hair and beard and…’ She stopped abruptly mid-flow, not wanting to be rude herself, but she didn’t quite stop her gaze quickly enough, and he caught her glance at his dirty rumpled clothes.

‘Wow.’ He nodded and leaned back on the counter. ‘OK.’

She tried to cover. ‘I just mean, your shirt, it’s buttoned wrong. And – and – alrightfine,’ she sighed. ‘You look pretty dishevelled. You can’t exactly blame me for noticing that, considering everything else.’ She shrugged unapologetically.

Sam just watched her silently.

Mike looked Sam up and down. ‘Youdolook like crap right now,’ he agreed apologetically. ‘And you could do with a bath.’ He leaned in and lowered his voice. ‘With all due respect, my friend,you stink.’

‘I’m aware,’ Sam replied. ‘And thathadbeen the plan. You know I wouldn’t usually be around other people while I’m in need of a shower and clean clothes, but then I lost my truck’ – he took a couple of steps towards Kate – ‘and an entiredayto a jail cell. And then I get home, and I’m jumped in my kitchen by a complete stranger.’ His glare simmered. ‘A stranger who’s moved into my house without my knowledgeor permission, and who not only tried to have me arrested for thesecondtime today, but who had theaudacityto threaten me with my own baseball bat– which, by the way,lawyer girl, isnotsteel, it’saluminum,’ he told her witheringly. ‘Andnow, Mike, as we enter the last hour of this forest fire of a day, thisBritish bee stingto the assinsults my appearance, too.’ Finishing his angry list of grievances, Sam eyed Kate with a hard stare.

Mike nodded and patted Sam’s shoulder.

‘Well…’ Kate exhaled heavily through her nose.British bee sting to the ass, indeed.

She knew, reasonably, that the best thing to do right now was just concede and apologise for the sake of peace. But after all she’d been through today, Sam’s attitude had burrowed right underneath her skin, and she ignored the pleading angel tugging on her shoulder.

‘No, you know what, I sympathise with your shitty day. Ido. But I’mnotsorry,’ she told him. ‘I’m not apologising for a damn thing. You brought this morning on yourself. And maybe if you hadn’t been such ajerk, I wouldn’t have assumed you were here to kill me tonight.’

The devil on her other shoulder jumped with glee as the angel sat down and gave up. Kate held Sam’s gaze stubbornly, and the room fell into silence until Jerry broke it with a casually loaded question.

‘She’s acompletestranger, you said, Sam?’ One side of his mouth hitched in a hint of a smile.

A slow grin spread across Sam’s face. ‘I did indeed. You always were good with details, Jerry.’

Mike chuckled. ‘Thebest,’ he agreed.

Kate’s eyes darted warily around the group as she realised where they were going with this. ‘I’m alawyer,’ she reminded them strongly. ‘Cora’slawyer. I’m supposed to be here, and youknowit.’

Mike pulled out his cuffs. ‘Doyouknow that, Sam?’

‘No, I do not,’ he replied, watching the proceedings with open amusement now.

‘Yes, you do,’ Kate argued. ‘For God’s sake, this isridiculous. I’m in my pyjamas for crying out loud.’

‘Not the best choice of outfit for a break-in, huh?’ Sam quipped, clearly enjoying himself.

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