Page 29 of Snow Going Back

Sam pulled back with a gasp, looking genuinely shocked and insulted, and Kate shook her head, unable to comprehend how a human being existed who thought nothing of sending someone to jail for fun but was offended by her opinion on his choice of breakfast.

‘I— You know what…’ She threw her hands in the air and walked away from him. It was clearly pointless trying to have a conversation with him. ‘I’m done. No, actually’ – she turned and marched back – ‘I’mnotdone. I have one more thing to say.’

‘Oh good,’ Sam replied dryly.

‘I’m here to do a job, and I don’t appreciate my time being wasted,’ she told him hotly. ‘Sodo notget in my way again. Because next time I won’t be so lenient. And whether you like it or not, I will be here for the next few weeks until I can settle Cora’s estate. Got it?’

‘There’s a perfectly good hotel down the road, you know,’ Sam said. ‘Where the people might actuallywantyou around. Or want your money, at least.’

‘I don’t care who wants me around. The contract specified I have to stay here, so I’mstaying,’ she responded.

Sam rolled his eyes with a tut of annoyance. ‘Fine,’ he snapped. ‘But if you’re staying here, let’s get a few things straight – the room at the top of the stairs is mine. Go through whatever else you want, but that room is off limits.’

‘Fine by me,’ she replied, making to turn away.

‘I’m not done.’ Sam walked towards her, stopping just close enough that it felt slightly uncomfortable. Kate’s breath caught in her throat as he stared down at her sternly. ‘Keep your stuff out of the living room. The TV area is mine. I sometimes have friends over to watch big games. I don’t want the room to be turned into your damn office.’

Kate rolled her eyes and stepped back. ‘I hadone notepadin there – it was hardly a hostile takeover. And I haven’t evenseena TV,’ she said, confused. The living room was beautiful but oddly devoid of any technology.

‘You wouldn’t have. I built it into the wall behind the mirror. The glass clears to show the screen when it’s switched on. Which reminds me,do not, under any circumstances, move the remote from the coffee table,’ he stressed. ‘The TV is sunk into the wall and hooked up to the electricity through the drywall to hide the cables, which makes the manual switches unreachable. So, I’m serious,do notmove that remote.’

‘I heard you the first time,’ she replied tersely.

‘Good – don’t forget it,’ he retorted.

Kate raised her eyebrows. ‘OK,my turn,’ she said, placing her hands on her hips. ‘While we have to be under the same roof, you can show me the courtesy ofbasic manners. There’s no need to be so rude all the time.’

Sam shook his head. ‘No, you don’t get a turn, lawyer girl. This house may not be mine in legal terms, but it’s still myhomefor now. And inmy home, I will do as I damn well please. Which, after recent events, doesnotinclude makingyourlife easy.’

A strange ripple of pain flashed across his face for a moment, then he abruptly turned and walked over to the fridge, opening the door to look inside.

‘Nice,’ Kate said, nodding to herself. ‘Well, that’s fine, Sam. At least we both know where we stand.’

‘Oh,’ he said, glancing back at her. ‘One last thing. Don’t touch my cereal.’

‘Whatever,’ she muttered.

She got herself a glass from the cupboard and walked over to the sink. As water gushed out, her gaze wandered to the two used wine glasses to the side and she absently noted the hum of the dishwasher going round underneath. Her glass full, Kate turned off the tap and almost walked away before stopping abruptly with a frown. She looked back at the wine glasses. A bright red ring of lipstick clung to the top of one of them. As she stared, Sam’s earlier flippant admission played back in her mind.

That’s the time I asked them to keep you to, so you didn’t get in my way.

She swung around, hot bubbles of anger starting to form as she thought it through. She had to be wrong, surely. Evenhecouldn’t be that awful.

‘Sam, what are those?’ she asked, pointing to the glasses.

He pulled out the orange juice and closed the fridge, glancing over. ‘Those areglasses,Kate. We Americans drink outta them. Hadn’t realised the Brits were that behind.’

‘Right.’ She ignored the insult. ‘Wine glasses,’ she clarified. ‘One’s yours, obviously, and the other used by a woman, unless one of your male friends has a thing for lipstick.’

‘Amazing,’ Sam replied, sounding bored. ‘You should have been a PI.’

‘So you had a woman over here today to share a bottle of wine?’

Sam’s gaze tightened, and Kate waited for another dry, disparaging comment, but after a few moments, he simply answered, ‘Yes. I did.’

Her eyes slipped down to his smart suit and shoes, and she had to work to contain her steadily rising anger.

‘Sam…’ She pressed her palms together and briefly touched her fingers to her mouth. ‘Please tell me you didn’t ask them to keep me locked up in a jail cell for an entire day, just to keep me out of the house so you could have a woman over.’ He met her gaze unwaveringly, and that anger began to boil over. ‘Please tell me I did not get put through a day ofhellforthat. For you to pop somecheapbottle of Chardonnay on an uninterrupted date.’

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