Page 34 of Snow Going Back

Don’t tell me you have a secret second family *now*. You already had your shot at childhood trauma infliction. You don’t get another go.

She watched the three dots move on the screen and quickly pulled the jumper over her head.

Oh, it’s you, Kate! Never mind. I always thought if I had a favourite child, it would be a boy. And he’d be called Tony. You’ll do though.

Kate laughed and typed back.

I totally get it. I always thought if I had a favourite dad, he’d be Sean Bean. I think Mum agrees with me on that one, too.

She chuckled as she pressed send. Sean Bean was her mother’s big celebrity crush. A laughing face instantly popped up, followed shortly by his reply.

Touché! OK, you win. Don’t worry about your mother. I’ll take her out and distract her for a bit. She’ll have calmed down in a few hours. You doing OK though? Give me a call sometime to catch up. No pressure, just whenever you’re free. X

Kate smiled sadly and felt a pang of homesickness. She felt thoroughly detached from everyone right now. This was partly her own fault. She’d been avoiding her mother and Lance – and even Amy at times – unable to face thinking about the ever-evolving wedding plans and the alarming focus Lance was suddenly putting on the future.

She typed one last reply, seeing that her dad was still online.

I’m fine, just really under it here. I’ll call in the next few days, I promise. Love you, Dad. Xx

Love you, too. Stay safe. Xx

Kate closed her screen feeling a little hollow. She’d have loved to talk to him now, but that would mean dealing with her mother, and she couldn’t deal with Eleanor’s hysterics or the guilt she’d try to put on her for not being there to help plan the wedding.

She couldn’t even blame her mother for feeling the way she did, either. Kateshouldbe there. She should be the one planning and excitedly organising everything. That’s what brides did. But then most brides hadn’t accidentally accepted a proposal without being given a chance to even think about it, and thensomehow landed themselves with a wedding just weeks away, before being called halfway around the world for a job! She sighed and decided to head down to the kitchen. A cup of tea was what she needed to sort her out and make her feel a little less glum.

Sam sat at the breakfast bar eating a bowl of his favourite fake sea captain and reading the newspaper. He looked up as she passed, and she pointedly ignored him, not in the mood for another interaction with him right now, though she saw him lean back and stretch, his white T-shirt pulling taut over the well-defined lines of his muscular frame. She subtly studied him out of the corner of her eye. He’d paired the seasonally unsuitable T-shirt with jeans, and between this simple tightly fitted outfit, his stylishly messy hair and strong stubbly jawline, he looked like he was trying out for some sort of vintage Levi’s commercial. The devil on her shoulder gave an appreciative facial shrug and the angel appeared with an accusatory glare. Kate pursed her lips and turned to the cupboard to grab herself a mug with a sniff. Why was she even looking at him?

‘What’s up, lawyer girl?’ he asked. ‘You look annoyed. How have I offended your delicate sensibilitiestoday?Did I leave the toilet seat up?’

She put the mug down and dropped in a teabag. ‘Actually,yes,’ she replied. ‘You did. But I expected no less, sono, that hasn’t upset me.’ She had no intention of sharing her personal life with him so didn’t bother to elaborate further.

She filled up the kettle and switched it on, Sam’s words bringing back her visit to Coreaux Roots yesterday. She’d been left in awe of William and Cora after all she’d seen and learned. The place was so much more than just a business. It was a family. The beating heart of a towntheyhad built. A whole community that wouldn’t even be there had it not been for them. They’d changed and enriched so many people’s lives. They’dgiven their lives to the people of this town. And Sam, the boy they’d raised as their own, couldn’t care less about the legacy they left behind. It made no sense, and that selfishness made Kate hate him even more than she did already.

‘Hmm.’ Sam chewed his cereal. ‘I’ll have to try harder.’ He poured another helping of cereal into the milk still in his bowl and watched her with an unreadable expression. ‘By the way, I’ve got company round tonight, so if you could either stay upstairs or maybe go out for a ride on your broomstick, it would be appreciated,’ he said. ‘Whatever works best.’

‘Eugh, you’re detestable,’ Kate replied with a tut, turning to pour the water into her tea. ‘I don’t know how you even get thiscompanyto come over in the first place. Your handsome face might draw them in, but surely the moment you open your mouth, these women drop away like flies?’ she asked scathingly, her temper getting the better of her for a moment as the faces of all the wonderful people she’d met the day before flew through her mind.

These people depended on that place for their livelihoods. They needed a leader, someone to keep it safe, and hearing Matthew, one of the most experienced workers there, confide thatSamwas the only person he felt could do that had filled her with deep concern.

Sam laughed. ‘Oh, you find me handsome, do you, lawyer girl?’ he asked, amused.

Kate realised her mistake and shot him a withering look. ‘Not personally, no,’ she lied, annoyed with herself. ‘But I know your particular look appeals to some women.’ It was a weak backtrack and she knew it, which just annoyed her even further.

He grinned, and she turned away crossly.

‘You think I’m handsome,’ he gloated. ‘Is that what’s bothering you, lawyer girl? That you’re attracted to me?’ His eyes twinkled with amusement.

‘No,’ she replied, slamming the cutlery drawer shut and walking over to the fridge. ‘The only thing that’s currently bothering me aboutyouis how you could have been raised by two such incredible people and still end up asawfulas you are.’

That seemed to hit home somewhat, Sam’s grin faltering and the amusement fading from his eyes. Kate turned away and searched the fridge for the milk.

‘You’ve got everyone figuredrightout from up there on your high and mighty perch, haven’t you, Kate?’ Sam said quietly after a long pause.

‘Not everyone,’ she replied. ‘But I’ve seenmorethan enough to have figuredyouout.’

Sam watched her as he ate his cereal, a much sharper edge to his gaze now.Good, she thought.It should hit every nerve you’ve got. She scanned the fridge again and frowned.

‘You looking for this?’ Sam asked.

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