Page 59 of Snow Going Back

‘Coming, dear,’ Henry said placatingly.

He walked inside, and Kate looked back at her cherry trees for a moment before following her father inside and slowly closing the door.

THIRTY-ONE

Kate walked out to Lance’s car, feeling a wistfulness for her parents and childhood home almost instantly. Usually she’d be looking forward to returning to London, but this time she knew she wouldn’t see them again until she came home for Christmas, and after seeing all the decorations up in the house and breathing in the familiar scent of cinnamon and nutmeg around the house from her mother’s baking, she felt her absence more keenly than ever.

Henry hugged her extra tight as they said their goodbyes. She’d already had her goodbyes with her mother, and Eleanor was now fussing over Lance as he tried to politely get away and into the car.

‘Did you notice the plastic tree in the living room this year?’ Henry asked her.

‘Yes. I always thought Mum hated the idea of a fake tree,’ Kate replied.

‘She does, but I just couldn’t pick a tree without you. It didn’t feel right,’ he replied. ‘We argued, of course. Your mother suggested I take Lance to pick it instead.’ Kate’s eyebrows shot up in outrage, and Henry nodded his agreement. ‘Exactly. So I gave her a choice. Either we got a plastic tree or she had torelease you from one of the wedding trips this weekend and take Lance tothatso you and I could pick the tree together, as always. Obviously, she wasn’t going to agree to such a lopsided prisoner swap, so plastic tree it was.’ He shrugged.

‘Well, I appreciate you sticking to our guns, Dad,’ Kate replied, walking a couple of steps away before looking back with a suspicious squint. ‘You know, that comment I made earlier about you making a good spy…’

‘Yes?’ Henry asked.

‘You said,Who says I’m not,’ Kate recalled.

Henry arched an eyebrow. ‘I’m not hearing an actual question.’

‘You really do use alotof military analogies for someone who works for a bank,’ she replied.

‘That’s still not a question,’ he told her.

Kate squeezed her gaze further. ‘No, it’snot,’ she said in a suspicious voice. She pointed her index and middle finger towards her eyes and then his. ‘I’m watching you, Hunter.’

Henry laughed. ‘Ahh, if only Iwasa spy, Kate. What fun that would be. Banker and flower enthusiast by day, double-O by night.’ He put on his best Sean Connery voice. ‘One bottle of Miracle-Gro, please, Miss Moneypenny. Shaken, not stirred.’

Kate laughed. Itwasridiculous, now he said it out loud. ‘No amaryllis thief would get away with their antics intheseparts again,’ she joked.

‘Nope,’ Henry agreed. ‘Of course, you’d never know if I reallywasa spy. The families never do.’ He winked as Kate’s gaze resharpened. ‘Safe flight back, love. Touch base when you can.’ He smiled and then turned back to the house as Lance called out from the driver’s seat.

‘Are you ready? Kate?’ He paused as Kate stared at her father’s retreating back. ‘Kate?’

‘Coming,’ she said, finally registering. ‘Sorry.’

She walked to the car and turned to give her parents one last wave, just as Henry reached Eleanor on the front step and rested his arm across her shoulders. Kate frowned slightly through her smile, then got in the car and closed the door. As they drove off, she watched them through the wing mirror.

‘Everything OK?’ Lance asked, reaching across to hold her hand.

‘Mm,’ she murmured. She turned to him as they rounded the corner. ‘Hey, if my dad was secretly a spy, whattellsdo you think there would be?’

‘Henry? Aspy?’ Lance let out a loud, sharp burst of laughter. ‘For who exactly? The horticultural society?’

Despite the fact she’d made a similar joke just minutes before, Kate felt herself bristle at Lance’s words. Whenshesaid it, it was with love. From Lance, especially in the mocking tone he’d used, it just sounded disrespectful.

Henry was far from perfect, but it didn’t matter how long a stretch of time or space it had been, what she was going through or what her mother was doing, he was her reliable constant. An anchor through the storms and crazy winds of life, always calm, understanding and supportive when she most needed it. So he was someone Kate felt particularly protective over.

‘Never mind,’ she said, turning to look out of her window.

‘I’m only joking,’ Lance said, sensing her disapproval. ‘Come on – where’s your sense of humour?’ He sighed.

Kate twisted her mouth to the side. Perhaps shewasbeing a touch oversensitive. Coming back this weekend had been harder than she’d thought it would be, and the fully packed schedule had exhausted her. She turned to look at him with a reconciliatory smile and squeezed his hand.

‘Sorry, I’m just really tired.’ As if her body was listening, she instantly let out a huge yawn.

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