Page 1 of Snow Bound

CHAPTER ONE

“What do you mean, they’re not coming?”

Anna Goodwin switched her phone to speaker, set it on the nightstand, and pulled back the covers on the four-poster bed. “I think that’s pretty self-explanatory.”

Her best friend’s response was a pithy, “Shit. Your mom bailed on you again.”

“Are you really surprised?”

“No.” Lola huffed out a curse. “What did she say when you talked to her?”

Anna picked up one of the overstuffed pillows and plumped it with more vigor than required. “She said Brian had a client who owns a beach house in Miami and offered to let them use it. And since it’s November, she knew I’d understand they’d rather be in Florida where it’s sunny and warm than in some drafty old house in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Plus, the girls have friends there, and it would be sooo boring for them to spend their birthdays stuck in the middle of nowhere.”

“Excuse me,” Lola interrupted, “but wasn’t the ‘middle of nowhere’ her idea?”

“Of course, it was.” Anna gave the pillow a solid jab. “Ask me if she remembers that.”

“She knows you’re already there, right?”

“She knows.” Anna frowned at the pillow, which was now hopelessly misshapen. She tossed it aside and picked up the other one.

“And I’m guessing she didn’t even suggest you join them in Miami.”

“It’s like you were there,” Anna drawled, smiling when Lola cursed. “It’s fine, Lo. You know I hate Florida.”

“It’s not fine,” Lola countered. “It’s so far from fine I can’t even see fine from here. What about the girls’ birthdays? I thought the whole point of this reunion was so the whole family could be together for their official entries into teen-land.”

“Mom told me just to mail them their gifts.” Anna focused on the pillow in her hands, concentrating on squishing it into the shape she wanted before tossing it back on the bed. “So they’ll be waiting for them when they get back to New York, like a surprise.”

“God, what a bitch.”

“I didn’t call her that on the phone, but it was close.”

“I’d like to believe you told her off, but I know you too well.”

“What good would it do?” Anna rolled her shoulders, still tight from the conversation with her mother, and got into bed. “She doesn’t get it. Worse, she doesn’t want to get it. She’s got Brian, the twins, and the New York rich-lady life she wants. There’s no room for me in it.”

“The twins are your little sisters,” Lola pointed out.

“I know.” Anna thought of the girls, bright and happy and growing up so fast. “I’ll keep in touch with them. Maybe when they’re older, they’ll want a relationship with me. That would be nice.”

“You’d feel better if you told Kimberly she’s a selfish cow.”

“I really wouldn’t.” Anna shifted against the pillow, wiggling around to try to find the right spot. “I’m fine, Lo.”

“You’re not fine. You’re sad and hurt, and it stinks.”

Anna sighed. “I got my hopes up this time.”

“I know, honey. So did I.”

“On the bright side, I don’t have to listen to her bitch about my hair,” Anna said, looking in the mirror over the bureau and tossing the hair in question. Dyed in layers, it was a bold but still natural looking red at the scalp that grew brighter and bolder along the length. The stylist had added layers of orange, yellow, purple and blue, building an ombre effect so that from midway down, her hair looked as though it was literally on fire.

“Why would she bitch about your hair?” Lola wanted to know. “It looks awesome.”

“Don’t you know? A high value man will never marry me if I continue to dye it unnatural colors.”

“High value man,” Lola muttered. “Like that’s a real thing.”

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