Page 41 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
But fortunately, when she came into the kitchen, she found Rose alone cleaning up after breakfast.
“What are you doing scrubbing dishes?” Dahlia scolded. “You should be resting.”
Rose smiled over at her, the smile so sweet and innocent that Dahlia felt another stab of guilt alongside a crushing wave of affection.
Part of her wondered if there would ever be a day when Rose’s smile didn’t have this bittersweet effect on her. To say their relationship was complicated was an understatement—for Dahlia, at least.
Rose would probably just say she had an overbearing bully for a sister. But for Dahlia…
She rested her hands on Rose’s shoulders and steered her away from the sink.
“What are you doing?” Rose asked, a dirty dish scrubber still hovering in her hand.
“I’ll get the dishes,” Dahlia said. “You sit.”
Rose sighed, but she sank down into one of the kitchen chairs with an indulgent smile. “Between Emma cooking for me all the time, Lizzy buying me maternity clothes, and you not letting me do any housework around here, I’m getting too spoiled.”
Dahlia forced a smile, hoping Rose couldn’t see her flinch at being thrown in with Emma and Lizzy.
“None of us are as bad as Dex.” She tried to sound light and playful, glancing back at Rose in time to catch her blush.
Rose rubbed a hand over her belly with a dreamy sigh. “You’re right. Dex spoils me most of all.”
Dahlia turned back to the dishes, blinking rapidly against a sudden and silly urge to cry. She scrubbed the pot in her hand that much harder.
Honestly, what was wrong with her this week? She was happy for Rose, that was all. If anyone deserved a prince charming like Dex, it was her sweet little sister.
She scrubbed at a burnt spot like her life depended on it as she tried to get a grip on her wayward emotions.
It was just all this enforced family time. Who wouldn’t be rattled by living in their estranged father’s house? In using a bedroom he’d painted for another daughter… a daughter she hadn’t even known about?
“Are you, um… are you okay, Dahlia?” Rose asked from behind her.
Dahlia stopped scrubbing. The pot was as clean as it could get.
She rinsed it and put it to the side.
“I’m fine.” She took a deep breath and turned to face her baby sister. “Actually, I wanted to run something past you… about this weekend.”
Rose brightened. “I wanted to talk to you about plans for the weekend too.”
“Oh.” Dahlia blinked in surprise. “You did?”
It wasn’t that she thought Rose wouldn’t want to spend any time with her—they’d both been making an effort to have a better relationship. But Rose was also so preoccupied with Dex and her newly discovered sisters that…
Dahlia looked down at the ground with a rueful shake of her head.
Okay, yes. Fine. Maybe she was a little jealous. Not of Dex but of Emma and Lizzy. It was so silly, but ignoring issues was never her style.
“I’m really glad you decided to stay a little longer,” Rose was saying. “I know you didn’t want to, and it must have been hard working remotely and—”
“Rose.”
Rose glanced up with arched brows.
Dahlia smiled. “I’m glad I’ll get to spend some actual quality time with you before I go.”
Rose’s smile was blinding. “Me too. And I hope… that is, I know things are a little strained right now, but… I’m glad you’re getting to know Emma and Lizzy better too.”
