Snow Going Back

Chapter 19

NINETEEN

Kate grimaced at her phone as it rang yet again and flicked it on to silent before slipping it into her back pocket. Her mother had called four times already today, not at all happy with the news that Kate wouldn’t be coming home for the weekend as planned. She’d answered the first time, but knowing the other calls would just be more escalated variations of her mother’s upset indignation, Kate was now pointedly ignoring them. She was the harbinger of bad news all round, it seemed. Lance hadn’t exactly been happy with the change of plans, either. Though at least he had kept his annoyance to just one call.

Crossing her arms, she stared out at the garden through her bedroom window. The sky was clear today, a dazzling blue, and the deep snow that seemed to be in no hurry to disappear glistened and sparkled in the sun. Her pocket vibrated again, and she closed her eyes with a groan. Waiting for it to stop, she pulled the phone out and opened her messages. She typed out a quick text to her dad and read it over with a squint before deleting and rewriting it in a more jokey fashion.

Dear Mr Hunter, could you kindly stop paying your phone bill or perhaps drop said phone in a lake, so that your wife can’t keep trying to break the world record for number of times calling the same person in one day? Would be much appreciated. With love, your favourite child.

Kate knew she needn’t worry about his reaction to her ongoing absence. Where Eleanor was the storm, her father was always the calm. She pressed send and turned to grab a jumper.

The reply pinged back swiftly.

Tony? Is that you?

Kate grinned and took a moment to think up a fitting response.

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. Kate should be 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 then somehow 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 sensibilities today ? 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, so no , 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 town they had 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’d given 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 this company to 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 that Sam was 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 about you is how you could have been raised by two such incredible people and still end up as awful as 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 figured right out 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 seen more than enough to have figured you out.’

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.

Kate turned and realised the milk had been beside him on the island the whole time.

‘Oh. Yes.’ She closed the door and reached over towards it, but Sam scooped it up out of her reach.

Kate frowned. ‘What are you doing ?’

Sam shrugged. ‘I’m picking up my milk.’

Kate’s eyes tightened. ‘ I bought that milk.’

‘But it’s in my fridge,’ he countered.

Kate glared at him and sucked in a deep breath before replying in a perfectly level tone. ‘Fine. Could you please pass me your milk?’

‘This milk?’ Sam asked, pointing at the carton with his free hand.

‘Yes,’ Kate replied, holding on to her patience with great difficulty.

‘For your tea? Don’t you like it black?’ He stared at her expectantly.

Kate considered dropping it and walking away, but after the series of strained conversations she’d already suffered with Lance and her mother, she really did desperately just want to sit and enjoy a nice soothing cup of tea.

‘ Yes , I want it for my tea,’ she said flatly. ‘And no , I don’t like it black.’

Sam shook the carton, bringing attention to the little it had left in the bottom, then looked down at his bowl. She followed his gaze. It was still half full of milk but now had just a couple of stray milk-sodden beige squares floating around the top.

‘Nope,’ he said finally with a tight smile. He opened the milk and tipped what was left into his bowl.

Kate’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at him with pure hatred. That was the final straw . The man had clearly never been told how dangerous it was to get between an Englishwoman and her tea, but he was about to find out.

Sam picked up the bowl, put it to his lips and tipped it back, drinking the entire contents without stopping. Kate’s eyes narrowed. She’d never been a vindictive person, but she was creative, so even if it took her all weekend, she’d figure out her revenge.

‘ Ahhh …’ Sam put down the empty bowl with a loud sound of satisfaction and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. ‘I love a bowl of milk in the morning.’ He laced his fingers together behind his head and leaned back on the stool. ‘All that calcium. Important for building strong bones, my uncle used to say.’ He grinned.

Kate stared back at him coldly. ‘Well, it’s certainly thickened your skull, so I guess he was right,’ she replied.

Sam laughed. ‘O-ho! Touché, lawyer girl.’

Kate stalked over to the sink and poured away her tea, wishing all kinds of hell on him. She took a deep breath and forced herself to think about the day ahead instead, then gritted her teeth, realising she needed to run something by him. ‘I’m sorting stuff in the basement today. There’s a box at the back?—’

‘Wait, hold that thought,’ he said, cutting her off.

She turned to see him answering an incoming call.

‘Hi, Cassie, how’s things?’ he asked in a bright genuine tone. ‘ Mhm. Mhm …’

She watched him for a moment with a murderous glare as his face creased into a smile. Without really meaning to, she flicked her gaze down to his bare muscular arms and over the sculpted lines of his chest and torso. As she did, Sam suddenly turned and looked straight at her. He hitched an eyebrow, and his grin widened as Kate’s cheeks flushed red. She turned away, furious with herself. She hadn’t been looking looking. Not like that. But with his level of arrogance, that would be exactly how he’d take it.

‘Oh yeah?’ she heard him say. ‘And how’s that new bed of yours doing?’

Kate rolled her eyes. Cassie must be the Wednesday wine girl.

The chair creaked as Sam stood up. ‘Maybe I should come and just check it over, see if I can sort that out for you.’

‘Dear Lord ,’ Kate mumbled with another eye roll.

‘I’ll see if I have one here and I’ll be straight over.’ Sam walked out and jogged up the stairs.

Kate turned back around as he left and noticed his coat hanging from the back of the stool, and his keys and wallet on the island. She bit the inside of her cheek and glanced into the hallway as the devil on her shoulder grinned and whispered an idea into her ear. Sam was in his room, the floorboards creaking above her as he walked around.

Wandering over to the island, she stopped beside his things and half turned away, drumming her fingers on the side as she pondered the opportunity to get a little petty revenge on the man, for all the horrendous things he’d put her through so far. It would be more than fair, really. But she shouldn’t , she reasoned, as the angel popped up with some moralistic reminders. It would be wrong. Really wrong.

She sneaked a sideways peek at the wallet. No, she couldn’t . The devil and angel squabbled, the disagreement swiftly escalating into a full-on fistfight. They rolled around her shoulders, and Kate took a couple of steps away, then turned to walk back. The wallet was very close to the edge of the island. And the bin was butted right up against that end. It wouldn’t take much… She tilted her head and arched an eyebrow. The devil pressed home her advantage, and the angel teetered on the edge.

Taking one step forward, Kate pressed her foot onto the bin peddle and eyed the bread ends and potato peels below. The creaking above her moved towards the hall, and before she could change her mind, she reached out her hand and swiped Sam’s wallet into the bin. She felt an immediate thrill of both alarm and deliciously naughty revenge.

Sam jogged down the stairs, and she darted back to the sink, just as he walked back into view.

He shrugged on his jacket and picked up his keys, still on the phone. Glancing over at her, he gave her one more smile clearly designed to tease, but this time it didn’t bother her.

‘I’m headed to you now, so I’ll stop at the store and pick one up on the way,’ he said, walking out of the house and closing the door behind him.

‘Good luck paying for that,’ she said quietly with a smile. ‘Because like I told you before – karma’s a bitch, Sam Langston.’