Snowed In With You

Chapter Twenty

Fletcher

Sara had grilled me on everything from my past girlfriends (none that were serious), my favourite colour (blue, which she had declared ‘boring’) and my favourite thing about my job (was it wrong of me to say the money?).

I’d run her a bath and left her to soak while I did something I really didn’t want to do.

‘Hey man,’ I sighed when Rob picked up, ‘I saw I had a missed call from you and just wanted to check-in.’

‘Does Sara know you’re calling me?’

‘Not yet,’ I said carefully, ‘She’s in the bath right now.’ An awkward silence descended and I blew out a long breath.

‘Look, I know she’s your sister but–’

‘I’m happy for you both.

If I wasn’t okay with you two, why would I have gone to all that trouble to set you up, only to have it blow back in my face?’

Point.

‘Okay, yeah, true.

I’m still mad at you though and I know Sara is too.’

There was an emotion in Rob’s voice Fletcher hadn’t heard before, guilt? ‘Do you think she’d talk to me if I came by to apologise?’

‘I don’t think she feels that you have that word in your vocabulary.’

‘Please Fletch, just… don’t tell her I’m coming okay? If you do, she’ll leave.’ No, it wasn’t guilt, it sounded closer to desperation.

‘Okay, but if she asks you to leave it’s not my fault.’

‘I get it, but I can’t leave things like this between us.

My sister is stubborn as all hell and she’d easily hold onto this forever if I let her.’

‘I’m making no promises.’

‘I know, but thank you.’

Rob hung up in that way that always annoyed me, it was abrupt and signaled I have better things to do now than talk to you.

I loved him like a brother, but then again, I supposed nobody could annoy you quite like family.

‘Can you believe him?’ I murmured to Tibs as I scratched him under the chin, he was purring in figure eights by my feet so I knew what it was he wanted.

‘Come on then, let’s feed you.’

Once my cat had been satisfied, I went to check on Sara and laughed when I walked in on her dozing in the bath.

‘Hey,’ I said softly, touching her arm.

‘Why don’t we get you out of here and into something cosy?’

She murmured something about the bath in the lodge as she got out and I made soothing Mms and Ohs as she spoke and I dried her off with one of the towels from the radiator.

I could get used to this, I thought and that didn’t scare me as much as I’d once thought it would.

‘Have you given any more thought into talking to Rob?’ I asked Sara the next day as she walked into the lounge and her nose wrinkled adorably.

‘Don’t be mad, but I had a missed call from him so I actually spoke to him yesterday.

He seems genuinely sorry.’

Sara shook her head, her hair flying about in agitation, ‘He went behind our backs to meddle in our love life.

He should be more than sorry.’

I sighed, Sara was as stubborn as her brother, ‘Okay, well, clearly you hold grudges.

Question: if he hadn’t interfered, would you even be talking to me right now?’

It was quiet for a moment while she thought about it and then she slumped down next to me on the sofa, pressing herself into my side.

‘I guess I see your point.

But that doesn’t make what he did okay.’

‘You’re right, it doesn’t,’ I reasoned, holding up one hand, ‘but I think he knows that.

Besides, without Rob’s sneakiness you wouldn’t have had the opportunity to come twice already this morning.’

She laughed at what I was sure was a smug expression on my face, ‘Ugh, let’s not mention Rob and orgasms in the same sentence please.’ I laughed and she nibbled her lip before turning to me and staring deep into my eyes.

‘I am grateful that he brought you into my life though, I’ve had the most incredible–’

‘Satisfying,’ I cut in and she rolled her eyes at me.

‘–satisfying, few days and I honestly don’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself this much.

Not even just in like, a sex way.

Plus,’ a smile flirted with her mouth and I dropped my gaze to her lips, ‘it’s nice having someone around who can cook.

I burn water.’

I leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and then her mouth, ‘You can’t be that bad.’

‘I take it Rob never told you about the time we tried to do Thanksgiving at my place then.

We had to call the fire department in the end.’

She was utterly ridiculous and gorgeous and I loved the way her eyes got all wide when she recounted her crazy antics.

‘The fire department?’

‘Yeah, that was one inedible turkey after I’d had my way with it.’

We both curled up in laughter and I kissed her on her smile, she pulled me closer and my fingers slid into her soft hair.

Her hands ran across my chest and I sighed, wondering how quickly I could carry her to my bedroom and have her naked, when there was a knock on the door.

I was only expecting one person and I groaned, God her brother had terrible timing.

I smoothed Sara’s hair with one hand as I strode to unlock the door for my best friend.

‘Hi,’ I said, my eyes running over him with concern.

His hair was mussed and there was a faint shadow of beard on his jaw that said more about his mental state than possibly anything else could have.

‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine.

Can I come in?’

Sara rounded the corner, ‘Who’s at– Oh.’ Then her eyes took in Rob and I saw the same worry in them that was reflected in mine, but she clearly wasn’t going to let this go without making him sweat a little first. ‘Rob.’

I gestured for him to come in and then headed to the kitchen, tossing Rob a beer that he promptly set on the side atop a coaster.

I hadn’t even known I owned coasters, so I wasn’t sure where he’d found one.

I briefly entertained myself with the thought that he had resorted to carrying them around with him to maintain order.

‘Sara, I’m sorry.

You too, Fletch.

I shouldn’t have messed with you both and tried to manipulate you into getting together.

Even if it worked.’ Rob’s fingers drummed at the arm of the sofa and his eyes darted around the room.

This was clearly hard from him, I’d seen him more relaxed in a street brawl than he was right now.

Sara sighed, ‘I’m grateful to have Fletcher in my life, but I wish you’d just come and spoken to us.

I know it’s not something we do nearly often enough,’ she reached out and took his hand, stilling the frantic movement of his fingers, ‘but there’s still time to change that.’

‘You mean that?’ Rob asked, a strangely wet look in his eye as he stared at his sister and I cleared my throat, feeling like maybe I should leave when Sara glanced at me briefly and I could tell she wanted me to stay.

‘Of course! I don’t hate you Rob, all I want is for you to try to remember I’m not a child any more.

You don’t need to lecture me, or criticise me, or turn every failure into a teachable moment.

Just… be my brother.’ Sara’s jaw was clenched and I wanted to ease away the strain for her, for them both.

‘I’ll do better,’ Rob said, relief evident on his face, and then he lurched forward, scooping her into a giant hug that had her shooting a What The Fuck look at me when he released her.

‘I will too,’ she said and this time her smile was soft, all was clearly forgiven.

They both looked to me and I blinked.

‘Oh, er, yeah, sure, me too.’

‘No, dumbass, your phone is ringing.’ Sara looked like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to tweak my nose or kiss me and I gave a small chuckle as I pulled my phone free of my pocket.

‘It’s Providence calling,’ I said in confusion and Rob and Sara shared a worried look. ‘Hello?’

‘Hi, I’m looking for a Fletcher Harris on behalf of Robert Bridges?’

‘Speaking and Rob is right here with me.

Is everything okay?’ My heart was pounding and my mouth felt dry, pretty much everyone I was close to in Anchorage that could have me down as an emergency contact was sitting right here.

That only left one person. Tanya.

‘We have a Mrs.

Tanya Bridges here and we were unable to get hold of the primary emergency contact number.

Could we speak to Robert?’

I wordlessly passed the phone over to Rob and he looked stricken, his face paling further until his dark eyes looked black against his pallor.

‘Rob Bridges speaking,’ he said and then he bit his lip, nodding even though the person on the other end of the line couldn’t see him.

‘I’ll be there as soon as I can.’

Sara had her hand on her brother’s arm as he hung up and I could see the whiteness of her knuckles from where I was sitting.

‘What’s going on?’

‘It’s Tan,’ Rob said, his voice a little faint and his eyes unfocused.

He shook his head and clenched his fists.

‘They said the power went out at the lodge and when she turned it back on there was a spark in the fusebox that got her.

They’ve taken her to Emergency but they wouldn’t tell me exactly why over the phone.’

Sara jumped up, spooking Tibs from the corner of the chair and causing him to run into the kitchen where he peered balefully out at us.

‘Okay, we’ll take the rental and we’ll go and find out what’s going on.’ She took Rob in a tight hug, ‘I’m sure she’s fine.’