A Wedding in December Read online

  “How were they when you last saw them?”

  Katie took a sip of wine. “I haven’t been home in a while.” Something else to add to her list of failures.

  “But Mum comes up to London to have lunch with you.”

  “Not since our big family farewell to you in the summer.”

  Rosie put her glass down. “You haven’t seen our parents since the summer?”

  “I’ve been working hard. We had a date in the diary for October, but then—”

  “Then what?”

  Katie’s heart pounded harder. She remembered his hands on her throat, squeezing. The agony in his voice, and in her shoulder. “Things got busy. I canceled.” She hadn’t been able to talk to anyone about what had happened. And now she felt guilty. She should have found time for her parents. She was a lousy doctor and not such a great daughter, either.

  “Did you know Mum hates her job?”

  “What? Who told you that?”

  “Mum told Dan. She said it in a matter-of-fact voice, as if it was something we all probably should have known. I always thought she loved her job, didn’t you?”

  “I—I never thought about it.” When Katie had been young her mother had always been there when she came home from school, willing to offer whatever was needed. A home-cooked meal, help with homework or just someone to listen. Her memories of her father were of him coming and going, but her mother had been the one constant. “Are you sure that wasn’t the alcohol talking?”

  “It might have been the drink that made her say it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

  “I wouldn’t worry. Flying probably made her feel wobbly about life.”

  “I hate to think Mum might be miserable in her job.”

  “If she was that miserable, she’d leave.” Or would she? Katie was pretty miserable, and she hadn’t left, had she? It wasn’t that easy in practice, to walk out on something you’d done for all your adult life.

  Rosie strolled to the window. “They’re here. With two large pizza boxes. Always a good sign.” She waved madly, her smile lighting up her whole face. “It’s only a few hours since I saw him but it feels like forever. Is that seriously cheesy?”

  “I’m guessing you’re not asking me about the pizza. And no, it’s not cheesy.” It was scary. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

  She heard male laughter, the sound of heavy boots and then Rosie pulled open the door and there was a flurry of cold air and her sister was flinging her arms round a tall, dark-haired man whose shoulders were dusted with snow.

  Katie stood awkwardly while they kissed.

  Her eyes met Jordan’s.

  He held her gaze for a moment and then handed her the pizza boxes, tugged off his boots and hung up his coat. A hint of a smile touched his mouth. “Hello, Dr. Frost.”

  “Nice.” She smiled sweetly and walked past him to the man who was embracing her sister. “Hi there.” She held out the hand that wasn’t balancing pizza. “I’m the scary big sister. Katie.”

  Dan untangled himself from Rosie’s enthusiastic embrace and shook her hand. “Good to finally meet you.”

  He might not think so after she’d asked the questions she intended to ask. “Shall we get to know each other over food? This smells good and I’m starving.”

  “We’ll get plates.” Rosie grabbed Dan’s hand and together they walked to the kitchen area. There was clattering and laughter and Katie stood awkwardly with Jordan.

  He leaned toward her. “Cute together, aren’t they?”

  She gritted her teeth. “Adorable.”

  “Look at you two, already talking in whispers as if you’ve known each other forever.” Rosie put plates and napkins on the counter, and opened the pizza boxes. “Let’s eat while it’s hot. They have a pizza oven in the kitchens over at Snowfall Lodge.” She pushed the box toward Katie. “This is the best pizza you’ll ever eat. And before you nag me about my diet, this is a rare treat.”

  Katie slid onto a stool. “So, Dan,” she said, helping herself to a slice of pizza, “tell me everything. I want to hear all about you, and how you met Rosie.”

  Jordan sent her a sharp look and she smiled and sank her teeth into the pizza slice. Rottweiler.

  Dan poured iced water into glasses for everyone. “Do you want the censored version or the uncensored version?”

  Rosie groaned. “Don’t say things like that to my sister.”

  “Censored editions are for parents.” Katie chewed. The cheese was smooth and melting. She tasted the richness of tomato laced generously with oregano. Rosie was right. The pizza was delicious. “All I know is that you work as a personal trainer.”

  “That’s right. I’d finished working with a client and there was Rosie.”

  Katie raised her eyebrows. “My sister? In a gym?”

  Rosie blushed. “I’d just arrived in Boston, and I decided I was going to try to develop healthy habits.”

  Dan helped himself to pizza. “I could see her form wasn’t good so I went across to help. We got talking. She wanted a fitness program, but she wasn’t sure if it was worth spending money when she could go for a run in the park instead. Then she told me about how tough it had been growing up, keeping her asthma under control and how important it was that she was fit and kept exercising.” He grabbed a napkin. “And she told me how hard she found it to be motivated to exercise. I loved how open and trusting she was, right from the start.”

  Alarm bells went off in Katie’s head. “That’s my sister. She’s like that with everyone, from the mailman to the person behind her in the supermarket.”

  “I’m not like that with everyone.” Rosie shot her a look and reached for her wine.

  “You think the whole world is good and that everyone can be trusted.”

  “I do not think the whole world is good, but neither do I think it’s all bad. And people can usually be trusted.”

  “Not in my experience.” She wanted to add not in yours, either, but decided a comment like that might get her forcibly removed. Not by Dan, who seemed remarkably relaxed, but by Jordan who was watching her intently, his mouth set in a grim line. She had a feeling that if she said the wrong thing, he’d sling her over his shoulder again. Next time, she’d thump him in the kidneys.

  Dan’s gaze was friendly. “Rosie tells me you work in the ER. That can’t be easy.”

  Hands around her throat. The sound of glass shattering. Call yourself a fucking doctor? I’m going to kill you, bitch. Appetite gone, she put her pizza slice down. “It isn’t easy.”

  “Rosie is so proud of you, aren’t you, honey?” Dan reached across and took Rosie’s hand.

  Katie watched, mesmerized, as his thumb gently stroked her sister’s palm.

  The two of them gazed at each other, sharing a look so personal, so intimate, that Katie felt as if she should leave the room.

  “Here.” Jordan topped up her glass. “Drink.”

  She wondered if he felt as uncomfortable as she did. “I already had a glass.”

  “Well, have another glass. It might mellow you out some.”

  “I’m mellow.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “What are you like when you’re tense?”

  “Scary.” She picked up her pizza again and cleared her throat. Rosie and Dan broke apart. “So Rosie told you she was a couch potato, and you saw her as a great way of building your client base.”

  Jordan’s eyes narrowed, but Rosie laughed and gazed at Dan with adoration.

  “He doesn’t need more clients. He already has a waiting list.”

  “And yet here you are with muscles, so presumably you somehow jumped to the front of the queue.” Flaw number one, she thought. It wasn’t very professional to bump her sister up the list.

  “I always make clients with medical issues a priority.” Dan poured more water. “I knew I could he
lp her. It’s all about finding what motivates people. That’s the best part of the job.”

  “And he was so great to work with,” Rosie said. “You know how much I hate exercising. I’d so much rather lie on the sofa eating doughnuts and watching movies, but Dan made it fun. He made me want to get fitter. Those sessions turned into the best part of my day. We talked about everything.” She reached for his hand. “Do you remember that night we did a late-night session and we talked for so long that the entire gym had emptied and the place was dark?”

  Dan smiled. “I remember.”

  Katie licked her fingers. The pair of them couldn’t stop touching. How did they ever get anything done? “And how did you get home after your late-night session?”

  Rosie looked puzzled. “Dan took me home.”

  “Oh. Okay.” So at least he’d seen her sister home safely. She couldn’t find fault with that. “And what first attracted you to Rosie, Dan?”

  Rosie choked on her food. “What sort of a question is that?”

  “An intrusive one,” Jordan said.

  For a guy who supposedly lived a chill, outdoor life, he seemed extraordinarily tense.

  He’d seemed pretty relaxed in the car. Maybe it was her. Maybe she brought out the worst in him. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d had that effect on a man.

  Dan ignored him. “First time I saw Rosie she was doing battle with a treadmill.”

  “It was a complicated machine,” Rosie said. “All I wanted to do was run.”

  Dan leaned forward. “Running is good, of course, but fitness is about more than cardio. I knew that if I could get Rosie working with weights, it would help her. Remember that first day?” He smiled at Rosie. “You had your hair pulled back in a ponytail, and half of it had escaped. I spent my whole time surrounded by these super groomed, super confident women who are all CEOs or lawyers, and then you showed up—and you were so different. So gentle, and kind.”

  Oh yeah, Katie thought. That was Rosie.

  Rosie wasn’t looking at her. She was looking at Dan. “And you had muscles like I’d never seen before. I felt intimidated.”

  Katie frowned. “Intimidated?”

  “Intimidated by his fitness levels.”

  “Okay, so you fell for his luscious body and his promises to turn you into a fitness goddess.”

  “Not only that. He was so easy to talk to.”

  Dan leaned forward and kissed her. “It took me about ten minutes to figure out that Rosie was as smart as she is beautiful.”

  Katie took another slice of pizza. Had anyone ever looked at her the way Dan was looking at her sister? No, they hadn’t, and if they had she would have sent them for testing. “So looks are important to you?”

  “Not particularly, but if you’re asking if I find your sister beautiful, then yes, I do.”

  Katie chewed. “You’ve worked in the same place for a long time?”

  “Five years. Before that I coached rowing, before that I rowed myself, when I was in college.”

  “Do you own your own place?”

  “I have a small apartment in the same quiet neighborhood where I grew up.”

  “How long have you lived in your apartment?”

  Jordan swore under his breath.

  “Four years. Would you like references?” Dan sounded amused but Rosie was glaring at her.

  “Stop it! What is wrong with you, Katie?”

  “She’s checking whether I’m on Santa’s naughty or nice list.” Dan winked at Katie and she found herself smiling. At least he seemed even-tempered.

  “I’m getting to know Dan, that’s all. In less than a week we will be related by marriage. I like to know a little about the people I call family.”

  “Well, it’s coming across as interrogation.” Seemingly mortified, Rosie took a slug of wine and Dan covered her hand with his.

  “It’s fine. Relax. Our relationship moved pretty fast. It’s natural that your family would have questions.”

  “Mum and Dad asked you virtually no questions.”

  Katie sipped her drink. Why not? Still, at least he seemed kind to her sister, she’d say that for him.

  “Sorry if it came across as interrogation. That wasn’t my intention.”

  Jordan made a noise that sounded like a growl, but when she looked at him his expression was blank.

  She smiled sweetly at him.

  She still hadn’t made up her mind about Dan, but Jordan was definitely on the naughty list.

  Rosie

  Rosie was awake early after a sleepless night.

  She rolled over in bed, hoping for a cuddle and then remembered she wasn’t in bed with Dan. She was in the tree house with her sister. It was supposed to have been a cozy night catching up on gossip like the old days, but it hadn’t turned into that.

  Instead of hot chocolate and pajamas, there had been a tense atmosphere and Rosie had felt utterly miserable.

  “You don’t like Dan,” she’d said as Katie had cleared the kitchen and made her way to bed.

  “I never said I don’t like him. I don’t know him, that’s all.”

  “Why can’t you get to know him over time, the way normal people do?”

  “Because there is no time. You’re marrying him in a few days.”

  “Exactly. I’m marrying him. I’m the one who is going to be spending the rest of my life with him, so why does it matter to you?”

  “Because I love you, and I want you to be happy. I’m scared you’re making a mistake. You can’t know someone in three months.”

  “It’s exactly the same amount of time Mum and Dad knew each other before they were married.” And she was using that fact to support her belief that her relationship could work and wasn’t doomed from the start. “They’ve been together more than thirty years, Katie. You know how happy they are. They were virtually ripping each other’s clothes off in the back of the car on the way from the airport, which isn’t something I particularly want to relive if I’m honest, but it’s proof that they’re still blissfully happy after all these years. If they can do it, why can’t we?”

  “I’m sure you can.” Katie had looked exhausted. “I’m sorry. Ignore me, Ro. I love you, that’s all. You’re my little sister, and the thought of you being unhappy terrifies me. It’s possible I overreact a little occasionally.”

  Rosie had felt a rush of love. “A lot. You overreact a lot.”

  “I’m tired. Long journey. Forgive me?”

  “Of course.” Rosie had hugged her then, relieved. The last thing that she wanted was to fall out with her sister. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow we’re joining everyone for a big family breakfast at Snowfall Lodge, and then we’re going for a snowmobile ride into the forest.”

  In the end Rosie had managed very little sleep. That tiny flame of doubt was still flickering in her brain, lit by her sister.

  She woke feeling as tired as she had when she’d gone to bed. She wished she was waking up with Dan. That was a good sign, surely? If she missed him, then that had to mean she loved him. Those feelings she’d been battling with at the airport seemed to have vanished.

  She grabbed her phone to message him, and saw that he’d already sent a message to her.

  Miss you, babe.

  Her eyes stung as she texted him back.

  Miss you, too.

  His reply came back instantly.

  Hope you’re having fun with your sister.

  Not so far, but hopefully today would be different.

  Anxious to mend fences, she showered and dressed, made coffee and took one to her sister.

  She opened the door and Katie, who had been in the process of removing her pajamas, gasped and grabbed a robe.

  “Don’t you ever knock?”

  Since when had they knocked? And why was Katie clutching her robe around h
erself as if she had something to hide? It wasn’t as if sharing a bedroom was unusual for them.

  “I’m sorry.” The bond between them bruised again, she put the coffee on the nightstand. “I thought you’d want coffee. I’ll meet you in the living room when you’re dressed.”

  What was wrong with Katie? Was this because Rosie was marrying a man she hadn’t known for long, or was there more to it than that?

  She walked back to the living room, gathered together her outdoor clothes and was tugging on gloves when Katie appeared.

  “I didn’t mean to snap. You surprised me, that’s all.” She joined Rosie by the door and pulled on her coat and boots. “Remember when you were little? You’d crawl into bed with me on Christmas Eve and tug open my eyelids to see if I was awake.”

  Rosie was relieved her sister seemed back to normal. “Because Mum told us I couldn’t get up and open my stocking until you were awake.”

  “So you thought you’d help me.” Katie wrapped Rosie’s scarf around her mouth and nose. “I don’t want you breathing in cold air and triggering an attack.”

  Rosie’s love for her sister was threaded with frustration. She hadn’t seen her sister since early in the summer and was surprised Katie couldn’t see how much she’d changed in that time. But maybe it was going to take time. Before she’d met Dan, Katie had always been her first phone call in an emergency. Rosie hadn’t called for anything other than a chat since she’d arrived in the US. She felt stronger. More confident, and she knew that was Dan’s influence.

  When they’d spent a few days together, hopefully Katie would see how she’d changed.

  “Let’s go. I know Mum and Dad are dying to see you, and I want you to meet Dan’s family. And you’re going to love being out in the forest.” And she couldn’t wait to be alone with Dan. Admittedly it would be on the back of a snowmobile, but it was better than nothing. And maybe he’d pull in somewhere so that they could sneak a few moments alone in the snowy forest. The thought cheered her. “It’s a ten-minute walk along the forest path to Snowfall Lodge, or someone can pick us up if you prefer.”

  “Let’s walk.” Katie pulled on her boots and they closed up the tree house, clomped their way down the steps and found the path that led through the trees. “I’ve never been in love, but I might be in love with this place.”