Page 92 of The Holiday Cottage

Why was she calling? After everything that had happened the last time they’d met, all those awful things she’d said, why would she want to speak to Imogen?

She stared at the screen and felt Sara’s gaze on her.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes.” Imogen rejected the call and put the phone back in her pocket. “It’s just work.”

“Right.” Sara gave her a long look, and Imogen felt a pressure in her chest.

“Actually, it wasn’t work. It was Tina. And I have no idea why she is calling. The last time we met she virtually told me she didn’t want anything more to do with me, so something must have happened. She probably needs money.” The moment she said the words, she felt Sara’s shock.

“Oh, Imogen—” Sara stepped a little closer. “Does this happen often? Her calling you for money?”

“It happens. Don’t worry, I don’t give her money anymore, but I do sometimes pay her rent or pay for repairs.” She waited for Sara to tell her what a fool she was, but she didn’t.

“She knows just how to manipulate, doesn’t she? She behaves badly, but somehow you’re the one left feeling awful.”

“That’s it exactly.” And the fact that Sara knew how she felt made it all a little easier. For the first time in her life she felt as if she wasn’t alone with it.

“Do you want to talk to her? We can give you privacy.” Sara hesitated. “Or I could talk to her for you if you prefer.”

Imogen looked at Sara. “You’d do that?”

“If it would help you, yes, although I can’t guarantee to be as generous as you are. I might say something rude and regrettable, but that wouldn’t be your responsibility.”

Despite everything, Imogen smiled because she simply couldn’t picture Sara being rude to anyone.

She was about to say as much, but then her phone rang again.

Her gaze met Sara’s briefly, and then she turned her attention back to her phone and switched it off.

There were plenty of things she couldn’t change and couldn’t control, but she could control whether or not she spoke to her mother.

“This is my first family trip to buy a Christmas tree. I’m not going to let her spoil that.”

Sara studied her for a moment and then nodded. “Good decision. So let’s do it. Let’s choose a Christmas tree. I should brief you on the family rules and tradition. You choose a tree that is far too big for the space. Completely impractical. And then you let Patrick point that out.”

“And then what?” She pushed back against the dark cloud that had threatened to engulf her. “You back down?”

Sara smiled. “What do you think?”

“I think that against the three of you the man doesn’t stand a chance.”

“You are so right.”

They walked toward Ava, and Imogen reflected on how much easier a problem was to handle when you had someone you could share it with.

At some point she’d have to think about how she was going to deal with her mother, but right now she was surrounded by snow and laughter and Ava’s excitement, and she didn’t want to waste a moment of this experience thinking about her mother, or the past.

It could all wait.

19

Dorothy

She spent all day preparing, determined that the evening was going to be perfect.

They’d invited her to join them on the Christmas tree trip but she’d declined, partly because she already had three trees for the house and wanted to focus on the evening ahead, but also because she wanted to give Imogen and Sara time together.

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