Page 28 of 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 signaledI 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 soothingMmsandOhsas 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, ‘Hewent 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.’

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