Page 139 of Snowed In
Her smile is tentative, but it’s there. “Okay then,” she says. “I’ll see you soon. Happy Christmas, Megan.”
I murmur it back, and she leaves, picking her way carefully across the snow. When she turns her car around, she beeps, and I wave, and it feels like the beginning of something. But the peace doesn’t last long.
She’s just turned the corner when Christian bursts back outside, looking tense.
Ah, crap.
“What did he say now?” I ask flatly as I look behind him for my brother, but Christian shakes his head.
“Andrew just messaged,” he says, holding up his phone. “Molly definitely knows about the proposal. She started freaking out when it was just the two of them, and when they got back, she…” He trails off, wincing as he rereads the text.
“She what?” I ask, as Aidan steps out of the house with a bag of frozen peas against his lips.
Christian shoots me an apologetic look and shows me the screen so I can see for myself. “She ran.”
THIRTY-ONE
CHRISTIAN
“What do you mean sheran?” I ask Andrew as he paces along our family’s porch.
“I mean when we got here, she said something about needing to call Zoe and then she took off.” He gestures down the lane. “Said she was going for a walk, and she hasn’t been back. That was forty minutes ago.”
“Should we go look for her?” Megan asks, peering up at the sky. It’s stopped snowing, but the sun is setting soon and it’s already pretty dark.
“Just give her a few more minutes,” I say, checking the time. “She won’t have gone far.”
“She figured it out,” Andrew says, dragging a hand down his face. “She’s figured it out and she doesn’t want me to propose.”
“So don’t,” I say. “Just leave it.” Megan shoots me a look. “What? Not everyone has to get married.”
“I agree, but we don’t even know that’s what’s going on here. Can you check in with Zoe?” she asks Andrew. “I’m sure if you just explain to her what you were planning, she’ll tell you what happened.”
“I should have just done it in public,” he says. “I should have put her on the spot and forced her hand.”
“He’s joking,” I tell Megan as I notice movement up ahead.
“Am I, Christian? Am I?”
“Andrew—”
“I could have got someone to film it, made us go viral. And then what can she do?Notcash in on our newfound fame?”
“Andrew,” I hiss, and he finally pauses, following my gaze to see a very tired-looking Molly shuffle through the gate.
“What are you guys doing here?” she asks, looking to Megan as she makes her way toward us. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s grand now,” Megan says with a quick smile. “Just family stuff. Sorry.”
“You’re fine,” she says, glancing at Andrew. Hope flickers across his face before she promptly looks away. “Cool. Well, I’m glad you’re alright. If you guys don’t mind; I think I’m going to have a shower. Try out this new hot water Colleen’s been talking so much about.”
She doesn’t wait for a response, marching past us into the house. Andrew stares after her, stricken.
“Just let her go,” I say quietly. “It might not be what you think. She might just—Andrew.” I mutter a curse as he takes off after her, almost tripping up the steps.
“Uh-oh,” Megan whispers, and she keeps pace with me as we follow them inside.
“Wait,” Andrew clips out, and Molly stops in the middle of the hallway, whirling to face him.
