“You’re amazing.” Dan pulled her closer.
They were in his bedroom at Snowfall Lodge. Catherine was out at a charity carol concert and they’d had the apartment to themselves all evening. Dan had grilled chicken, Rosie had made a salad. They’d shared a bottle of wine and then decided on an early night. Lying in his big king-sized bed, watching the snow falling beyond the window, made her feel more relaxed than she had in days. This was all she’d needed. Time together, away from everyone.
She smiled to herself. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” He turned on his side and ran his hand slowly down her body. “I was reaching the point where I was going to grab you and ravage you behind the nearest tree house. A quickie.”
“Sounds like a quick route to frostbite.” She leaned in and kissed him. “I feel a little guilty for being secretly pleased that Katie got herself snowed in with Jordan.”
“Why would you feel guilty?”
“Because they don’t get on well. She’ll be hating every minute. I suppose he will be, too. They irritate each other.”
“Not your problem, honey.” Dan pulled her closer and she curled her body into his.
“It is my problem. She’s my sister. I love her. And I feel bad. I’m the reason she’s here, and now she’s snowed in with a man she doesn’t like. I bet they’re going crazy trapped together. What do you think they’re doing?”
“Knowing your sister, she’s probably grilling Jordan for information on me.”
“That’s a possibility. She hasn’t exactly been relaxed since she arrived. I assure you she’s not normally this bad. Has she upset you?”
“No.” He stroked her hair gently. “But it hasn’t been easy to steal time together, has it? She’s done her best to keep us apart.”
“Not on purpose.” Or was it on purpose? “Katie and I haven’t seen each other for a while. Christmas is always a time when we catch up properly. We have a bedroom each at home, but at Christmas we always share and talk until about three in the mo
rning.”
“I understand.”
“It matters to me that you don’t think badly of her. I never really thought about it before, but of course a marriage is more than the joining of two people. It’s the blending of friends and family. I want you to love her, too.”
“Relax. I like your sister very much.”
She was conscious that he’d only spent a few days with Katie and she’d been in her full-on protective sister mode the whole time. And now Rosie was the one feeling protective. Had she been too hard on Katie? She knew how much her sister loved her. Had she been unfair? “Something happened to her, Dan. She has this scar on her shoulder.”
“Did you ask her about it?”
“Yes, and she dismissed it. Said it was nothing, but it didn’t look like nothing to me. I wish she’d talk to me. It’s annoying. Or maybe frustrating is a better word.”
“Not everyone likes to talk about their problems.”
“But she’s my sister. I talk to her all the time. I always have. She’s been there for me through thick and thin. Our relationship feels—I don’t know.” She frowned. “Unbalanced. I’d like to be there for her once in a while.”
“I guess in a family we pick our roles, and it isn’t easy to change that. She’s the big sister. The strong one. She supports you. She’s not the one looking for support. Confiding in you would fundamentally change the relationship.”
She lifted herself up on her elbow and looked at him. “You’re right. That’s exactly it.”
“And you two have quite an age gap. Seems to me she sees herself almost as a parent.”
“She does. And I’ve probably made it worse by turning to her instead of our parents whenever I had a problem.” She thought for a moment. “So is it fixed, this whole ‘role’ thing? Or can I get her to change?”
“I guess only your sister can decide that.”
“I have to persuade her to let me be the big sister for a while?”
He pulled a face. “Can’t see that working. The best you can hope for is equals.”
“Like twins?”