A Winter's Tale (The Shakespeare Sisters 2)

‘I’m devastated for you.’ He threw another log on the fire. ‘Now is that it?’

Outside, Jonas was making patterns in the snow with his gloved fingers. He looked bored as hell out there. Poor kid.

‘Can you let bygones be bygones for just one day?’ she asked him. ‘Join us for Christmas lunch at least. Your parents would be happy, and so would Jonas.’

‘What about you and Everett?’

She licked her painted red lips. ‘We can live with it if you can.’

He hadn’t thought about Christmas Day, or the fact that if he wanted to avoid his brother he’d be spending it all alone in the cabin. For a moment, he imagined having Kitty here, the two of them lying naked in a blanket in front of the fire, holding a glass of wine as they toasted the season. Now that would have been a hell of a way to celebrate the day.

And it was never going to happen. She’d be up there with the rest of them.

‘I’ll think about it.’

Mia looked shocked at his response. ‘You will?’

He shrugged. ‘It’s only for one day, isn’t it? It doesn’t mean anything. And as you said, it will make the old folks happy.’ He stood up, making it obvious it was time for her to leave. ‘Now there’s a kid out there that wants to go sledding. I suggest we don’t leave him standing alone in the cold any longer.’

20

In winter with warm tears I’ll… keep

eternal spring-time on thy face

– Titus Andronicus

‘What made you decide to become a nanny?’ Adam asked her the following day. He was at the top of the slope, holding Jonas’s sled, as the boy scooped snow out of his hood from his last descent.

‘I’m not really a nanny,’ she said, watching as Adam pushed Jonas off, away from the direction of the lake. Though Jonas had protested – claiming this run down the hill was too lame – Adam had insisted, promising they’d do the more dangerous run together.

‘You’re not?’

‘Well I am right now, obviously. And I’ve been a nanny before. But I’m a film student, I just took this job for the winter break.’

‘You’re a student?’ Suddenly, his face turned as pale as the snow. ‘You are legal, right?’

She burst out laughing at his expression. For a moment she considered messing with his mind. No, that wouldn’t be fair. ‘Of course I am. I’m twenty-four. I guess you’d call me a mature student, not that I like that term.’

‘Thank Christ for that. I knew you were young, but not that young. So how did you end up working for Ev?’

It was strange hearing Adam refer to his brother by that name. As though there was still something between them other than hostility and hatred. ‘It’s a weird story,’ she told him, watching as Jonas came to the bottom of the side hill and began the long trudge back up to them. ‘I applied for an internship at Everett’s production company, and ended up being interviewed by Drake.’ She screwed her nose up. ‘He walked out mid interview after getting an angry phone call from Mia, and I thought that was it. But then a few days later I got a call from M

ia offering me the nanny job. I’m guessing Drake must have told her about my resumé.’

‘So you still don’t have an internship?’

She shook her head slowly. ‘No. And if I let myself, I’d be all worked up and worried about that, but I’m not going to think about it until after the holidays.’ She smiled at him. ‘Anyway, maybe if I impress your brother enough he’ll give me a job.’

Adam didn’t like the sound of that at all. Didn’t like the sound of Drake Montgomery interviewing her, either. ‘I could help,’ he offered. ‘With the internship, I mean. I know a few people.’

Her smile wavered. ‘That’s really nice of you, but…’ She grimaced, trying to find the right words. ‘I don’t want to sleep my way to the top.’

‘That’s not why I offered.’ He shook his head vehemently. ‘I just wanted to help you out. A friend helping a friend.’

‘Is that what we are?’ she asked him, her head angled to the side. She looked at him, smiling. His dark hair reflected the light of the sun, framed by the snow-capped trees. He really was gorgeous. She wanted to pinch herself that he actually wanted to spend time with her.

‘Friends? Yeah, I think we are.’ His smile widened as Jonas finally reached the top. ‘Good run, Jonas, I think that was your fastest yet.’