by Sandy Barker
A quick glance around told her that no one thought this was out of the ordinary, or if they did, they were doing a fabulous job of pretending. “You and my mom have a good talk?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly in her ear and sending those now-familiar shivers down her spine. She really wished they weren’t sitting in a room full of people.
She nodded her reply to Will’s question and shared a quick smile with him. “She’s been wonderful, actually. Very helpful with the Angela situation.”
“Oh, that’s good. From what you’ve said, it’s not sustainable the way it is.”
“I think I have a viable solution. We’ll see in any case. And what about you and Jules?” Lucy had been dying to ask, but Christmas dinner was hardly a good time to bring it up.
“Oh, sorry, Lucy. I should have said. I got her voicemail. I’ll call her tomorrow.” Lucy felt the sting of disappointment. How unsettling to think of going to sleep on Christmas night with things still tense between her and Jules. Hopefully, they’d sort it all out and soon, but her stomach tightened when she remembered what Steph had said about being firm with Jules. This was new ground—both for Lucy and for her friendship with Jules—and she wasn’t sure if she could do that. What if it just drove a bigger wedge between them?
“Oh, my god,” Will said, his mouth full of Christmas cake. He gave her an incredulous look. “It’s even better,” he said after he swallowed.
“Than the one bite you had in the car?” Lucy teased, happy for the distraction from her Jules dilemma.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“It is quite magical, isn’t it? Proper British Christmas cake, all spicy and delicious.”
“You’re spicy and delicious.” She rolled her eyes and giggled. “Are you laughing at me?” he asked.
“Oh definitely. That line was terrible.”
“That’s fair, but in my defence, I am a little rusty.”
“At flirting?” she asked, surprised.
“Hell yeah. Didn’t you hear? I’ve practically been a monk for years now.” Lucy could hardly imagine that Will had been “monkish”. Single, yes, but celibate? Surely, he was joking. Well, if he wasn’t, she was quite happy to be the person to break his bout of celibacy. She giggled to herself, becoming aware that someone was calling her name—Briony. She was dealing out Cards Against Humanity and did Lucy want to play? She glanced at Will who shrugged.
“Oh, yes, I’ll play.” She popped the last of her Christmas cake into her mouth, then picked up each white card as it landed on the table in front of her. “Um, Will, I have no idea who this person is.” She stared at the card—“Vanna White”. Who in the world was Vanna White when she was at home?
“Oh, we have an unwritten rule. If you don’t know who someone is, or what something is, you can swap out the card. Here.” He held out his hand and took the card. “Really, you don’t know Vanna White?”
“Should I?”
“Wheel of Fortune?”
She stared at him blankly. “I think it’s a bit like if we were playing the British version and you drew Rachel Riley.”
“Who’s Rachel Riley?”
“Exactly.”
“Lucy’s swapping out a card—Vanna White,” he declared, placing Vanna on the bottom of the deck, and handing Lucy a card from the top.
She read it—“Steve Harvey”.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” she said, exasperated. “Who in the world is Steve Harvey?” The was a beat of silence before an eruption of laughter. Lucy joined in, happy to laugh at her own expense. There were two more swaps before she finally drew a card with something on it that she knew of. It was a particularly disgusting card, but she was certain it would win her a round. Now she just needed to wait for the right black card to be played.
Two hours later, Bridget was declared the winner with seven black cards. Lucy remembered what Jules had said about her cousin, that Bridget wasn’t as strait-laced as she seemed. Apparently not, especially considering that her winning card had involved a particularly graphic depiction of a sexual act that Lucy suspected was illegal in some countries. As Bridget raised her hand to claim the win, her cheeks had turned a lurid shade of pink.
Lucy leant back against the sofa, her eyes droopy. The Christmas cake had been eaten, they’d gone through two pots of coffee—she’d had tea—and between the large group, another three bottles of wine had been drunk. But, with her Christmas morning hangover still fresh enough in her mind, Lucy had declined the “incredible pinot from Oregon”.
“I’m absolutely shattered,” she said quietly to Will, as the others start to pack up around them.
“You should get some sleep. Big day tomorrow.”
She threw him a frown. “How so?”
“Didn’t anyone tell you?”
“Tell me what? Does your family have some sort of Boxing Day tradition?” Lucy wondered what it could possibly be and almost every thought seemed exhausting. Would it be awfully bad manners to sleep the day away?
“I’m not sure what Boxing Day is, but tomorrow, everyone clears out.”
“Sorry, what?” She shook her cloudy head, still frowning.
“Bob, Jackie, and the cousins fly out tomorrow night, so they’re driving back to Denver in the morning, and Mom and Joe will be gone by lunchtime. Dad’s staying a couple more days—there are a few maintenance jobs he wants to get done—but, as you’ve seen, he keeps to himself.”
“Hang on, do you mean that tomorrow all this hullabaloo goes away, and we’ll have some proper time together?”
“Exactly.” Lucy’s thoughts flew straight to her “snowed-in” fantasy, the one she’d been nurturing for several days now. “And I thought that once everyone’s gone, we could take the snowmobile out and go snowshoeing.”
Snowmobiling and snowshoeing? Outside? Away from the warmth of the cabin?
The fantasy crumbled. “Oh, right. That sounds lovely,” she lied.
Chapter 26
Jules
Jules’s ringtone surprised her, and it took a moment for it to register that it was her phone ringing. She saw her brother’s name on the screen and suddenly remembered that she’d missed a call from him the day before when they were driving down to Matt’s place. She smiled; a call with her brother was just what she needed to keep her from worrying about Matt.
“Hey, Will, sorry I missed your call yesterday. So, how is everyone? You guys having a good time?”
“Uh, yeah.”
She could hear the hesitancy in his voice. “Hey, is everything okay?” A loud PA announcement intruded on the call and she pressed a finger against her free ear.
“Jules, where are you?”
“The emergency room,” she replied, only realising how careless that was when Will practically shouted, “What?” into her ear. “I mean, I’m here with a friend. I’m fine. He’s fine too, mostly. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“So, he’s okay? You’re okay?”
“Yeah, he’s just getting an X-ray. He fell off a horse and it’s probably just a sprain, but we’re getting it checked out.”
She heard her brother blow out a long sigh, picturing him clearly. He’d be rubbing the back of his neck and puffing out his cheeks in relief. She smiled, missing him like crazy. “So, what’s up?” she prompted. He sighed again, but this one didn’t sound like relief. “Will?”
“Actually, I’m really pissed at you, Jules.”
Her stomach plummeted. She loved that she and Will were close enough to tell each other when they were pissed off, but she knew exactly what this was about. And she felt terrible that she hadn’t made things right with Lucy yet. She’d put it off and now Will was calling her from half a world away.
“I know, I get it,” she said, falling on her sibling sword.
“Well, what the hell, Jules?”
She shook her head even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “I don’t know …”
“That’s not good enough. You’ve made Lucy feel like crap. For no reason, an
d she basically avoided me most of Christmas Day.”
Jules tried to swallow the lump in her throat. Will and Lucy were two of the most important people in her life, a select group she could count on one hand, and she had completely screwed this up. “Will, I—”
“She’s amazing, Jules,” he said, interjecting. “Amazing, and I …” He trailed off and Jules took the opportunity to jump in. She had to try to make things right.
“I know. She is amazing. She’s warm, she’s kind, and super smart.”
“Yeah, she is—all those things. And she’s fun. And she gets along well with everyone.”
“All true.” Jules knew that letting Will rant at her was part of her penance for being such a crappy sister.
“So how is it that she’s not good enough for me? ’Cause that’s how you made her feel.”
“I didn’t … she is, Will. Of course, she is, but—”
“Wait, do you think I’m not good enough for her?”
“No! That’s not it.” She stood, the need to pace intense. She’d let Will rant, but now she needed to set the record straight and explain how they’d come to this horrible situation. “Can I just … can you listen? Please?”
“Fine.”
“Hey, where are you? In the cabin, I mean?”
“I’m in my room. Don’t worry, she can’t hear me.” Jules heard the curtains slide on their track and imagined him staring out the window at the wintry landscape, feeling a pang for home.
“Is it snowing?”
“What? Uh, no. No fresh snow since the twenty-fourth. You’re stalling, Jules.”
“I know. Look, I’m really sorry I screwed this up. It’s no excuse, but when I was talking to Lucy and you came up, I was pretty tipsy, and it was late.” Will was silent and she could sense his impatience. “Like I said, it’s not an excuse, but it was a surprise and I reacted poorly. I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but as soon as I heard that you and Lucy had kissed, all I could think of was Tiffany—” A short groan from Will made her pause.
“That was years ago, Jules.”
“Yes, it was, and that’s my point. It’s been years since you dated anyone seriously. Your breakup with Tiffany, that was … It’s like you’ve never really got over it. And then there’s Lucy, who’s one of my best friends, and she lives in England … and I guess all those thoughts tumbled together at once and I let my worry come out as judgement.”
Another long sigh from Will. “I get it.”
Jules pressed her lips together, her eyes tearing up. It was only three words, but she knew from Will’s tone that he’d forgiven her. Now she just had to make things right with Lucy—dear, sweet Lucy.
“Look,” said Will, “you’re right about the breakup with Tiffany. It almost broke me, and I know you know that. I mean, you were there for most of it. But that’s why you shouldn’t be worried about me and Lucy. She’s literally the first woman I’ve had strong feelings for in years. I haven’t been single all this time because I’m afraid, Jules. It’s because I haven’t met anyone who mattered enough. Do you understand that?”
A thousand thoughts and worries slotted into place in an instant and she smiled. “Yeah, yeah, I do,” she said. “Look, Will, whatever happens, I just want you to be happy, okay? Both of you.”
“Thanks, Jules.”
“And I promise I’ll call Lucy.” Matt appeared at the end of the hallway, his arm in a sling and an abashed smile on his face. He raised his good arm in a greeting. Jules’s heartstrings abandoned the mess she’d created in Colorado and landed with a thud in the hallway of an emergency room in Australia.
“Will, I have to go. I love you. Tell Lucy I’ll call her later.” Without waiting for a reply, she pressed her thumb on the red button and rushed down the hall to Matt. She stopped a couple of feet away. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Is it broken?”
“Nah, just a sprain.”
Relief flooded through her and she threw her arms around Matt’s neck and hugged him, careful not to press against his sprained wrist. “It’s all good, Jules. Just a silly fall, that’s all,” he said softly.
Jules leant back leaving her arms where they were. She felt the warmth and strength of Matt’s hand against her back as her eyes roved over his face, taking in his chocolatey brown eyes, heavy arched brows, broad nose, stubbled chin, and full lips which curled up in a gentle smile. “I was worried,” she whispered.
“And all the way here you were telling me there was nothing to worry about,” he teased, his smile widening and those gorgeous dimples making an appearance.
“It was an act. A broken wrist takes a long time to heal and you’re a winemaker and how are you supposed to make wine with a broken wrist? Let alone drive yourself anywhere … And what if …” It was no wonder she was getting worked up. While she’d remained calm on the outside, she’d been replaying the awful scene in her mind since they’d got into the SUV with Jonno. What if he’d been bitten by that snake? Weren’t all snakes in Australia deadly?
What if something had happened to him, something serious, and she’d lost him?
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I’m good.” Jules dropped her head and rested it against his chest. She felt the soft caress of his thumb through her top and it sent a shot of warmth through her. All she wanted was to curl up in bed with him and …
And what?
It wasn’t just sex she wanted. She wanted to hold him and kiss him and just lie next to him, just be with him. I’ve fallen for the hot Aussie winemaker, she realised, surprising herself.
Matt brought her back to reality when he said he needed to sort out some stuff at the front desk. “Would you mind calling a taxi for us? Here, use my phone. I’ve got a number saved in my contacts.” He unlocked his phone and handed it to her.
“Oh sure, or I can get us an Uber?”
“Uh, not sure we have many of those out this way.” He winked. “You happy to wait here?”
“Yeah, sure.” Matt jogged off towards the front desk and Jules had to stop herself from calling out to be careful. She was about to call for a cab when Matt’s phone rang, startling her and nearly making her drop it. She recovered, pressed the green button, and raised the phone to her ear.
“Hello? This is Matt’s phone.”
“And who are you?” asked a woman’s voice.
“Oh, I’m … a friend—of Matt’s. He’s just … He can’t come to the phone right now. Can I take a message?”
“It’s his mum. Wait a minute. You’re not Kirsten, are you?” Jules had no idea who Kirsten was, but it was clear from her tone that Matt’s mom did not like her.
“Uh, no, ma’am, this is Jules. I met Matt at Christmas. I’m a friend of Chloe’s. Do you know Chloe?”
“Mmm.” The response sounded like a growl and Jules just knew it was accompanied by a frown, even though she couldn’t see the woman’s face.
“Oh, look, Matt’s here!” she exclaimed as she held out the phone. “It’s your mom,” she mouthed.
Matt’s inquisitive expression morphed into one Jules couldn’t read, and he took the phone from her and pressed it to his ear. “Hi, Mum, what’s up?” It was obvious from the false cheer he affected that Matt wasn’t about to reveal his whereabouts or what had happened.
His expression changed again, and Jules watched as he looked at the floor, his mouth flattening into a thin line and his brows meeting. “Yeah, no—” He’d clearly been cut off and although she couldn’t make out most of the words, she did hear “Kirsten” a couple of times and from the tone of Matt’s mom’s voice, she was not pleased.
“Mum. Mum, we can talk about this another time … Yeah, well, it’s not why you called, so what’s going on? Oh, right. Yeah, I can make that work, no worries. No, I’m happy to, Mum. Look, I’d better go. I’ll call you later, okay? Yeah. Love you too. ’Kay. Bye.”
He dropped the handset by his side and finally met Jules’s eyes. “Sorry ’bout that.”
“I
s everything okay?”
“Yeah, she just needs me to take her to the doctor the week after next.”
“Ah, I see.” Was he really going to ignore the whole “Kirsten” thing?
“Do we still need to call a taxi?” he asked. Apparently, he was, yes.
“Yeah, your mom called before I had the chance.”
“No worries.” He scrolled through the phone one-handed and made the call. “Ten minutes,” he said, adding a weak smile.
Jules nodded. Say it, she prompted herself. “So, who’s Kirsten?”
“Oh, uh …”
“Annnd …” she drew the word out, “why did your mom freak out when she thought that I was Kirsten?”
Matt bit his lip, then reached for her hand. She let him take it. “How about when we get back to my place, we talk? ’Kay?”
“Okay.” Jules’s stomach tightened into a knot. This was it. This was where she learnt that Matt had an ex-wife, or possibly a current wife, and that for him, she’d just been a bit of fun. Ordinarily, she wouldn’t have cared. This was how she liked her romantic liaisons—no promises, no feelings, casual.
But that was before the beach when he’d wrapped her up in that beach towel and held her, before those sexy cheek kisses at Christmas, before the honest conversations and sleeping next to him, before a dramatic fall from a horse, throwing him into the path of a deadly snake.
For years now, Jules had liked things casual, but that was before she fell for Matt.
Damn it. I really am a goner.
Chapter 27
Chloe
“This is amazing!” Chloe had to shout above the sounds of the carousel, its music box trills as loud as any club she’d ever been to.
She and Archer were riding side-by-side horses, his going up as hers went down and vice versa. She was getting dizzy, but that may have been the two cups of Glühwein they’d had before the ride.
