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“Isn’t it fabulous? I’d live here forever if I could. I envy Jordan.”
Katie didn’t want to think about Jordan. She especially didn’t want to think about that embarrassing moment where she’d kissed thin air.
She bent to tug off her boots. “How are you feeling?”
“About what?”
“The wedding. Have you changed your mind? Because you can always—”
“No!” Rosie glared at her. “Stop it. I’m happy, Katie. I love Dan. I hope you’ll love him, too.”
“I’m sure I will, but let’s not speculate a moment longer. Where is he?”
“You’ll meet him in time.”
Katie wanted to meet him now. The wedding was less than a week away and the clock was ticking. The closer they got to the big day, the harder it would be to sort this mess out. She knew there was no way Rosie would break it off at the last minute. She was the type who would go ahead and get married because she didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. But she knew better than to push too hard. Softly, softly, Katie. “How is everything else? Did Mum survive the flight?”
“She had a little help.”
“You mean Dad?”
“No, I mean alcohol. She was actually drunk when she got off that plane, can you believe that?” Rosie flopped onto the comfortable sofa and stretched out her legs. “She was so embarrassing I almost opened the car door and pushed her onto the side of the road.”
“Why was it embarrassing? Dan was disapproving? Upset?”
“Dan wasn’t upset. I was upset. You don’t exactly want your mother to be drunk the first time you introduce her to your fiancé.”
“Why? Were you afraid he might dump you if he thought your mother had an alcohol problem?”
Maybe her mother hadn’t been drunk at all. Maybe it had been an act on her part to test the mettle of her new son-in-law to be.
No, her mother didn’t think that way. And Rosie had inherited her kindness of spirit.
“I wasn’t afraid Dan would dump me. What is wrong with you?” Rosie’s cheeks darkened with color and her jaw lifted. “Has it occurred to you that this relationship might be the best thing that ever happened to me?”
“No, but I don’t think like that. You’re the romantic in this family. I’m the practical one, remember?” Katie walked toward the fire and warmed her hands. She felt frozen, inside and out.
“You mean you’re the pessimist. Why do you always assume everything will go wrong? There’s a light side to life, too, Katie.”
Katie felt a stab of guilt. The last thing she wanted was to fall out
with her sister. “I’m sorry.” Contrite, she turned to look at Rosie. “I’m tired, cranky, and it’s been a tough few weeks.”
“Oh no!” Rosie swung her legs down and stood up, instantly concerned. “Because of me?”
“No, not because of you. Believe it or not, kiddo, I do have a life that doesn’t involve you.”
“So why have you had a tough few weeks? Tell me.”
Realizing she’d fallen into a trap of her own making, Katie prevaricated. “Busy time at work. Don’t worry about it.”
“Are you sure? Because you can talk to me, you know.”
As sisters they’d always been close, although Katie was aware the relationship was different from the one she shared with Vicky or other friends. There was an element of the maternal in her feelings for Rosie. In her relationship with her sister she was the leaned on, not the leaner. She’d never shared her own problems, and she wasn’t about to start now. She was the strong one. “Nothing to talk about,” she said. “I’m fine.”
“Well, you’re on holiday now, so you can stop being a doctor for a few weeks.”
She’d stopped being a doctor for at least a month, although her sister didn’t know that. “Once a doctor, always a doctor. Are you using your inhalers?”
