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Amy followed Kirsty into the cottage and as soon as she set foot over the threshold of the cottage, she felt about twelve years old again. Being home, and in her sister’s company, tended to make her regress to being a child again.
‘How was the journey?’ said Kirsty, fussing around her.
Amy gave a tired smile. ‘I am so glad to be home, but I am not going to lie. I am absolutely knackered. That was one lengthy journey. I know you are supposed to keep going to fight the jet lag but seriously, I really don’t know if I can.’
‘Let’s get you a tea in the meantime. Or maybe a coffee?’
Amy sat down at the kitchen table and a memory of playing board games and doing homework floated through her mind. She traced her finger over the familiar grooves on the scrubbed pine surface.
‘I’ll put your bags upstairs in the green room,’ said Steve.
Amy groaned and sunk her head in her hands. ‘Sorry, sis, totally forgetting that an unannounced arrival isn’t ideal when you are running a guesthouse. I can go stay somewhere else if you are full. It’s not a problem at all. Honestly, how can I be so stupid?’
‘Don’t worry at all. It’s fine, Amy. The last guests left this morning, and that is us now until the wedding. Which is actually quite exciting as I have been so on edge with everyone staying. There’s a mystery inspector doing the rounds and I have had to be on my best behaviour.’
Amy giggled and began to unwind her plaits, dropping her hair pins on the table in front of her in the same way she did when she was at school. Their mum would always be telling her to take her hair stuff up to her room and she never did, instead leaving a trail of debris wherever she went. ‘What’s the prize?’
‘Twenty-five grand — which would go so far. There’s so much we want to do with this place.’
‘Wow,’ said Amy.
Kirsty flapped her hands dismissively. ‘Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I still can’t believe you areactuallyhere. And you’re on your own?’
‘Ten points for observation,’ said Amy, drily.
Kirsty rolled her eyes. ‘Less of the cheek, missy,’ she said. ‘What have you done with him?’
Amy blinked innocently.
‘Are you going to tell me where Ross is?’ she asked, placing a mug of peppermint tea in front of her sister. ‘Is he coming on a later flight?’
Amy didn’t answer for a moment and kept fiddling with her hair.
‘Amy?’ pressed Kirsty.
‘So . . . Ross isn’t . . . He isn’t coming to the wedding,’ she finally said. ‘We broke up last week. Or maybe it was the week before. I’ve actually lost track of time. But don’t worry it’s all fine and I won’t let my newly-single status spoil the big day.’ She shrugged. ‘I’m fine. It’s really no big deal. Let’s not dwell on it.’
‘Hold on a minute . . . this is the first guy you have ever lived with, and you were going to bring him to meet the family? What on earth happened?’
Amy took a breath. ‘Actually, I never did invite him to the wedding as I wasn’t convinced I wanted him as my plus one. I’d not been all that happy for a while and my sense was that it wasn’t right for me. It just took me a while to get it all clear in my head and then do the right thing and tell him.’
‘Oh, I see,’ said Kirsty taking a sip from her mug. ‘How did he take you telling him?’
‘Well, when I started to tell him that I needed some space to figure stuff out, he thought I was in a huff with him.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He said he thought I was cross with him because he’d slept with his ex-wife.’
Kirsty half-choked on her drink. ‘Are you kidding me? Did you know?’
‘Nope, I am not kidding you, and no, I didn’t know. Though I do now.’
She put a tentative hand on her sister’s arm. ‘I’m sorry, Amy. What an eejit.’
‘Yip.’ She shrugged. ‘Don’t be sorry . . . I’m fine. Really, we weren’t right together and he did me a favour. Anyway, enough about me. How are you and where are the kids?’
‘Are you sure you’re okay though?’
