He hooked the backpack onto his shoulder. “Do you want to walk a bit more?”
“Yes.” She needed to shake off the thoughts she was having. She needed to stop asking herself questions about her own relationship.
They walked along the beach together, wrapped up warmly against the winter cold. Miles of sand stretched ahead and they were the only people walking.
Everyone else was probably snuggled up in the warm kitchen drinking hot chocolate and feelings Christmassy.
She zipped her coat a little higher to keep out the icy air.
Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she forced herself to focus on Jamie. And that wasn’t so hard because she wanted to know more. She could never resist hearing someone’s romantic story. “So you met her in Thailand and wham, that was it. You decided to marry her.”
“When you know, you know. You’re one of the few people who will understand that because the same thing happened with you and Declan.” He paused for a moment, watching as Percy raced across the sand. “You were married quickly and that has turned out well, hasn’t it?”
She’d thought so at the time, but now she wasn’t so sure. But there was no point in voicing that as he was already married. It was too late for her experience to make a difference, and the last thing he needed was to hear about her marital problems.
“Yes, it was quick for us too.”
She was embarrassed. She felt like a failure. Who had marital problems after less than a year?
He gave her a searching look. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just worried about you, that’s all. You’re my big brother. I want you to be happy.”
“You can stop worrying because I’ve never been happier.”
“Good.” She slipped her arm into his. “Let’s go home. We can help Mum prepare breakfast so she doesn’t get overwhelmed.”
“You still can’t remember what it was you wanted to say to me?”
“No. Which just proves it couldn’t have been important.” It wasn’t her brother she needed to talk to, she realised, nor her parents. It was Declan. She needed to tell him how she was feeling. She needed to find out how he was feeling. They needed to try to work out where and when their relationship had started to unravel.
Jamie checked his phone. “Nothing from Hayley. I need tocheck she’s okay. I wonder if Becky and Will are on their way. Have you heard from them this morning?”
“No.” Thinking of her sister brought back all her anxieties about Declan. He was obviously looking forward to seeing Becky. Was her sister feeling the same way? Becky and Declan had been friends for years before Rosie had arrived on the scene. It hadn’t crossed her mind that there might be anything more between them than friendship. Becky would have told her, surely?
But she knew that wasn’t true. She shared everything with Becky—every feeling, every date, every kiss. Becky rarely shared her innermost self, even with her sister.
Rosie tried to think back to that first night when Becky had invited her to join them. The night she’d met Declan for the first time. He and Becky had already been at the table, drinks in front of them. They were laughing about something, but not sitting particularly close together. Not touching. She’d seen friendship, not romance.
“I can’t wait to hear all about Becky’s new job,” Jamie said. “How’s it going?”
Rosie pulled herself back to the present. “I don’t know. I’m looking forward to finding out more.”
“But you and she talk all the time—”
“Not so much lately. I think she’s been giving us space because we were newly married. And she has been busy, I’ve been busy—you know how it is—” She quickened her pace. “It’s freezing out here. Let’s get back in the warm.”
She didn’t really know how it was, but she intended to find out.
But before then there was something she had to do.
Smiling, she bent down, scooped up a large ball of snow and threw it at her brother.
Chapter12
Hayley
She could hear laughter and conversation coming from the kitchen and she wasn’t sure what to do. Should she stay in her room? Join them? It was her first-ever family Christmas and she had no idea what was expected of her. Yes, she was married to Jamie, which technically made her part of the family, but she didn’t feel like part of anything.
