Cat jumped, startled, and turned to the little girl.“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Can I have an egg and some bacon?”
“Absolutely.Let me get right on that.”
After clearing away the breakfast things, Cat wiped her hands on a tea towel and headed upstairs.It was time to get the girls moving.She tapped lightly on their door and told them to dress warmly—they were going outside.Olivia lit up instantly, bouncing off the bed with a delighted squeal about snow.Jillian groaned and rolled her eyes, muttering something about beingperfectly fine indoors.But Cat held her ground.Fresh air would do all of them good, and today, they were going together.
“It’s too pretty outside to waste a morning like this,” she said, pausing next to Jillian’s bed and looking down at the top of her head.“Because we all know what it will look like when the snow melts.”
Jillian’s chin jerked up, but she otherwise gave no indication that she’d heard.Smiling faintly, Cat left the room to go change.Maybe it was time to start fighting fire with fire.
Ten minutes later they were all outside bundled appropriately for the weather.Snow in Michigan was different from snow at Langley Park.The great house rose in the distance like something from a dream—beautiful, magical, untouchable.
The girls headed toward a cluster of bare trees at the edge of the meadow.Jillian’s stride was brisk, purposeful.
“Not too far,” Cat called.“Stay where I can see you.”
Jillian didn’t look back.
For a while, it was almost peaceful.Cat and Olivia worked together to build a snowman, and Jillian went to gather sticks for the snowman’s arms.It took Cat a little bit to realize that Jillian hadn’t returned.
“Jillian?”she called, straightening.“Jilly?”
No answer.Just the wind through the trees and the faint crackle of branches shifting under snow.
Olivia looked up, eyes wide.“She said she was going to get sticks.”
“I know, but it’s been a while.”Cat smashed her anxiety and the anger that quickly followed.Enough was enough.Jillian had to stop disappearing like this.“Which way did she go?”
Olivia pointed toward a small rise near the stone wall.“That way, I think.”
Cat’s pulse quickened.“Stay here with our snowman, make sure nothing happens to him.I’ll be right back.”
“I won’t go anywhere,” Olivia said.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Cat swiftly climbed the rise, boots slipping a little in the wet snow.On the other side, the land dipped toward the frozen stream that bordered the estate.And there, perched on a low stone wall, was Jillian—arms crossed, chin high, like she’d been waiting to be found.
“Jillian,” Cat said, forcing her voice to stay calm.“You can’t just wander off like that.”
“I wasn’t wandering,” the girl said coolly.“I wanted to be alone.”
Cat walked closer, stopping a few feet away.“I understand.But it scared your sister.”
“She’s fine.”
“She’s ten,” Cat said evenly.“And this is hard on her.You’re the big sister.You’re supposed to protect her.”
Jillian shrugged, eyes on the snow.“I thought that was why you’re here.Isn’t that your job?”
Cat hesitated, the air sharp in her lungs.“Maybe she just cares about you.”
Jillian’s jaw tightened.“You don’t know anything about us.”
The words hit like a slap.
