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So Jason had someone special in his life. Since when? Why hadn’t he mentioned her before? Had she been on the scene the whole time?

She breathed slowly. It shouldn’t matter. It was none of her business. She shouldn’t care.

But she did care.

Envy gripped her. She’d never been anyone’s girl. She’d definitely never been anyone’s one and only, and she couldn’t ever see that happening.

She thought about Darren. I had an affair, Izzy, and you don’t even seem to care. That should worry you!

It did worry her.

She honestly believed that she wasn’t capable of a deep and meaningful relationship.

She wondered whether Jason’s one and only would care that he was sharing a room with his colleague. Or maybe he hadn’t mentioned it. Maybe he hadn’t thought it was of sufficient consequence to mention.

She thought about the cosy room and the big bed.

Knowing that his “one and only” was out there pining for him was going to make this a whole lot easier than she’d first imagined.

15

Brooke

Brooke took her phone into the second bedroom Mabel had given them for the children and dialled the number.

She waited, braced for a difficult conversation. Frankly, she was dreading it.

Her father answered her call. “Brooke? Is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me. Hi, Dad.”

“Your mother has been worrying. Are you safe, honey?”

“Yes. The roads are bad.” She decided not to mention the accident. “We’ve had to take shelter.”

“I guessed as much. As long as you’re all okay, that’s all that matters.”

She felt a pang of homesickness. They were good people. Yes, they wanted to see her for Christmas, but that wasn’t a crime. It was something to be grateful for.

“How are you, Dad?”

“I’m good. I cleared the snow from the yard yesterday but it’s still coming down so I’ll do it again just before you get here. Your mother is grabbing the phone from me so I’ll hand you over. Stay warm and safe, honey.”

Brooke gave a watery smile as she waited to hear her mother’s voice. It was always the same. She had about two minutes to talk to her easygoing father before her mother stole the phone from him.

“Brooke, honey? We’ve been so worried.”

“I’m sorry. I knew you would be but there was no signal so I couldn’t call you sooner.”

“Where are you?”

“Near Sugarbrook. We had to take shelter.”

“Sugarbrook? Did you hear that, Herb? They’re in Sugar-brook. I love that place.” Her voice was distant for a moment as she talked to Brooke’s father. “They have the most wonderful Christmas market. So many pretty stalls. You found a hotel?”

Brooke sensed her mother picturing some snowy festive idyll, straight out of a movie, complete with twinkling Christmas lights and candy canes.

“No. We’re not in the town itself. We didn’t make it that far.”