Christmas at Butterfly Cove. Sarah Bennett

could it have been?

      ‘Shit. Kiki didn’t tell you?’ Aaron looked stricken.

      His gut clenched, and a sick, familiar dread crept up his spine. ‘Tell me what?’

      Aaron puffed out his cheeks. ‘Nee’s up with their dad. Vivian took a turn for the worse and, well, given how things were between you two at the wedding, Nee thought it would be best if she steered clear of the party tomorrow.’ He frowned and rubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead. ‘Sorry, Spud. It all happened rather suddenly. I know Kiki’s hoping it will mend a few fences between George and Nee, and it certainly took the pressure off her and Mia feeling one of them had to go up there.’

      Forcing himself to unclench his painful grip on his beer, Luke placed the bottle carefully on the table. Everything Aaron said made perfect sense – Nee would certainly have had no expectation of his attitude towards her having changed after their brief encounter at the wedding. She was also the most logical choice of the three sisters to make the journey, and yet he couldn’t shake off the feeling she’d run away from him.

       Again.

      Well, that was something he would have to deal with in due course. He’d let her go without a fight once before. There was no way he was going to do it again. Right now, he needed to get the conversation back on track. He met this brother’s worried gaze and shook his head. ‘Forget about it. I’m sure everyone sighed in relief at not having to deal with the two of us together in the same small space. I also can’t blame you for not wanting to even mention her name to me, given the way I bit your head off at Mum and Dad’s the other week.’

      Aaron reached across the table to give his forearm a quick squeeze. ‘I shouldn’t have stuck my nose in. I’m getting as bad as Madeline.’ They both grinned. The older woman was a huge favourite of theirs, even if she did have a tendency to interfere. His brother’s expression sobered. ‘Kiki’s still worried about her, though. As I mentioned before, it’s obvious something happened in New York, but Nee won’t talk about it, no matter how hard they try to persuade her to open up.’

      Luke frowned. The pale, haunted woman he’d seen in September had been a mere shadow of the bright, sparkling girl he’d fallen head over heels in love with. What could change a person in so short a time? ‘I don’t even know why she went there in the first place.’

      ‘She got a placement at the Reinhold Institute.’ Kiki’s soft voice came from the doorway and they turned to face her. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Charlie wanted a drink.’ She held up a yellow plastic beaker.

      The name meant nothing to Luke, but the way Kiki said it, it sounded like a big deal. Making a note to Google it later, he took a sip of his beer as he tried to corral his racing thoughts. Even in the short time they’d been together, it had been clear to him Nee was ambitious about her art career, and with good reason from the feedback she’d been getting. If this place was as prestigious as it sounded, then of course she would have wanted to go.

      Had she thought he would try and stop her? Luke’s stomach churned at the idea. Had she understood so little about him she believed him to be some misogynist who expected his wife to put aside her own desires and needs for his? As if he would chain her, the freest of spirits, and try to make her less than the very best she could be!

      He looked from Aaron to Kiki, flinching at the sympathy written clear in their expressions. He needed to get out of there and think. Standing abruptly, he grabbed the back of his chair before it could topple backwards. ‘I’m off to bed.’

      The soft murmur of their voices followed him down the hallway. He rolled his eyes, imagining them exclaiming ‘Poor Luke’ and other pointless expressions of pity. Pity him? No! Better pity Nee, because she had no idea what was coming.

      She’d obviously thought the worst of him; it was damn well time he showed her his best. People had always underestimated him – mistaken the easy-going face he showed the world for shallowness or a lack of feeling. But they’d missed one vital detail in their casual dismissal of him. Once he set his mind to something, nothing would deter him. When Aaron had gone up to London, Luke had applied himself to his studies, ensuring he attained the grades needed to win his own placement at the same university. He’d had his fair share of fun during his degree course, but never so much to cause him to miss a class, or risk the prestigious placement he’d set his heart on.

      His mother had done her best to infuse her own misplaced resentment of Aaron into her beloved boy, and he’d set his face against her. Stubborn little sod, his brother had always called him, and Luke took it as a badge of honour. Nee was his wife, and until the moment she stared him in the eye and told him it was over, he would fight with everything he had to reclaim her.

      The following afternoon, Luke paused on the threshold of the teashop, and grinned. If there was one thing the Thorpe sisters knew how to do, it was throw a party. Balloons and streamers hung from the exposed beams, adding bright spots of decoration to the light, airy room. Another swirl of colour caught his eye, this time a beautiful swirling mural on the whitewashed wall. Butterflies and flowers danced around a bright ribbon, leading the eye naturally to the glass-fronted counter dominating the top end of the space. Clusters of white-pine furniture were dotted around the room – the tables draped in red-and-white-checked cloths and bright-red bows decorating the backs of the chairs.

      Cheers and laughter rang around as the waiting guests yelled ‘Surprise!’ and Aaron did his best to look shocked as they swarmed towards him offering hugs, kisses and neatly wrapped presents. Inviting smells drifted from a buffet table near the counter, and he edged past his brother’s shoulder to take a better look. He shook his head at the sight – finger sandwiches, fondant fancies, sausages on sticks. Even a rabbit-shaped jelly wobbled at one end of the table, surrounded by little jelly bunnies.

      Turning back, he surveyed the room. Aaron’s mega-watt smile was bright enough to illuminate half of Blackpool pier as he accepted the greetings and congratulations of their friends and family. Hopefully, things would continue to improve between him and Cathy and then everyone who mattered to Luke could be together again.

       Well, almost everyone.

      A sudden rush of annoyance dimmed his mood. Nee should be there. If he could put things behind them and act like a grown-up, why the hell couldn’t she? He was the wronged party in all this. His stomach soured and he dropped his half-full plate on the edge of the buffet table, appetite gone. Footsteps came from behind him and Luke forced a smile to his face. This party was important to Aaron so he needed to stop sulking.

      Daniel waved a cheese and pineapple stick at him in greeting. ‘This is the best party ever, mate. There’s a Black Forest gateau in the fridge for later, too.’ His eyes glazed a bit as he mentioned the rich chocolate dessert.

      Luke shook his head. ‘Yeah, if you’re five maybe.’ He hadn’t meant to sound like a miserable git, but damn it, he’d had it all laid out in his head how the weekend would proceed, and she’d put the kibosh on it by buggering off to her dad’s. So much for not sulking.

      His friend gave him an appraising look. ‘What’s crawled up your arse?’

      Sighing, he shook his head. ‘Nothing worth worrying about. Come on, let’s party!’

      And they did, Butterfly Cove-style. It wasn’t just the buffet that was nostalgic; Mia and Kiki had lined up a host of old favourite games. A very competitive pass-the-parcel saw Richard expelled from the circle for holding on to the gift-wrapped box for too long. Musical chairs proved little short of carnage – Luke wouldn’t be the only one to bear a few bruises come the morning. And the current game of statues looked to be going the same way. Insults and outrageous comments flew from those already disqualified as they tried to sabotage the handful of people remaining.

      ‘Been skipping those gym sessions again, Spud?’ Aaron cat-called him. Git.

      Luke gritted his teeth against the urge to suck in his stomach and held still. Apparently not satisfied with his failure to distract him, Aaron crouched down to the puppy at