Nothing.
A chill shot through him, his pace picking up. He got to the living area. Nothing. He turned and checked the bathrooms, the bedrooms again, every last possible space. Nothing.
Where were they?
Breakfast. Maybe they’d gone down to breakfast... Without you?
He tried to slow his stride, tried to calm his pulse. There was no need to panic. No need at all.
His mind travelled back three years, to his house all empty, to the plates on the table untouched, to the deathly sound of silence... He shook his head, shaking off the memory, and his voice was gruff as he sought to fill the quiet. ‘You’re overreacting.’
And still his skin prickled up, nausea swelling with the haunting past. He pulled on his clothes, his hands trembling with the sickening fear and slowing his progress.
‘Just take it easy.’
Finally clothed, he grabbed his mobile, the room card and left, his pace picking up once more as he headed for Sophia’s room. Maybe she’d taken Lily with her while he slept. Maybe she’d wanted to make sure he was undisturbed. Yes, perfectly reasonable.
He knocked on her door. He knocked again. Nothing.
Breakfast. They must be at breakfast.
He made his way downstairs, noting the staff rushing around, a stream of guests flooding the foyer.
‘What’s happening?’ he asked one of the men, who was shucking his coat and shaking it out.
‘Our tour had to turn back. The storm’s heading this way and it’s pretty nasty. Even managed to blow rocks into the car in front of us. Took it right off the road. Luckily no one was hurt.’
He saw the TV screen in the lobby showing the news report with the snowstorm warning, and the hotel staff were putting up signs warning guests against venturing out.
He swallowed. They wouldn’t be out there. They’d be in the restaurant.
But the niggle inside wouldn’t quit.
He looked through the glass to the looming skies fast approaching.
‘Believe me, it’s as nasty as it looks,’ the guy said, spying his focus.
‘Yeah,’ Jack said, his voice sounding distant even to his own ears as his blood pounded over it. He turned away and headed to the restaurant, almost running.
Please be there, please, please...
* * *
‘Just one more snowball?’ Lily pleaded, her eyes alive with laughter, making Sophia shake her head indulgently.
‘Just one, please.’
Just one...one more push...
Sophia clutched her stomach as it rolled with the memory. So vivid, so real, as if she was there now and it wasn’t Lily she was seeing, it was Amy, begging her for that last sleigh ride, the last...
She swallowed and closed her eyes as if it would somehow push the image away.
Amy is gone—you can’t change that. It wasn’t your fault—it wasn’t.
It was Jack’s voice talking to her, soothing her, telling her to put the pa
st to bed, and she felt his comfort as though he were there with her.