‘Sphea? Sphea?’
She opened her eyes. Poor Lily’s eyes were narrowed, concerned, her gloved hand reaching up to cover her own. ‘What’s wrong?’
She slipped her hand over Lily’s and gave her a smile. ‘Nothing, darling. I was just a little sad for a second.’
‘We don’t have to throw more snowballs.’
Sophia gave a soft laugh. ‘It’s not that, but we do need to be getting back. We don’t want your dad worrying about where we’ve got to, especially with the weather already on the turn.’
It was true that the wind was whipping up, the sky hinting at the approaching storm, but as she looked from it to Lily she could see she wasn’t reassured.
‘You looked sad, Sphea. Really sad.’
‘It was a sad memory that came back to me.’
‘What was it?’
Lily’s frown persisted, her loving eyes determined to get the truth out of her.
‘It’s a long story.’
‘I like stories.’
‘Not this one, darling.’
‘I can take it. I’m a big girl!’
She pulled Lily in for a hug, more for her own reassurance than Lily’s. ‘I know you are...’
She inhaled softly, her mind remembering Amy in all her young and determined vibrancy, much like Lily’s, and she tried to work out a way to tell her that was child-friendly and not too upsetting. She knew part of the battle was dealing with her own upset and not relaying that onto Lily more than she already had done.
And you should talk about Amy. You loved her. She was your sister. She doesn’t deserve to be pushed out.
Her lips lifted a little with the thought. It was the most rational, most loving reason in the world to talk about her sister, and it had taken Jack talking sense into her for her to realise it.
The accident had been tragic, and she needed to tell Lily that she’d lost her, but she could also tell Lily just how amazing her sister had been, how special to her she was...
‘I had a sister and her name was Amy...’
* * *
They weren’t there. They weren’t anywhere.
And he knew, even before he went to Reception to make enquiries, that they were outside somewhere, heaven knew where.
The receptionist who’d been on the desk to check them in the previous day smiled up at him as he approached, her smile morphing into a frown by the time he stood over her and she could read the worry in his face.
‘Have you seen my daughter and...and...’ What did he say? His girlfriend—the woman who had taken it upon herself to go out with a storm approaching, taking his daughter with her? ‘The woman who travelled with us?’
‘I’m afraid I haven’t, sir. I’ve only just started my shift. Let me check with my colleagues.’
He nodded swiftly. ‘Thank you.’
She moved from behind the desk and walked into a room behind Reception. He turned on the spot, scanning all the people, outside and in. People bustled about, prepping for the storm, guests milled about, working out revised plans for the day, but no Lily, no Sophia.
The receptionist returned. ‘It seems they went out about an hour or so ago.’
‘Out?’ His throat tightened around the word as his worst fears were confirmed and he had to swallow to ask, ‘Did they say where they were heading?’