He grabbed her elbows and helped her stand up. “Yes. By having fun with Nikki and me this weekend. We’ll make you forget all that weird stuff and leave you positively glowing.”

Kate smirked. “This isn’t one of your seminars, you know.”

“Which is why I won’t send you and Andy a bill. Now, what’s for dinner? I’m starving.”

* * *

Andrew barbecued steaks on the little collapsible grill, almost knocking it over twice. Kate and Nikki watched the boys from the Adirondack chairs on the back porch. Her sister-in-law had consumed a bottle of wine all by herself and was working on her second. So far, the alcohol didn’t appear to have any effect on her.

“Do all Brits have hollow legs?” Kate asked. “I mean, where do you put it?”

Nikki was five-eight and all of a hundred and twenty pounds. Kate didn’t know where the woman put anything, much less liters of alcohol.

“It’s born of necessity. You ever see a cooking show about strictly English food? Ugh. We drink to survive.”

Kate tapped her can of soda against Nikki’s glass.

The boys were drinking beer and talking, but she couldn’t hear them. Kate kept recalling the look in Ryker’s eyes when he’d first walked in. He’d tried to mask his shock, but she’d caught that glimmer of trepidation. They hadn’t seen each other in almost three months, with him traveling every week. She’d lost some weight since then, and she knew her makeup couldn’t hide the bags under her eyes or the graying tone of her flesh. It made her realize how much worse things had gotten when Mr. Positivity couldn’t put on his happy face…at least in that moment.

“Are you chaps just about done?” Nikki called out to them.

“Five more minutes,” Andrew said. “Give or take.”

Ryker shook his can. “As soon as the beer’s done, the steaks will be, too.”

“Good. I’ll set the table.”

Kate struggled to get up, her arms weak and wobbly. “I’ve got it.”

Nikki put a hand on her shoulder. “At best, I’ll allow you to watch me. You can tell me where things are. Come on, up you go.”

Kate felt like a child, needing Nikki’s help to get up and into the cottage. Nikki directed her to a chair at the dining room table, and then poured herself a fresh glass of wine.

With Kate’s direction, she found everything to set the table, warmed up pre-made bowls of creamed spinach and mashed potatoes (Kate cringed at that, but Nikki and Ryker were also not the slightest but picky when it came to food. As she’d heard Nikki say more than once, Today’s food is nothing but tomorrow’s shite), and managed to down her wine seconds before Ryker and Andrew came in with the platter of steaming steaks.