“All right.” She’d get through it somehow. If Holly cried, she’d use toys as a bribe. How many could she cram into her baggage? “If you’re sure.”

“You’re the best.”

“Better hold the praise until I return her alive and phobia-free.” Maybe she should buy a book on childcare. “What about Aunt Black Sheep? Have you told her?”

“Not yet. I wanted to check you’re okay with the plan first.”

She was far from okay, but what choice did she have?

Alix ran the tips of her fingers over the silver waterfall of her dress.

She’d need a strategy, with every scenario mapped out. As well as toys, she’d have her laptop so they could watch movies. She knew her friend rarely resorted to that, but she wasn’t Christy. She didn’t want Holly looking back on this as the worst Christmas ever. She didn’t want to return her to her mother emotionally scarred.

She felt a gnawing anxiety. Their friendship had never required her to do something this challenging.

“What do you want me to do?”

“You’re still flying back to London at the weekend? Come over to the house as planned next week. That way you can both travel together.”

“She’s never been on a plane before.” What if she lost Holly in the airport? What if she handed her passport over and turned to find the little girl gone? What if Holly had a meltdown and decided she never wanted to fly anywhere again?

“Will you stop worrying? This whole trip is a dream come true for her.”

And that, Alix thought, was the problem.

She wasn’t the right person to be in charge of a child’s dreams. She was worried for Holly, but she was also worried for herself and her friend.

Christy had finally asked for her help with something. What if she got it wrong?

What would that mean for their friendship?

4

Christy

There, it was done.

Christy put the phone down and crept back into the bedroom only to find the bed empty.

Seb was standing by the window, but he turned when she came into the room.

“I wondered where you’d gone. Is everything okay?”

She felt a flash of guilt, even though she wasn’t the one who should be feeling guilty. “Sorry. Did I wake you?” She shivered and snuggled deeper into her robe. Her head throbbed. She was tired, but her brain and thoughts were racing and she knew there was no way she could sleep. Her mind had been going round in circles since she’d seen that email.

“I heard you talking.”

“I called Alix. It’s her big award ceremony tonight.” Why did she feel the need to justify her friendship? And she realized she hadn’t even asked how it had gone. Since when had she been so selfish? Since she’d had to fight for her marriage.

“And you wanted to call her in the middle of the night? That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it? Even for you?” His face wore the expression he always wore when they talked about Alix. Guarded. Defensive.