All her life her aunt Robyn had been held over her as a warning of what could happen if discipline was not enforced.

Christy had never been sure what Robyn had done, and whenever she’d asked, her mother’s response had either been Don’t mention that name in this house or You don’t want to know.

Did Christy want to know? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that it felt wrong having a family member alive and not at least making an effort to be in touch.

Even if she didn’t feel a bond with her aunt, she’d have ten whole days where she wouldn’t have to think about her leaky cottage. Ten whole days of quality time with her family. And Alix, of course. The thought of spending time with her oldest friend lifted her spirits. Alix was the sister she’d never had. It was weird to think they’d spent more Christmases together than she had with Seb and Holly.

“I’ve painted a forest for you.” Deprived of a brush, Holly splotched green paint onto the paper with her finger.

“It’s beautiful.” She scooped her daughter up, carried her to the sink and washed the paint from her hands before the forest transferred itself to her kitchen walls. “Show me Lapland on the map.”

Holly wriggled from her arms, sprinted across the room and paused in front of the map that Seb had stuck to the wall, a look of concentration on her face.

Christy took advantage of the moment to quickly load the dishwasher.

“Can you find it?”

“It’s here. All along the top. The Arctic.” Holly rose onto her toes and slid her paint-stained finger across the map. “But we’re staying...here.” She stabbed her finger into the north of Sweden and gave her mother an excited smile.

She had her father’s blue eyes and long eyelashes. It was, as Christy had discovered within minutes of meeting him, a killer combination. She’d fallen hard, as had plenty of women before her, if his reputation was to be believed.

But she was the one he’d married.

Pride, love, delight—Christy felt all those things circle through her as she watched her daughter.

She regretted nothing. She wouldn’t put the clock back. She wouldn’t change a thing. Except the cottage. She’d change that in a New York minute, as Alix would say.

No sooner had she thought about her friend than the phone rang and her name popped up on the screen.

“Alix!”

Holly immediately reached for the phone. “Aunty Alix!”

Technically Alix wasn’t an aunt, but as she and Christy were as close as sisters, it had seemed an appropriate title.

“I need to talk to her first.” Christy held the phone out of reach. “You can say hello when I’ve finished.” She scooped Holly up with her free arm and sat her back down at the table. As Seb was going to be late she had time to chat with her friend before straightening the house. “How’s New York?”