Chapter 7
Chapter seven
Rosa stared at the vehicle parked outside the cabin. "This is what we're taking up to the house?"
"Yep." Billy patted the roll cage. "Fifteen minutes up the road. Easy."
"It’s a death trap," Rosa said. The road was long, steep, and winding—she could see it snaking up the mountain from where they stood.
And the contraption didn't feel safe at all as far as Rosa was concerned, nor was it helpful with her clothing choices.
"How am I supposed to wear anything nice when we need to wear protective gear anytime we use this? "
Billy shrugged. "Get changed at Mum's."
Rosa huffed. "Yes, more work for me. Quelle surprise."
"You're right. It's not acceptable." Billy’s face scrunched as she thought about it. "I'll go into town tomorrow and see if I can hire us a car for the week."
"Really?"
"Sure. This is as much your holiday as it is anyone else's, and with the snow, it probably makes sense, right?"
"I…"
"But right now, this is all we have, so…hop in."
Gingerly, Rosa accepted her fate and climbed into the cage on wheels. She yanked the seatbelt around her as tightly as she could before locking it into place, holding onto her bag as though her life depended on it, as they took off, rounding the first bend far too fast for her liking.
She hated it, but Billy was loving it.
"Will you please slow down?" she urged Billy.
"We're not going fast." Billy pointed to the small dash and the little pointer that was idling between eight and ten.
"It feels fast and dangerous," Rosa said, glancing down at the side of the road and the sheer drop if they were to go over the barrier.
"Just focus on seeing the girls and the dinner Mum's planning," Billy shouted, as a large lorry shuddered past and they were moved by the air, shifting them sideways.
"Argh!" Rosa screamed in panic. "I am never doing this again."
Billy grinned but said nothing.
It was the longest fifteen minutes of Rosa's life, but somehow they made it. Now all she needed to do was work out how to get out of the damn contraption.
"It's not funny, Billy," Rosa complained, one leg stuck between the opening for the door and the bar across the front.
"Put your leg back in and just raise up, then slide your leg through."
"I can't move it back. It's stuck." Rosa wriggled.
"Okay, don't panic." Billy bent lower and took hold of her knee and pushed. The movement caught Rosa by surprise as she realised it was the first time Billy had physically touched her anywhere other than her hand or arm, in years. "What?" Billy asked.
"Nothing. I can do it by myself."
Billy laughed. "No, you can't. Just stop fidgeting and let me help you."
"Is everything alright?" Meredith called out.
"Oh, great, now I have an audience to witness my total humiliation," Rosa sulked.
"Ignore it," Billy said, leaning in close enough they were almost cheek to cheek. “Yep, all good,” Billy called back.
The aroma of her perfume wafted gently and for a moment, Rosa was transported back in time—back to when they danced together in the kitchen, holding each other close, cheeks brushing as Billy would whisper sweet nothings into her ear.
"Can you just lift…"
"Sorry, what?" Rosa said, brought back to the present by her foot slamming back inside the vehicle.
"I said, can you just lift up—push yourself up."
Rosa did, her head knocking against a padded bar across the top. She gritted her teeth and pressed her lips together to stop from screaming at the indignity of it all.
"Okay, now lift your leg," Billy said, still holding Rosa's knee, one palm flat against the inside of her thigh. Billy helped the movement, and then Rosa was free. "There," Billy said, letting go and straightening up.
"Thank you." Rosa blushed before striding off towards Meredith, who had now been joined by Schultz.
"Rosa." Schultz stepped forward, his accent as strong as ever. "Welcome to Austria."
Meredith smiled warmly as Rosa accepted the embrace. "Thanks for the invitation."
"Of course, you are always welcome in our home," he said, taking her by the arm and leading her inside. "We have strudel," he added, as though that were the most important thing in his life.
"Lovely. Where are the girls?" Rosa asked once they were inside with the door closed to keep the cold air out.
"Oh, they've got passes to ski, so they took themselves off for a quick downhill before the sun sets," Meredith answered.
"On their own?" Rosa gasped. "You've let them go off to the slopes by themselves?"
Meredith smiled. "Of course not. They're with Carl, the ski instructor we've hired for the week."
Rosa dropped her bag. "So, you've let my daughter and her friends go wandering off on the Alps with a man we've never met before?"
Meredith laughed a little awkwardly. "I didn't think it would…" She turned to Billy for support. "They're…"
"Teenagers, Mum," Billy said. "And regardless, I think it would have been appropriate to ask Rosa first."
"Well…I'm sorry, Rosa. Truly. I thought it would be a fun thing to do and keep them active and busy for a few hours. I didn't mean to undermine you."
"Maybe one of us should move up here," Rosa said to Billy.
Meredith took a step closer. "Rosa, there's no room. The girls have all unpacked. It would be a huge upheaval to shift the rooms around."
"It's fine. I can bunk in with Imogen."
"Not sure Imogen will like that," Billy said softly. "She's almost sixteen and already thinks she's a grown-up. Having her mum sleep in with her on a birthday week away with her friends?"
Rosa exhaled. "I'll sleep on the sofa then."
It was Schultz who spoke next. "Rosa, we made a mistake. From now on, we won't misstep again. But Billy is right. Imogen is…she likes her independence a little, ja? She's safe here. I know Carl personally for thirty years. He's a good guy…good instructor."
"I'm sure he is…" Rosa sighed. "I'd just like to be informed about where and what my daughter is doing. I'm responsible for those girls…especially Robbie, after everything she's been through already."
"Yes, I didn't think. I'm sorry," Meredith said. "They'll be back soon."
"It's snowing."
"It tends to do that a lot." Schultz chuckled.
Rosa smiled. "I know. I just…"
"This is the first time Imogen is doing her own thing, and it's scary?" Billy asked, offering a genuine smile in Rosa's direction.
"I guess so, yes," Rosa said.
Meredith encouraged them both to move into the lounge area. "Why don't we sit down and I'll get us all some mulled wine?"