The Sister Surprise Abigail Mann (most difficult books to read TXT) 📖

considering how quickly we’d pulled together a two-year plan from a decade of poorly kept files, but we couldn’t have done any better. I couldn’t have done any better.

‘Shit,’ I say, scolding myself.

‘It’s not your fault,’ whispers Moira, stepping towards Kian.

Just as Moira reaches a hand out to rub his shoulder, he turns and pumps the air, his eyes bright and triumphant. He scoops Moira into his arms and spins her with such velocity that one of her wellie boots flies off like a shotput, narrowly missing Jacqui. Mum stands up to perform a jaunty box step with Babs clutched to her chest, her feathered head bobbing like she’s grooving to a song no one else can hear.

‘Did you get it?’ I shout, somewhat redundantly.

‘We got it! Ninety grand! Get in!’ he shouts.

Jacqui and Mum explode into a cacophony of whoops and cheers, joined by Jess, who shows her support through a fit of frantic barking.

‘See this!’ says Kian, grabbing my forearm and pulling me over. We lean down to get a good look at the screen, foreheads touching. ‘“The strength of your application was supported by apt facilities and scope for growth, which together with exceptionally thorough records make Braehead Farm an ideal partner for the next two academic years,”’ says Kian.

‘Well, you can relax now, eh, Kian?’ says Jacqui.

‘Hardly,’ he says, one hand on his hip, the other swung round Moira. ‘There’s the guest bedrooms to sort out, turning the north field, new piglets, finding an ethical shearer to come and do the sheep … That’s it. Ava – I’m not letting you go back to London. You’ve got to stay here and help me, or I’ll sharpen Babs’s talons and pack her in your suitcase.’

‘You don’t need to convince me. I’d already decided to stay.’ My heart thrums in my chest.

‘Hang on, you’re what?!’ squeals Moira.

Kian laughs, but it putters out when he scans my face and sees that I’m serious. Moira stands squarely in front of me, her eyes wild with half-restrained glee.

‘I want to stay,’ I continue. ‘For a bit longer, anyway. I haven’t thought about the details yet. I’ve only scratched the surface here, what with you guys and the farm. I’ve spent so many years not knowing I had a sister. The thought of stepping back into my old life feels weird, like squeezing into shoes that don’t fit anymore. Besides, there’s so much we haven’t covered yet.’ Moira bites her lip as though she’s trying to restrain her smile from being quite so broad.

‘Like watching the director’s cut of Titanic?’ she says, sidling alongside to bump her hip against mine.

‘Exactly. I want to eat Ben & Jerry’s until we’re sick.’

‘And borrow each other’s tops.’

‘Then leave passive-aggressive comments on each other’s Instagram posts when we spot the other one wearing it,’ I add in a dreamy voice.

‘We haven’t even made up a secret handshake,’ Moira says. I laugh and hook her around the waist. ‘Got to make up for lost time, haven’t we?’

‘There’s no part of me whatsoever that wants to go back into the Snooper office. I want to work at Braehead. I can liaise with the university, do the filing, management stuff, you know? At least until you find someone more permanent. I’ll even write you a press release when you’re featured on Farming Today as Scotland’s Face of Ethical Farming,’ I say, catching Kian’s eye.

‘That’s my girl,’ says Mum, squeezing Babs a little too hard, going by the slight bulge in her eyes. A warmth floods my chest and settles beneath my ribcage like a trampoline, bouncing each heartbeat up my throat until I want to laugh.

‘Oh, and your place doing horse dentistry down in Surrey? You need to take it up,’ I say to Moira.

‘She’s right,’ says Jacqui, although she doesn’t meet my eye when she says it. She pulls Jess’s silken ear through her hand, a flash of conflict on her face.

Moira glances between us, her smile wavering. ‘I can’t afford it …’

‘So take my room,’ I interject. ‘I’ve been thinking about it for ages. If I’m here, you can be there, learning how to be the best horse dentist Kilroch has ever seen.’

Moira bites her lip and draws a staggered breath, her face contorted in angst as she looks between us. She zips her fleece up and over her chin, as though disappearing inside it might make her decision easier.

‘Don’t worry about us, we’ll be here when you get back,’ I say, squeezing her fingers. ‘There’s a few months before the course starts anyway. Plenty of time to get sick of me.’

‘Am I going to do this?’ she says, peeking at me with one eye.

‘Yes, you’re going to do this!’ says Kian, clutching her to his chest from behind. She hooks onto his forearms like she’s clipped into a rollercoaster.

‘I’m going to do this,’ Moira repeats.

‘You’ll have to come down before your course starts. Get acquainted with the place and all that jazz,’ says Mum, smiling at Moira.

‘I’ll come and give you a crash course in How to Be a Londoner. If you spend your first day standing on the wrong side of the escalator, you’ll be ejected beyond the M25.’

‘Really?’ says Moira, doubt flashing across her face.

‘Nah, just kidding. Although you might get a few passive-aggressive tuts. We’ll do all the naff touristy stuff as well. I’ll even take you to M&M World, but bear in mind you can only visit once before consigning it to the ninth circle of hell, where it belongs.’

‘Sounds horrible,’ says Moira, her dimples set like two full stops either side of her lips. ‘I can’t wait.’

‘And you’re set on staying?’ says Mum, jiggling Babs up and down like she’s soothing a newborn.

I nod and look out towards the field, conscious of the sheer amount of space around me that I’m not ready to swap for zebra crossings, beeping train doors, and swathes of people walking in a thousand different directions.

‘I’m staying,’ I say.

‘My Ava. On a farm. Couldn’t have predicted