28
Rhett
Normally Rhett wouldn’t be up for another hour, but sleep was the last thing on her weary mind. She’d hardly had any all night, so there was no point staying in bed, even if she did feel like tossing the covers over her head and staying put for the rest of her days.
She turned to the window, as a weird noise came from outside. Perhaps it was the builders from her sister’s café. Although, it was way too early for them to start waking the neighbourhood with hammers and drills. Maybe she’d imagined it, after all, she was so tired.
Bang. Crunch. Boom. Snap.
That’s definitely outside my window.
Rhett clambered out of bed, hoisting her PJ bottoms up in the process. Opening the window in one quick swoop, her eyes widened in surprise at where the noise was coming from.
Twisting and turning his way through the half-dead tree was Heath, all sweaty and out of breath. He glanced up and winked, obviously finding his early-morning antic amusing.
Rushing over to the balcony door, Rhett hurried to the edge of the small veranda to peer down at his large frame struggling to make it past the twigs and leaves. ‘Seriously, Heath!’
‘Give me two secs.’ He coughed, then spat away a leaf stuck to his lips.
Rhett shook her head in disbelief as she tried hard not to laugh. He’d certainly made the task look easy when he was young. Now, however, it was highly entertaining, especially as part of an unused bird’s nest was entwined in his hair.
Finally, Heath reached the top of the tree. He rested his elbows on the top frame of the balcony and caught his breath. ‘It’s been a long time since I climbed a tree.’
‘You think!’
His grin widened. ‘I made it though.’
‘What on earth are you doing?’
‘It’s called the grand gesture.’
‘It’s called being daft.’ Rhett laughed and waved him forward. ‘Get over here before you do yourself a mischief.’
‘I think I already have.’ He pulled himself forward, then stopped, turning to look down. ‘Hang on, I… Oh, wait…’
‘Would you hurry before you fall.’
Heath was frowning downwards. ‘I can’t. My foot’s stuck. I—’
‘Stop messing about.’ Rhett peered over the side to see him struggling to free his foot from a narrow gap between two thick branches. ‘Oh, are you really stuck?’
‘Yes. Ow! Oh my God, it won’t budge.’
Crouching down, holding her stomach, Rhett burst out laughing. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her face heated from the breath caught in her throat. She coughed and laughed, unable to stop. It had been many years since she felt so alive and energised, but her bladder wasn’t used to such a pounding. Fleeing the scene to use the bathroom was her only option, and Heath’s cries after her did little to ease her need for the loo.
After flushing the chain and washing her hands, she stepped back onto the veranda and burst out laughing again.
‘Glad this amuses you.’ Heath was still trying to free his foot but was only making matters worse. ‘I think it’s starting to swell. Great!’
In a fit of giggles, Rhett forced herself to the side to peer over. ‘Oh, this is brilliant. Wait there, one sec.’ She rushed back to her bedside cabinet and snatched up her phone whilst Heath called out something about not being able to go anywhere. ‘This is a picture moment.’
‘No, it’s not.’
Too late. Rhett snapped the shot, then dialled 999. ‘Hello, I need the fire brigade.’
Heath’s face glowed red as he scowled her way, flapping one hand whilst sliding pinched fingers across his pursed lips with his other.
Rhett ignored him. It was hard enough giving info to the operator without bursting out laughing again. She couldn’t hold it back for long. As soon as she was off the phone, she clutched at her stomach again and cried whilst cackling away uncontrollably.
‘It’s not funny, Rhett,’ Heath scorned, tugging at his leg.
‘Oh, I bet you wish Finn was still in Honeydale.’
‘No way! Is he back from Scotland? Please tell me he’s not on shift.’
‘I do hope he is.’ Rhett managed to calm the giggles and stepped closer so she could lean over the top framework to pull his soppy face towards her. ‘You big idiot,’ she mumbled, connecting their lips lightly.
‘They do say, it’s the thought that counts,’ he mumbled back.
Rhett pulled some leaves from his hair. ‘Just think what we could be doing now if you weren’t stuck in a tree.’ Before he could respond, she burst out laughing again. ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry,’ she blew out through her laughter, waving one hand in the air as she doubled over, turning away. ‘Oh goodness, my stomach hurts.’ When she turned back, his whole face was smiling.
‘I can’t remember the last time I saw you this happy.’
The words hit home. Rhett couldn’t remember such loud laughter ever being part of her home. With a quick glance at her bedroom, she wiped the memory away.
New times. New beginnings. More laughter.
Smiling widely, she turned back to Heath. ‘I love you, Heath Silver,’ she said softly.
His eyes were filled with warmth and looked slightly glassy. It was hard to tell if that was for her or because his foot was stuck and his ankle had doubled in size. ‘Come here,’ he whispered, his words floating towards her as powerful as his strong arms, which she quickly wrapped herself up in. He kissed the side of her head, breathing deeply into her hair. ‘I love you too.’
They stayed that way for a while, holding on to each other. Rhett didn’t want to let go. With eyes closed, she visualised the last time he’d climbed that tree and how she’d wrapped her arms around him in the exact same spot. So much had changed since that night.
The short burst of a siren and flashing blue lights interrupted their embrace, and the gleam in Heath’s eyes quickly turned to annoyance when Finn’s laughter filled the air.
‘Please, tell me you took a picture,’ Finn called up to Rhett.
She nodded and clamped her hands on Heath’s face, forcing him to look her way, as he looked ready bite Finn’s head off. ‘Your ordeal has almost ended,’ she whispered.
‘I’ll end him in a minute if he doesn’t hurry,’ Heath whispered back, giving her a quick peck on the lips. He pulled away to glance down at his chuckling brother discussing tactics with the other firefighters. ‘Finn, my ankle is swollen. Get a move on, yeah!’
A ladder appeared next to the tree, swiftly followed by Finn’s jolly face. He slid one arm through a rung to rest his hand on the banister. ‘I really can’t take this level of entertainment.’ It took a moment for Finn to compose himself before heading back down the ladder to check out Heath’s wedged foot. ‘Yep, it’s stuck.’
Rhett slapped one hand over her mouth to hold in her laugh as Heath’s death glare came into play. ‘Shh, shh,’ she said whilst giggling, placing her free hand against Heath’s twisted lips.
He went to speak but yelped out in Rhett’s face as Finn attempted to free his foot by hand. ‘Finn!’ he yelled down at him.
‘We’re going to have to cut it,’ Finn called out to another firefighter. He laughed again as he looked back up at Heath. ‘I meant the tree, not your leg.’
Florence sprinted onto the balcony, hugging her dressing gown tightly around her. ‘What’s going on?’
Rhett gestured to the tree. ‘Heath was doing some sort of grand gesture and got stuck.’
Florence clasped her hands together in front of her chest as she beamed his way. ‘Ooh, like at the end of the film when he runs through the airport to declare his undying love before she departs.’
Smiling widely, Rhett nodded. ‘Something like that.’
‘That’s lovely, Heath. You really are… Ooh, look, Fran and Tyler are heading this way.’ Florence pointed at the field. ‘And Vivien.’
Rhett pulled her lips in tightly as Heath groaned, lowering his head. She snuggled her face close to his cheek for a second. ‘I’d better put the kettle on.’ She gave him a cheeky wink when he raised his eyebrows.
‘Don’t you leave me,’ he mouthed.
Rhett met his gaze as she stepped closer. ‘I’m never leaving you again,’ she whispered, before Finn’s head popped back up the top of the ladder.
‘Ready, Heath?’ he asked, climbing over to take his hands.
‘Yeah.’
Finn cracked a lopsided smile. ‘What are you doing up here anyway?’
Florence answered before anyone else. ‘He was checking how sturdy this old veranda is but was too lazy to fetch his ladder. Guess he won’t make that mistake again.’
Aww, bless her for helping to hide our relationship.
Finn hesitated, turning to each occupant of the small area in turn. It didn’t look as though he bought Florence’s story, but instead of digging, he communicated with his team to free Heath from the tree.