‘Part of it.’ She showed him the clipboard and the list with familiar street names around town.
‘It’s just the two of us?’
‘For now.’
He wasn’t at all sorry about that.
‘We’ve got about a third of the addresses on this list. I’ll drive the pick-up truck and we’ll fit as many trees in as we can before we come back here and pass them on to be put through the shredder. The shredded trees will be taken to the garden centreand they’ll repurpose in whatever way they see fit.’ She handed him a pair of heavy-duty gloves. ‘You’ll need these.’
‘I’m not a pansy. I can get my hands dirty.’
‘We did this last year and believe me, you’ll start off okay and then you’ll wish you’d protected your skin.’
He relented, took the gloves. He hadn’t brought his walking stick as he was starting to get used to moving around without it. It was an odd feeling after all this time.
She led the way outside and over to the pick-up truck and they left the airbase driving at the requisite 15mph, making their way to the first address.
Gio looked up into the skies above, the weather still keeping them guessing from day to day as to what was coming next. ‘Do you think it’ll snow again?’
‘Who knows? The snow we’ve had was quite the event.’
‘School kids loved it.’
She pulled a face when she crunched the gears, unfamiliar with the truck.
‘I wouldn’t mind seeing some more,’ he said. ‘It always reminds me that seasons change, that we change, that nothing is static.’
‘Since when did you think so deeply?’
‘I think we all know the answer to that one.’ The day of his accident changed things for Gio, at least in the short term and maybe even in the long term – perhaps physically and for sure mentally. Setbacks that stopped you doing the job you wanted to do would affect the toughest of people.
‘So,’ he said when she apologised for bunny hopping out of the junction. ‘Rather than talk about how bad a driver you are with this?—’
‘Hey, new vehicle. Give me ten minutes and it’ll be a smooth ride.’
‘I’ve every faith it will be.’
‘Appreciate the vote of confidence,’ she said when she pulled out of the next junction without fault.
‘So when should we go for this dinner?’
‘You don’t give up.’ But if he wasn’t mistaken, she didn’t mind the question. It was progress.
‘Nope. I’ll keep asking.’
She jerked the truck out of the next T-junction. ‘You’ve never been serious about anyone before; you’re one of the lads. I’m not really up for just a bit of fun.’
‘You want to marry me?’
She burst out laughing, the sound music to his ears. ‘What on earth would you do if I said yes?’
‘Probably run a mile. Or at least as far as I could run with a compromised knee.’
She pulled into their first street and parked up. ‘It’s complicated.’
‘What’s life without a little complication?’ His eyes darted to her lips and then away when she clocked him staring. ‘I get it. You’re not interested in me because I’m an invalid.’
She got out of the truck. ‘Gio Mayhan, you do talk some crap.’
