‘We’re not sure. . .’ This came from the attendant from Treetop Challenge. ‘The falling tree seems to have taken down most of the wiring.’
There was already a crowd forming. This kind of news spread like wildfire. The mums and dads would all be on social media, and he knew that meant Rosie would hear about it soon.
Riley could be hanging there by her shoe alone, tangled in the ropes, without any harness attached. Walker jogged back to his truck and gave a brief download, then jumped on the back of the truck and told his team to raise the ladder. The mechanism clicked into motion and the ladder began to ascend. Walker climbed onto it and held on with one hand.
‘Riley, it’s Walker,’ he called calmly through the leaves as he rose towards her. ‘How are you doing?’
‘I’m stuck. . .’
Her voice was quiet and sounded like she was crying, but at least she was conscious. For how long, though, hanging upside down like that?
The ladder reached its full length and Walker’s heart fell again. It was about six feet short. Even stretching to his full height on the very top rung he would not be able to reach her. ‘Hang on in there, Riley,’ he called. ‘I’m coming for you.’
‘I’m scared,’ Riley sobbed. ‘I’m going to fall.’
‘I’ll be right back.’
He descended at lightning speed, shouting his plan to his team at the bottom who grabbed his supplies. He armed himself with the equipment he needed, scaling the ladder again as if running up a flight of stairs. He chose a branch above where Riley was hanging and threw a perfect snake of rope over the top of the bough. Securing himself with knots and a makeshift pulley, he hoisted himself from the top of the ladder until he hung directly next to where Riley was suspended.
‘Hello, kiddo,’ he said quietly as she turned a tear-streaked, freckled face towards him. ‘Ride time. Hold on tight.’ He held her easily with one arm as he detangled her foot from the ropes. She clutched at him as he finally freed her and swung her against his body. Allowing himself one brief moment of relief, he began to lower himself again, one-handed, with his homemade pulley. By the time he got to the ladder, his teammate was waiting for him to pass Riley over so that they could all descend safely.
At the bottom of the ladder, Riley sprang out of his crewmate’s arms and back into his. He hugged her back, fiercely.
The crew moved round him, past him, retracting the ladder and storing the supplies. He saw Rosie running through the crowd and a second later she crashed against his side. Walker caught her, pressing her and her daughter together.
‘She’s okay,’ he said into her hair. ‘She’s okay.’
Rosie grasped at him, and he held her to keep her upright.
‘Thank you,’ Rosie said, and it came out as a sob. ‘I thought she was going to fall. . .’
Walker shook his head, not wanting to go there. He couldn’t have borne it. Once was enough. Everyone he saved now was just trying to make up for the one he hadn’t been able to.
‘Thank you,’ Rosie said again, dropping to her knees to cover her daughter’s chubby face with kisses.
Chapter Twenty-One
Gabi
Spring had well and truly sprung. The trees were covered with blossom, the sun had some warmth in it and the park was busy again after school. Gabi made herself comfortable on the bench while Jayden hung off the climbing frame with his mates, back from a week-long residential with the school.
Gabi was surprisingly glad he was back. The days had been longer without Jayden there to break up the afternoons. And he’d surprised her, running to give her a hug after Amber had finished squeezing him. Amber had made the most of her time with Jayden away; Gabi knew she’d met up several times with Alex for some ‘grown-up fun’. Although Amber swore it was nothing more than that when Gabi pressed her.
The opportunity for a little bit of adult activity of her own had been out of Gabi’s reach all week, not that it stopped her thinking about it. That ‘almost’ night with Walker had certainly given her hope that her time in Honeybridge might have a few unexpected benefits to it. Every time her phone rang, it made her squeeze her thighs together at the memory of that phone call. His voice, that accent, his taking command. But Walker had been on nights all week and she’d had to make her own entertainment– which reminded her, she needed to pick up batteries on the way home.
She put her head back to feel the sun on her face. She hadn’t felt any sort of heat since Australia on that film set, working beneath wide-open skies. She could feel the tension in her body easing with the warmth. The film would have wrapped now, everyone going their separate ways to their own corner of the globe for a break or moving on to the next project. The only person she’d heard from was the wardrobe manager who wanted to know where to mail the headphones she’d left there by mistake. Maybe she’d meet the rest of the crew again down the road, the next time she jumped out of a building or dived from the roof of a train. Maybe not.
The thought jogged her into action, and she dialled her agent.
‘Gabi! You must have read my mind. I was going to call you today, there is something I think you’d be perfect for.’
Gabi listened as her agent described the opportunity, a film– big budget– which would start shooting in Los Angeles in late June, which was perfect timing. She’d be the primary stunt double for an A-list actress for all dangerous and fast-moving scenes. She felt the buzz of excitement. Los Angeles– she’d never shot there before. Box office hit. Everything she heard was exciting.
‘So shall I put you forward?’ her agent said.
‘That would be great, thanks,’ Gabi replied. ‘Let me know the next steps when you hear.’
She hung up. God, she had so much energy stored inside. She needed a release. Walker flashed into her mind again, holding her hands above her head as he took in her body. Fuck, he was sexy. And he’d made sure she wasn’t holding on to any tension when he rang her later that night. He was due to finish nights yesterday; maybe she could text him later. Might as well make the most of this holiday romance. But at this moment in time, Walker was nowhere to be seen, and she needed to distract herself.
