Amber’s smile dropped as she sighed.
‘I can’t have him thinking there’s any hope for a future. We might be having fun but there’s no way I’m letting him near Jayden again.’
Gabi remembered the secret sign between Jayden and Alex in the kitchen and wished she could remember exactly what they’d done. They’d looked happy to see each other, but she couldn’t remember the movement to show Amber.
‘So how much funareyou two having?’ Gabi asked.
‘Well, my afternoon break from Tutto Mio has never been so well put to use.’ Amber smacked her lips together. ‘I really amputting my feet upfor half an hour!’ Gabi laughed outright, just as the gang walked across the hall towards them. For a woman who had worked on film sets her whole life, Gabi had to admit they were a beautiful bunch. Isabella looked ravishing in red on Etienne’s arm. Rosie and Wren both wore white trouser suits with heels. Fox’s silver quiff set off his all-black suit. And then there was Walker, wearing a kilt and looking utterly gorgeous. Even his knees were sexy. Shit. That was the last thing she needed.
Walker made his way around the group, kissing the women’s cheeks and clapping the men on the back. He avoided eye contact when he reached Gabi; the kiss he pressed to her cheek was paper dry and light as a feather. The kind of kiss you might give your great-aunt, if she smelled of kippers and had a moustache. Even so, the smell of him was like a reminder of their night in her bedroom. She had to force herself to keep her hands in her lap and not grab him by the lapels. It was over in a heartbeat and then Walker quickly moved to the other side of the table, immersing himself in conversation with Fox. Gabi poured herself another drink and tried to ignore how her body reacted to him. Even when she hated him.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Walker
That dress should be illegal. Gabi’s tiny, curvy body was sheathed in the skimpiest, black sparkly number he’d ever seen. And if Walker wasn’t such a loser, he’d crush her to his chest and tell her just what she was doing to him. But she deserved better. And she hadn’t even touched him when he kissed her, just the tiniest inclination of her head. Enough to tell him that things had changed. She obviously wasn’t attracted to him now she’d seen what a mess he was.
He practised some deep breathing, trying to keep a handle on himself. The night was stressing him out already, without adding Gabi into the mix. He’d been handed a programme on entry and scanned it as he waited for the others to check their coats. His heart had started pounding at the list of award categories: Caring Hero, Young Hero, Starter Hero among others. His heartrate accelerated further when he saw that his section, Everyday Hero, was second to last. He’d rather get it over and done with: lose gracefully, drink a beer with the guys, and go home, alone.
They moved through to the seating area, and he made sure to take a seat between Rosie and Fox. He watched Alex pull out Amber’s chair and kicked himself. He should at least have done that for Gabi, especially as she was still not on two feet. A moment too late, he half stood to offer but she manoeuvred herself into the chair and turned her head away. She very obviously did not want his help.
The mayor took to the stage and made an introductory speech about how hard it had been to judge the awards, as Honeybridge seemed to set the bar very high on heroes. Rosie patted his hand on the table, and he wished she’d stop looking at him like that.
The first category was announced, and Walker was pleased to see that the nominees were only name-checked over the microphone. The most they had to do was wave from their table when the spotlight found them. It was only the winner that was invited to the stage to collect their award. Thank God for that, because his legs were already shaking under his kilt, and he wasn’t sure they would carry him. Which was unusual, considering he ran into burning buildings.
The second category was all about young heroes. He recognised the winner as one of the young waiting staff from Tutto Mio; she had apparently set up a community network for checking on your neighbours. She jumped up and down on the stage with her award over her head and he heard Isabella shouting, ‘That’s my girl!’ above the applause. He adjusted his collar, trying to let some air into his shirt. Was it really hot in there?
By the time they’d worked down to his award, his chest was banging, and his hands were clammy and clenched tight to his thighs under the table.
‘Your turn!’ Rosie whispered and clapped in excitement. The noise was too loud in his ear. Too many people were looking at him. Too many expectations on his shoulders.
The mayor was introducing the nominees. A nurse who worked through Covid. A police officer who rescued a dog from the river. A paramedic who saved a patient’s life. All of them worthy winners. They all smiled broadly and waved excitedly from their chairs as the spotlight hit them.
‘And Walker McBride,’ the mayor said, ‘for his efforts in the Hearts of Honeybridge Fire last autumn.’
Walker was blinded by the light. He squinted and raised a hand in what he hoped was a cheery wave, but his smile felt stretched across his face. As the spotlight swung away to the next nominee, he bumped eyes with Gabi and was surprised to see concern in her gaze. He could feel his hand shake as he stuffed it beneath the table again.
‘And the winner is. . .’ The mayor opened the envelope and pulled out a card. He looked delighted as he turned towards their table. ‘Walker McBride!’ Walker felt suffocated, even as his table erupted into cheers and the rest of the hall clapped along.
‘Go on then,’ Rosie laughed, pushing him with her palm. He stumbled to his feet, wanting to pause, catch his breath. But the mayor beckoned him with his hand and Walker pushed one foot in front of the other, forcing himself through the tables to the stage.
There were only three steps, but by the time he got to the top, he was breathing as though he’d run seven storeys. It was hard to catch his breath.
‘From what we hear, Walker, you single-handedly evacuated more than ten of the residents from their homes,’ the mayor was saying as he pumped his hand. ‘And I also heard that just last week, it was you that saved the child from the high ropes accident.’
Walker stared out at the crowd, hardly listening. He scanned the tables. Where was the nurse who’d risked everything during Covid? Or the policeman that had jumped into a flooded river to save a dog? Surely they should be up here right now? All he could see were spotlights and sparkly dresses. That made him think of Gabi. She knew the truth. She’d probably be wondering how he had the nerve to accept the award.
Walker knew then he had to get off the stage, out of the spotlight and away from this farce. Because he knew the truth. He wasn’t a hero, and he never would be.
‘You really sum up what we mean when we say hero,’ the mayor finished, turning them both towards a camera which flashed in his face. He felt light-headed as the mayor let go of his arm, black spots floating in his vision. Stumbling down the steps, he turned away from his table, wanting only to find somewhere quiet and dark to be alone. The mayor moved on and was announcing the nominees for the final category as Walker pulled open the nearest exit and crashed out into the corridor.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Gabi
There was something going on with Walker. When the mayor had called his name as a nominee and he waved, Gabi had seen the shake in his hand. And when they’d caught eyes, she’d seen the same strange fear in them that he’d woken with in her bed. He looked haunted. And that had turned into a look of absolute panic when he was declared winner.
She watched him move almost automatically, putting one foot in front of the other, blindly making his way to the stage. She saw alarm flash across his face as he looked at the crowd. On what should have been one of the proudest nights of his life, he looked devastated. He left the stage and rushed out of the nearest door.
