Gabi was boiling with rage. Just when she thought they were on the same page, that they liked each other. He was trying to tell her how she could be better.
‘You’re saying I’m scared?’ She pulled herself to her full height of five foot three. ‘I’m not scared. You can’t feel fear in my job or you’re done for.’
Walker considered her for a moment but then smiled as if she’d missed a point.
‘You might risk your body, but you certainly don’t risk your heart,’ Walker said. They faced each other. Her chest was heaving. ‘I’m just trying to help, Gabi.’
‘Help?’ she fumed. ‘By telling me how to live my life?’ Gabi would have stamped her foot if she had one spare. ‘I know what I’m doing. I’m perfectly happy as I am.’
‘Maybe that’s why you like working away so much, running away from any kind of attachments. You can’t get close to people if you’re on a different continent.’
She hit his ankle with her crutch and had a glint of satisfaction in his shock.
‘Sorry, Gabi,’ Walker said, putting both hands in the air. ‘I really was only trying to help.’
She’d had enough. What the hell was it with this town? Everyone in each other’s business all the time. She couldn’t wait to get out of there and leave it behind. A name on a map. Just the place her cousin lived.
‘No hard feelings, Gabi?’ Walker said softly as she moved past him, resting his hand on her shoulder lightly. She let it fall as she swung by and headed for the exit.
‘No, Walker,’ she corrected. ‘No feelings at all.’
Chapter Forty-Eight
Walker
Later, Walker and Alex lounged on the sofa. Walker on his end, Alex on the other, footstool between them to share. Walker had been mulling over what he’d said to Gabi since she stormed home from the gym. Half of him had been kicking himself for saying too much. The other half wondered how they always seemed to end up rowing, which he didn’t want to do. He wondered whether he should call her and apologise. He sighed. And became immediately aware of an answering sigh from Alex. He muted the TV to find out what was the matter. Because for a man whose song was now being played daily on the local radio, Alex didn’t seem that peppy.
‘You all right, mate?’ Walker asked. Alex considered that for a moment.
‘Yep, just thinking about what’s next for me.’
Walker shifted to get a better look at him.
‘How d’you mean?’
‘Well, look at you, Walks. Career going well, promotion incoming. Nice house on the river.’ He gestured about himself as he spoke and Walker saw the cosy snug of the small front room, the fireplace, the oversized sofa. ‘You’ve even got a cat.’
On cue, Fatboy Jim sauntered into the room and sprang onto the sofa, landing surprisingly lightly for the biggest ginger cat in the world. Immediately his pneumatic purr rang out as he settled between them. Walker put a hand tentatively on his head and scratched behind his ears. Fatboy Jim spun onto his back and grabbed him with all four paws.
‘What, this arsehole?’ Walker joked but Alex dismissed that with a flick of his hand.
‘Look at Et– The Bistro is booming; he’s found the love of his life. . .’
Walker opened his mouth, but Alex held his hand up.
‘And Fox– winning at fatherhood, now a global games designer about to be a millionaire.
‘Then look at me,’ Alex said. ‘I live in my mate’s spare room, I play in a not-famous band and do some part-time music lessons for kids. And the woman I love hates me.’
‘You’re getting yourself together, though, Al. Let’s face it, you’ve had a tough few years.’
‘I know that. I know I used to gamble to escape things– my parents’ deaths, for example. But I haven’t played poker or even a fruit machine for more than five years now. And still I feel like I’m not getting anywhere. Maybe I should just take a chance on the unknown and move on.’
Walker watched his friend, one of the nicest, kindest men he knew. He wished he could help him.
‘What do you want, Alex?’ Walker asked. ‘If you could design your ultimate life.’
‘I want Amber, and Jayden,’ Alex said simply. ‘And that’s not on the cards. So maybe a fresh start would be the next best thing.’
