‘No worries.’ Rosie smiled and Rosie pointed at the fire crew, who were warming up with bleep tests, running between two points at ever increasing speed. Gabi spotted Walker, who made it look easy. Head down, shoulders wide as an ox, he powered up his lane before lifting his head to check where his crew were at. Gabi considered the strength he must have in those legs. Now that was a thought. In fact, thinking about it, firefighters probably had all the right characteristics to be stunt workers if they ever fancied a change of career. They were strong, brave, athletic. She wondered idly if Walker could ride a horse.
She grinned to herself. Her back had not felt this relaxed since she’d been using the crutches.
She watched Walker flick his sandy hair off his face, then turn at the end and run with his back to her. She took in the width of his shoulders.He’dhave no problem giving her a fireman’s lift, that was for certain. Although saying that, with Gabi being only five foot three, Jayden could probably give her a fireman’s lift if he put his mind to it. She smiled to herself. Maybe even Reggie. She snorted.
‘Having a good time?’ Isabella was beside her, arm around her shoulders.
‘Yup,’ said Gabi decisively. She really was. Her leg didn’t hurt. Her back didn’t ache. She was back in Honeybridge, and she was getting to know the gang better. Maybe a broken leg wasn’t so bad.
Alex edged his way into the circle next to his twin. Gabi noticed Amber roll her eyes and angle her shoulder away from him. A definite rebuff.
‘Hmm,’ Gabi whispered to herself, making a note to get the gossip later when she and Amber were alone.
‘Pardon?’ Isabella said.
‘Nothing,’ Gabi replied.
‘Shall I try to find you a chair?’ Isabella said, but Gabi waved her away.
‘Really, I’m fine. I’m literally feeling no pain.’ Never a truer word. In fact, she was starting to feel quite good.
The beep test finished, the spectators were shepherded into the fire station to a cordoned off area in view of the bottom of the pole. The officiates gathered: the big moment had arrived.
‘Come on, team! You can do it!’ Walker shouted to his crew as they lined up at the bottom of the ladder. ‘And you lot,’ Walker called to the crowd. ‘Dig deep! It’s for a great cause. The Honeybridge Fire Service Hardship Fund. Get your wallets out!’
The klaxon sounded and the record attempt began. Walker was first up the ladder, disappearing up into the hatch to the platform and appearing a few seconds later on the pole. His legs wrapped around it gently and he slid down silently, landing on and bouncing off the landing pad in one balletic movement. Gabi made a small sound of appreciation in her throat as the rest of the gang cheered.
The next firefighter was on his heels as he ascended the ladder again. The race was on. To beat the world record they had to cover the most metres down the pole in an hour and by the look on Walker’s face, he wasn’t going to let anything stand in his way. Gabi was suddenly glad she had a front-row view.
‘Go on, Walker! You can do it!’ Gabi found herself shouting, a little too closely to Isabella’s ear, who nearly jumped out of her skin.
‘Are you sure you don’t want to sit down?’ Isabella asked again. ‘How much of that flask did you drink?’ Gabi hit her cousin on the ankle with her crutch.
‘Please don’t worry. I’m fine. Just happy to be here.’ Although to be fair, she did feel a bit fuzzy inside. She hadn’t drunk alcohol for so long, it certainly seemed to be having an impact.
The hour sped past. In fact, it could be said it passed in a bit of a blur. Gabi started off counting how many times she saw Walker slide down the pole, but after twenty minutes or so, she lost count. Instead, she tried to watch him go up the ladder, thinking it might be slightly slower. . . plus she got a nice view of his bum. But she lost track of that too, about the same time she wished there was another flask to be found somewhere. Someone was hogging the booze at this party. She glanced round the gang to see who it might be, but everyone looked remarkably sober.
‘Last big push,’ Walker said over the microphone. ‘According to my count, we need another twelve descents in the next minute. . .’
The crowd roared its encouragement. Gabi waved a crutch in the air, much to Fox’s surprise who luckily ducked at the right moment. His kids were jumping up and down on the spot. Jayden had Riley on his shoulders so that she could see better.
Walker took to the steps again with a fresh burst of energy. She could see the set of his jaw as he dropped down the pole and took his place again in the queue. As it turned out, he was the last drop. He was the number twelve that took their meterage over the current world record and as he hit the landing pad, he dropped forward into a deep bend and then, as the klaxon sounded again, he bowed.
The crowd went wild, and Gabi found herself cheering along.
The officiates had their heads together, comparing their notes. Both having counted separately, it was now a case of waiting to make sure that everyone agreed with the result. It had to be unanimous, or it would be disallowed. The audience quieted as one of them approached the microphone.
‘Congratulations to Honeybridge Fire and Rescue on a valiant attempt,’ the man said, before allowing a broad smile to break through. ‘You’re the new world record holders!’
Walker and his crew threw themselves at each other in massive bear hugs, clapping each other’s backs. Gabi felt surprisingly emotional but then saw that everyone else was the same. Isabella and Etienne were taking the opportunity to kiss. Wren and Rosie rubbed noses with each other and grinned. Fox and Amber hugged. Gabi watched Alex look on and then glance away.
‘Hmmm,’ she whispered again.
‘Pardon?’ Isabella said, still hanging off Etienne.
‘Pardon?’ Gabi said back.
Fox waved to Walker and shouted, ‘Coming over?’
