Page 32

CHAPTER 32

HEL

H el stood with Frost next to their table inside the marquee. It was set up away from the main house, near some gum trees. Not that you would guess you were in a tent in the bush, as it was so beautifully decorated with flowers and fairy lights.

When they had checked the seating plans at the door, Hel was secretly very pleased to see that her assigned seat was next to Frost for dinner. Even better, Sadie was on the top table with Clara, so the teasing and waggling eyebrows would stop for a few minutes.

“Frost, please stop trying to hold my chair out for me while balancing on one leg. It’s making me anxious that you’re going to fall down again.” Hel glared at Frost, even as a smile pulled on the corner of her lips.

“I told you, when I’m not drunk, I have excellent balance. I can stand on one leg all day, so quit complaining and sit down.” Frost glared back, but his tone of voice was light as he teased her.

“Fine,” Hel sighed and sat down in her seat, pretending to be annoyed but actually enjoying Frost’s attention.

He hadn’t let go of her hand since the photos, and as soon as they were both sat down, he took it again, squeezing it before he put their entwined fingers down on his thigh.

Hel flushed a little as they were sitting at the same table as all the other members of the pub quiz team, and a couple of them were openly staring at her and Frost.

When she caught Mai’s eyes, her friend pushed her pink glasses back up her nose and gave her a wink. Hel couldn’t stop the pleased smile from appearing on her face.

“Good evening, everyone,” Taylor announced over the microphone. “We’re going to get the speeches over with now so everyone can enjoy this beautiful evening my lovely wife organised.” He looked down at Clara affectionately, who reached up and snatched the microphone out of his hand.

“That is a total lie. I did no organising. Our amazing wedding planner, Monica, did it all. I literally turned up and put a frock on.” Clara handed the microphone back to Taylor as a ripple of laughter spread around the room.

Frost let go of Hel’s hand, much to her disappointment, but he then grabbed hold of her chair, pulled it until there was no space between them and put his arm around her shoulders. She sat stiffly for a moment before she relaxed into him.

She felt him sigh, and he murmured into her ear, “Much better.”

She snuggled into him, letting herself do exactly what she wanted now, even if it would make everything worse in the morning.

The speeches were beautiful, well Hel assumed they were, she barely heard a word as she was too aware of the man sitting next to her. The food was exquisite, and the conversation at their table flowed. Frost fitting in with her friends so well as he chatted and joked along with them.

When the music started, Hel felt a little sad she wouldn’t be able to dance with Frost because of his broken leg, so she sat cocooned in his warm embrace as the other doctors jumped up and dashed onto the dance floor.

When Frost got to his feet, Hel assumed he was going to the bathroom, but he held his hand out to her and said formally, “May I have the pleasure of this dance.”

“You can’t dance.” Hel shook her head, not taking his hand.

“I didn’t say I was going to dance well. I was planning on swaying on the spot and letting you dance around me.” Frost shook his hand at her, trying to make her take it.

“I’m a rubbish dancer.” Hel still didn’t stand, so Frost reached down and took hold of her arm, gently tugging on it. She didn’t try to resist, and the six-foot-three hockey player easily towed her to her feet despite only being balanced on one leg.

“I don’t care if you stand and sway next to me, but we’re going onto the dance floor.” He tugged on her arm again.

“Hang on a moment.” Hel leaned down and snatched up her wine glass, finishing the last of the delicious champagne in a single gulp. “Right, now I’m ready with some Aussie courage.”

“Isn’t it Dutch courage?” Frost queried.

“Not in this country, it isn’t!” Hel giggled, and Frost chuckled, shaking his head.

As soon as they got to the edge of the dance floor, Hel was accosted by Clara and Sadie, who pulled her out of Frost’s grasp and tried to tow her into the thick of the dancing. Hel resisted and looked back at Frost, who shooed her away with an indulgent grin plastered across his face.

“I’m going to be swaying here. Dance with your friends, and have fun.”

Hel stared at him before Clara’s tugging became so insistent she had no choice but to go with them.

“Don’t move too far,” she called, pointing her finger at Frost.

“I won’t,” he replied. “I can’t!” He shook his bad leg at her.

Hel lost track of time. She danced with Clara. She danced with Sadie, and she danced with the doctors on the pub quiz team. Gloria made her do the waltz around the marquee, with the older woman taking the role of the man and leading, they spun so many times that when they finished, Hel was dizzy.

“Hey, do you want to dance?” An American voice drawled from next to her. She dragged her gaze from Frost, who sat on a chair next to the dance floor.

“Oh. Umm. No. Ummm.” Hel blinked in bewilderment at the actor standing next to her, an actor who had the same level of fame as Taylor. “No, Matthew O’Connor. I’m, well—“

Suddenly, Taylor was there, and he put his arm around the blonde actor. “Matt. This is Hel. She’s Jake Forster’s date.” He pointed to the side of the dance floor, where Frost had stood up and was glowering at the actor.

“He looks familiar.” Matt tilted his head to examine Frost, even as he took a step back when he saw Frost was big and about to head their way.

“He should. He’s played in the NHL for over a decade,” Taylor supplied.

Realisation dawned on Matt’s face. “Is that Frost? Oh man, I love that guy.” And he was off, bounding across the floor to meet a now bewildered-looking Frost.

“Are you alright?” Taylor leaned down to ask Hel.

“I’m having a wonderful time,” she said truthfully.

It had been one of the best days she could remember having. Seeing her best friend marry the love of her life and spending the day with Frost was perfect.

“Now go and stop your mother from corrupting your wife.” Hel pointed across the dance floor, where Gloria was clearly trying to persuade Clara to get on the bar to dance.

“Oh, for goodness sake,” Taylor muttered and rushed off, waving to Hel as he went.

Hel turned her attention back to Frost and the actor, who were now talking animatedly. When Frost met her eyes, he leant into Matt, whose gaze flew to her, and then the actor leapt to his feet, giving Frost a high five and dashing off.

Hel shook her head in bewilderment at the speed of the actor’s departure, but all thoughts of it fell out of her mind when Frost gestured for her to go over.

He had taken his jacket off and rolled up his shirt sleeves so some of his tattoos were on display, making Hel bite her lip as the muscles of his forearm moved under the skin while he waved for her.

She sat down next to him, and he immediately grabbed hold of her chair and dragged it right next to his, like he had at dinner and put his arm around her shoulder. Hel leaned into him and grinned.

She traced one of his tattoos with the tip of her fingers. “What was this one for?”

Frost laughed, which rumbled through Hel as she was pressed against his side.

“Do you want the truth? Or the lie I made up to tell people.”

She tipped her head to the side as she pretended to think about the question. “I want both. Tell me the lie first.”

“Well,” he chuckled. “The lie is, I got the eagle tattooed to manifest playing for the Toronto Eagles in the NHL.”

Hel nodded. “Yeah, that sounds possible. But it was actually for?”

“We went on a family holiday to England when I was a kid. Me and my brother became obsessed with an advert for some tinned fish.” Frost was already chuckling to himself as he retold the story.

“Okay, I’m not quite seeing the relevance of the eagle.” Hel traced the slightly faded outline of the old tattoo.

“This advert was for salmon. It had two bears by a river, supposed to be catching fish. Then, a fisherman comes in and tries to steal the fish. They have a fight, and the fisherman distracts the bear by saying ‘Look an eagle’ then kicks the bear in the ba…” Frost hesitated.

“I’m an Emergency doctor. I think you can say the fisherman kicks the bear in the balls.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “Very true. Anyway, me and Garret found it the funniest thing we had ever seen. It became our catchphrase, ‘look an eagle’, and then someone would be kicked in the…” he hesitated, “They’d be kicked. When I turned eighteen, we decided to get matching tattoos, and we didn’t have much money, so we went to a pretty shitty tattoo place, and the wonky eagle is now forever on my arm.”

Hel peered at the eagle, which initially, in the dim light, had looked alright, but the closer she looked, the more she could tell it was rather lopsided.

“I like the real story more.” She giggled and snuggled closer to him.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the others dancing. Hel held his hand where it was draped over her shoulder, and Frost rubbed circles with his thumb on her palm. It felt so easy, so right that Hel stiffened. She needed to pull away. She needed to protect herself.

“Are you okay?” Frost asked. He must have noticed her freeze.

“Yeah. It’s…” Hel blinked a few times as tears pooled in her eyes. “It doesn’t feel fair.”

“I know. I didn’t know I was waiting my whole life to meet you until I did.”

Frost’s words were all it took for a tear to trickle down her cheek. She had finally met a man, one she already knew if she spent more time with, she would fall in love with—well, if she was truthful, she was already falling—and he seemed to feel the same way. Why did he have to live over twelve thousand kilometres away? A couple of hundred she could have coped with, but the distance between their lives seemed insurmountable.

“Frost,” she whispered, feeling him lean down and kiss her hair.

“You don’t need to say anything,” he reassured her. “Maybe it’s selfish of me, but I wanted you to know.”

“Thanks.” She breathed deeply a few times, trying to be brave and said, “I know if we didn’t live so far apart, this would have turned into something.”

“Yup.” Frost nodded.

Silence descended over them, their ‘one perfect date’ was drawing to a close.

The music slowed down, and the DJ announced they only had two more songs to go.

Frost stood up and held his hand out to Hel. “Would you like to sway on the spot with me?” He grinned at her.

Hel smiled back, even though her eyes were still watery. “Absolutely.”

She took his hand and got to her feet, careful not to put any weight on him as she stood so he didn’t lose balance.

Their world shrank until there was only the two of them and their bubble. Their eyes were locked, their arms around each other. Hel tried to memorise every variation in the green of his eyes. When the music stopped and the lights came on, they stood there staring at each other.

Frost dropped his forehead onto hers. “Have a good life, Hel. Be happy.”

Hel swallowed a couple of times. This was it. This was really goodbye. “Thanks, Frost. You too.”

He pulled back slowly and unwrapped his arms from where they had held her so tightly, making Hel feel instantly cold.

“Goodbye.” His voice was barely audible above the voices of the other guests.

“Goodbye,” Hel whispered back.

Frost gave her one last sad smile before he picked his crutch up from where it had been propped, turned around and walked away.

Hel’s hands balled into fists at her side, and it took everything she had not to chase after him. Not to say she would work it out with her job, even when she knew she couldn’t do it.

As she stood there, an arm snaked around her shoulder, and Clara’s voice murmured by her ear.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks for inviting him. You really gave me what I wanted: one perfect date with him.” Hel sniffled even as she spoke.

Clara squeezed her shoulders but didn’t say anything and Hel was very aware it was Clara’s perfect day, her wedding day, and she wasn’t going to ruin it for her friend.

“Thank you.” Hel pulled away from her. “Your day has been stunning. I’m so, so happy for you. Now go and find that husband of yours and start the rest of your lives together.”

“You’re sure?” Clara didn’t move, so Hel pushed her.

“I’m sure. Now go.” Hel managed to keep her voice steady.

“I love you.” Clara kissed her cheek, then pulled away from her, dashing over to Taylor and flinging herself into his arms as she giggled joyfully.

Hel watched for a moment longer before she turned around and walked away.