Page 24 of Meet Me Under the Northern Lights

SKóGAFOSS WATERFALL

‘Oh wow! Wow!’

Kat was shrieking over the noise of the cascading water plummeting down from the sheer rock face still a good few metres away from them.

It was a thunderous roar and the spray was soaking them already, despite the distance they still were from it.

It was one of the most wonderous things Chloe had ever seen and she was snapping as many photos and taking as many videos as she could get.

How could Sinclairz Chairs not be impressed by this?

She already had visions of getting some mulled wine and cheese to accompany the cold, wet and wild afterwards.

‘It’s so powerful,’ Kat continued. ‘Like how Christian Grey makes Anastasia Steele feel when she’s whimpering in a corner.’

Chloe was not going to use that line in her event pitch. ‘It’s amazing,’ she agreed.

‘I’m going to get a bit closer,’ Kat said. ‘Send help if I’m not back in ten minutes in case I get sucked into it.’ She laughed. ‘No Fifty Shades pun intended there.’

Chloe snapped some photos of her friend stomping forward, facing off with the elements and then she jumped as she realised someone was standing next to her. Gunnar.

‘Your friend will get very wet,’ he commented.

‘Yes,’ Chloe agreed.

‘She does not care?’

‘She’s a bit crazy.’

‘Like you,’ Gunnar said. ‘With your breaking the rules of the coach and standing in the middle of the aisle when the vehicle is in motion.’

‘Is that the Icelandic way to say thank you for saving your arse?’

‘My arse is grateful to you, krúttio mitt .’ He bowed. ‘The huldufólk are also very happy about the wonderful story you painted with words.’

‘Good,’ Chloe said. ‘I am hoping this means I will be Icelandically blessed. Perhaps awarded an honorary pass from being cursed for doubting their existence at first.’

‘I am certain this will be the case,’ he agreed.

‘So, I’m going to ask quietly, in front of nobody else and not on loud speaker… what is going on with your friend’s son? Did he really hit a girl?’

Gunnar looked over his shoulder and ensured he could see where Magnús was standing, far enough away, looking not at the waterfall but at his phone. He turned back to Chloe. ‘No. He did not.’

‘That’s good,’ Chloe said. ‘Less for your friend to sort out with the situation. You must be quite close that you know all this is going on with their family.’

Gunnar nodded. ‘His father, a close friend, as I think I said. Do you not have close friends you help out?’

‘Yes,’ Chloe said. ‘That crazy woman hellbent on getting as close to that torrent of water as she can without being waterboarded by it.’

‘So you understand,’ Gunnar said. ‘How important friends are. That they are as important as close family.’

‘More important sometimes,’ Chloe agreed.

‘You have family, Chloe? Parents?’

‘No,’ she answered. ‘My parents died. My mother when I was five. My father when I was twenty.’

‘And you have no brothers or sisters?’

‘No. How about you?’

‘The same.’

‘Which parts?’

‘All of them. Except my father died first. When I was six. And my mother when I was eighteen. My father had no time to teach me anything. My mother, who had been sick her entire life, taught me everything because she knew I would need it.’

Chloe sighed. ‘I don’t think I’ve met anyone as independent as I had to be before.’

He stuck out his hand. ‘It is nice to meet you, independent krúttio mitt .’

‘You too,’ Chloe answered.

She put her hand in his and the sensual jolt was like a bolt of lightning from Thor. The urge to retract was strong but the desire to keep holding was greater. Could he feel it too? As she was thinking that, he let go.

‘So, you are… completely independent?’ he asked, eyes meeting hers.

She swallowed. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean…’ he began. ‘What do I mean?’ He took a breath, vulnerability seeming to get in the way of that initial bravado. ‘I mean… even if you enjoy the trip today so I do not have to take you to the Blue Lagoon… would you like to go out somewhere with me some time? If you are… free.’

Her heart was pounding now and all the cold spray the waterfall was providing didn’t seem to be bringing the temperature down. If you are free. Was he asking her on a date? She didn’t date. It was too difficult and the end result was always going to be the same. Heartache.

‘Gosh! I’m soaking! Look at me!’

Chloe was prevented from answering as Kat arrived back, hair dripping wet, water droplets snaking down her face, coat saturated.

‘It looks like you turned into the waterfall,’ Gunnar said. ‘Bravo.’ He smiled at them both, professionalism back in place. ‘Remember, be back at the coach at half-past.’

And before Chloe could say anything else, Gunnar was walking away.