by Dawn Sister
The call disconnected, and Liam sighed heavily. What could he possibly do? Jack needed him, but so, apparently did Mrs Appleby. The conflict must have shown, clearly, on his face.
“If you need to go, then you should go.” Jack sounded quiet and uncertain.
Liam looked down at him and shook his head as he looked into wide, frightened blue eyes. “I’m not leaving you.” He said firmly.
“But she sounds as if she needs help.”
“Yes, but you need me more than she does.”
“Liam, you don’t need….” Jack sighed. His blue eyes were intense and determined, looking as if he were bracing himself for an argument. “Then I’ll come with you.”
Liam shook his head again.
“You just fell through the ice in a frozen lake, Jack. You should rest.”
“So did you.” Jack reminded him.
“Yes, but I haven’t….” He stopped with a grimace.
“Lost your memory?” Jack finished the sentence for him.
“Yes, plus I’m not….” He grimaced again.
“Possibly a fox?” Jack quirked his eyebrow in amusement.
“That too.” Liam nodded in earnest, knowing that Jack still did not believe him and still had no memory of what had happened. “Jack, we can’t risk it. Mrs Appleby will have to find someone else to clear her leaves today.”
“Why are there so many leaves?” Jack asked with a frown. “You’re her gardener. I can’t imagine you would leave so many that it would pose a danger to her.”
“I guess leaves don’t just disappear overnight.” Liam mused. “I suppose I mustn’t have cleared them as well as I’d thought.”
As he said it, he knew that wasn’t the case. He’d spent an entire day clearing leaves from that particular garden, knowing that even one wet leaf on Mrs Appleby’s path could be an accident waiting to happen. She’d slipped once before and broken her hip. He really did not want that on his conscience now, but he couldn’t understand why there were more leaves.
“Come on.” Jack urged him, obviously seeing the conflict in his expression. “If you’re that worried, then let’s go.”
“But you’re….” Liam began to argue but Jack held up his hand in an action that boded no more protest.
“I’m feeling fine, and much warmer, thank you.”
Liam frowned. Jack had said he didn’t feel the cold. Why now, would he be happily announcing that he felt much warmer? Liam placed a hand on Jack’s forehead, gasping when he felt just how warm it felt.
“Jack, you’re not just warmer, you’re burning up.” He said in concern.
“I’ve never felt better.” Jack dismissed his anxiety as he moved towards the front door and the coat stand.
“Excuse me for being concerned in any way.” Liam muttered as he bent to pull on a dry pair of walking boots. “But how exactly would you know that if you’ve got amnesia?”
Jack clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, as he held out a thick coat for Liam to put on.
“I’ve forgotten a few things, that’s all. I remember everything else. It’s not as if I’ve suddenly forgotten how to help out a friend.”
“Still, you shouldn’t be doing it if you’re ill.”
“Liam, I assure you, I am not ill.” Jack scowled as he pulled on a jacket that, once again, swamped him. “Don’t mind if I borrow this do you? I seem to have misplaced my coat, sweater….” He regarded his feet. “And shoes, apparently.”
“Jack, you never wear shoes.” Liam exclaimed, unable to hold back his frustration. “You said so the first time we met.”
“Really?” Jack frowned up at him. “Okay.” He shrugged, as if this was fine, and just commonplace. “Come on then, big feller, let’s go and do our good turn for the day.” He flashed Liam another of his foxy smiles, winked and pulled open the front door.
The wind howled through with such force that Jack was blown back into Liam’s arms and both men had to battle to shut the door. The roar was tremendous and the silence that followed when they eventually got the door shut, deafening. The leaves and debris that had blown through the door settled on the hall rug, furniture and on Liam and Jack.
Liam stared at the door in disbelief as he picked a leaf from Jack’s hair. There’d been ominous thunder, darkened skies and the smell of snow in the air as he’d carried Jack down the track. By the time they had returned to the cottage, the skies had cleared and there’d been no trace of the storm. This wind seemed to have come out of nowhere.
Jack clung to Liam’s coat as if his life depended on it.
“What the hell was that?” He asked.
“Wind, apparently.” Liam frowned.
“That wasn’t wind, Liam, that was a bloody hurricane.” Jack gasped, leaving go of Liam’s coat and running back through the cottage and into the conservatory.
Liam followed, joining him as he stood in the centre of the room staring out at the now almost black skies, the swirling snow and the howling wind. His head tipped to one side as he took a few steps closer to the tall French doors, placing a hand on the glass.
“This is wrong.” He whispered.
“Wrong?” Liam asked, puzzled. “How can it be wrong? It wasn’t forecast to be this bad, but that means nothing, and it is winter after all.”
“It is?” Jack turned his confused expression on Liam before looking back out at the extreme weather. “Of course it is. How could I have forgotten that?” He sounded unhappy and vulnerable.
Liam was tempted to call Mrs Appleby back and tell her they weren’t coming. Jack was clearly not in any fit state, and besides, how could she expect anyone to go out in this……?
Liam cried out in shock as he looked back out at his garden, now bathed in sunlight. Jack had his entire body pressed against the French door now, his eyes wide.
“Bloody hell.” He exclaimed in a high pitched, almost hysterical voice. “It just stopped. There’s not even any snow on the ground. It’s like it never even happened.”
“If you don’t like the weather in England, wait a minute.” Liam chuckled, trying to make light of the situation when in truth, he was pretty shaken. That phrase in no way explained what they’d just witnessed. He’d seen weather change over the course of a day. He’d seen the absolute opposite weather to that which had been forecast, but he’d never seen a full-blown storm end so abruptly and the sun come out seconds later as if nothing had happened.
Jack stepped away from the French doors and shrugged. “Oh well, at least we don’t have any excuse now. We can go and clear leaves for that apple woman.”
“Mrs Appleby.” Liam corrected absently, still staring out of the conservatory window in confusion.
“Liam?” Warm arms wrapped around him from behind. “Okay, big feller?” He asked.
Liam chuckled as the tip of Jack’s nose tickled, warm against his cool neck. He turned, still held within Jack’s arms and draped his arms over Jack’s shoulders, brushing his hair from his face.
For a moment they gazed into each other’s eyes. Jack’s eyebrow quirked once more, his head tipping to one side in that unconscious gesture that melted Liam inside. Without thinking, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Liam leaned in to kiss the man, feeling Jack’s lips curl in a smile as he did.
There was something profoundly different about the sensation of Jack’s lips against his. Before, they had been cool to the point of almost feeling like he’d been kissing something covered in frost. Now they were warm, as lips should be, but that felt wrong.
He pulled back and Jack regarded him with a puzzled look. “Liam?” He questioned reaching up to touch his cheek.
Liam pulled away from the embrace before Jack could touch him. He didn’t want to feel warm fingers touch his face, when they should have been cool, icy even. It was yet another reminder of how things had changed. He didn’t want another question to form in a brain that was already filled with so many. He was afraid he’d go completely bonkers if he even tried to think about th
e answers.
Jack was wrong, somehow. The weather was wrong, somehow. The two things were either completely unrelated, or they were linked in some way Liam could not even begin to fathom.
Ignoring Jack’s hurt expression as he pulled away, he strode towards the front door, pulled it open and walked through, calling back as he did.
“Come on, Jack. Let’s go and help Mrs Appleby before we lose the light, or the weather takes another bad turn.”
They walked down the hill track in silence. Liam felt awful when he saw how unhappy Jack looked. The smaller man huddled deep into the scarf Liam had given him and had pulled the knitted hat so far down over his face it almost covered his eyes. His hands were thrust deep down into the pockets of the oversized coat. Liam wanted to make him feel better, to let him know he was still there for him and they were in this together, but in his present mood he didn’t think Jack would accept an attempt to hold his hand.
That thought was a surprise to Liam. He’d never walked hand in hand with anyone, in his life, except his mum, of course, so at least not since he was a child. Not until he’d met Jack. He’d known the man two days and walking hand in hand seemed like second nature. Liam wanted to make amends, get to know more about Jack, but things had taken such a turn for the weird, would there be an opportunity to get to know him better?
“I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to come out without any shoes on.” Jack mused, breaking the silence.
“You told me you never wear shoes.” Liam reminded him. “Said it plays havoc with your…what was the word you used?”
Jack stopped so suddenly that Liam took a few steps before he registered the halt. He stopped and stepped back to stand with Jack.
“Equilibrium.” Jack blurted out with a gasp, clicking his fingers as he turned to stare at Liam with wide, bright eyes. “That’s right. I remember, but it wasn’t the shoes, it was something else….” He frowned and then groaned in frustration. “Mother Earth, I can’t remember.”
Liam reached out a hand to touch him. Jack’s breath hitched, just a little, and his cheeks coloured with a blush that had Liam’s heart fluttering. The man was quite stunning, even when he was confused as hell.
“Jack?” Liam waited for him to look up, to give some sort of permission or consent. He was aware he’d already pulled away from Jack once. Perhaps the damage was done. Perhaps Jack was now too wary of him and wanted nothing more physical to do with him. Jack seemed frozen in position, his eyes locked on Liam’s outstretched hand.
“You.” He whispered hoarsely and took Liam’s hand in his, pulling it to him to press it, palm down on his chest. He gasped at the contact, even if it was through three layers of clothing. “It’s you.” He said again, looking up into Liam’s face, meeting his gaze with ice-crystal blue. “You play havoc with my equilibrium. Not the bloody shoes.” He scoffed. “I’ve never worn shoes in my entire life.”
“What, not ever?” Liam asked, feeling instantly stupid, because if the man was actually a fox, then of course he hadn’t ever worn shoes.
“Gloves occasionally, but only for—Urgh!” Jack closed his eyes and tipped his head back, growling in frustration. “Thought I had something there, and then it all just went again. Bloody hell. And it’s all too weird for you, I can tell.”
Liam covered Jack’s hands with his own and pulled him close, not liking the vulnerable, frightened expression on Jack’s lovely face.
“I said we’d figure this out together and we will.” He told the man. “It might be weird, but you’re worth the weird, Jack. Do you believe me?”
Jack’s expression brightened, and he smiled, almost the broad, mischievous smile that had drawn Liam to kiss him that first time. It made him want to kiss Jack again, to kiss that smile back, to help the man know that he wasn’t alone in this. He leaned in and Jack stretched up on tiptoes to meet him halfway.
The lips might be warmer than they should be, but it didn’t stop Liam from kissing Jack thoroughly. Jack’s arms looped around Liam’s neck and pulled him deeper. Liam kissed along Jack’s jaw to his ear, then kissed his neck and finally buried his face in Jack’s soft, white blond hair, holding him close.
“I’m here for you, Jack. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know that, big feller.” Jack whispered back. “Thank you.”
“Now, let’s go and clear Mrs Appleby’s leaves and maybe the distraction will help.”
In Mrs Appleby’s garden, Jack and Liam stood side by side and stared. Jack tipped his head to one side, scratching it with one hand while the other rested on his hip. Liam simply looked on in disbelief.
“Where in the name of living hell did all these leaves come from?” He asked, incredulous.
He’d been expecting a few wet leaves, left over from all the work he’d done two days before. Instead they found a garden completely buried, knee deep, beneath what appeared to be every autumn leaf that had fallen in the village throughout the entire autumn.
“I cleared these away.” Liam continued, completely baffled. “I swear I did, and it’s rained since then, just now, in fact, yet they’re dry as a bone, and fresh, like they’ve only just fallen from the trees.”
“Maybe it didn’t rain down here.” Jack suggested, looking and sounding just as bamboozled as Liam felt.
“That’s impossible.” Liam scoffed. “You saw that storm. It might have been short-lived, but it couldn’t have been so localised. It was wild, out of control. I’m surprised we didn’t see missing tiles off roofs as we passed through the village. I’m surprised no one lost their roof entirely.”
Jack shrugged glancing back over at the piles of leaves. “Ah well, we’d best get to work if we’re to clear these.” He turned to look at Liam, a question in his eyes. “How do we do that exactly?”
Liam rolled his eyes. “I thought you said you hadn’t forgotten how to clear leaves.”
Jack grimaced, closing one of his eyes. “I said I hadn’t forgotten how to help a friend.” He corrected. “And it’s not that I’ve forgotten, exactly.” He gave Liam a sideways glance.
“Don’t tell me.” Liam groaned as he made his way towards Mrs Appleby’s garden shed. This wasn’t a memory thing, this was a Jack thing. “You’ve never cleared leaves before.”
“Well, I haven’t.” Jack called as he ran to fall into step with Liam. “I’ve played in them plenty. I love burying into them and jumping out again and pretending there’s mice in there I can…. catch.” Jack stopped and frowned. “Now why would I want to even think about doing that?”
“Really?” Liam raised his eyebrows as he undid the lock on the shed door. “You don’t have even one little clue?”
Jack scowled. “I am not a fox.” He looked and sounded angry. “Look at me.” He ran his hands up and down his body. “I’m as….” he frowned as he got stuck on the word. “I look just like you and you’re not a fox.”
“Well, you don’t look exactly like me.” Liam flicked at Jack’s white blond hair where it stuck out from under his hat and chuckled when Jack’s scowl grew even deeper. “Okay, I get it, you look as human as me.” Liam reached inside the shed and pulled out two rakes, handing one to Jack. “Here, rake the leaves into piles and we’ll attempt to fit them in the compost heap.”
“Right.” Jack frowned at the rake and waited for Liam to demonstrate before getting to work.
Liam and Jack worked hard for an hour, raking up all the leaves in Mrs Appleby’s garden and clearing her path so that she would be able to walk up and down it in safety.
