Page 48 of The Christmas Star

‘You need to scoot along the branch,’ Theo said. ‘Away from the trunk.’

‘I most certainly do not,’ I replied.

‘But it’s the quickest way down.’

He was right, of course. But while twelve-year-old me would’ve been happy to impersonate a Lost Boy dangling from a railway bridge and dropping into the ether, fifty-year-old me had more sense.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll catch you.’

I recalled an incident from my childhood. At eight years old I’d been determined to prove I could match any boy when it came to scrambling trees. But finding myself stuck, my confidence had outweighed my ability back then too. ‘That’s what Thomas Pickle said.’ Landing on him like a sack of potatoes, he gave a whole new meaning to the term butter fingers. ‘I nearly broke the lad’s neck.’

‘You’re not even that high,’ Theo replied.

Realising that was subjective, I spluttered. ‘I’m high enough.’

Theo took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. ‘Hold tight.’

Like I wasn’t already.

‘I’m coming to get you.’

Theo expertly negotiated branch after branch and in contrast to my slow and steady ascent, his was way more proficient. His face full of concentration, he kept stopping to assess his route, taking note of what was behind him as much as what was ahead.

The taut muscles in his forearms, his sturdy grip and effortless agility… I couldn’t help but admire Theo’s prowess. Nor could I believe he’d risk his own safety for a woman he hardly knew. Talk about chivalrous. In his shoes, I’d have sent out for a cherry picker.

‘Fancy seeing you here,’ he said when he, at last, reached me. His eyes level with mine, his grin was suddenly replaced with what appeared to be genuine worry. He put a hand against my cheek. ‘You must be freezing.’

I couldn’t remember the last time a man had looked at me with such concern and holding his gaze as firmly as I hugged the tree trunk, I lost myself in his clear blue eyes. As he stared back at me, screeching from a bird fight in the branches above suddenly brought us to our senses and while I pulled myself together, Theo snapped his hand back, making a show of checking out the greenery around us.

‘Time to get you down,’ he said.

I swallowed hard.

‘It’s okay. I won’t let you fall. I promise.’

As much as I wanted to trust Theo, a part of me resisted. Experience had taught me men had a way of making promises they weren’t able to deliver on and whereas in the past I’d been left broken-hearted, in this instance, I risked broken limbs.

Theo gave me a gentle smile. ‘Honestly, you’re safe with me. You won’t get hurt.’

I took in the intensity of his gaze, questioning if he was referring not just to our situation, but something more. Obviously, I was imagining things; we’d only known each other two minutes, and realising I’d no choice but to take a leap of faith, I nodded. ‘Okay.’

Theo’s smile grew. ‘Let’s do this.’ He gathered himself ready for the task ahead. ‘Right. I want you to swing your right leg over to here, so your whole body is facing me. Then I want you to inch yourself round so your tummy’s resting on the branch and you can let your legs drop.’

‘What if the branch breaks?’

‘It won’t.’

I pictured myself falling and, just like my phone, bouncing from one branch to another, getting ripped to shreds in the process. ‘But what if it does?’

‘It won’t.’

‘But…’

‘Honestly, Erin, you’ve got this.’

The man clearly had more faith than me.

Preparing to follow his instructions, I took a deep breath and filling my cheeks with air, exhaled. I told myself that trusting Theo was no different to the trust fall team-building exercises they’d tried to get me to do at work. Except on this occasion, refusing to partake wasn’t an option.