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Finn walks past me, and grabs two plates for the eggs. He opens up the oven and takes out two sausages, a handful of bacon and a grilled tomato each. He serves it all up and then brings it to the counter.
I sit down, feeling kind of useless. ‘Sorry I can’t be much help right now,’ I say.
‘All you gotta do is be looked after. I’m just happy to see you moving about. I was afraid you’d need to lie down all day.’
If you’re beside me, I think I could happily lie down all day, handsome…
‘I, um, I like your tattoos,’ I say shyly, as I begin to eat. I’m so close to him now. Front-row seats. I can see that his stubble has grown a little since we first met, into a short beard now. I can see the bright icy blue of his eyes, with a darker ring of navy blue around the edge of the irises. I can see the glowing red eyes of the snake on his chest, and the swirl of the script just above it. I can read it now, this close up.One Life, One Chance.
As Finn skewers a piece of bacon and lifts it to his lips, I notice something on this forearm. It’s a tattoo of a black rose, but I can see that it’s covering something angry and red. A scar.
‘How did you get that?’ I ask, nodding in the direction of the scar.
Finn must think I’m talking about the tattoo, because he replies, ‘Oh, I got most of these in the last five years. Each one is a reminder about something. Like a fridge full of post-it-notes. Only they’re on my body. And they’re permanent.’
‘What kind of stuff are they reminding you of?’
He fixes me with a long, smoldering look. ‘Self-restraint,’ he says.
I swallow. My breath is shallow now. I can barely get another word out.
Luckily, he helps me out.
‘I’m heading up to the watchtower after this. There's a Chinook wind heading in. Coming from the west, over the mountain range, and a warm wind like that can spread a single flame like… well, like wildfire.’ He fidgets in his seat. Is it just me, or is he acting a little awkward around me? It was his idea to eat breakfast in a state of near undress, so what’s the problem? Has he started to regret it?
‘I’ve been neglecting my duties a bit lately,’ he continues. ‘So I’ll need to get to work. And I’ll need you to stay close by. I’m not letting you out of my sight. Assuming you’re not well enough to drive off yet, that is?’
‘Been thinking about that,’ I say. ‘Reckon I’ll stay for a while. I feel safer here, in spite of everything that’s happened.’
Finn’s shoulders seem to relax a little, as though he’s been tense up until now. ‘That’s good news,’ he says. ‘Reckon that’s the best thing for you.’
I chew on my last mouthful of breakfast, still wondering about his line of work. ‘Who pays you? To watch for fires?’
‘The old woman owns the land around here. Georgie Brown is her name. Started watching for her a few years back. She owns over two thousand hectares of land around here, sandwiched between two state-run National Parks. The parks are protected by official fire watchers, paid for by the government. This area here — it’s never had one before now. I got talking to Georgie in a bar one night, offered to watch for smoke on her land if she’d let me build a cabin there. Of course, I had to build a watchtower too. Built that first, as it happens. Lived up there for three months, my head in the clouds, before I had this place in any fit state to move into.’
‘It sounds like you’ve had a real adventure.’
‘It is what it is,’ says Finn, taking our empty plates over to the sink. ‘I’m going to take a shower. I’d give it another day before you get those wounds wet, if I were you.’
I nod. I’m not exactly in the mood to get under the freezing cold water right now, anyway. I’m more in the mood to snuggle up somewhere warm…
***
‘It’s just a little farther up this hill. Think you can make it?’
Finn isn’t carrying me — for once! But he’s got his arm around me, supporting the weight that my weak ankle can’t take. Eric is out with us, weaving in and out of our feet excitedly, letting out a yap every now and then to let us know he’s there.
‘It’s really not so bad,’ I say. ‘I’m fine.’
‘Sorry to have to drag you up here, though. When you’re hurt and all. If it wasn’t for this damn Chinook wind I’d give it another day, but —’
‘I’m pleased we’re going,’ I tell him. ‘It’ll be nice to see where you work. Although I hope you don’t feel like you have to play Bodyguard every second I’m in this forest. I’d be fine on my own. Really, I would.’
Finn turns to me. ‘You know how to fire a gun, by any chance?’
I give him a mysterious smile.
‘Let’s hope yesterday was the end of it, anyway.’ Finn’s hand hovers over his pocket as he says this.
