Hello Stranger

“Climb a mountain,” I said. “Do you want to do it tomorrow?”

She was trying to fathom what I was saying, her eyes wide on mine, and Logan chipped in after me.

“Chloe wants us to head to the Malvern Hills tomorrow and push your wheelchair to the top, and I said to her that–”

“Yes!” she said, cutting him off. “Yes, I want to climb a mountain tomorrow! Count me right in!”

I spun to face Logan, and I can only imagine how bamboozled he must have been with the grins coming from the two of us, both of us already set on the hill climb mission with everything we had.

He debated it for a few seconds, fighting the rationale, or whatever he needed to do. And then he sighed. Sighed with a grin of his own.

“Sure,” he said. “We’ll head to the Malvern Hills tomorrow.”

I air punched. For real, I air punched, and so did Jackie. We high-fived and said how great it was going to be, and it was madness, just how well I felt I knew her already.

We had a few minutes of enthusiasm bursting between us before Logan weighed in with the practicalities.

“What about footwear?”

Jackie found out I was the same size shoe as her and said I could use some of hers from when she could walk up hills.

“What about the car journey?”

Car journeys can be fun, and Jackie could take a nap, and I wouldn’t mind at all sitting in the backseat so her oxygen could stay charged and plugged in.

“What about finding the correct route and working out the best way?”

I shrugged at that. “We’ll do it.”

That’s when that sparkle in his eyes matched his mum’s. “Yeah,” he said. “I’m sure we will.”

It was so exciting that evening. I helped Logan make cottage pie and we ate it upstairs with Jackie. We laughed about old memories, but these were all good. Tales of Christmas and silly fun on holiday, and how Logan likes films from the 80s.

I told them I liked films from the 80s too. I was still in love with the goblin king from The Labyrinth and had been forever…

Almost as much as I was in love with Dr Hall.

We laughed. We finished the crossword.

Logan held my hand as we sat side by side by his Mum’s bed through the evening.

I didn’t let him go.

It was dark when he got his mum ready for bed.

“Ham sandwiches,” she said and we both looked at her. “That’s what I’d like. Ham sandwiches and a cup of tea, on top of a mountain.”

“I’m sure we can manage that,” Logan said.

“And a biscuit or two for after,” she added with a grin that had me grinning right back.

“I’ll get up super early and get everything ready,” I said.

“I don’t think I’ll sleep,” she said, “I’m so excited.” She gave a little sigh, settled against her pillows. “So damn excited.”

“You’ll sleep, Mum,” Logan told her. “Sweet dreams.” He kissed her forehead and hugged her. My heart melted for them both. I stepped quietly from the room. I wasn’t sure I’d sleep either.

I was already back in his bedroom when he switched off her light and came back through, and I was ready for it. That unconscious fizz of want, knowing full well he was feeling it too.

He didn’t give me a second before he was up against me and kissing me deep.

“Wait!” I said, hands on his chest.

“What?” he said, his breath hot on my mouth.

“Have you got any ham?”

“What?” he said again.

“For the sandwiches. If you haven’t got any, we need to go buy some.”

He let out a breath, thought for a moment. “Not fresh ham, but I think there’s a tin in the cupboard.”

His lips touched mine. I pushed him away. “You think? Or there definitely is?”

“Chloe, I’m sure there is.”

“Go check,” I said, “Please, we need to make sure she gets what she wants.”

He sighed, dropped a kiss on my nose. “Don’t go anywhere!”

As soon as he was out the door, I did go somewhere. I stripped off and got into his bed, made sure both lamps were burning bright before I covered myself with the sheets.

He was back a minute later, unbuttoning his shirt the moment he saw me there.

“I guess this means there’s definitely a tin of ham in the cupboard,” I said as his trousers came off.

“Two tins, actually,” he said, dropping his boxer briefs and kicking them away.

I flung the sheets off me, my legs already parted for him. “Then we’re good to go,” I said.

I was all over him, hands desperate for his skin, just as his were desperate for mine.

He fucked me. Hard enough that I moaned at every thrust.

He made me come so hard that my ears were ringing, and my breaths were crazy in my chest.

I sucked him. I begged for him. I touched every part of him like he was the gold at the end of my rainbow, because he was.