Page 6 of Tethered Hearts

Brie

Dappled sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees shading the hiking trail, and birdsong chorused overhead; it was a beautiful symphony in the early morning and a perfect start to the weekend. Rivulets of sweat dripped off Brie’s body and her tank top clung to her skin as she matched strides with Melanie along the ocean track. A whisper of a breeze gave little reprieve from the dense blanket of heat filling the air. Thank goodness they’d ventured out early for their Saturday morning trek through the national park. Any later in the day, and the pair would probably need reviving with icepacks and intravenous fluids.

“So, you’ll never guess who I treated the other day,” Brie panted, swiping a hand across her brow and swatting a fly in the process. Ugh, the heat was disgusting. She was fit, but the humidity was squeezing every last ounce of air from her lungs.

“No idea.” Melanie ducked to avoid an overhanging branch as they followed the track running parallel to the azure waters below.

“Matt Dallimore.”

“What? No way!” Melanie stopped and turned, a wide grin stretching across her face. “How was that for you? Were you able to put your fangirling aside and be professional?”

“Very funny.” Brie paused alongside her friend to catch her breath. Truth was, Melanie wasn’t far off the mark. “I won’t deny I was nervous. But I treated him as I would any other client.” Or at least she’d tried to. She’d never felt so intimidated, or terrified, or as excited with other clients. Probably because she’d never followed their careers so intensely or drooled over their good looks. And she’d never rambled on so much in her life, becoming an expert in small talk as she’d tried to fill the gaps of silence. She probably scared the poor guy with all her drivel.

“Did you ask about his hair?” Melanie grinned before adopting a sing-song voice and batting her eyelashes. “Tell me, Matt, what product do you use to make your hair so full and vibrant?”

“Oh, stop it!” Brie took a swig from her water bottle before marching ahead with Melanie’s laugh trailing behind her. She could only imagine how well a discussion about Matt’s hair would’ve gone, given that he was already Mr. Non-Conversationalist. Although, her mention of being in the search and rescue squad had garnered some attention. Not much, but at least it was a start, and better than the stony wall of silence and disinterest he’d erected.

The women continued a little further along the trail before the path split to the left. They followed the ocean route, climbing down rock stairs that led to some shimmering pools of water. The pair found a quieter area away from the group of teens frolicking about and sat on a smooth rock face. Slipping off their shoes, they lowered their feet into the clear water of the tidal pool.

“Ah. How good is this?” Brie scooped up some water and splashed her face, sighing with the instant relief.

“I should bring Hayden down here one day,” Melanie said, dousing a handful of water over her legs.

“Oh, he would love it. He’d enjoy exploring all the rock pools and seeing all the ocean critters.” Brie could imagine Melanie’s nephew having a blast in the Fairy Pools, aptly named for the maze of tidal pools spilling into the aqua waters of the ocean, making it a magical place to visit. It had been months since she’d ventured down to the pools away from the main tourist tracks, and she made a mental note not to leave so much time between visits again. She’d forgotten how refreshing and invigorating it was.

“The walk would wear him out, too. Which might be a good thing.” Melanie leaned back on her hands and tipped her face toward the sun. “I’m exhausted thinking about his limitless supply of energy.”

Dragging her feet through the water, Brie watched the ripples breaking across the surface. Tiny barnacles clung to the rocks and strands of brown and green seaweed swayed with the movement of the water. “I really don’t know how you do it, Mel. You’re amazing. At least you’ve got Wade to help out when you need it.” She was in awe of her best friend’s smooth transition to juggling work as the ER manager at East Coast University Hospital, and caring for Hayden full-time after his mother, Melanie’s sister, abandoned him. She knew it hadn’t been easy, but Melanie had taken it all in her stride, and had even reconnected with Wade Acton, now her fiancé, along the way.

The more she thought about their story, the more it made her smile. A second-chance love story that only God could orchestrate had taken Melanie completely by surprise. But Brie could think of no one more suitable for Melanie and her nephew than the handsome ER doctor. Brie couldn’t wait to stand beside her best friend as she married the love of her life. The man Melanie had let go of years earlier to protect his heart. They’d worked through Melanie’s infertility, and Brie admired Wade for his courage to accept that he would never father children of his own.

“Wade’s taken Hayden for a bike ride this morning.”

“He’s so good with him,” Brie remarked.

“Yeah, he really is. I’m very thankful.” Melanie sighed wistfully. “I really hope you’ll find someone like him, Brie.”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Brie waggled a finger at her friend. “We’re not spoiling this day by talking about my relationships, or lack thereof. It’s bad enough that Brett won’t get the hint. Don’t worry, I’m not pinning my hopes on anyone.”

“He still won’t leave you alone?” Melanie straightened, eyeing Brie over the top of her sunglasses.

“He’s not stalking me, don’t worry. He just …” Brie sighed, shielding her eyes as she followed a lone kite surfer gliding along the smooth water out beyond the breakers. “He still thinks we’re close, or thinks he still has a right to know what’s going on in my life. He wanted me to text him the other night after our rescue to make sure I got home safely. Silly things like that.”

“Maybe he’s trying to be a friend? After all, you gave him that option.”

“I know I did. And perhaps I shouldn’t have suggested it and given him false hope. We broke up ages ago.” With a sigh, she scooped more water over her legs to ease the sting of the sun needling her skin.

“You’ve got a big heart, Brie. That’s why. You like to keep the peace with everyone. Even if there’s a disagreement, you like to smooth out all the wrinkles.”

She nodded, knowing full well she was a peacekeeper at heart. But sometimes, in Brett’s instance, she really ought to cut ties and walk away for good. She’d always been attracted to the wrong type. Or perhaps the wrong type of men had been attracted to her. Men that mistook her generous heart and easy-going nature and treated her as a doormat. Men that took advantage of her kindness. Her need for approval didn’t help things, either. When she fell, she fell hard and gave away her heart all too easily. But a cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment had changed all that. After pursuing love in all the wrong places, she’d returned to her Heavenly Father’s arms, knowing that He was the only one who could ever fill the deep need within her soul to feel loved and accepted. Her fingers traced over the scar on the right side of her chest, just below her collarbone. The slightly raised scar was a reminder of all she’d been through, and how grateful she was to God for bringing her this far.

“Anyway, enough about me,” Brie said, not wanting to spoil the gorgeous morning by dwelling on her hang-ups. The women talked for a while longer, about their jobs, church, and Melanie’s upcoming nuptials. Although still early, the heat from the sun was soon unbearable, and the pools were getting busier, detracting from the serenity of what had been a blissful morning. The women stood and shook the water from their legs. Grabbing their shoes, they made their way out of the rock pools in the opposite direction to which they’d arrived.

“Wade and Jackson have a suit fitting on Friday, and I need to work out a date with you to go dress shopping,” Melanie said as they clambered across the rocks with their sneakers dangling from their fingers. Jackson Swan, a general physician, was Wade’s housemate and was to be Brie’s partner in the wedding party.

“I can’t wait.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to invite someone as your plus-one?”

“It’s fine, Mel,” Brie said, using her spare hand to steady herself on the rocks. “No point having a plus-one if I’m going to be by your side all day. Besides, who would I take?” Matt’s face flashed through her mind.What?!She dispelled the image as quickly as it had appeared. What was she thinking? In her dreams, maybe. But this was reality. Matt had barely said more than one word to her. As much as she’d had a silly crush on the handsome athlete, and that’s all it was, he was a Big. Fat. No. Completely off-limits. Besides crossing a very clear professional boundary, there was no way she would even consider anything with him beyond relevant clinical conversations. After all she’d been through, after all the healing God had brought to her life, being unequally yoked wasn’t even an option. No. Matt Dallimore was not going to be her plus-anything.

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