6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Callum

Another day, another task off the list. Callum chuckled. That's if I can keep my mind on the damn job.

Ever since he'd returned home the night before, he'd had thoughts of Trent swirling in his head and dreams. It had been the best evening out he could remember in a long time. He'd loved every moment of the time they'd spent together. Trent was great company, and he'd enjoyed learning more about him. Time had flown by as they'd eaten a delicious dinner, followed by dessert, and stretched things out by lingering over coffee. The restaurant had emptied around them until eventually they'd had no choice but to pay the bill and head out. The drive back to the guesthouse was only minutes and all too soon they were saying goodbye in the car park.

The light from the lamp post near the gate had pooled gently around them. The sky was dark with a smattering of stars. Everything was quiet, the air still and a little chilly.

He'd held Trent's gaze as they'd looked at each other. The moment drew out and his chest had tightened as Trent's eyes had searched his face. He'd wanted—hell, he didn't know what the fuck he'd wanted.

"I had fun," Trent had eventually said.

"Well, ah, thanks for a good night," Callum had replied, swallowing past the dryness in his throat.

And that had been that. A lost moment. A night spent lying in bed considering his sexuality and why he felt such an attraction to Trent—the first genuine magnetic attraction he'd felt to anyone, male or female.

Today he was grateful for physical labour. The repetitive work was a form of mediation. His muscles flexed with each stroke of the sandpaper as he made his way methodically along the back wall of the guesthouse. Sweat beaded on his brow and trickled down his back, but despite the heat and the ache in his arms, it was rewarding work. That didn't stop his sigh of relief when he reached the end of the wall he was working on. He straightened and stepped back to survey his handwork.

"Looking good," he muttered to himself then glanced around taking in the house and the garden.

It would make a perfect location for the party when the refurbishment and landscaping was finished, especially with the magnificent view. He lifted his gaze to the surrounding bushland and mountain peaks in the distance. As he did, his eyes were drawn to the distance where a plume of smoke billowed into the sky. Distances were deceiving, so the fire could have been anywhere along the ridge, from the next town over to much further away. He sniffed the air and couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary, but he was immediately on high alert. Bushfires were something to take seriously, an out of control bushfire having the power to devastate a community.

"Hey, Callum."

He turned at the sound of his name to see Trent rounding the corner of the house. "Hey," he said before glancing back at the smoke in the distance. Pale smoke billowed outwards, with darker smoke rising from the centre. There was no real indication of the scale of the fire but it was sizeable if Callum had to take a guess.

"Everything alright, mate?" Trent asked.

"Uh, yeah. Just saw the smoke over there. It doesn't look good."

"I hope it's a just a controlled burn," Trent said, but his brow furrowed as he looked towards the grey cloud in the distance.

"Yeah, I hope so too, but it's a good reminder that we can't be too careful," he replied, forcing a smile. "I'll tidy up here and then start on fire prep."

Trent nodded but worry etched his face. "Better safe than sorry, right?"

"It looks like it's miles away, but it can't hurt to check the hoses and the gutters," Callum said, aiming for casual. "I like to do it every few weeks in bushfire season, anyway."

"Good idea," Trent said, as he clapped Callum on the shoulder, the simple touch sending a shiver down his spine, "and I'll check with the fire service to see if we've got anything to worry about. They warned this season would be a bad one, so I don't want to take any chances." He flashed him a quick smile before returning to the house.

Callum tracked his movements for a moment before dragging his gaze away and turning to the task at hand.

As he returned the sandpaper and scrapers to the shed, he couldn't shake the image of the smoke in the distance, especially when he got the first hint of smoke in his nostrils. This guesthouse was Trent's dream. Callum couldn't imagine how he'd cope if everything he'd worked for was lost to fire. He'd be devastated. The thought prompted him to get a move on. He grabbed a gutter cleaning tool—a long stick with a hooked end— and took it back to the house, determined to make sure the place was as secure as possible.

He took the ladder he'd been using earlier, repositioned it against the side of the house, and climbed to the top, where he began scooping handfuls of leaves and debris. It was surprising how much had accumulated in the few short weeks since he'd last cleared the gutters out. Magnificent as they were, the large trees surrounding the house made it a continual task. He worked his way along the length of the house, dropping handfuls of pine needles onto the ground.

"Almost done up there?" Trent's voice broke his train of thought.

"Just another metre," Callum replied, looking down to see the concern in Trent's eyes. He wasn't sure if the cause was the fire or because he was up a ladder. Trent wasn't a fan of heights.

Finishing the last stretch of gutter, he took a brief moment to take in the scene from his elevated position. Smoke was still visible in the distance, but he couldn't figure out if it had changed. At least there wasn't much breeze, the morning was hot and still. He dragged his gaze from the mountains and focused on descending the ladder, his booted feet hitting the ground with a thud.

"Got it all cleared?" Trent asked.

He nodded. "This side's done. I'll tackle the northern side next. What's the update on the fire?"

The faint smell of smoke that permeated the air made the fire risk hard to ignore.

"I checked the Rural Fire Service site. According to the RFS the fire danger rating is high—"

"Thank God we're not closer," Callum said.

"The bushfire is about twenty k's away and is currently under control. They're advising pretty much what we're doing—being alert and making sure we have a fire safety plan."

"Which we do."

"Yeah, I've never been so thankful I'm a stickler for following all the rules, and that you're so proactive." Trent chuckled nervously. "Seriously though, it's good to know we're doing everything we can."

Callum indicated the back fence where the garden transitioned into wild bushland. "I'd like to do some more clearing out around the perimeter but the house and immediate surrounds are more important. Should we check in with the neighbours?"

"I was just thinking the same thing," Trent said. "Mary and Joe might need some help. I don't like the idea of Joe getting up on a ladder and I know he's had other things on his mind since Mary's surgery, so I'm not sure he'd be up to date with clearing around the property."

Callum nodded. The thought of the frail old man on a ladder sent a chill up his spine, but equally, he hated the idea of Trent doing the same. "How about I drop around their place and do any work that needs doing?"

"You'd do that?"

"Of course. I've got the equipment and I know what I'm doing, so I'm the best person for the job. It'll only take me another hour or so to finish up here and then I can head over. Meanwhile, you can run through the plan here and make sure the hoses are all connected and working, and anything else that needs doing. I'll tackle more ground clearing tomorrow, but I thought running the mower over the grass at the back would be a good idea too. Think you could handle the lawn mower?"

Trent rolled his eyes. "I'm not totally incapable outside, you know."

He waggled his brows. "Maybe I'm worried you'll put me out of a job."

"Don't even joke about that," Trent said, suddenly serious. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Damn. Why did hearing those words make him so flustered?

"I… ah… So we're agreed?" he said, voice thick. "I'll take care of Joe and Mary, and you'll do stuff here?"

"That's the plan." Trent nodded, his smile warm.

The tightness in Callum's chest lightened at Trent's smile. Having a plan and something to focus on was better than stressing about things outside of their control.

Trent put a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good friend and neighbour."

Callum flushed. "They'd do the same for us, if they could."

Trent held his gaze for a long moment before finally lowering his hand. "Well, I guess we'd better get on with it then." With a last brief smile, he turned and strode back to the house.

Callum watched him until he went inside, before getting to work. The quicker he got over to Joe and Mary's, the sooner he'd be back home.