The hilltop was a dainty little place…Steve loved the fresh air of the green mountains….it was exactly the scenery he’d read about over and over again in a book by their favourite author.
Skyler was just too happy they got to spend some time together.
They were out on the streets enjoying the cool breeze and a sunny sky, looking at the local shops. She gently squeezed his palm and he entwined his fingers with hers.
They went inside a shop full of hats. Skyler spotted a funny hat with pig tails sprouting out of its ends and she made Steve wear it. Before he could take it off, she clicked a picture. Steve shook his head at her, smiling, and took off the ridiculous hat…..his tawny hair was a fine mess.
They left the shop twenty minutes later with a fluffy warm white hat for Stepen, a rainbow coloured one for Sky and a pink one for Rusty.
“Why are we buying one for Rusty?” Sky had asked.
“He loves to chew on them, doesn’t he?” Steve had said as he picked a small pink one off the shelf.
Sky agreed.
As they walked further on ,the breeze turned a little cooler and the sky was shaded with grey, weepy clouds.
It was about to pour.
They quickened their steps back to the inn they were staying at.
They were half a mile away from the inn when it started to rain hard.
Steve quickly pulled Skyler under a little wooden shack next to an old fashioned lamp, weaved with wild, green creepers. They stood huddled close together, under the shack, as the rain fell down violently and the sky turned dark. The breeze was frigid and it made Skyler’s teeth clatter. Steve pulled her closer and wrapped his jacket around them both, hummed Skyler’s favourite song to distract her. Sky turned in his arms, burying her face into his shoulder.
The temperature kept dropping and they were both shivering now.
The rain was still falling fast.
Skyler’s hands and feet were already freezing and they were both tired from standing for so long, waiting for the rain to stop.
“Let’s just run for it,”Sky said after a while.
Steve was bewildered.
“Let’s just run to the inn….I can’t wait out here any longer. I’ll die of cold!” she exclaimed.
“Sky, we’ll be drenched! You will catch a cold!”
“I don’t care. I’m freezing! I’ll catch a cold anyway!”
Steve gave it all a minute’s thought.
He grasped Skyler’s hand then and smiled mischeviously. And to Skyler’s surprise, he pulled her out into the rain. Sky squealed and Steve laughed as the cold water hit them…..and they ran, holding hands.
“This is crazy!”Sky screamed.
“It was your idea!” Steve yelled back, laughing.
The frigid water seeped through their clothes, they were drenched to the skin when they reached the inn.
The kind old inn lady immediately made a fire in the other room and set off to the kitchen to make them something warm.
Sky and Steve went upstairs into their room. Steve took a quick shower as Skyler fetched them dry clothes.
Sky went in when Steve came out. She turned the shower on….the water was hot…..it unknotted her stiff muscles and she enjoyed the feeling of the warmth pervading through her scalp and trickling down her body. She stepped out of the shower after a long while and slid into one of Steve’s T-shirts and her PJs. She quickly put on a large yellow sweater and leaving the towel wrapped around her head, she scuttled down the stairs barefoot. Steve was waiting for her in front of the cackling fire with two steaming cups of hot chocolate, a towel, a blanket and her fuzzy socks.
Sky put the socks on, grinning at Steve who handed her the hot chocolate. They slowly sipped it, the blanket over their legs. Then Steve helped her dry her hair, rubbing it gently with the towel.
They sat in silence….quite close to each other…tired but happy. Sky slipped her hand into Steve’s and they were soon cuddling in front of the fire….their feet entwined. Their hearts in love.
