Page 12 of Summer in Sunset Harbour
‘Mrs…. ah Hilda … ah, is that some kind of joke?’
‘Divorce is not a joke, Robinson.’
‘I meant about the park. It’s been closed since I was a kid. Dad has no interest in opening it up again.’
It was Hilda’s turn to take an ankle swing, this time aiming at Robinson. She also missed, also hitting the poor flowerpot, which wobbled and might have overturned had Josie not squatted down to steady it. She shuffled off the step and stood on the grass beside the door, watching Robinson shaking his head and chuckling.
‘That’s not what your dad told me,’ Hilda said.
Josie put up a hand. ‘Excuse me, can we just rewind a little bit? Ah, hello. So, I’m Josie. You’re Nathaniel’s son, I take it?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Is your dad here?’
‘No, he’s down on the beach. He’ll be back sooner or later, when he finds his way up.’
‘When he … isn’t he blind?’
Robinson grinned, nodding. ‘Yeah. That’s why it takes a while. Hates being helped, though. Typical old Cornishman. Thinks he’s immortal. One day he’ll just walk right off the edge of one of the cliffs and vanish into the sea.’
‘So … you don’t know when he’ll be back?’
‘Nope. Hopefully not for a while. I’ve been doing a bit of painting. This place is a mess.’ He grinned. ‘Dad doesn’t care now he can no longer see it, but I have slightly higher standards.’
‘We just had a couple of questions about the camping park,’ Hilda said.
‘Well, if Dad really did say he wanted it reopened, I imagine you can do whatever you want. You know what Dad’s like.’
‘Would he mind if I chopped down a couple of trees?’
Robinson grinned. ‘Probably not. Although if you do, save the wood.’ He poked a thumb over his shoulder. ‘This place is falling apart. Haul them up here and I’ll do the rest.’
‘Haul them … right.’ Josie had begun to feel dizzy. ‘Okay. Maybe I’ll just do that.’
Robinson lifted an eyebrow. ‘Anything else? Sorry not to invite you in, but I have paint everywhere.’
‘We’d better get back to work anyway,’ Hilda said. ‘Tell your dad we dropped by.’
‘Will do.’
Robinson went back inside, lifting the door again to close it. Hilda turned to Josie, taking her arm and steering her back up the lane.
‘See? No problem. You can do what you like.’
‘So, I can set fire to those treehouses and throw the bodies of those tree huggers into the sea?’
Hilda chuckled. ‘Oh, Josie. Don’t be so dramatic. Just tell them to leave or you’ll call the police.’
‘I’m really not sure I can do this.’
‘You can, and you will. Robinson … he’s grown up, hasn’t he?’
‘Was he recently a child? And I mean, physically, not his personality.’
‘Don’t be silly. He’s been away for a few years, but every time I see him, he seems to have got just a little more hunkier.’
‘What? Are you serious?’
