Page 31 of Summer in Sunset Harbour
‘Are you sure? You’ll be diabetic in a couple of months at this rate.’
Hilda’s smile briefly dropped before returning again. ‘We can’t not celebrate your daughter arriving in Sunset Harbour, can we?’
The call came about halfan hour later. Tiffany’s bus would arrive at the stop by the harbour about half past three. With a few hours to kill, she headed back down to the campsite.
She met Barney by the entrance, scrubbing and polishing the welcome sign. Much of the paintwork had chipped or flaked off; another job to be added to the list. As Barney paused to greet her, she noticed his beard had gone, and his hair was trimmed. His clothes, benefitting from a solid wash after Josie had called Cathy Ubbers and ordered a collection, looked clean and neat. On his feet he wore a new pair of wellington boots.
Josie couldn’t help but smile. He now looked like a regular employee rather than an escaped convict.
‘We’ve started work on clearing the old parking area,’ he told her as she came over. ‘Under all that brush, there’s actually regular grass, believe it or not. Geoffrey suggested we paint some rocks to mark the way in using pastel blue and pale orange, to give the customers a bit of a beachy feeling.’
‘Good idea.’
‘We’ll need paints.’
Josie sighed. ‘All right. I’m on it.’
She turned, just as the reception door—newly repaired—opened and a tall, grey-haired man stepped out.
‘Excuse me, what are you doing?’
The man started at the sight of her, then his wizened old face opened in a wide smile. ‘Ah, Josie. You’re back.’
‘Geoffrey?’
He reached up to rub his chin as he came over. ‘Had a bit of a trim,’ he said. ‘The lad over there helped me. Huh. Not felt this smooth since I was a kid.’
The shave and haircut, as well as leaving him unrecognisable, had taken years off him. Now, rather than an eighty-year-old homeless man, he now looked like a sixty-something bank manager on the cusp of retirement. Hair ranging from dark grey to white was neatly combed over, hollowed cheeks and an impressively carved jawline held a couple of liver spots and blemishes that claimed his age.
He cocked his head as she watched him. ‘What do you think Lindsay will say?’ he said, sounding remarkably childlike, reborn even.
‘Where is she?’
‘Still in her cabin.’
‘She didn’t come out today?’
Geoffrey’s smile dropped as he shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not.’
Josie nodded. ‘I’ll go and see her. It’s … nice to meet you again, Geoffrey.’
‘And you.’
She left Geoffrey and Barney by the entrance and headed over to Lindsay’s cabin, a short distance past the one shared by the others, a little further into the woods.
Josie went up to the door and knocked.
‘Lindsay? Are you all right in there?’
A shuffling came from inside as though Lindsay were moving towards the door. The floor creaked, but the door stayed closed.
‘Lindsay?’
‘I’m fine, leave me alone,’ came a muffled voice from inside.
‘You don’t sound it. Are you sure?’
‘Yes. Go away.’
