Page 53 of Summer in Sunset Harbour
‘The musician guy?’
‘Yeah.’
Robinson nodded. ‘I’ve heard about him. Tiffany was telling me. He’s at number one, right? God, that song is terrible.’
Josie couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Yeah, him. Anyway, yeah, he was a scumbag, treated me like a doormat and basically used me for our entire marriage to push his career while burying mine, I was still for some strange reason in love with him.’
‘Women love a bad guy. It’s evolution, as natural as a rock formation.’
‘That’s … one way to look at it.’
Robinson just shrugged, ate another chip.
‘Well, because of that, because he basically broke my heart, my soul, my resolve, and my emotional ability to deal with relationships—not to mention decimating my bank account—I just can’t even think about another relationship right now, even if my daughter and my best friend think it would fix me.’
‘That’s completely reasonable.’
She turned to look at him. ‘It is?’
‘Yeah. Of course it is.’
‘Really?’ Part of her couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed at his own seeming lack of disappointment. It was as though he had no feelings for her at all.
Why would he? I’ve basically run away from him at every opportunity.
‘I’m a geologist,’ he said. ‘I study timeframes that are almost too incomprehensible for people to understand. ‘Waiting isn’t something that bothers me.’
‘Waiting?’
‘Yeah.’
She felt all prickly hot again. Did he mean waiting for her?
‘What are you …waiting for?’
Robinson grinned. ‘I’m waiting to see what happens. I don’t believe in forcing any situation any more than necessary.’
‘Right.’
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Josie stared out at the sea, analysing his words for hidden meaning. Robinson, however, just stared at the sea, without a care in the world.
Eventually, he said, ‘So, what was it you were coming to see me about?’
‘What? I—how did you know?’
‘Tiffany called me to say you were heading up to Dad’s place. I thought I’d come and meet you, save you the walk.’
‘You were coming to meet me?’
‘Yeah. And get Dad’s fish ‘n’ chips, of course. Two birds, one stone, and all that.’
‘But you didn’t say.’
‘No, because I thought you would. Eventually. See what I mean about waiting? I think we’ve reached that point where you’re about to tell me, though.’
‘It’s about the campsite,’ she sighed, shoulders slumping, all her whimsical wonderings crashing to earth. ‘We might have a bit of a problem.’
24
