working when I’m around. It’s really satisfying, and I’m learning a lot.’
‘I’d like to see what you’ve done.’
Mac nodded. ‘I’d like to show you.’
He told her how Gibson’s Bay had become his home port. How the beach and the open sky were a welcome balm for him. The locals were friendly but unobtrusive, and left him to himself unless he wanted it otherwise. No one thought it strange that he came and went, and he appreciated that.
‘Enough about me,’ he said at last. ‘Tell me about this business of yours.’
He watched her as she spoke, her face and hands as expressive as ever. She glowed with her sense of achievement and he smiled to himself. He’d always known she had it in her, but it was something else to see her like this, on the brink of launching out on a venture that was so right for her. He knew how that felt. He reached over and touched her hand.
‘I’m really pleased for you, Ginny. It sounds like you’re onto a real winner.’ He hesitated before speaking again.
‘I see the rock is gone.’
She laughed. ‘Hardly a rock, Mac — more like a piece of shingle. You were right, mate. He was a shithead.’ She held up her left hand, showing the naked ring finger. ‘Vast improvement, don’t you think?’ she said with a smile.
‘Very much, Ginn. It suits you.’
‘Much on for the weekend?’ she asked.
‘Not really. Lunch with Dad and Jen. Other than that, not much. You?’
‘Same. I mean — not much. I’ll go for a run later …’
‘You?’ he asked, incredulous. ‘Running? Since when?’
She swatted a hand at him. ‘Don’t sound so bloody surprised. I picked it up in London. I love it. And I’m good at it.’
‘Well, well, well.’ He leant back in his seat, reevaluating her. She was changing, growing more than what he had perhaps given her credit for. And he was acutely aware he didn’t like that it was happening without him there to see it. But she’d been very clear about where things stood between them, he reminded himself. Crystal clear.
Ginny spooned up the last of her coffee. ‘Do you want to come out with us tonight? To dinner? Madeleine and Paul, and a couple of others? It would be great to have you there.’
When she raised her eyes to his it was the same old kick, the same punch. ‘Sure,’ he replied. ‘I’d love to.’ So much for getting her out of his system. But it was a familiar ache, and anyway, how much damage could be done if he only saw her like this, every year or so, for a coffee and a quick bite to eat?
‘Excellent. They’ll be stoked to see you.’
Mac nodded. The coffee was gone and he felt stuck for words. ‘Where? What time?’
He nodded again when she told him. ‘Yeah, I know it. I’ll meet you there.’
‘Done,’ she smiled, and he smiled back.
As they left, Mac held the door open for her. Standing outside on the footpath he pushed his hands deep into his pockets. ‘Good to see you, Ginny.’
‘You too. And look: I need to say sorry. For how I behaved at Dad’s funeral.’ She looked away. ‘It was good of you to come. And I was rude to you. I’m sorry.’
‘Hey.’ He reached for her hand. ‘You don’t need to apologise. It was my fault. I should have given you some warning.’
‘Yes, I do need to.’ Ginny was adamant. ‘Especially now that I know what you’re doing. What you’re really doing.’ She gave him a wry grin and gently shook his fingers. ‘I know you don’t have a lot of time. A lot of … room. So thanks. And sorry.’
It was like a fish hook, Mac found himself thinking. Sharp. Entrenched. ‘You don’t need to apologise,’ he repeated.
Ginny looked briefly away, then directly at him. ‘If we’re not going to see a lot of each other, I don’t want any bullshit between us, Mac. I need to apologise for the time before that, too. At the bar. I didn’t … um … handle that very well either.’
‘Neither did I,’ Mac said softly.
‘Okay,’ she nodded slowly. ‘So
‘I’d like to see what you’ve done.’
Mac nodded. ‘I’d like to show you.’
He told her how Gibson’s Bay had become his home port. How the beach and the open sky were a welcome balm for him. The locals were friendly but unobtrusive, and left him to himself unless he wanted it otherwise. No one thought it strange that he came and went, and he appreciated that.
‘Enough about me,’ he said at last. ‘Tell me about this business of yours.’
He watched her as she spoke, her face and hands as expressive as ever. She glowed with her sense of achievement and he smiled to himself. He’d always known she had it in her, but it was something else to see her like this, on the brink of launching out on a venture that was so right for her. He knew how that felt. He reached over and touched her hand.
‘I’m really pleased for you, Ginny. It sounds like you’re onto a real winner.’ He hesitated before speaking again.
‘I see the rock is gone.’
She laughed. ‘Hardly a rock, Mac — more like a piece of shingle. You were right, mate. He was a shithead.’ She held up her left hand, showing the naked ring finger. ‘Vast improvement, don’t you think?’ she said with a smile.
‘Very much, Ginn. It suits you.’
‘Much on for the weekend?’ she asked.
‘Not really. Lunch with Dad and Jen. Other than that, not much. You?’
‘Same. I mean — not much. I’ll go for a run later …’
‘You?’ he asked, incredulous. ‘Running? Since when?’
She swatted a hand at him. ‘Don’t sound so bloody surprised. I picked it up in London. I love it. And I’m good at it.’
‘Well, well, well.’ He leant back in his seat, reevaluating her. She was changing, growing more than what he had perhaps given her credit for. And he was acutely aware he didn’t like that it was happening without him there to see it. But she’d been very clear about where things stood between them, he reminded himself. Crystal clear.
Ginny spooned up the last of her coffee. ‘Do you want to come out with us tonight? To dinner? Madeleine and Paul, and a couple of others? It would be great to have you there.’
When she raised her eyes to his it was the same old kick, the same punch. ‘Sure,’ he replied. ‘I’d love to.’ So much for getting her out of his system. But it was a familiar ache, and anyway, how much damage could be done if he only saw her like this, every year or so, for a coffee and a quick bite to eat?
‘Excellent. They’ll be stoked to see you.’
Mac nodded. The coffee was gone and he felt stuck for words. ‘Where? What time?’
He nodded again when she told him. ‘Yeah, I know it. I’ll meet you there.’
‘Done,’ she smiled, and he smiled back.
As they left, Mac held the door open for her. Standing outside on the footpath he pushed his hands deep into his pockets. ‘Good to see you, Ginny.’
‘You too. And look: I need to say sorry. For how I behaved at Dad’s funeral.’ She looked away. ‘It was good of you to come. And I was rude to you. I’m sorry.’
‘Hey.’ He reached for her hand. ‘You don’t need to apologise. It was my fault. I should have given you some warning.’
‘Yes, I do need to.’ Ginny was adamant. ‘Especially now that I know what you’re doing. What you’re really doing.’ She gave him a wry grin and gently shook his fingers. ‘I know you don’t have a lot of time. A lot of … room. So thanks. And sorry.’
It was like a fish hook, Mac found himself thinking. Sharp. Entrenched. ‘You don’t need to apologise,’ he repeated.
Ginny looked briefly away, then directly at him. ‘If we’re not going to see a lot of each other, I don’t want any bullshit between us, Mac. I need to apologise for the time before that, too. At the bar. I didn’t … um … handle that very well either.’
‘Neither did I,’ Mac said softly.
‘Okay,’ she nodded slowly. ‘So
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