His Horizon - Con Riley Page 0,40
pretty,” he said almost under his breath, so quiet that Rob edged closer. “He never finishes his chores, and gets everything wrong that he does start, but he’s also got that whole butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth thing down. He’s a terrible flirt too.” Watching him run rings around Tom since boarding might have been entertaining if Jude hadn’t been tied up in knots about returning empty-handed. “I left him a list of salads. Hopefully, he won’t wreck our reputation.” He caught the tail-end of Rob’s frown. “What’s that look for?”
“You talk about it like it’s your business.”
“The Aphrodite? Well, I did live for months aboard her.”
“No. That’s not what I meant.” Rob studied the last of his pastry. “What I’m saying is that it sounds as if it’s your business that the new guy is a flirt.” He looked up then, that usually warm gaze only meeting with Jude’s briefly. “Would it really be a problem for you if he was?” Rob cut to the chase. “As you said, you lived aboard for months. Were you and…?”
“Tom.”
“Yeah. Were you and Tom together?” It was a simple question. Rob spoke again before Jude could answer. “I mean, are you together? I don’t want to make things awkward—I know we weren’t exactly together when you left.” That hadn’t stopped Jude from thinking about Rob so often. “So you could put me kissing you a couple of times since you got back down to unfinished business if you need to. I just wondered, before I….”
“Before you what?”
“Start an official first date with someone who’s already involved.”
“A first date—” Jude took in where they were sitting. The view was spectacular from here, the cliffs a dark and craggy contrast to the pale-green water, the last of Jude’s favourite breakfast spread out on the bench between them. “Oh.”
Rob’s glance his way was assessing. “I said I would have dated you if you’d stayed, didn’t I? Now that you and Lou have cleared the air, unless you’ve got someone to go back to, there’s no reason to hold back, is there?”
“Maybe there is.”
“So you were with him. With Tom.” Rob sat back. “Timing isn’t my forte.”
“Listen, Tom and I weren’t together.” There was no getting away from this fact. “But I’ll have to go back at the end of the summer. The whole presumption of death rules, remember? They’re not going to magically change unless some wreckage turns up. Five more years, Rob. That’s a long time to expect you to wait for your money, even if by some miracle we have an amazing summer. It won’t be enough to pay back your investment.”
Rob’s tone was light at first. “I’m a little offended that you think we’ll need divine intervention to make the New Anchor a success.” His next line wasn’t quite so casual. “Maybe us having to work together here for a few years isn’t the worst possible outcome.”
“Oh, come on. You truly think it’s going to be exciting enough for you here, long-term?” Below them, the sea mist had rolled back, Porthperrin a small curl of granite buildings around the harbour, not a soul in sight on its streets. “I know you live for parties.”
“There’s nothing wrong with liking a good time.” Rob’s lips pressing so tightly together would have looked serious if he didn’t still have crumbs caught in his stubble. “You should try relaxing and letting go a little sometimes.” He pulled a face when Jude brushed those crumbs away with his napkin. “Anyway, there’s no reason I can’t have fun here.” He mused, his gaze thoughtful. “I’ll just have to find some new reasons for celebrations.”
“Good luck with that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that if we’re lucky, there’ll be a few people here for the summer.” Although without a beach as a lure, he still couldn’t see that happening. “But what about the other nine months of the year?”
“Hmm….” Rob scratched at his chin. “Anyone would think that I haven’t been here through winter already. Lou and I had a lot of fun. And maybe I’ve done some market research.” He stared out to sea and said, “Besides, I’m not actually in a hurry to go back to London.”
“Because of your dad?”
“Exactly.”
“What’s your problem with him?” He’d dropped in at every stage of the contest, showing a real interest in all Rob’s menu choices. “At least he’s accepting.”
“Huh.” Rob met his gaze before looking away. “That’s one way of looking at it.”
“But he is. He mentioned you coming out