Chapter 10
Ginny
Ginny paced in the back room of the Hub, nervously squeezing her fingers. Will was due any minute, and she was supposed to show him the ropes. Why Sophie had placed him on her shift was so obvious, it had caused her to blush at the time. Ooh, how her friends could be so irritating, interfering like that.
She glanced at her watch, but only a few seconds had passed since she’d last looked. This was getting ridiculous. She needed to get a grip. Why was she so bothered all of a sudden? She was fine when he worked a shift in her café.
It was her recurring nightmare about her escape vessel leaving port without her that played on her mind. Ever since Will mentioned he was ex-navy it niggled away, causing a sleepless night.
Was it a sign? Had she manifested him somehow? TheBlue Manboat, her way out of the misery. It seemed so real now — and stupid. She chastised herself for trying to dissect such nonsense. Seriously, what was the point? It couldn’t mean anything. She was just being daft.
Ginny left the back room to make a cup of tea. There were no visitors to the Hub, so she needed something to occupy her mind.
It didn’t matter what she did, hope followed her around. The thought of the dinghy in her dream representing Will was beyond bizarre. So what, he was a sailor, no big deal. Oh, but it was, and it was determined to torment her.
It meant something. It just had to. All those years she’d spent gazing out to sea, blowing kisses that way, pretending her soulmate was alive and well and would find her one day. Maybethe universe was paying attention. Maybe Will picked up on her energy. Maybe she was just nuts.
Ginny started laughing, bringing a tear to her eye in the process. Holding her aching stomach, she plopped down into a big blue comfy chair. ‘Oh, goodness, get a grip, woman.’
The door swung open, and in walked Will with a wide smile and a bunch of flowers.
The memory of him laying a poppy wreath at the memorial column the day before washed over her. He looked super smart in his dark blazer. Ginny had stared at the woven RN badge attached to the left breast pocket below his medals, wondering how it made him feel to wear such an honour. It was a surreal sight. He’d stood to attention for a couple of beats, causing Ginny to straighten her shoulders, not that she bothered placing her thumbs in line with the seam of her trousers, like he had. His stand was definitely on point. Heels together, feet at forty-five degrees, chest out, looking straight ahead. Yep, he was back in service, and Ginny felt a tad proud.
‘Hello,’ she said politely. ‘I was just about to have a cuppa. Here, sit down and join me. We can chat about this place while we dip into the Jammie Dodgers.’ She moved some magazines from a chair and waved him forward.
Will sat, twiddling with the packet of biscuits on the table. ‘So, you helped set this place up, did you?’
Ginny glanced over her shoulder at the smiley face sticker glued to the front door, remembering placing it there. ‘Yeah, it was a bit of a challenge to begin with, as some of the locals weren’t too keen.’ She grinned, then turned back to make the tea. ‘They were worried it would lower the tone around here. Dug their heels in good and proper at one point, but then we got Councillor Seabridge on side and went from there.’
‘And Matt was the first through the door, is that right?’
Ginny brought the tea over to the table and sat back down. ‘Yeah, bless him. He was homeless and so lost when he arrived, and the first person he met was Jed.’
Will laughed. ‘I can only imagine.’
‘Jed took him for a pedicure, spa treatment, haircut. Spruced him right up. Even took him to the dentist. Oh, Jed went all out.’ She snuggled back in the comfy chair and smiled. ‘I’m glad he did. Matt only needed someone to care about him. Jed made such a difference to his life.’ She raised one finger. ‘Don’t get me wrong, Matt was making his own life better by giving up the booze, but it still helps when you have a circle of support around you.’
‘And that’s what you do here, is it? Support the homeless?’
Ginny waggled a hand from side to side. ‘That’s one thing, but we offer whatever’s needed. We’ve helped get people jobs, therapy, advice. Now we have a food bank as well. It’s quite new, and small, but you’d be surprised how many walk through that door hungry.’
‘So what sort of thing will you want me to do?’
‘Listen to people mostly. Some only come in for a chat. Just let them tell you what they need, and if you can’t sort it yourself, ask one of us. We have a large team here, not just us main volunteers that you see working. There’s the dentist I just mentioned and the spa girls. We got all sorts signed up to the scheme when we started.’
‘Sounds good.’
Ginny cupped her tea and smiled. ‘It is. We’re so pleased with how things are going. Obviously not the fact that people need help, but you know.’
‘Yeah, I know.’
‘So, what’s with you volunteering all over the place?’
Will shrugged. ‘I like to be of service, that’s all.’
Ginny examined him, sensing more to the sentence. ‘Hmm. Is that why you joined the navy?’
It took a beat before he answered, giving the impression he was searching for the right words. ‘I grew up in care,’ he said quietly.
