Will swallowed some more food, sitting in silence for a while. ‘Do you get much family time when you have a pub?’
‘I haven’t got any family around here, Will. My aunt and uncle, who raised me, moved to Australia, so just me now. Well, and my Port Berry lot. Can’t shake them off if I tried.’ He nudged Will’s elbow. ‘Come to the pub for Crimbo dinner, won’t you? We’ll all be there.’
Mabel had offered to cook for him that day, but he knew she normally spent Christmas with her friends, as Alice had told him, so he pretended he had something planned. He was invited to his grandmother’s care home but declined, afraid in case he scared Babs again.
‘Yeah, I’ll be there. Thanks, mate.’
‘No worries,’ said Robson, continuing to eat. ‘You’re one of us now.’
‘People keep telling me that.’Doubt Ginny feels the same.
‘Port Berry is an easy place to fit into, Will. There’s always something going on and plenty of people to chat to.’
Will chuckled. ‘You would say that. You own a pub.’
Robson nodded. ‘You do hear some stories.’
‘Yeah? What’s yours?’
‘All a bit doom and gloom for this time of year.’
‘Not sure why we’re supposed to be so happy just because it’s Christmas. Loads of people get depressed in December.’
Robson slowly nodded as he ate more chips. ‘Yeah, it can be lonely too. Well, I’m too busy to think about missing my wife, but it still slips in when I’m about to pull a cracker or something.’
Will had heard bits and pieces about everyone in Port Berry, thanks mostly to Mabel and Jed, so he knew Robson’s wife haddied of breast cancer at a young age. ‘Sorry about your wife,’ was all he could think to say.
‘Ah, me too, mate. It just goes to show, you never know what’s round the next corner.’
Will had seen how close Ginny was with Robson, and as much as he didn’t want to ask, the thought of some history between them niggled at him. ‘You ever thought about seeing someone again? I noticed you and Ginny . . .’
‘Whoa!’ Robson laughed, wiping his mouth from the vinegar-drenched chip he’d just shoved in. ‘You don’t have any worries about me with our Gin. She’s like a sister.’
‘I wasn’t worried.’ He totally lied and got the impression Robson knew.
‘You were so worried.’
Will muffled his laugh, prompting a cough and sneeze. Apologizing, he laughed again. ‘Am I that obvious?’
Robson offered an unopened bottle of water that Will gladly took. ‘It’s more Ginny who is that obvious. Look, mate, I’ve known her a long time, and I can see her major crush on you.’
‘Major crush?’
‘Yep.’
Will wasn’t sure if that snippet of intel was helpful or not. ‘I think she’s changed her mind about how she feels about me. I pissed her off.’
‘Ooh, tell all.’
Will shook his head, more so at himself. ‘I bought that perfume shop round by Mabel’s. My plan is to turn it into a tearoom.’
‘Brilliant idea.’
‘Seems Ginny thought that too. Just not for me.’
‘She’ll get over it. She’s got one of the best businesses along Harbour End Road.’
Will didn’t feel like eating any more of his food. He plopped his rubbish into the bin by the bench, then flopped back. ‘Yeah, I know, but she had this dream, so she said.’
