Alice made the hot chocolate, Sophie sliced the cake, and Robson upped the volume on the radio, pulling Ginny to the makeshift dance floor.
‘You know you’re my best friend, right?’ he said close to her ear.
Ginny pulled back and grinned. ‘Yeah, why, what you after?’
Robson crinkled his brow. ‘Moi? Nothing, thank you very much. I just have some birthday advice.’
‘Is that a thing?’
He nodded and grinned. ‘Is now.’
‘Come on then. Hit me. What you got?’
‘It’s about Will.’
Ginny lost her smile. ‘I don’t want to talk about him, Rob. You know what he did.’
Robson nodded. ‘Yep. He put his foot in his mouth. Happens to the best of us.’
‘Well, it bloody well hurt.’
‘I think it hurt him too, Gin.’
She dropped her arms from his. ‘So you’re on his side?’
‘No. Yours. Always yours, no matter what.’
‘Funny way of showing it.’
Robson narrowed his eyes, but still the piercing blue went straight through her like a laser. ‘I happen to know he thinks the world of you. I don’t want you to walk away from that, because you deserve happiness. All kinds of happiness. You, my beautiful mate, deserve the world.’
His words melted her heart, but also scared her. What if she had just tossed out the best thing that had happened to her? Did it really matter? She’d spent her whole life holding her own hand.
She glanced down. She was holding her own hand now. ‘I’ve got more to think about now, what with the farmhouse.’
‘Let him in,’ said Robson, taking her hands. ‘That’s my birthday advice.’
Ginny needed to do something. Her heart ached for the sailor. But that was the problem. Just like her mother, he too now had the power to destroy her.
‘We’re going to his gran’s funeral in a couple of days,’ added Robson. ‘Why don’t you come? It’s not as though you didn’t know Babs.’
‘He didn’t exactly show up for me when my mum died.’
‘Wasn’t that because he thought you hated his guts?’
Ginny gave a half-hearted shrug. ‘I think it’s best I stay away, Rob. Just focus on my own life now.’
He gave a small nod, then pulled her back for a slow dance to the upbeat music playing. ‘You know what’s best for you.’
Ginny scoffed. ‘Since when?’
‘Ooh, I don’t know, since you moved out of your mum’s, since you set up your own business, since you bought a farmhouse, since you go after all those dreams of yours.’
‘I didn’t complete my tea shop dream.’
Robson nodded. ‘Well, let’s just focus on that then.’
Ginny nudged his side. ‘I’m just saying.’
