‘You’re welcome.’ He doffed an imaginary hat. ‘It was nice to meet you. Maybe you’d like to catch up for a drink sometime?’
‘I thought you were in a hurry,’ Jack said brusquely.
‘Maybe, but I’m only here for a few weeks,’ I told Dion.
He sighed. ‘That’s a shame.’
16
JACK
‘I was hoping you’d show up,’ she said, and my ego inflated like a helium balloon, drifting towards the stars overhead.
I dropped my towel onto the rocks and stretched. It had been a long day. ‘You were?’
‘Yes.’ She swam across the pool, and rested her hands on a rock, her chin on her hands. ‘I’ve been desperate to know how Casey is. Have you heard anything?’
The ego balloon sustained a puncture, deflating and sinking back down towards earth.
‘We had an update about an hour ago. She’s OK. Will have surgery tomorrow on her ankle, and it might need pinning, which will mean she’ll need some rehab from a physio. But she’s going to be OK. All thanks to you.’
‘Hardly. You’re the one who did all the heroic stuff.’
‘But I wouldn’t have been able to do that if you hadn’t called it in.’
‘I wish I could have done more.’
‘Would you really have gone down the cliff with me, if I’d let you?’
‘Of course.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes.’
‘Huh.’
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’
‘And FYI, the only reason I didn’t keep pushing you to let me go was so you didn’t look bad in front of the other guys. You’re welcome.’
‘Wow,’ I said. ‘That’s so kind of you to protect my reputation like that.’
‘I know, right? I’m such a considerate person.’
I climbed carefully down the rocks and eased myself into the water, exhaling as my body relaxed. It really was like a magic tonic for weary bodies. I dipped my head under then came back up, shaking my head, flicking water everywhere.
‘How are you feeling?’ I asked, paddling over next to her. ‘Besides virtuous, even though that’s wildly misplaced.’
‘Rude. But I’m OK. Just relived, really, that it all worked out.’
‘Me too. That was quite a fall she had. Could easily have killed her. I told her she needs to buy a lottery ticket with luck like that.’
‘What made you join the search and rescue volunteers?’
I leaned my back against the rocks that were still warm from the sun and shrugged. ‘I like helping people.’
