sounded nicer than that.
He looked at her for a very long time, wished she could come along, could almost see her in a sarong with sunburnt shoulders, and he couldn’t help but regret all the things they could have done, all the dates they could have been on and he was, for a ridiculous moment, tempted to ask her to see if she could swap her nights with someone and come with him, but he stopped himself, because even if the impossible could be achieved, he soon saw the real picture.
No wine, because she wasn’t drinking.
No seafood either.
And throwing up on the hour every hour as Kate had done one year.
‘Have a good break,’ Penny said.
Oh, he fully intended to!
* * *
Only it wasn’t that great.
Given what had had happened in recent weeks, it was a far more sombre affair, of course.
‘You’re quiet,’ Kate commented on the Saturday morning. It was a glorious day, the sky blue, the wind crisp and the sun hot.
‘I think we’re all quiet,’ Ethan said.
‘I rang Gina.’ Ethan looked over, hoping there had been some progress, but Kate shook her head. ‘I said maybe we could get the kids together, but she said no. Surely she can’t keep Justin from his grandparents?’
‘I guess she can,’ Ethan said. ‘Or she can make it as difficult as possible for them to see him, which she is.’ He shook his head. ‘I’m staying out of it.’
‘Ethan, you can’t do nothing.’
‘I can,’ he interrupted, ‘because if I say what I really think about the situation, it’s going to be a few very long days at sea.’
‘Say it to me,’ Kate pushed.
‘Are you sure?’ He looked at his sister, who nodded. ‘Phil should have sorted this.’ He watched her jaw tighten and Kate struggled for a moment before she could respond.
‘He didn’t know this was going to happen.’
‘Yes, he did,’ Ethan interrupted. ‘I told him to sort this. I told him he had to work things out between his parents and Gina. Phil knew full well the mess he’d be leaving behind if he didn’t sort something out. I know he did, because I told him. Frankly, I don’t blame Gina for wanting to have nothing to do with us. Maybe Jack and Vera should have thought about the future before they opened their mouths when Gina had the audacity to break up with their son.’
‘No one knew then how sick Phil was going to get.’
‘No one ever knows what the future holds.’ Ethan refused to turn Phil into a saint and even if his aunt and uncle were grieving, it didn’t suddenly make them infallible. ‘I love Jack and Vera and I loved Phil, but the fact is that some of this mess is of their own making,’ Ethan said. ‘See now why I’m staying out of it?’
Kate nodded and looked at her rarely angry brother and was positive something else was eating him. ‘Is there anything else going on?’
They were close, they were twins and they spoke a lot, but Ethan had only once before said what he was about to. ‘I like someone.’
Kate saw his grim face. ‘Married?’ she groaned.
‘No.’
‘How long have you known her?’
‘Since I started my new job, well, just after. She was having a couple of weeks off.’
‘What’s she like?’
‘Moody, angry, funny, single...’
‘Kids?’ Kate checked, because there had to be a ‘but’.
‘Pregnant.’ He looked at his sister. ‘Only just.’
‘Ethan!’ Kate couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice, but she didn’t get carried away when she saw his face. ‘I know you said it’s not for you, but—’
‘The baby’s not mine!’ Ethan quickly interrupted. ‘Penny’s on IVF. She’s determined to be a single mum, she’d already started her treatment when we met.’
‘Oh, Ethan.’
‘I was giving her the shots.’
‘Why?’
‘Because she’s petrified of needles and I didn’t fancy her then, or maybe I did.’ He shook his head. ‘Kate, I don’t even think I want kids, you know it broke Caitlin and I up. But even if I could somehow wrap my head around
He looked at her for a very long time, wished she could come along, could almost see her in a sarong with sunburnt shoulders, and he couldn’t help but regret all the things they could have done, all the dates they could have been on and he was, for a ridiculous moment, tempted to ask her to see if she could swap her nights with someone and come with him, but he stopped himself, because even if the impossible could be achieved, he soon saw the real picture.
No wine, because she wasn’t drinking.
No seafood either.
And throwing up on the hour every hour as Kate had done one year.
‘Have a good break,’ Penny said.
Oh, he fully intended to!
* * *
Only it wasn’t that great.
Given what had had happened in recent weeks, it was a far more sombre affair, of course.
‘You’re quiet,’ Kate commented on the Saturday morning. It was a glorious day, the sky blue, the wind crisp and the sun hot.
‘I think we’re all quiet,’ Ethan said.
‘I rang Gina.’ Ethan looked over, hoping there had been some progress, but Kate shook her head. ‘I said maybe we could get the kids together, but she said no. Surely she can’t keep Justin from his grandparents?’
‘I guess she can,’ Ethan said. ‘Or she can make it as difficult as possible for them to see him, which she is.’ He shook his head. ‘I’m staying out of it.’
‘Ethan, you can’t do nothing.’
‘I can,’ he interrupted, ‘because if I say what I really think about the situation, it’s going to be a few very long days at sea.’
‘Say it to me,’ Kate pushed.
‘Are you sure?’ He looked at his sister, who nodded. ‘Phil should have sorted this.’ He watched her jaw tighten and Kate struggled for a moment before she could respond.
‘He didn’t know this was going to happen.’
‘Yes, he did,’ Ethan interrupted. ‘I told him to sort this. I told him he had to work things out between his parents and Gina. Phil knew full well the mess he’d be leaving behind if he didn’t sort something out. I know he did, because I told him. Frankly, I don’t blame Gina for wanting to have nothing to do with us. Maybe Jack and Vera should have thought about the future before they opened their mouths when Gina had the audacity to break up with their son.’
‘No one knew then how sick Phil was going to get.’
‘No one ever knows what the future holds.’ Ethan refused to turn Phil into a saint and even if his aunt and uncle were grieving, it didn’t suddenly make them infallible. ‘I love Jack and Vera and I loved Phil, but the fact is that some of this mess is of their own making,’ Ethan said. ‘See now why I’m staying out of it?’
Kate nodded and looked at her rarely angry brother and was positive something else was eating him. ‘Is there anything else going on?’
They were close, they were twins and they spoke a lot, but Ethan had only once before said what he was about to. ‘I like someone.’
Kate saw his grim face. ‘Married?’ she groaned.
‘No.’
‘How long have you known her?’
‘Since I started my new job, well, just after. She was having a couple of weeks off.’
‘What’s she like?’
‘Moody, angry, funny, single...’
‘Kids?’ Kate checked, because there had to be a ‘but’.
‘Pregnant.’ He looked at his sister. ‘Only just.’
‘Ethan!’ Kate couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice, but she didn’t get carried away when she saw his face. ‘I know you said it’s not for you, but—’
‘The baby’s not mine!’ Ethan quickly interrupted. ‘Penny’s on IVF. She’s determined to be a single mum, she’d already started her treatment when we met.’
‘Oh, Ethan.’
‘I was giving her the shots.’
‘Why?’
‘Because she’s petrified of needles and I didn’t fancy her then, or maybe I did.’ He shook his head. ‘Kate, I don’t even think I want kids, you know it broke Caitlin and I up. But even if I could somehow wrap my head around
Similar Books
