‘Sounds delicious,’ I said.

Dan took the wine and I followed him to the kitchen. Although tempting, hiding behind a puzzle would be cowardly and we were going to have to talk eventually. He reached up to a cupboard to grab two glasses, his shirt inching up to reveal a strip of tanned, taut skin. Maybe now I lived by the beach, I’d manage to boast a similar tan next summer. Along with the fab body I planned to acquire to make Adrian live in eternal regret for letting me go.

Dan handed me a glass of sav blanc and clinked his against mine. ‘Cheers.’

‘Here’s to our successful clean-up day,’ I said, before taking a much-needed sip.

He drank, then put his glass down beside the stovetop. ‘That’s a good drop.’

‘I bought it from the pub—Jedda got me onto the brand,’ I said as he filled a saucepan with water.

‘You’ve become good friends with Jedda, haven’t you?’

‘Yes. She’s great.’

‘I admire her—she does a lot for this town. Her Jack was a good bloke, even if a bit of a daredevil.’

‘You knew him?’

‘Yeah, he worked for us and we were good mates growing up. Dad doesn’t like to talk about it as he’s the only employee we’ve ever lost on the boats. We weren’t found at fault, but Dad felt terrible about losing a guy on his watch. He gave Jedda a good payout and there was insurance on top of that. Still doesn’t feel enough, but Jack would be happy to know she’s doing okay.’

‘To be honest, I think she struggles a little with everything on her plate but keeping busy also keeps her going.’ Thinking I’d probably already betrayed her confidence, I changed the subject. ‘Is there anything I can do to help with dinner?’

‘Nah, you relax. I’ve got all this under control. You’re my guest tonight.’

I wasn’t used to watching other people cook, but relaxing was exactly how I found it. Dan sliced through onions like an expert and then tossed them into a frying pan with a few spices, the oil sizzling as he did. He was clearly a competent chef—it wasn’t long before delicious aromas of butter, garlic and chilli filled the room—and we chatted easily about my time so far in the Point.

‘How’s the renovation of the shack going after the cyclone?’