Page 126 of Finding Us
Logan grilled seasoned steak, marinated chicken, and fish on the barbeque, well more like a chef-worthy outdoor kitchen. Despite their obvious wealth, I seriously misjudged these people. They are humble and very down to earth.
It is so beautiful here. The expansive back deck, where we are currently sitting, runs along the entire rear of the house. We’re only metres from their own private beach, and the sound of waves crashing in the distance has a lulling effect on me. This is the most content I’ve felt in days.
“This fish is delicious,” I say.
“I caught it myself,” Logan replies.
“You did?”
“Yes, do you like to fish?”
“I’ve never done it, but I’ve always wanted to give it a go.”
“Your father never took you when you were a kid?”
“No, he wasn’t what you’d call an outdoorsy person.” I leave it at that, there’s no way I want to fall down that rabbit hole with these people.
“Mine either,” he chuckles, “but occasionally we’d fish when we were at the family cabin. I have a boat now; you should come out with me sometime.”
“I’d like that, thanks.”
“When he says boat, he’s not talking about a small tinny either. It’s massive,” Connor chimes in.
“I took Connor out once,” Logan says, and when I hear Connor groan from beside me, I know there’s a story behind this. “Let’s just say his regurgitated berley brought the fish that day.”
“I was hungover,” he grumbles in his own defence, and the entire table laughs.
“Sure you were,” I tease.
“I’d like to see how well you do when you’re out there bobbing around in those choppy seas.”
“You should come out with us then,” I challenge.
And when he replies with, “I think I’ll pass,” that earns another round of laughter.
“Do you work weekends?” Logan asks. “We could go our Saturday if you’re free.”
“No, just Monday to Friday, Saturday sounds good.”
“He also runs a non-profit … a soup kitchen for the homeless,” Jacinta adds proudly.
“Oh wow,” says Brooke. “What’s it called?”
“Bridge.”
“Is it in the city?”
“Yes, at The Rocks.”
“Wow, that’s not far from where we used to live,” she says. “Do you get any government funding?”
“Some, but it’s not enough. We rely mainly on donations.”
Brooke’s eyes move to her husband and when she arches a brow, he nods sitting forward in his seat, these two are so in sync they just had an entire conversation with only a few facial gestures. Seeing them together tonight makes me yearn for something like that with Red. The flirty touches whenever they’re within reach, or the way their eyes always seem to gravitate towards each other when they’re not. You can clearly see how much they love each other.
Is it even possible for two damaged and emotionally stunted people like Jacinta and I to find this kind of happiness?
“My company holds a charity ball once a year where all the proceeds go to a local non-profit,” Logan says. “It’s our way of giving back to the community. We charge an exorbitant amount of money per plate to attend, and we end the evening with an auction … last year we raised over three hundred grand. We’ve been searching for a new beneficiary for this year, we could make it Bridge.”
