Page 67 of In Sheets of Rain

25

Now This Is How You Have Fun

Ipulled the CRV into the forecourt at Warkworth Station, peering up through the windshield at the newly refurbished building. It looked good. I could see why Sean wanted to spend so many hours — days — here. Modern lines and freshly planted gardens and walking distance to quaint Warkworth township.

I entered the code on the lock at the front door and pushed through into air-conditioned heaven. The sound of keys tapping away on a keyboard met my ears. A radio was playingEscape (The Pina Colada Song). I walked into the main room of the station and met Sean’s eyes.

“Kylee,” he said.

“Surprise!” I offered, not sure how he would react to my uninvited appearance.

He got up from the computer and rounded the desk, wrapping me up in his arms and kissing the side of my head.

“I was just thinking about you,” he murmured. “And here you are.”

“Here I am,” I said.

“Are you going to stay the night? Come out with me on any jobs?”

“Sure. That’s the plan. If you’ll have me.”

“I’ll always have you, Ky. Always.”

* * *

We ate a simple dinner of tinned salmon and salad, with fresh bread rolls. I didn’t think there’d be time to cook the fish I’d purchased at the supermarket. You never knew when the pager would go off.

I thought about the wine, sitting in the door of the fridge at home, and I thought this dinner was far better without it. Sean smiled at me from across the table and cut into his salad with relish.

“Been busy?” I asked.

“A couple of R4s, but otherwise it’s slow midweek up here.”

“That must be nice,” I said, thinking of my last manic shift at Pitt Street.

Sean sat back in his chair and studied me. “Have you considered taking a roster somewhere else?”

“Like Comms? Permanently?”

“Nah. Comms is a bandaid. How about somewhere without so much pressure, like North Shore Station? Closer to home, too. You wouldn’t have to battle rush hour traffic.”

“I guess,” I said, uncertainly.

“You’d even get to sleep on nightshifts. I know how you hate them. A slower pace might be just what you need. Even out the mood swings.”

I blinked at him across the salmon which didn’t taste like salmon and probably didn’t taste a bit like Suit Guy’s trout.

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

“I really think it’d be a good idea. There’s a paramedic roster just come up there. I’ll flick the details through to you.”

I kept eating.

“You need to do something, Kylee.”

“I said I’d think about it.”

“Good. It’s settled then. Carey’s a good station manager. You’ll get on well with him.”