Page 60 of The Island Villa

She tried to stay calm and not let her emotions nudge her in directions she would later regret.

Their food arrived. Chunks of juicy watermelon, bowls of thick creamy yogurt topped with a generous swirl of golden honey and strong black coffee.

Adeline stirred honey into her yogurt until it was streaked with gold. “There’s nothing I can do or say to change your mind?”

“I don’t want to change my mind.”

She felt a rush of deep despair. He was going to do this. No matter what she said, he was going to go ahead and marry her mother again. And she couldn’t bear it. She couldn’t bear seeing him hurt again. Just thinking about him broken and struggling took her right back to that time. Her heart started to pound. Her fingers felt sweaty on the spoon she was holding.

She knew him better than she knew anyone, but right now she felt as if she didn’t know him at all.

She put her spoon down. “Aren’t you at all scared?”

“A little. I’m not focusing on that part.”

She wished he would. “How can you bring yourself to risk it again after what happened last time?”

“Hope and courage. Those two human qualities that help us lead a full life. The two qualities needed to truly love, because love is always a risk but it’s a risk worth taking in my opinion. A life without love is like a salad without dressing.” He blushed awkwardly and stabbed a chunk of watermelon with his fork. “Sorry. It’s your mother who is the wordsmith, not me. And she’s the best example of hope and courage I’ve ever encountered. Despite everything that has happened, she has never been afraid to love and live life to the fullest.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. His admiration for her mother. His belief that he loved her. He didn’t seem able to see that it was going to end in disaster.

“I wish you’d protect yourself.”

“Protect myself from love? From life?” He put his fork down. “What does that look like? Do I shut myself in a room and never leave in case I get hurt? The ceiling could fall in. I could trip and fall down the stairs.”

She shifted uncomfortably because of course that was exactly what had happened to Cassie’s father. He’d got up to use the bathroom in the night and tripped over one of her mother’s shoes. An unfortunate accident, a twist of fate, and his life had ended, leaving Catherine without a husband and Cassie without a father.

“What about Cassie? Have you considered how all this will make her feel?”

“I knew it would be a shock for her too. It’s an adjustment, but I’m confident we can forge a strong relationship,” he said. “Your mother is talking to her now, or that was the plan. And once we’ve cleared the air, we will find a way to move forward as a family. We’re on this journey together.”

But not through choice. There was no way she would have chosen to buy a ticket for this particular journey.

“Dad...”

He reached for his coffee. “If you always try and protect yourself, if you always take the safe route, imagine all the experiences that you’ll miss.”

“And imagine all the misery you’ll avoid.”

He took a sip of coffee and put his cup down slowly. “Would it help if I told you that I’d go through all that pain again to enjoy one more day with your mother?”

But it wasn’t only about him, was it?

He’d be asking her to go through the pain too. He’d be asking her to suffer, and to watch him suffer. And she definitely didn’t think it was worth it.

There was clearly something wrong with him. Or maybe there was something wrong with her because she just didn’t get it. The whole thing was mystifying.

He talked about hope and courage, but when was hope naivety? When was courage stupidity?

“So that’s it? You’ve made up your mind.”

He reached across the table and took her hand. “Sometimes you just have to take a risk, Adeline.” He held her gaze and she shifted uncomfortably.

Why was he looking at her that way?

What exactly was he implying? That she was missing out on life because she was careful and sensible?

It was maddening that he seemed to think she was the one with the problem.

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