Page 57 of The Island Villa

“Do you remember anything else? I have about a million questions. Shall I make more coffee? Toast?”

Adeline was about to confess that she remembered little else about her first stepfather when she heard footsteps and her own father appeared.

Both of them stopped talking. The atmosphere shifted from the past to the present.

“Dad.” She stood up, all her anxieties rushing back when she saw him.

“Hi, girls.” Her father looked about as uncertain as she’d ever seen him. He also looked different. Younger. He’d cut his hair, she realized. Smartened up his clothes. There was no sign of the paint-stained shirt and old jeans he usually wore when she was staying at his house in Cape Cod. Presumably, that was her mother’s influence.

Adeline felt another rush of hurt that he hadn’t told her, and banked it down. Her own feelings could wait. Right now, her priority was him. Understanding him. Helping him see what a bad idea this was.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Cassie said and disappeared before Adeline could stop her.

And maybe she wouldn’t have stopped her.

There were things she needed to say to her father that she wouldn’t be comfortable saying in front of her sister.

“Sit down, Dad.”

Last night, she hadn’t been able to control her emotions. She’d been transported right back to her childhood, but today she intended to do better. She wanted to understand. She needed to understand. No matter what, she was going to stay calm.

Instead of sitting, he held out his hand to her. “It’s a beautiful morning. Why don’t we walk?”

There was a path that followed the curve of the beach to a village. Off the beaten track, it was popular with locals and with tourists keen to avoid Corfu’s busier hot spots.

Maybe walking would make the conversation easier and more natural. It was something they often did together when she was staying in Cape Cod. They strolled until the sun hit the sea and the sky darkened, talking about anything and everything.

“All right. Let me grab a hat and shoes.” She went back to her room, pulled a hat with a wide brim onto her head and slid her feet into her sandals.

Her heart pounded and she stared at her palms. She was nervous. Her father’s happiness was at stake here. It had never been more important that she say the right thing. She needed to help him see what a terrible mistake he was making. And she needed to do it in such a way that he came to that conclusion by himself.

She grabbed her bag, took a deep breath and joined her father.

“So how’s my girl?” Her father tucked his arm into hers and they started to walk. “It’s good to see you.”

My girl.

Emotion jammed in her throat. She loved him so much. She would have thrown herself into the ocean to prevent him from being hurt.

“Worried about you, obviously.”

He shortened his stride to keep pace with her. “You think I’m making a mistake.”

“Yes.”

“You sound very sure.” He seemed almost amused. “Do you think I’m not old and wise enough to know my own mind?”•

She swallowed, uncomfortable. “Dad...”

“Let me save you the trouble of saying what you want to say.” He stopped walking. “You’re about to list a hundred reasons why this is a bad idea. You’re going to tell me that if your mother and I couldn’t live together before, then we won’t be able to live together now. You’re going to tell me that she’ll break my heart again and that I’m going to regret this. Isn’t that right?”

She’d worried about saying exactly the right thing, and he’d done it for her. It was a relief. “That’s right.”

Even though it was still early, she could feel the heat pressing in on her and the hot burn of the sun on her legs.

Here, close to the beach, the salty tang of the sea mingled with the scent of sun cream.

He eased the brim of her hat back so that he could see her face. “The one thing you probably won’t mention is the most important factor of all. The reason we’re doing this.”

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