She laughed. ‘I hold my hand up to being that person.’ She sat back against her pillow.
Joe’s eyes locked with hers and for a moment he couldn’t think. She looked so beautiful sitting in her bed. He cleared his throat. ‘We should get some sleep. Don’t fret about tomorrow.’
‘Yes, you’re right.’ She smiled at him, happy once again. ‘Thanks, Joe. Sleep well.’
She lay down on her side and reached out to turn off the light before he had even left the room. Joe stared at her back for a couple of seconds. Then realising he had no way of knowing what had just happened to change the atmosphere between them, left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
He got into bed and stared into the darkness, playing their conversation over and over in his head. He really hoped he was doing the right thing and not about to put Skye in an awkward position with Bruno and his father. He groaned. He was overthinking things. What was the chance of Bruno’s dad being Skye’s father anyway?
Not daring to continue with that thought, he lay down and closed his eyes.
28
SKYE
Skye walked with Joe, unsure how her shaky legs were managing to carry her along Le Boulevard to meet his work colleague Bruno and his father. She still couldn’t quite get her head around the fact that the man she was about to meet might know her father. It had occurred to her that he could even be the man in the photo and the one Sandra had told her about. But more than likely this Mr Ferreira would turn out to be a different Mr Ferreira. But what if the man she was about to meet was her father? How would she react if he was the man who had been in love with her mother and such a huge part of Annie’s life? Even if their relationship had only lasted several months, Skye believed after seeing the photo of Carlos and Annie together on the beach that at least some of those months had made her mum very happy, and for that she was also happy.
‘We’re here,’ Joe said, stopping at the entrance to the café. ‘How are you doing?’
She tried to steady her breathing, aware it was shallow and she was giving in to her panic.
Joe took her hands in his. ‘Take a long slow deep breath,’ he soothed, looking deep into her eyes.
Aware she needed to calm down before entering the café, Skye focused on gazing up at Joe and did exactly as he suggested, feeling instantly calmer.
‘That’s better. Now, don’t forget they are here to meet you, that’s all. No one is judging you, or your mum and this is bound to be unusual for them as well as you.’
He was right and the reminder calmed her further. ‘They’re probably just excited to be helping me by offering whatever information they might have about the man I’m looking for,’ Skye suggested.
‘Exactly,’ Joe agreed. ‘After all, I’m sure people don’t often meet up looking for help finding a long-lost father.’
‘I wish I wasn’t so nervous though.’
‘You’ll be fine, I promise.’
Soothed by Joe’s reassurance, Skye pushed back her shoulders, wanting to get on with what they were here to do. ‘Take no notice of me, Joe. I’ll be fine, but you go in first.’
Of course she would be, she told herself as she followed Joe into the pleasant café, its wooden floors and pale blue panelled walls welcoming them.
Joe stopped and Skye stood next to him, scanning the busy room. She was glad it was relatively noisy and that others wouldn’t be interested in listening to their conversation once it got going. In an island of this size she imagined many people knew each other and Skye didn’t like to think news of her situation might circulate without her being aware.
‘There they are,’ Joe whispered, raising his hand in a wave before striding over to a table where two men sat chatting.
Bruno stood and smiled briefly at Joe as they made their way past the tables. Then his attention turned to Skye. She pictured the man in the photo with her mother. The resemblance to him and this guy was incredible and she was almost giddy with shock and excitement that she was eye to eye with the man she now realised could be her own brother. It was a strange sensation and her heart raced so rapidly for a moment she thought she might pass out. She had grown up believing she was an only child. It seemed that she might have a sibling after all.
Bruno’s face broke into a smile. ‘Skye?’ She nodded, unable to speak. He stepped forward to embrace Joe briefly, then turned to Skye. ‘I’m Bruno and this is my father, Carlos. It is good to meet you.’
‘Lovely to meet you, too,’ Skye said, finally able to find her voice.
She watched as Bruno stepped aside to reveal his father. ‘Dad, this is my friend, Joe from work.’ He waited for them to shake hands. ‘And this is Skye, the lady I asked you to come and meet. As you know, she’s looking for information to trace her father.’
Skye’s eyes met Carlos’s and it was as if the rest of the world vanished. Gazing into his dark brown eyes was like staring into a mirror and she knew without any doubt at all that this man was her father. She was barely conscious of any sound, or even of her own breathing as she tried to take in every detail of his face. It was a kind face and still recognisable from the one in the photo Sandra had shown to her.
‘Skye?’
Hearing Joe’s voice as if from far away, she eventually managed to force her eyes in his direction. ‘Yes?’
He gave a nod and she realised Carlos was waiting for her to shake his hand.
