CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The following morning, I sat at my favourite table on the patio of the garden centre, staring into the distance, my mind going round in exhausting circles.
It was a cool, overcast day – a reflection of my mood, perhaps – and I shivered, pulling my long cardigan around me and folding my arms tightly. I had the patio all to myself, with other café customers preferring the warmth of indoors. I just wanted to be alone to think.
Skye had texted me last night when I was in bed to ask if I was okay and to say that she and Saul had taken off to a hotel for the night to give me some space. My immediate reaction was to zap a text straight back, saying her concern for me was obviously yet another lie. She just wanted to escape my difficult questions! She tried to phone me but I was too tired to pick up, so I let it go. If she wanted to keep the secret through a sense of loyalty to Ada, that was up to her. But what about loyalty to me?
I fell into a restless sleep. Every time I woke, my mind provided me with an instant flashback of the heated argument I’d overheard between Ada and Skye, and when I finally surfaced around seven, my eyes felt gritty and I had a pounding headache.
It had occurred to me during one of my wakeful spells that perhaps the reason for the flare-up had been partly because it was a milestone birthday for me. I was growing up. Maybe Skye had thought it was high time the truth came out... but Ada obviously disagreed.
I could have cried with frustration.
I phoned Billy soon after eight.
‘Hello? Billy’s phone?’ My heart sank. It was Jenna and she sounded breathless, as if she’d just broken a land-speed record getting to the phone. There could be other reasons for the breathlessness, of course, but I really didn’t want to think about that. ‘Blossom? What do you want? Billy’s busy.’
Typical Jenna. Attends my birthday party, which I had to leave in a hurry, but she doesn’t even bother asking if I’m all right now.
‘Is Billy there?’
She sighed. ‘I told you. He’s busy. Why are you up so early, anyway?’
‘I’m always up at this time for work.’
‘Work?’
‘Yes. My gardening jobs.’
‘Oh, yes.’ She giggled. ‘Billy said something about you having green fingers and I joked that maybe you were related to Shrek. We had a good laugh about that.’
I swallowed. ‘Look, can I just have a quick word with him, please?’
‘You can’t, I’m afraid. He’s running a bath. What do you think of bay trees?’
‘Bay trees?’
‘Yes, you’re a gardener. You’ll know all about bay trees. It’s just my mate has one outside her house and it looks amazing and I really, really want one.’
‘Right. So could you... could you ask Billy to give me a call when he’s free?’
‘Okay. Listen, I can hear my perfumed bath calling to me. I have to go. Otherwise, Billy might start without me.’ She laughed seductively and ended the call.
I threw the phone down and flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. A warm tear slid down the side of my face.
It was all too much. Trevor’s cruel deception followed by the disaster of a party and finding out that Skye had known Ada’s secret all along... and now I couldn’t even talk to my best friend about it all. I had no faith at all in Jenna letting Billy know I’d called.
In the end, I decided I needed to do something. Otherwise, I’d mope around the flat all day feeling miserable. I’d shower then go and have breakfast at the garden centre. That would calm my mind and put everything into perspective...
But now, looking down at my latte which had gone stone cold, I acknowledged that even being surrounded by trees and plants in this peaceful setting wasn’t working for me today. The dark mood that had settled on me the previous night was lingering still.
The door behind me opened and when I turned, Gary popped his head through. I’d been hoping I’d see him, so I smiled and turned around in my chair, expecting him to come over. But he just gave me a quick wave and a smile in return and ducked back inside.
Puzzled, I got up and followed him inside. Normally he’d stop for a chat, even just a few minutes, so I guessed he must be really busy this morning. I caught up with him rearranging a display of patio heaters.
‘Busy?’ I asked with a smile. ‘Stupid question. You’re always busy.’
‘Yes. It’s mad this morning for some reason. How was the rest of the party?’
I hesitated, not wanting to start going into how awful it was. He and Maureen had left before all the drama happened. ‘Oh, it was fine. Are you okay?’ Gary seemed distracted. ‘It was lovely meeting Maureen last night.’
He nodded, his face flushing a little. ‘I hope you didn’t mind me bringing her along to your party.’
‘Of course I didn’t mind. I’m really glad you did. So are you seeing her again?’
‘I think so. Maureen said she wanted to cook me a meal and I said as long as it didn’t interfere with the stock take, I’d be delighted.’
I laughed. ‘You didn’t say that.’
‘No, of course not.’ He grinned, relaxing a little. It was no wonder he was tense. Dating after so long must feel so scary!
‘So what are you going to wear to this next date?’
His face fell. ‘Wear? Oh hell, don’t make it even more stressful than it already is.’
‘You looked fine last night,’ I said hurriedly, not wanting to put him off. ‘But you could maybe wear something a little more casual next time?’
‘With a tie?’
‘Unless you’re going somewhere formal, I don’t think that’s necessary. Just be yourself. Smart trousers and a nice open-necked shirt?’
He nodded. ‘I can do that. I felt trussed up like a penguin last night.’
‘It can be hard, this dating lark!’ I attempted a smile but my chin wobbled.
Gary frowned. ‘Hey, are you okay?’
‘Just tired.’ I tried to wave away his concern.
‘Tell me.’
I sighed. ‘Last night I found out that Skye has known about my birth all along, but she’s keeping Ada’s secret. We had a big argument and everyone left.’
‘Did you get any answers?’
‘No.’ I felt the anger rising up in me again. ‘The bottom line is Skye has known all along that my dad wasn’t Antonio! I can’t believe she went along with that whole trip to Brighton to meet him, pretending she thought it could actually be him. Why didn’t she just tell me then that I was wasting my time?’
Gary was silent, thinking about this.
‘Anyway, Ada clammed up as usual when I challenged them, and Skye ran off to the toilets pretending she felt sick just so she could evade my questions.’ I shrugged miserably. ‘And now she and Saul have vanished, so I still can’t find out the truth.’
‘It sounds as if Skye feels a certain loyalty towards Ada,’ Gary said slowly. ‘That’s why she’s not been entirely truthful with you.’
‘I’m sure you’re right, but it’s driving me mad, the whole thing. I just don’t know where to turn next.’
He nodded. ‘I’m not surprised.’
‘I mean, demanding answers from them isn’t working, so I was thinking I might go and see Antonio again?’ I could hear my voice rising in my frustration, and several customers turned to stare. I swallowed. ‘You know, he might be able to remember something from the time he was living next door to Ada and Skye in Edinburgh? Maybe he’d have some sort of clue as to who Ada might have had a relationship with back then?’
Gary seemed about to say something, then he shrugged.
‘So what do you think?’ I asked a little impatiently.
He sighed and I could tell I was making him uncomfortable. Gary didn’t really do emotional stuff. ‘I don’t know, Blossom,’ he said at last. ‘I wish I could help you. But... I just don’t know.’
I nodded, my throat choked up. ‘Right, well, I’d better go. Maybe Skye and Saul will be back by now.’
He nodded. ‘Take care, Blossom.’
‘I will. And I hope your next date with Maureen goes well.’
‘Thanks.’
I turned and hurried off towards the exit before the tears I was holding back had a chance to break through.
And then, would you believe it? There were Billy and Jenna, blocking my escape route. They were standing by a row of small trees in pots, arms wrapped around each other, kissing.