Page 14 of An Island Promise

8

‘Hey, you surviving without me?’ Cara’s freckled face filled Caleb’s phone screen and he acknowledged the sense of calm at seeing his best friend, even from afar. ‘How’s things working out with Belle?’

‘You were right,’ Caleb said as he slid open the large glass door of his living room and stepped onto the expansive L-shaped terrace. ‘She is perfect for the job.’

‘Of course I was right.’

‘It definitely helps with her being on-site, so thank you for letting her bunk at yours.’

‘Well, the place is technically yours, not mine, and it makes complete sense for her to stay there while I’m not. Just please remind her to water my plants.’

Caleb chuffed a laugh. ‘How are you doing?’

Cara sighed. ‘I’m—’ A noise in the background made her turn. ‘Hold on, be back in a minute.’ There was fumbling and Cara disappeared, leaving the phone facing up to a white ceiling.

Caleb placed his coffee on the paving and sat on one of the double sun loungers. The terrace wrapped around two sides of the villa with uninterrupted sea views over Talamanca Bay allthe way to the island of Formentera, with the glimpse of Ibiza Town to the right, its white buildings decorating green-clad bays. The pool was like a sheet of reflective glass jutting out of the hillside, and the island on either side curved in and out in a hazy line of green, white and stone.

This was his favourite time of the day when he could sit with a coffee in the morning sun to think and reflect. Paloma used to call it the magic hour. He used to love night time and although he could still be described as a night owl, his days of living for going out were well and truly over. Yet the fact that this time of day was when he was almost always alone wasn’t lost on him.

‘I’m back.’ Cara’s face filled the screen again.

‘Everything okay?’

‘I’m not really sure how Mum was coping on her own most of the time, because she sure as hell doesn’t seem to be now. I know I’ve not been here long but I have zero time without being called to do something.’ She breathed in deeply. ‘I don’t mean to sound selfish or quite so much like a shitty daughter – I’m just tired. Don’t think I’ve got over the jetlag.’

‘Maybe your mum’s coping less because she doesn’t have to constantly hold it together now you’re back.’

‘The whole situation sucks.’

‘It was always going to.’

‘Yeah, doesn’t make it any easier.’ She glanced away from the screen. ‘Bloody winter here too. Missing summer on Ibiza sucks so much.’

‘There’s always next year. Summer is what Ibiza does best.’

‘Says the person sitting on his epic terraceon Ibizagetting to enjoy all of that. Sorry, I really shouldn’t moan. My sister’s been doing a six-hour round trip every couple of weeks to help Mum and Dad as much as she can. Me being here is the least I can do after not being back for years. Plus I’m going to meet my niece for the first time next week. Silver lining and all.’

‘Exactly, find the positives; that’s what you’ve always told me to do. I’m a far more positive person since knowing you.’

Cara adjusted her nose-ring and shook her head. ‘To be fair, when we first met it was hard for you to be any less positive.’ She gave him a knowing look and blew a kiss. ‘But things really are going okay with Belle?’

‘It’s only been a few days.’ He scooped up his coffee mug and leaned his elbows on his knees. ‘But yes, she knows what she’s doing, is confident and independent – at least professionally she is; personally I think she has her struggles. She’s been keeping herself to herself, which is absolutely fine, and she’s working damn hard. She’s already up and running with your open-air cinema. She’s a go-getter like you.’

‘Talking of go getting, I need to help Mum with Dad’s meds before he goes to sleep. Talk soon, yeah?’

‘Of course. Love you, C.’

‘Love you too, knucklehead.’

Caleb leaned back on the sun lounger, his eyes sweeping across the terrace. The location of the villa had been the reason he’d bought the place, although the house itself had been neglected. The potential, though, had been incredible and they’d ended up rebuilding it into their dream house and renaming it Solace. He downed the rest of his coffee as his heart battered his ribs. It should never have been a bachelor pad, and yet that was what it had turned into. The rust-coloured pots on the terrace were filled with spiky cacti and weathered palm trees; Paloma would have added colour with flowers and cushions instead of the neutral grey, cream and white of the lounge area. He’d considered selling it, but with the rebuild of the villa near completion, Paloma had made him promise he wouldn’t give up on his dream, even if it meant living here without her.

Caleb dumped his mug on the terrace and stripped down to his pants. He strolled to the edge of the pool, rolling hisshoulders in an attempt to dispel the tension winding through him. The trouble with time in the morning to think was the way in which his thoughts negatively spiralled. He dived into the pool, breaking the still, glasslike surface with barely a splash. The cool water enveloped him. A refreshing swim was an effective way to temper his sorrow, to regain a semblance of control, to not only face the day but to run with it. Somewhere along the way, making joyful memories for his guests had become his only reason for getting up in the morning.

9

After a week living and working on Ibiza, Belle had eased into a routine. Her days started much like they had at home in London, with yoga followed by coffee and breakfast. Instead of eating toast perched at the kitchen island scrolling through emails, now she got to enjoy a bowl of yogurt, granola, honey and blueberries in the patch of sun that snuck into Cara’s courtyard garden. Not only was the Spanish way of life more chilled out, but also she was on an island and working for a place where the slow start was encouraged.

She’d been meaning to phone Hannah all week but had been too busy, so she made time that evening after making a simple dinner for herself back at Cara’s apartment. Although Cara’s personal items had been stored away, there was still an imprint of her in the colourful cushions, the artwork on the wall and the leafy green plants.

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