Page 11 of A Summer of Secrets on Arran (Scottish Romances #5)

Bella followed Luke into the bar which thankfully was quiet with only a few others there.

It had an air of sophistication about it with its polished wooden floors, intimate seating areas and jazz playing in the background.

It made her think of how different her local pub at home was which had sawdust sprinkled on the floor and smelt of warm apples.

She had a pang of longing for home and for her mum.

Then she felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

But she knew if she’d told her mum her plans, then she would have flipped her lid.

Bella had no choice and she needed to get this over and done with now.

She had been waiting to catch Luke for hours, growing more and more agitated by the minute.

She stood awkwardly while he had a brief word with a man standing at the bar.

‘Take a seat,’ he said, gesturing to a small booth tucked away discreetly in the corner. ‘Can I get you a drink?’

‘Um, just some water, please?’

He nodded curtly. ‘I’ll bring it right over.’

As she waited for him to get the drinks, she felt herself panicking.

This had been a really stupid idea. What if he got angry with her?

There were only a few people in the bar but at least they were in a public place which had to be better than nothing.

He wouldn’t erupt in front of an audience, surely?

He was famous, he couldn’t afford to make a scene.

Oh, why had she been so hellbent on doing this?

Her mum had always said she was stubborn and acted on impulse.

And as she was getting older, she was starting to realise that her mum was usually, though not always, right.

Bella should have thought more about this instead of racing here and confronting Luke.

Now, her mouth was completely dry, and she was glad he was getting her some water otherwise she wasn’t sure she could actually speak.

You’re here because you have to be , she reminded herself firmly.

It might be the only chance that you get.

You need to get some answers. For your own sanity if nothing else.

‘There you go,’ he said, placing the glass down and sliding into a seat opposite her.

‘Thanks,’ she said and then took a gulp of water.

She couldn’t believe she was now sitting across from Luke Giles.

The Luke Giles. And he actually looked quite normal for someone who was famous.

She had been researching him extensively these last few days and had pored over all the details she could find and stared at all the pictures that were online.

His face was actually fairly unlined for someone of his age, no doubt thanks to some Botox.

And his hair was still thick and sandy, like it belonged to someone who regularly went yachting.

She had no idea, though, if he liked sailing or not.

Her mum was always telling her off for making assumptions about people.

As she studied his face closely, she looked for something that might be familiar.

But the only passing resemblance she could detect was that he might be described as looking like the older brother of Sam Heughan from Outlander .

‘Is that a Glasgow accent?’ he said.

She nodded, clearly surprised. She never thought her accent was particularly strong.

Unless she was angry. She had inherited that trait from her mum who claimed she had inherited it from her gran.

Granny Margaret got very hot under the collar at social injustices and rudeness.

Of which there seemed to be a lot in the world these days.

Suddenly, Bella wondered what her gran would think of her being here and quickly pushed that thought well away.

Knowing Granny Margaret, she would have a few choice words to say.

‘I’ve got some good friends from Glasgow,’ he said as a way of explanation. ‘And I’ve visited a lot. It’s a great city. Everyone’s very welcoming and very friendly.’

Aye, maybe too friendly , she thought to herself. That’s perhaps been the problem.

He focused his dark blue eyes on her. ‘You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about?’

Bella gave herself a shake. She knew he didn’t have all night to hang about and he was doing her a favour by even giving her the time of day.

She could be a serial killer for all he knew.

His hands were clasped in front of him on the table and his fingers were long and slender.

She looked down at her own hands. She had always been proud of them and her nails were always manicured.

Looking up at him, she grimaced. ‘You’ve travelled the world, haven’t you? ’

He nodded, looking unsure as to where she was going with her line of questioning.

‘I’m hoping to go travelling too,’ she said quickly. ‘Australia and maybe New Zealand. I’d like to go to Bail too. And Thailand.’

‘Great places,’ he said. ‘It’s good to travel while you’re young.’

‘Yes,’ she answered.

‘You were in Australia in 1999?’

He gave her a rueful smile and nodded. ‘Erm, yes, that’s right.

Though I have been back since then. That was when we were on a world tour.

I always wished we had stayed on to celebrate New Year there — how amazing would that have been?

But by then we had to move on to do the next leg in the States.

That was a very long time ago and a very crazy period in my life.

In fact, it feels like a completely different lifetime, if I’m honest. A lot has happened since then. ’

‘I’m sure.’ She took another sip of water, aware that he was now staring at her and waiting. ‘The thing is, that I believe you met my mother over there when you were touring.’

‘I see. Well, if I’m honest, then I met a lot of women when I was touring,’ he said, raising an eyebrow. ‘As I said, it was quite a crazy time in my life.’

‘I can only imagine,’ she said.

He had started to drum his fingers gently on the table. ‘Look, is there something specific you wanted to talk about? Do you need help with getting into the industry or something?’ He paused. ‘Or did you want an interview?’

She didn’t reply.

‘Normally I wouldn’t do this,’ he said, indicating the drink at the table, ‘just agree to have a drink with a random woman. But there is something about you that looks familiar,’ he said. ‘Do I know you from somewhere?’

Bingo , thought Bella. That was exactly what she was hoping he would say.

It just confirmed that she had been right to come here and confront him.

She knew that there was a reason he had been in Scotland.

Finding out about it had indeed been a sign.

‘Erm, yes, well the thing is . . . I have reason to believe that you are actually my dad.’