Free Island for Dreams by Katrina Britt Page B

seat of the car beside Juan. Nora had a first impression of big eyes in a small heart-shaped face regarding her solemnly. Blonde hair curled in silky tendrils around the small features reminiscent of Tricia ’ s. Her smile and her blue eyes were shy and lacked the hardness of her mother.
    ‘ Juan has been telling me about you, ’ she said shyly as Nora settled herself in the back seat of the big car. ‘ I knew I ’ d like you, ’ she smiled as Nora leaned forward in her seat. ‘ I always like Juan ’ s friends. ’
    With a flippancy she could not feel, Nora said, ‘ Liking a person can go a long way in being real friends. I hope you ’ ll be my friend, Aimée . You have a very pretty name. ’
    ‘ It belongs to a very pretty girl, ’ Juan put in as he started the car.
    Aimée looked at him adoringly. ‘ Juan always says nice things and he never says anything he doesn ’ t mean. ’
    ‘ That ’ s nice to know, ’ Nora put in dryly.
    The journey to the fish farm was not a long one, and the weather was just right for a visit into the countryside. The scenery along quiet leafy roads was bright with sunlight when Juan parked the car near to the entrance of the fish farm.
    Aimée loved the huge stone toads at the entrance and inside the fishing farm. To their right as they entered was the souvenir shop, while to their left immediately behind them was the shed which housed the stages of the breeding from minute specks to fully grown fish.
    One of the young men in charge met them as they emerged from the shed with a yellow plastic pail which he offered to Aimée . It contained brown pellets of food for the fish.
    ‘ Would you like to feed the fish for me? ’ he asked with a smile.
    She shone up at him with delight as delicate colour suffused her small face.
    ‘ May I? ’ she cried delightedly.
    There were four rectangular pools containing the fish in various stages of their development, ranging from small ones to the fully grown rainbow trout. Aimée went around the pools feeding the smaller ones before reaching the end product.
    The fish came in swarms to the surface of the water to be fed, snatching the small brown pellets very quickly. Juan had brought his camera to produce instant coloured pictures and he took several of Aimée feeding the trout as they leapt high from the water in all their beautiful colours.
    He also took pictures of Nora as the two golden heads came together as they leaned over the edge of the ponds to gaze with pure delight at the leaping rainbow trout.
    ‘ Aren ’ t they lovely pictures? ’ cried Aim é e, devouring the snaps with delighted gaze.
    For an instant, Nora met Juan ’ s gaze over the child ’ s bright head and her smile became fixed as their eyes collided. She tore her gaze away, but not before her heart had done a swallow dive in her breast. What a romantic idiot she was, to allow herself to be affected by his kindness to a child!
    By the time they reached the place Juan had chosen for their picnic Nora had control of her emotions and decided to hold them in check in the future. The picnic box contained everything to delight the heart of a child, including flasks of iced fruit drinks, hot coffee, sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and a whole chicken which they shared between them.
    After their picnic they played with a ball on the grass in the small leafy hollow with only the birds for company. Then they flung themselves down to rest and soon Aimée was asleep. Nora was conscious of the long form of Juan stretched out not far away from her and the child. She tried to shut him out by closing her eyes, but the dark head, the wide shoulders tapering down to narrow hips, affected her profoundly. It had been a mistake to come out with him. As for anything concerning a more intimate relationship, it worried her.
    He said quietly, ‘ Glad you came? ’
    ‘ Who wouldn ’ t be? It ’ s a beautiful place. ’
    ‘ But you aren ’ t relaxed, are you? Still worried about the incident