“Hi.”
“Hi, yourself, Dax.”
“Mom said to bring you into the salon.”
He squeezed Ari’s shoulder. “Lead the way.”
The elegant interior was what he’d expected of a family of their status, but the only thing that mattered was being with the two people he loved.
“Stella.” She looked so gorgeous, the air caught in his lungs. “I like you in yellow.” Earlier today she’d been in pink.
A flush swept over her as she looked up from a tray of sodas and snacks she’d just put on the table. The sleeveless top with a matching skirt was sensational on her. “Thank you. Why don’t you sit down and we’ll talk. Dax, if you’ll go to the kitchen, Iola has a snack ready for you. Our meeting won’t take long.”
“Okay.”
Once the three of them were alone, she subsided into a chair facing the couch. Theo guided Ari to it and they sat down together. His son made sure he was supplied something to eat and drink.
“Umm. This baklava is excellent. Thank you. I’m always my hungriest about this time every day.”
“Me, too,” Ari agreed with him. “We always eat dinner early, huh, Mom.”
She nodded. “I thought we ought to talk about plans for the rest of the summer.”
“If you don’t mind my going first, this might make it easier for you,” Theo stated.
“Go ahead.”
“As you know,” he said, eyeing both of them, “I’m back in Greece with only one agenda, to spend as much time as possible with you.”
Ari smiled.
“I want to do what every father wants to do—take you to lessons, the dentist, the doctor, meet your teachers for school this coming fall, plan minivacations, play soccer with you and your friends, shop, go to movies, hang out at my house, just be with you.”
“Me, too. Can you stay here and watch Star Trek with me tonight?”
“I’d love it. Maybe we could get some takeout for dinner and bring it back while we all watch, but before we plan anything, I want to know what’s on your mother’s mind. Are you working full-time this summer?”
She put down her soda. “Yes, but I still have two weeks of vacation. Once it’s over, I’ve made an arrangement with Keiko. He’ll work from nine to five. I’ll plan to go in at six-thirty every day so I can be home by two-thirty. I’ve planned for Ari to do some reading and math at the next session of summer school in the mornings.”
“But I don’t want to go to school.”
“It’s a good idea, Ari,” Theo backed her up. “You need to keep your mind active. I was thinking we could get ourselves enrolled in a young astronomers program, too.”
“What’s that?” He jumped off the couch too excited to sit still.
“I’m sure some of the colleges have them. You look through a telescope and they teach you about the stars.”
“Could I do that, Mom?”
“Of course.”
“If you would bring me your telephone book, we could call around and see what’s being offered.”
“I’ll get it.”
After he dashed out of the room Theo sat forward. “Stella? Look at me for a minute.” She lifted her head. “I hope you know I’m not trying to usurp your place. I want to help ease the burden of all you have to do. Look on me as your support system, a permanent one. I’ll do whatever you’d like. If I’m overwhelming you, tell me.”
She got to her feet. “You’re not. It’s what Ari wants. I can’t deny that Ari is a changed boy already. That’s all because of you.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
She held on to the back of the chair. “All his life he’s been surrounded by other children who live with a father and mother. However, I didn’t think he noticed that much or cared, not with Stasio, who has been wonderful to him.”
Only because he and Nikos had stolen Ari from him. The bile rose in Theo’s throat.
“You have no conception of how changed he is. Otherwise he would never have begged to leave Andros where he could have Stasio’s constant attention. He didn’t even say goodbye to his uncle, the man he has always depended on.”
Theo liked hearing it, but when Stasio found out what was going on, there was going to be a showdown. This time Theo was ready for whatever the Athas family had to throw at him.
“His need to be with you supercedes all else,” Stella confessed. “There’s a new confidence about him. That’s because he knows his real father loves him. I have to admit I can’t be sorry about that. In truth I’ve always had to help Ari work on his confidence.”
Puzzled, Theo got to his feet. “What are you talking about?”
She rubbed her hands together, a sure sign of nervousness. “It’s a long story. You need to hear everything so you’ll understand Ari’s psyche. I’ll tell you after he goes to bed tonight.”
He had a feeling that whatever she had to say to him was going to turn his guts inside out all over again. Though he wanted to press her, he could hear the boys coming.
“Here’s the directory, Papa.” Dax came in with him.
“Terrific. Let me make a few calls and we’ll see what’s available.”
Ari eyed him expectantly while he made inquiries. Eventually he hung up and said, “We’re in luck. There’s a star-gazing program that started this week, but we can join in on Friday evening, so I have an idea.
“Why don’t we visit the college in the morning. After we’ve registered for the session, we’ll fly to St. Thomas for the day.”
“Hey,” Dax piped up. “My parents went there a couple of weeks ago. My dad loves golf. He said the resort has the best golf course he ever played on.”
That was nice to hear. “Have either of you ever played?”
Both boys shook their heads.
“How about you, Stella?”
“No.”
“Then we’ll make up a foursome and do nine holes. How does that sound?”
“Cool.” Ari high-fived his friend.
Stella’s mouth lifted at the corners. “Ari? Why don’t you show your father to the family room upstairs to watch your DVD.”
“Okay. Come on, Papa.”
His gaze held hers. “Before we do anything, I’ll go pick up some food for us. You guys can come if you want to help me choose.”
“That’s not necessary, Theo. We have plenty of food here. Ari and Dax can carry it up when you get hungry.”
“Then bring on the starship Enterprise,” he said before tearing his eyes from hers.
The five-hour marathon with the boys entertained him no end. Stella slipped in and out with sandwiches and salad, but he was glad when she finally insisted the boys go to bed. Until she explained what she’d meant earlier, he would have no peace.
As soon as she joined him in the salon, he said, “What’s this about Ari not having confidence?”
Once again she sat down opposite him. “Let me give you some background. After what happened at the church, my grief made me ill. There was too much tension in the house. My father was upset that I’d gotten involved with you, and Nikos’s attitude made everything so much worse. Stasio had to leave for New York on business and took me with him.
“I lived in his apartment both before and after I had the baby. He hired a Greek couple to help me when he couldn’t be home. He also made it possible for me to attend college and get my business degree there.”
Nothing she’d just told him added up to what he’d been thinking about Stasio. Had Theo been wrong about him?
“You’re an amazing woman.” He was proud of what she’d accomplished, but he could hardly hold on to his rage over events he’d been helpless to prevent at the time.
She shook her head. “No. Thousands of women do the same thing every day. Once I’d graduated, I told Stasio I wanted to go back to Greece and get a job. Ari was old enough to attend kindergarten and I could work out my schedule with Iola’s help.
“Everything went well except that in returning to Athens, it broug
ht us back into Nikos’s orbit. He never accepted Ari and it showed. The last couple of years have been hard on our son.
“Though Ari doesn’t understand why, he’s aware of the way Nikos feels and goes to great lengths not to antagonize him for fear of being mocked or ridiculed. As a result, he doesn’t always show a lot of confidence. That’s what I wanted you to understand.” Tears prickled against her eyelids. “For him to finally have his own father who champions him is making all the difference.”
He got to his feet. “None of this should have happened,” he muttered. More and more he was beginning to think the cruelty was all on Nikos’s part. “Though there’s nothing we can do about the past, I swear to you I’ll never let any harm or hurt come to you or Ari again.”
“Theo,” she cried in abject frustration. “If you want me to believe you, you have to confide in me completely about the past. No lies.”
“If you’ll do me one favor first, then I promise to tell you details.”
When she closed her eyes, tears squeezed out. “What favor?” she whispered.
“Tell your brothers I’ve returned to Greece and have been seeing you and Ari.” There was going to be an explosion, one Stella needed to experience to understand.
A stillness surrounded her before she got up from the chair. “I don’t want them to know yet because this is a very precarious time for you and Ari. I’ve been waiting to see how things would go. Naturally, I plan to tell them.”
“But you’re afraid to tell them. I can see it in your eyes. I don’t blame you. We always had to hide our love from your family, but we were young then. Now we’re two mature adults with a six-year-old son. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m here to protect you. Does Ari know how you and I used to have to sneak around to be together?”
“No. As I told you before, he knows nothing about my turmoil.”
“I’m indebted to you for that. It’s the reason he and I have been able to bond so fast. For that very reason he’ll think it’s strange if you’re not straightforward with your family.”
“You’re right. It’s just that—”
“What?” he broke in. “Are you afraid they’re going to object?”
She bit her lower lip, the one he wanted to kiss. “You hurt me. I was their younger sister.”
“But we were torn from each other in the most cruel way possible. Surely that would make a difference to any sane, rational person.” What she couldn’t know was that he didn’t put Nikos in that category.
“I’m not ready to say anything quite yet. In a couple of weeks Stasio will be back from vacation. Then I’ll tell him.” She shook her head, causing her dark hair to swish. “I have to tell him at the right time.”
Theo realized she was terrified because he would always be a Pantheras in their eyes and she knew her family would never approve. She had every reason to want to put it off.
“Tell them soon, Stella,” he urged, afraid it fell on deaf ears. “We don’t want Ari hurt by this if he doesn’t have to be. I’m leaving now. My limo’s waiting. I’ll be by for you at ten tomorrow.”
He strode out of the house without looking back. She was too much of a temptation for him to be alone with her in the same room any longer.
The next morning Stella ate breakfast with the boys, aware of an excitement building inside her she couldn’t control. After going back and forth, she chose to wear white cargo pants and a sleeveless lime-green top that tied at the shoulders. There was no use pretending she didn’t care what Theo thought. She had her pride and wanted to look beautiful for him.
While she was putting on lipstick, her phone rang. Theo? Her heart thudded as she reached for her cell. It turned out to be Dax’s mom. She’d be by at dinnertime to pick him up.
They chatted for a minute before Stella hung up to brush her hair. She had an idea Dax wasn’t ready to go home yet. He’d been enjoying Theo’s company too much. Ari on the other hand would be thrilled to finally get his daddy to himself.
Twenty minutes later he appeared at the villa. Stella stepped outside and got in the limo next to him. She could feel him studying her. While the boys chattered, she and Theo made desultory conversation. After visiting the campus, they headed for Theo’s office.
Once they rode the elevator to the roof, they got in the helicopter. Boris was already onboard and everyone got acquainted. Soon they were airborne. She smiled at Ari. “Are you excited about your star-gazing class?”
“Yup. It’s going to be awesome.”
Awesome was a word that covered everything fun or wonderful. The class started at nine o’clock and went three times a week for two more weeks.
“I’m sure it will be fascinating.”
Theo sat in the copilot’s seat looking at home there with headgear on. “As soon as we land, are you guys ready for golf or do you want to play on the water slide first?”
“I didn’t know it had one of those.” Dax sounded euphoric.
“It’s guaranteed to curl your hair.”
Everyone laughed. Even Stella. She could trust Theo, couldn’t she? Ari did, wholeheartedly. For the rest of the day she was determined to put all doubts behind her and just enjoy the moment.
As soon as she made that decision, her body started to relax, enabling her to entertain feelings she’d been forced to suppress since she’d first seen him at the paddleboat concession.
He had the kind of hard-muscled body that looked good in anything. Today he’d worn a magenta sport shirt and cream-colored trousers that rode low on his hips. Theo was unaware of his masculine charisma. She, on the other hand, had trouble keeping her eyes off him.
Years ago every girl at church had woven a fantasy about him. Stella hadn’t been able to believe it when he’d sit behind her in Sunday school and whisper things to her while the priest gave a lesson. When they went into mass, he’d sit in the same row and lean forward so he could smile at her.
Whatever activity, he came and made certain they were together in some capacity. Her friends thought he was sexy and told her how lucky she was. Stella knew it, but with her family looking on, she had to be careful they didn’t find out what was happening.
When the church had put on a festival to raise money, he had chosen her as his partner to perform a folk dance. There were practices and they had to wear costumes. The thrill of those moments while they got ready for the big night still set her pulse racing. He’d dance too close and kiss her hair. Theo drove her crazy with all his attention. She loved him with a passion that broke down her inhibitions.
Their son, Ari, sitting next to her was proof that she’d loved Theo body and soul. She hadn’t been able to hold back her desire. That period had been filled with the greatest ecstasy imaginable. Then it had ended so abruptly in one night, something in her had died.
She realized she’d been dead for years. Now suddenly he was back. Despite the things she didn’t know, something inside her had leaped to life again, portending something bigger and brighter than before. Yesterday in the cabin on the ferry, she’d forgotten everything in the sheer joy of being in his arms again.
“Stella?” The voice infiltrating her body jerked her from her intimate thoughts.
“What is it?”
“We’ve landed.” So they had. “The boys have run ahead to set up our golf game.” She noticed that the pilot and Boris had already exited, too. “Do you need help?”
He looked as if he was going to come back and start removing the straps one kiss at a time. Her cheeks grew warm at the direction of her thoughts. If someone saw them…“No, thank you. I can manage.”
After unstrapping herself, she moved to the entrance where he swung her to the ground. He did it slowly, causing her body to slide down his, creating delicious heat between them. Yesterday they’d had the life jackets between them, but no longer. She quickly hurried ahead of him, but her legs felt like mush.
As they got closer, she saw the boys come out the doors of the clubhouse with two bags of clubs, but they were
n’t alone. A shudder rocked her body. To her shock it was Nikos with his longtime Swiss ski buddy Fritz walking behind them. Her secret was out now to the one person she hadn’t wanted to know anything!
Who would have thought she’d bump into her brother here? Except that it wasn’t a complete surprise. Nikos loved golf when he wasn’t skiing. He said the mental game kept him sharp. Was Renate with him, or had he left her on Andros for the day?
She watched him take Ari aside and engage him in conversation. Even as far apart as they still were, she could tell her son was being vetted. Dax stood by Fritz. She’d have given anything if things hadn’t happened this way, but there was no help for it now.
Fritz came forward and gave her a kiss on both cheeks. “Stella Athas. It’s been a few years. Nikos didn’t tell me you’d grown into such a raving beauty.”
She’d never cared for his brash manner and didn’t like the way he was checking her out. “How are you, Fritz? Let me introduce you to Ari’s father, Theo Pantheras. Theo? Fritz here took the bronze for Switzerland in the slalom a few years ago.”
“Hello.” Theo shook his hand without saying anything else. Most people fawned over Fritz and Nikos, but she knew Theo wasn’t as easily impressed.
Ari walked over to stand next to Theo who put his arms around him and hugged him close in a protective gesture. It thrilled Stella. Her son now had his own dad, thank heaven. Nikos couldn’t say or do anything about it.
Her brother trained his eyes on her and came closer. They glittered in that icy way they did when his anger was truly kindled. “Well, well, well. A day of golf for my little sister.”
Nikos didn’t even pretend to acknowledge Theo. Six years had done nothing to teach her brother a thing about human decency. His behavior now reminded her of one time in New York when he’d humiliated Rachel so thoroughly, Stella had thought she’d lost her best friend for good. He’d called her a fat, orange-haired, American military brat in her hearing. Stella had never forgiven him for hurting her friend.
“Who would have imagined finding you on the world’s newest and most celebrated golf course?”
“I was about to say the same thing,” she said, daring to speak her mind again. It was cathartic to be able to. “Where’s Renate?”
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