by Debby Mayne
"Hi, George. We need some paint for the living room."
George gestured around the store. "We got plenty of paint. Take your pick."
She glanced around the store looking lost. Nick couldn't remember the last time the house walls were painted, so he suspected she was overwhelmed. "Mama, let's start over there."
It took her almost two hours to decide on a color, which was as close to what was already there as anything they'd seen. "If it works, why change it?" she said.
All the way home she chattered about food, the sponge business, and how he needed to look nice tonight, giving him very little opportunity to say a word. If he'd had any doubt she was up to something, it was gone now.
He carried the paint into the mudroom. His mother pointed to the corner. "Just put it there, Nick, and go get your clothes for me to press."
"We still have plenty of time before dinner. I can paint one wall."
"No."
"Okay, just thought I'd try."
He went to his room and emptied his suitcase on the bed. Before hanging anything in the closet, he selected a shirt and khaki pants to bring to Mama.
"Not that, Nick." She reminded him of his drill sergeant at boot camp when she folded her arms and shook her head. "I want you to look nice tonight."
"What's wrong with this?"
"It's not nice enough."
With nothing more than that to go on, Nick headed back to his room, tossed what he'd selected into the pile, and started digging some more. He did his best to think like Mama. What would she like? His gaze settled on a light blue shirt and some navy slacks. Yeah, she'd think that was nice enough.
"Much better," she said. "Now go start getting ready."
"I thought you said we needed to be there around six-thirty. It's not even five yet."
"It wouldn't hurt you to take a little extra time with your hair."
He reached up and raked his fingers through his close-cropped hair. "There's not much I can do with it."
Mama tilted her head and studied his face. She hadn't looked at him like that since before his first day at kindergarten.
"Okay, I'll go find something to do so you can finish whatever it is you're scheming."
"Nick!"
"I can see straight through you. I don't know what you're planning. All I know is there's something going on, and I'll find out in about an hour and a half."
By the time Mama brought him the crisply pressed shirt and razor-sharp creased pants, Nick had done everything he could think of in the grooming department. Mama gave him a once-over and smiled, nodding. "Very nice, Nicholas. Now get dressed. I don't wanna be late."
"Late for what?" Nick teased.
She rolled her eyes. "Don't be so suspicious." She walked away mumbling and clicking her tongue.
Nick got dressed and joined her in the living room a few minutes later. "So, am I presentable for whatever you have up your sleeve?"
She looked him over and nodded. "You look handsome as always."
"Is Papa coming home first?"
"No, he's meeting us there."
He crooked an arm. "Ready?"
Mama took his arm and nodded. "Let's go. I'm starving."
She fidgeted all the way to Apollo's, located at the base of the Tarpon Springs sponge docks—a block away from one of his dad's shops. When they got to a red light, Nick reached over and squeezed her tense hand.
"Wanna stop by and see Papa at work? We're a few minutes early."
"Nah, if he's still at work, he's busy. We'll just see him when he gets to Apollo's."
Nick parked the car behind the restaurant in the employee lot. "Wanna go in the backdoor or make an entrance?"
She frowned. "I'm not sure."
"Mama." Nick chuckled and grinned. "Since when have you not been sure about anything?"
"Let's go in the front door like civilized people."
Apollo stood at the host desk. "C'mon back and I'll get you seated."
Nick caught Apollo's conspiratorial wink at Mama. "I saw that."
"You didn't see nothin', Nick," Apollo roared. "You're imagining things." He belted out a laugh that echoed throughout the sparsely filled restaurant.
"My son is suspicious of everything," Mama said. "He doesn't even trust his own mother."
He patted her shoulder. "I do trust you, Mama. I trust that you're always doing things you think are best for me, which is why I know you're up to something."
"Have a seat and I'll let Stephanie know you're here."
"Oh, is Stephie coming too?" Nick said.
Apollo darted a nervous glance at Mama, then faked a smile. "She's here, but she's working."
"This just keeps getting more suspicious by the minute." He waited until Apollo left then turned to Mama. "So here we are at a table set for the whole Papadopoulos family. Who else besides Papa and Stephanie is coming?"
She tried to wave him off. "Oh, you know, the usual. Apollo called everyone and asked them to come for dinner. You remember how this family likes to show up when there's food."
"Mama. There's always food."
He caught his mother's nervous glance toward the door, so he turned to see who was coming. It was Apollo's wife, Aunt Phoebe, followed by his cousins Alexa and Charlene.
"Wow. This is a party."
"We're just having dinner."
Nick's family often got together for impromptu dinners, but this was obviously a planned event. They'd already had his homecoming party, and no one's birthday was on the calendar in his mother's kitchen.
Suddenly everyone got quiet.
He turned around to see what was going on behind him. First he saw Steph. Okay, no big deal. Then Steph stepped aside, and the big plan was revealed.
Paula walked toward the table, looking stunned. She smiled, but he knew it was a front. She was too polite to do anything else, but he imagined she wanted to bolt.
"Don't just sit there, Nick," Apollo urged. "Get the chair for your girl."
As Paula approached the table, he leaned over her and whispered, "Sorry about this. I knew something was up, but no one told me what."
"Hey, everyone's here! Opa!" Apollo held up his water glass, followed by the rest of the group.
"Opa!"
Nick offered an apologetic grin. "I hope you're okay with this. They mean well."
She shrugged. "I'm fine with it. I sort of figured it out as soon as we walked inside. Steph told me to meet her here before her shift, which isn't all that unusual since we've done that before." Paula looked at him with amusement. "But she was way more nervous than normal."
"What can I say? I have a conniving family."
At least he had a family who cared. Paula lifted her water glass again to another chorus of "Opa!" and took a sip. She'd loved the Papadopoulos family from the first time she went home with Steph after school. Mrs. Papadopoulos had warm cookies waiting for them—something her own mother would never have thought to do, even if she didn't work.
Apollo personally served the family his moussaka special. Afterward, Paula turned down dessert, claiming she couldn't eat another bite.
"Why don't you two go for a walk?" Nick's mother suggested. "I'll catch a ride home with your father."
Nick held her chair then waited for Paula to lead the way out the door. As they walked down Dodecanese Boulevard, the sounds of the boats slapping against the docks blended with the music in the various shops. Good sounds. Sounds of home.
They crossed the street to get closer to the water. "Sometimes I miss this place so much I ache." Nick casually reached for her hand. "It feels like a million miles from my life now. I'm sorry about not giving you enough space. I guess I should have let someone know our agreement."
"That's okay. I understand."
He grinned down at her then gestured toward the boats. "I even miss those stinky old sponge and fishing boats."
"Your family misses you too, Nick."
He stopped and turned her around to face him, gently resting his forearm
s on her shoulders. "How about you? Do you miss me?"
She stood speechless as their gazes held. He pulled her closer, cupped her face in his hands, and looked her in the eye. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck as he lowered his face to hers for a kiss. An earth-moving, tummy- fluttering, toe-curling kiss.
8
Nick gently broke off the kiss and gazed down at her. "My family means well."
"Yes, I know."
"Stephanie set you up, didn't she?"
"Uh huh."
"Sorry."
Paula playfully cuffed his arm. "Stop apologizing."
Nick suddenly turned serious. "This is crazy, Paula. I want to be with you, and from the way you kissed me back, I think you want to be with me too."
She looked down at her feet as she tried to make sense of her feelings. Impossible.
"Okay, so I do. But where does that get me after you leave? Where does it get either of us?"
"I don't know."
"See? It's not easy is it?"
"The older I get, the more I see how nothing is easy."
"If you weren't going back to Texas soon, everything would be different."
"Do you want me to stay?"
Paula lifted her arms and let them slap back down on her thighs. "So what if I do? You have to go back. I know enough about the Army to realize they don't let you decide to just quit on a whim."
A slow grin spread across his face.
"What's so funny?"
"You. I'm in the Air Force, Paula, not the Army. There's a difference."
"Sorry, but it doesn't matter which one you're in. Either one would expect you to come back."
He nodded. "You have a point."
"So if we continue on like this, with all this kissy-face stuff, we're pretty much setting ourselves up for heartbreak later."
"Well, maybe . . ." Nick took her hand and resumed walking. "It all depends on what we do with it."
"What can we do with it? You have to leave, and I have my business here."
"True, but either of those situations can change. My reenlistment is up soon. I don't have to stay in the Air Force if I decide I should be here."
"So are you thinking about it?"
He shrugged. "Maybe."
"I thought you loved your job."
"I do."
"Why in the world would you leave it if you love it?"
"There just might be something I love even more than my job."
Paula felt a smile coming on, but she wouldn't let it reach her lips. That would be dangerous, feeling the way she did.
"How much do you enjoy your soap and candle shop? Is it something you could ever give up?"
"Are you asking me to?"
"No," he said softly. "I'd never ask you to give up anything you wanted to do."
"I like the stability of owning my own store." She paused before adding, "And house. I never felt like I had any roots after Mom and I left Alabama."
"You were here the whole time, until college," he reminded her. "At least she didn't uproot you again."
"No, but there was always that threat—especially when Mom met someone new. She talked about marrying Mack long before she did, but I think she was afraid I'd run away if she did."
"Yeah, I remember. But you dug your heels in and didn't let anything stop you from getting what you wanted. I always admired that about you."
Paula admired everything about Nick. "I guess you can say we've always had a mutual admiration thing between us . . .but unfortunately that's not enough."
"You're right."
"I need to stay here where I have something solid, and you need to check out other places since you've always called Tarpon Springs home." Her insides hurt every time she thought about Nick's itchy feet. Ever since she first met him, he talked about leaving Tarpon Springs and getting away from the sponging and food business.
"The Air Force has been good for me."
They were getting close to her car, so she stopped and turned to face Nick. "I know it has. It's obvious that you love what you do, and I'm sure you're very good at it." And she couldn't think of anyone better to defend the country. "That's why we have to be very careful, or one of us will get hurt."
Too late for that. Nick was already in love with Paula—even more, now that he was older and more mature. He'd dated quite a few other women since Paula went off to college— none who could measure up to her.
But if she needed her space, he'd give it to her. "Want me to call you in a couple of days?"
She hesitated then gave a clipped nod before dropping his hand. "Sure, that would be fine. Let's just keep things light, okay?"
He couldn't make any promises. "I'll do my best."
When Paula didn't turn away, he started to reach for her but pulled back. He felt awkward, like he was back in high school staring at that smart, gorgeous girl who fearlessly marched right up to him and said she wanted an interview, and if he didn't grant her one, she'd have to talk to his coach.
No way would he be able to keep his feelings light for Paula Andrews. The depth of his love threatened to drown him at any moment.
She finally backed away. "That's all I can ask."
Nick stood and waited for Paula to pull out of the parking lot before he went in the backdoor of Apollo's. Everyone in the family, except Stephie, still sat at the table—laughing and talking. Nothing had changed with the family, but everything inside him felt as though it had shifted.
Mama grinned at him, and Papa winked. But Aunt Ophelia was the first to say something.
"Well, how did it go? Did you kiss her and promise your undying love?"
"Who put a stop payment on your reality check, Ophelia?" Aunt Phoebe said. She patted the chair beside her. "Come sit down, Nick, and tell us all about it. Did you and Paula have a chance to talk?"
He ignored her offer of a seat and remained standing. "Yes." After a glance around at all the eyes staring at him, he added, "And don't do this again—at least not in the next couple of days. I promised Paula I'd leave her alone until the day after tomorrow."
"No!" Aunt Ophelia placed her hands on her cheeks and shook her head. "You don't make that kind of promise when you only have a few weeks to get her to fall back in love with you."
"See, that's the thing," Nick said. "I can't get her to do anything she doesn't want to do. She loves Tarpon Springs. This is home to her."
"Don't forget, Nick, this is your home too."
"True," he agreed. "But not for now. I'm committed to my Air Force career, and that's not gonna change anytime soon."
Mama turned to Papa. "He's stubborn. Gets it from you."
"Just like Apollo," Aunt Phoebe added, shaking her head.
"All the Papadopoulos men are that way," agreed Ophelia, "and as much as we all hate to admit it, that's one of the things we love about them."
"So I'm going to spend the next couple of days painting for Mama. If anyone needs something done, let me know so I can put it on my list."
He turned to leave, but when Aunt Ophelia coughed, he stopped, one foot on the step up to the platform next to the kitchen. "I can fix that loose rail on your porch after I'm done at Mama and Papa's."
She smiled. "Good! I've been after Arthur to do that for months."
"Anyone else?" He looked around the table. When they all shook their heads, he waved. "I'll have my cell phone, so if you think of something, let me know. I'd like to stay as busy as possible. I'm sure you all understand."
As he headed for the door, he could hear Aunt Ophelia say, "What a sweet boy, wanting to help us while he's pining for Paula. I don't know what's gotten into that girl. She used to be so smart."
"Are you insane?"
Paula glanced up to see Stephanie standing by the door of her shop. "Nice to see you too, Steph. What's got you all worked up?" She flipped her checkbook closed and stuck it beneath the counter.
"You." Steph crossed the room, joined Paula behind the counter, and got right in her face. "We went t
o a lot of trouble to help you and Nick out, and now he says you don't want to see him. This is your big chance, girl. What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that we need to take things slow."
Steph slapped her forehead and backed up. "It's been, what, fifteen years? How slow can you get?"
Paula took a deep breath then gradually let it out. She'd done such a good job of beating herself up last night, and she didn't need any help from Stephanie.
"I don't think it's something I can explain."
"You may be smarter than me, Paula, but I do understand some things—maybe even better than you. I know that when love strikes, you better grab it, or you'll be miserable for the rest of your life."
Paula tilted her head. "So are you speaking from experience?"
Stephanie tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked away. "Maybe, but that's beside the point. I'm sick of you acting like all you care about is this shop and your house. If you don't watch out, you'll wind up lonely and wishing you'd let your heart take over."
Paula rested her elbow on the counter and gathered her thoughts for a moment. "In case you don't remember, I was raised by a woman who followed her heart. And look what kind of trouble she got herself into."
"You are not your mother, Paula."
"No, and I don't intend to make the same mistakes she's made."
"So you're saying being in love with my cousin is a mistake?"
"I didn't say that. What I'm saying is I have to think with my head and not let my heart interfere with logic."
"You're gonna logic yourself right out of the market."
They glared at each other for a few seconds before they burst into laughter. Paula reached for Steph, who moved in for a hug.
"This is silly," Steph admitted. "I don't know what got into me."
"I do," Paula said softly. "You care."
"Yes, I sure do care—" Steph's voice sounded tight, and she abruptly stopped herself. She raised her hands and groaned. "See? I was about to start in on you again."
Paula laughed. "Seems I bring out the worst in people lately."
"Is that what happened? Did you bring out the worst in Nick?"
"Yes . . . no . . ." Paula shook her head and grinned sheepishly. "I don't know. All I know is that I'm not sure how to deal with Nick being here. I thought it would be easier, since so much time has passed and all."