But he really didn’t care about the island’s makeover. All he cared about was Popi and the baby she was carrying. That acknowledgment struck him as he helped carry a couch out to the waiting trailer that would then haul everything to the warehouse.
This was the first time in Apollo’s life where he had to put someone else’s needs and well-being ahead of his own. He realized, at the age of thirty-two, that was a sad commentary on his life. But his father never needed or wanted anyone to fuss over him—Apollo wondered if his mother had been the exception. And his older brother, Nile, took care of Apollo, not the other way around.
As for his romantic relationships, well, after college they never got serious. He was never in one place long enough for any of that to take place—not that he would let it. “Once bitten and twice shy” was what they said. He said he was better off alone—that way he didn’t fail to live up to other people’s expectations and they didn’t let him down.
As the work crew moved on down the lane to the next bungalow, Apollo turned, looking for Popi. She was nowhere in sight. Thinking that she’d gone on ahead, he returned to the bungalow to close the door.
He’d just pulled it closed when he heard, “Here, kitty, kitty. Come here, sweetie.”
What in the world?
He moved to the side of the bungalow to find Popi down on her hands and knees. Her butt was sticking up at him. As she moved to look under a bush, her backside wiggled. For a moment, he was tongue-tied. He just watched—unable to take his eyes off her.
What was it about this woman that had him acting so out of character? Until now, he could take or leave female companionship. He kept to himself for the most part—communing with nature and its wonders. And the only time he cooked for others was when they shared a camp in the wilderness. When traveling together, it was common for everyone to take turns with the cooking.
But Popi was getting under his skin. And it was more than the baby she was carrying. And then there had been breakfast. Well, it had been nice—almost domestic. Not that he was thinking of settling into a life of domesticity or anything.
“Come on, kitty.”
Popi’s cajoling voice stirred him from his thoughts and released him from the trance she’d cast over him.
He stepped up next to her. “You shouldn’t be down there. Let me help you up?”
Popi leaned back on her heels with a little gray kitten clutched to her chest. “Look who I found?”
“You have a cat?” He wasn’t a cat person. Dogs, yes. Cats, no. Definitely not.
Cats couldn’t go for walks or hiking or camping. When he was a kid, his friend had a cat. It was needy, pampered and wouldn’t listen to a thing it was told. Apollo didn’t need that in his life.
Popi shook her head, indicating that the cat was not hers. “It must have been left behind when all of the pets were moved to the mainland to be cared for until their owners returned from their cruise.”
Apollo breathed a little easier. There were already so many distractions, so he didn’t need more. As soon as he was done making sure Popi didn’t overdo it today, they were going to revisit their prior talk and he was going to convince her that the best place for her and the baby was his family’s home—the baby’s future home.
He glanced down, finding Popi still sitting on the ground. “Give me your hand.”
She appeared to be so distracted by the kitten clutched to her voluptuous chest that she did what he said without giving him a hard time about being able to do it herself. That was a first. Maybe if he was very lucky, it would be the start of something new between them. He could only hope.
“I need to get this little guy home,” she said.
“But you don’t know where he lives.”
“Not his home. My home.”
Apollo wasn’t following her. “But you’re moving out. You’re leaving the island—”
“Not today.”
“Of course you are. You have to.”
Popi glowered, silencing him. “I’ve had a change of plans, which includes me staying until tomorrow.”
“I’m confused.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his head. He could feel the beginning of a headache coming on. “Why would you stay when everything is done?”
“Because I have to meet with the contractor tomorrow. Go over some last-minute details and hand over the keys.” She sighed. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
She had a point. None of this was his problem. But that baby she was carrying, that was his responsibility. And like it or not, his feet were grounded to this island for the foreseeable future.
“I’d feel better if you were on the mainland, close to the doctor.”
Popi made a note on her digital tablet. “I just had a checkup. Earlier this week. All is fine.”
He pressed his hands to his sides. Why did she have to be so difficult? “It’d be safer if you were on the mainland—close to the hospital.”
“You aren’t going to let up, are you?” When he shook his head, she added, “Fine. I’ll make you a deal. If you stop pestering me, I’ll leave right away if anything seems worrisome.”
It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but it was better than nothing.
He nodded but didn’t say what he was thinking. That pregnancy was dangerous—that his very own delivery had killed his mother. He didn’t want history to repeat itself. It was one of the reasons he’d written off having a family of his own. He knew how devastating it could be when that dream fell apart.
But life had thrown him a twist. He was going to have a family—his brother’s family. He just hoped he could be half the man his brother had been. The baby deserved nothing less.
Right now, the best thing he could do was to keep Popi off her feet as much as possible. In the morning, he’d get her back to the mainland—even if it meant he had to hire a helicopter to get them there.
He glanced at her as she fussed over the kitten. He had to admit he was a bit jealous of the kitten getting on Popi’s good side, while she considered Apollo the enemy. But he was right about her going to the mainland. It was safest. But if she refused to listen to him, then perhaps he could get her to put up her feet and rest.
“Why don’t you go back to the bungalow?” he suggested. When she sent him a suspicious look, he added, “You know, to take care of the kitten.”
He’d also noticed that, as the day progressed, she’d been experiencing a lot of discomfort. He didn’t know if that was normal at this point in her pregnancy. She consistently rubbed the small of her back. A time or two, she’d even let him give her a light massage, but the relief was always short-lived.
Popi’s questioning gaze moved from him to the kitten and then back again. “I can’t leave now. I have to make sure everything is put in the right spot in the warehouse and categorized accordingly. Can you imagine everyone returning to the island and not being able to find their belongings? Or worse, getting someone else’s things?”
It seemed like with every moment that passed, he was getting sucked further into Popi’s life. But she wasn’t leaving him much choice. Someone had to make sure she took care of herself. And that obviously wasn’t going to be her.
“You go back to the bungalow,” he said. “I’ll make sure the warehouse is taken care of.”
She arched a brow. “Why would you do that?”
He stifled a sigh. Couldn’t she just accept his help? Why did she have to question everything?
“Because you are tired. It’s written all over your face.” His gaze moved to the wiggling ball of fluff in her hands. “And because you aren’t going to be able to hold on to the kitten much longer.”
Just then she caught the kitten before it could climb the whole way up onto her shoulder. She settled it back in her arms. “Stay there,” she said to the kitten as though it could understand her. Then her gaze lifted to meet his. “
And why should I trust you? I don’t even know you.”
“Our siblings were married, so that makes us family. Right?”
She hesitated. “Not really.”
“Close enough. And if my brother were here—” just saying the words caused a large pang of hurt “—he would...he would vouch for me. I may not have been like him, but he understood that I had to follow my own path in life. Even if that path led away from him and our home.”
Popi was quiet for a moment as her gaze searched his. “You really cared about him, didn’t you?”
“Of course.” He frowned at her. Why would she doubt such a thing? “Is that what my brother said? That I didn’t care about him?”
She shook her head. “Forget it.”
“Not a chance. I want to know why you would say such a thing.”
She shrugged. “It’s just that you were never there for the birthdays, the holidays. You weren’t even there for their wedding or...”
She didn’t have to say it. His mind filled in the blank. He wasn’t there for the funeral. But he was here now. However, the look in Popi’s eyes said that it was too little, too late.
Her gaze searched his. “You weren’t interested in being part of the family then, so why the sudden interest now?”
Her words were like jagged rocks, beating against his chest. He hadn’t meant to miss out on all of that. After each adventure, he told himself that he’d go on just one more excursion. He’d told himself that soon he would slow down. Soon there wouldn’t be just one more mountain to conquer or one more adventure to go on. He’d always thought that there would be a tomorrow for him and his brother.
He of all people should have known that tomorrow is not guaranteed. The only thing you can count on is the here and now. That had to be enough. All the wishing in the world couldn’t make the hands of time roll back. He knew this for a fact because it’s what he’d been doing ever since he got the news of his brother’s death.
He noticed the expectant look in Popi’s eyes. She wanted him to argue with her. Well, she was in for a surprise.
“You’re right.” His voice was filled with remorse. “I wasn’t there for those events, but I should have been. I was too wrapped up in my own life to realize what I was missing. I regret all of the missed opportunities.”
She studied him for a moment, as though trying to discern the truth. “Do you really mean that?”
It was a sad commentary on him and his life when his devotion to his brother had to be questioned. “Growing up, Nile and I were close. I was the annoying little brother, but Nile put up with me. He took time out for me. When I wanted to quit college, he said that one day I would need to be able to run Drakos Industries. I just never thought it would be like this.”
Popi glanced away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted your relationship with your brother.”
“It’s not your fault. I’ve given you every reason to think I didn’t care about Nile. I’ll never forgive myself for losing track of what is truly important.” He meant it. He had so many regrets that it was chewing him up on the inside. He wasn’t about to add to that list. “I’m going to the warehouse now to make sure everything is completed. When I get back to the bungalow, we need to talk about the baby.”
She handed over her digital tablet with all the necessary information about the furniture and boxes. “We can talk, but it’s not going to change my mind about raising my niece.”
“Or nephew.”
She nodded. Without another word, she turned and did that really cute waddle thing. Eventually he caught himself standing there, staring as her. He gave his head a shake and then turned in the opposite direction.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THERE WERE DEFINITELY some benefits to being second-in-charge of the island.
Popi didn’t feel that way most of the time. Most of the time being second-in-charge meant she had to run her ideas past Lea. It meant that any extravagances had to be preapproved by Lea. And sometimes being second-in-charge meant being the second place for a client to file a complaint, even if the situation was out of Popi’s control.
But today Popi’s position meant she could let herself into the small grocery store that carried so much more than food. She picked up some essentials for the kitten, from food to a litter box, and then she left an itemized list at the register of everything she’d taken. She would settle up when the island opened back up for business in a couple of months.
So much was about to change in the next six or seven weeks. Nothing would be as it had been. And her sister would not be there for any of it. And Popi blamed herself. If it wasn’t for her making a fuss, her sister wouldn’t have been on that boat when it exploded.
Popi shoved aside the guilt and pain. She had other matters to attend to now. There was the kitten locked up in her bathroom. And there was the sexy Greek man who insisted on staying in her life until he got his way. They’d see about that.
She wasn’t just going to hand over this baby because he was a Drakos. Everyone in Athens—in Greece—knew his last name. They knew it was synonymous with old money and great power.
That wouldn’t stop Popi from fighting for what was best for this child. Apollo might be the child’s blood relation, but she was the one carrying the baby—making it possible for it to be here. And she wouldn’t stop fighting for this little bundle of joy.
Once back at the bungalow, Popi was relieved to find that Apollo hadn’t returned. But she didn’t have time to rest. She had a kitten to care for.
In the bathroom, she was amazed to find that one little kitten could wreak such havoc. The toilet paper was strewn across the floor. Her purple-and-teal bath loofah that had been sitting on the edge of the tub was now across the room, and there was a kitten attached to it. The little guy was lying on his side while holding the loofah with its front paws and kicking it with his back. Popi could only hope that he wore himself out after making such a mess.
A little while later, the bathroom was set right and there was litter in the litter box. The kitten took right to the box. Popi could only hope that litter training was truly that easy and that there weren’t any future accidents.
“Is everything okay?”
The sound of Apollo’s voice made her jump. She hadn’t heard him return. She turned in the hallway, finding him standing right behind her—so close that she could reach out and touch him. The thought was tempting—very tempting—but she resisted the urge.
“I didn’t hear you come in,” she said.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He sent her a guilty grin.
When he wasn’t frowning at her, he was really quite handsome. She wondered if the baby would resemble him in some way. She hoped so.
“Relax. I’m okay. I was just focused on the kitten.” She frowned.
“What’s wrong? Is it the baby? Did you overdo it today? I told you to rest earlier today, but you wouldn’t listen.”
“It’s okay. It’s not the baby. In fact, I think he or she is sleeping right now.”
“Then why did you have that look on your face?”
“I was just thinking that I can’t keep calling the kitten ‘kitten.’ It needs a name.”
“And then you know what will happen, don’t you?”
She sent him a puzzled look, not sure what he was getting at. “What will happen?”
“A cat with a name is a cat with a home.”
She had to admit that she liked the idea. “Unless it already has a home.”
“Something tells me that it isn’t going anywhere.” He was looking behind her.
She turned to see what he was staring at. There was the kitten dragging the loofah up to her. The kitten sat next to her.
“Looks like you have a shadow,” Apollo teased.
“Shadow?” She looked at the dark gray kitten with the white neck and belly. She kn
elt down to pet the little guy. “What do you think? Are you a shadow?”
The kitten looked up at her with its pretty blue eyes and let out a little baby meow. Popi’s heart swelled with love for it. Unless the owner showed up, it looked like she had a baby kitten to raise too.
Then she envisioned the baby with a kitten to grow up with. Somehow that seemed right to her. Now that she had her heart set on this vision of her family, she had to hope the kitten hadn’t run away from a loving home and gotten left behind when everyone was shipped off the island for the renovations. And most of all, she had to pray that Apollo came to his senses and realized that the baby was best left here with her. Because if it came down to a court case, she had no doubt that he had the money to hire the very best army of lawyers and they would beat any defense she could muster.
Popi eyed Apollo, wondering if he’d really be that ruthless. There was a glint of determination in his eyes. Maybe she would have to mount her defense in a very different way—a way that didn’t include lawyers and judges. She would have to appeal to his mind and his heart.
* * *
What was she thinking?
Apollo noticed the looks Popi had been giving him off and on all day. She had something on her mind, and he was pretty certain he wasn’t going to like it.
It wasn’t like she was just suddenly going to change her mind and hand over the baby when it was born. She had her mind made up about him, and he didn’t know if he could change it.
When he was out in the wilderness, he didn’t have to feel like he wasn’t living up to other people’s expectations of him. And he didn’t have to feel like he didn’t stack up to his big brother—the brother who had the perfect life, the perfect wife and the perfect career as CEO of Drakos Industries.
When Apollo was off on one of his adventures, the world became a lot smaller. He could focus on the more basic parts of life, such as his next meal and where he would sleep that night. Maybe that made him selfish—he wasn’t sure. But at the time he’d gone off on his first adventure, he just couldn’t stand to listen to one more of his father’s lectures about how he was a disappointment. That was something Apollo would never say to his nephew or niece.
Claiming the Drakos Heir Page 6