all these years?” he teased.
“Sorry. You must be stifling in your uniform. In hindsight I can see why you wanted me to wear the sundress.” She let out a little moan. “I shouldn’t have tried to find you in the first place. It forced you to have to go through all this.”
With those words he felt as if he’d been rammed in the chest. She had no idea what was going through his mind. “Don’t ever say that again.”
* * *
Stephanie groaned. She’d said the wrong thing and had upset him, but it was the truth.
She might not have forced him with a sniper’s rifle, like the ones in his closet. But the chance that this baby could be his had served as the ultimate weapon. Stephanie wasn’t a fool. She knew he had doubts about its true paternity and wouldn’t be satisfied until a DNA test was done, thus the reason for bringing up the possibility of divorce.
Over the last three months her heart had been hardened against him for his desertion of her, only to be softened after he’d insisted on either keeping her as his mistress or marrying her for the sake of their unborn child.
The only child he would ever have...
Their child, who would know its father and love him.
That’s what this whole day had been about. She couldn’t lose sight of that pertinent reality. After letting out an anxious sigh, she sat up straighter in the seat. “Forgive me for my show of temper. I can be a crosspatch sometimes. This has been a beautiful day and a wedding every bride dreams of. The flowers were beautiful and I love my ring. Thank you for making it all possible, Nikos.”
“As long as you’re feeling better and there’s no harm to the baby, it’s all that matters.”
His need to protect had come out. No wonder he’d snapped. She had to remember that and watch what she said from now on.
“We’re headed for the most traditional taverna on the island, where there are few tourists. The owner’s family makes their pasta and dolmadakia by hand. Besides oven-baked lamb and spit roast with lemon potatoes and garlic, you’ll enjoy stuffed zucchini and meatballs, called keftedes, that melt in your mouth.”
“I love meatballs.”
“They’re made in a tomato sauce that’s out of this world.”
Nikos sounded hungry.
Within fifteen minutes they were all assembled inside the authentic Greek restaurant, where everyone laughed and ate with great relish to the accompaniment of music. Stephanie found Kon’s family members charming and felt the women’s acceptance.
More pictures were taken, and toasts rendered, along with speeches from everyone including Yannis. It was clear they all loved Nikos. At one point he reached for her and kissed her warmly several times on the mouth, to the delight of their wedding party.
She couldn’t drink alcohol and instead opted for a spoon sweet, which was a fruit embedded in syrup. “You taste delicious,” he murmured as she kissed him back, always telling herself it was for the pictures that would go in the family album.
The evening wore on in a celebration she would always cherish, but when she looked around, she felt an ache in her heart that Nikos’s family wasn’t a part of it. As for herself, she wished her mother were still alive and could have been here.
If there’d been time, Stephanie would have invited her friends who’d met Nikos on vacation. But it wasn’t meant to be, because this had been pulled together on an emergency basis. Every flash of light from the diamond solitaire on her finger seemed to be sending a warning. You may have had a wedding with all the trappings, but remember, it’s the baby he wants, if it’s his....
She felt Nikos’s gaze on her. “It’s still too warm in here for you. I can see your eyelids are drooping. It’s time to get you back home to bed, where you’ll be cooler.”
He stood up and announced they were leaving. “Stephanie and I thank you for making this day the most memorable of our lives.” On that note he ushered her out of the taverna. Twilight had stolen over the island, giving it a magical feel. Nikos helped her into the car. Once more Yannis drove them down the hillside.
In the distance she saw the yacht. Nikos had called it home. Until he bought them a place here on the island to live, it would be hers, too.
Tassos and Elianna had followed them and brought half a dozen of the flower sprays from the church to decorate the lower lounge. His kindness today had touched her deeply and she gave him a hug before Nikos went up on deck with him. Besides being a good friend, he and her brand-new husband were in business together and had a lot to talk about.
Elianna started to leave, but Stephanie touched her arm. “Before you go, would you mind unbuttoning the back of my dress?” She put her veil on the couch to make it easier.
An odd smile broke out on the other woman’s face. “You don’t want Nikos to do it?”
Stephanie averted her eyes. “He wants to talk to Tassos right now.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I am.”
Elianna got busy. “It’s the most beautiful dress I ever saw. How did you get it fastened?”
“Yannis helped me.”
She let out a quiet laugh. “With all these buttons, it must have taken quite a while. Nikos didn’t mind?”
“Yannis told Nikos to go away so he wouldn’t see me until we left for the church.”
“You are the envy of every woman in the Oinousses. People here thought he would marry Natasa Lander.”
“I understand she’s very lovely.”
“Yes, and very rich. Her family is in shipping, too. They have the largest mansion on Chios Island. Nikos has surprised everyone.”
“Our marriage surprised me, too,” Stephanie said in a tremulous voice.
“Tassos tells me you two met on vacation in the Caribbean before the explosion happened.”
“Yes. We were both scuba diving and paired up to explore.” She was tempted to tell Elianna she was pregnant, but then thought the better of it, since Nikos hadn’t chosen to tell Tassos yet.
“Ah. Nikos and Kon tried to teach me, but I got too frightened and couldn’t control my breathing. I panicked.”
“With more practice, you can overcome your fear of it, Elianna. I’d be happy to work with you if you’d like.”
“Tassos wants me to dive with him.”
“It’s a beautiful world under the sea. If you can shake your fear, you’ll learn to love it.”
Stephanie felt the last button release and turned around. “What do you say?”
“Maybe I’ll try again with your help.”
“That’s wonderful! I’ll call you in a few days. We’ll have lunch and make plans. Bring your baby. How old is he?”
“Theo is ten months and trying to walk.”
“I can’t wait to see him.”
Elianna’s dark brown eyes widened in surprise. “You won’t be on your honeymoon?”
“We already had ours in the Caribbean. Right now Nikos is anxious to get started on the drilling with your husband. Since the accident that killed Kon, Yannis tells me he’s been morose and unhappy. Now that he can’t be in the navy, he needs to plunge into something else.”
The other woman nodded. “Everyone took Kon’s death hard, especially Tassos. He’s thrilled that Nikos is interested in his ideas to start their own company.”
“Then we need to help them. Right?”
They