Secrets Under the Sun, page 19
The twins grinned, and they chatted about exactly what they’d do. Just as they jumped off his lap, Eleni entered the room, and Dean couldn’t do anything except stare. How had she gotten more beautiful in only two weeks?
“You two, head over to the table and the elf will give you your presents. Then, I need to give your mom hers.”
Laughing, they trotted over, and Dean checked to see if all the gifts had been claimed. The elf nodded and gave him a thumbs up. Xander’s squeal as he opened up the scooter could be heard throughout the room. It wasn’t the first happy yell tonight.
Dean signaled his brother, who’d just approached Eleni with her bonus envelope. Her expression showed her awareness of who Trey was. Then, her head whipped around, her eyes searching. For him?
Eleni stepped through the door of the Black Pearl and glanced around for her family. With all the staff members being here at once, parking was severely limited, and she’d needed to park on the road once she’d dropped Xander, Thea, and her mom at the door. She hadn’t wanted the kids walking on the road with the extra cars on the island. Tonight was when the Festival of Lights had the boat parade. It would be packed.
The kids sat on Santa’s lap, most likely giving him a list of toys she couldn’t afford. They’d already gone over what they’d most likely get, and she had a nice toy for each of the kids that would be from Santa.
An attractive, dark-haired man with an olive complexion strolled toward her, and her heart skipped a beat for a second. It wasn’t Dean, but now that she saw Demitrius Petrakis again, she could see the resemblance between the two.
“Eleni Griffin?” Demitrius asked, holding out his hand. “You’re the only one who hasn’t gotten your bonus check yet.”
So the rumor was true. “Yes, I am. Sorry, the parking outside is full, and I had to put my car down the road.” The real reason they were later was her stomach being in knots thinking Dean might be here. But she didn’t see him anywhere. Had he seriously not shown up, after the many texts saying he missed her?
“I’m Demitrius Petrakis. You can call me Trey.”
He certainly hadn’t offered that familiarity the last time she’d met him. Had something changed? Did he know her relationship with his brother?
“Thank you. It’s very kind of Yios Corp. to throw this party.”
“Trying to show our appreciation for all that you do. Aarya tells me you’re indispensable.”
Eleni shrugged. “I’m just doing my job like everyone else.”
Trey glanced over his shoulder at Santa, then tipped his head. “Guess I need to do mine now. It was lovely meeting you again, Eleni.”
Had he actually remembered meeting her the first time? She doubted it. The man sauntered over to where Santa held a microphone. Trey took it and gave it a tap.
The crowd quieted down and faced the two men.
“Merry Christmas, everyone. For those who don’t know, I’m Demitrius Petrakis, co-owner and CFO of Yios Corporation, the company that runs The Ocean Pearl Resort. Also, the one who signed those Christmas bonus checks you all have in your hands. And even though you all thanked me quite nicely, I have to confess, it wasn’t my idea. I’ve enjoyed meeting all of you, but now I want to hand over the stage to my brother, Konstantine Petrakis. Maybe you can go find him for us, Santa.”
Eleni’s insides did a little jig, and her nerves exploded. Where was Dean?
Santa stepped off the platform and slipped behind a screen. As he walked away, Eleni recognized those long trim legs in the black pants and the slight limp. A few seconds later, Dean appeared from behind the partition. The coat, hat, and fake beard had been removed. There were a few gasps from the crowd. Many had heard the stories, but not everyone believed them.
Dean took the microphone, and she could tell from the way he stood, he was uneasy.
“Hey there, folks. Most of you know me as Dean Peters, and for four long months I was. While I’m still Dean in every way, except my present job description, I now have a greater appreciation for what you do here. Because of you, Yios makes an incredible profit every year. It didn’t seem right that managers and administration are the only ones to benefit from this as you’re the ones doing the hard work. The bonus you got today is only a small example of what we’re sharing with you. Trey and I will be going over each job position and salary and making necessary changes. For the better.”
A round of applause echoed through the room, and Dean’s face flushed. He glanced around and his gaze fell on her. The expression on his face spoke volumes, but Eleni didn’t want to interpret it yet.
“Along with new pay scales and added staffing for positions that are overworked, we’re rolling out some new programming. It was brought to my attention that during the winter months the resort is underused, which would be a perfect time to allow families to enjoy during vacations. We’ll be adding a Kids Klub with activities for both children and their parents. We’re also looking into scholarships for underprivileged children and those in foster care. We’ll be ramping up precautions for those with allergies and disabilities, as well. We want to encourage all staff to voice their opinions on any matter and will set up ways to report problems that arise. Ways in which you can remain anonymous, if you choose.”
More applause broke out across the room, and tears sprang to Eleni’s eyes. This was the generous man she’d fallen in love with. The one who’d helped her with so much and taken the time to play with her kids and get to know them.
Dean waved his hand around the room. “There’s plenty of food, so help yourself. The boat parade starts once it gets dark. I’d like to invite you to stick around here and watch it from either the dock or the beach in front of the resort. Arrangements have been made to transport anyone home if they’ve had too much to drink. Please, take us up on that offer. Merry Christmas.”
Another cheer went up, then the staff began chattering again while filling their plates. Eleni’s eyes never left Dean. He placed the microphone on a table and headed in her direction. Eleni froze. What would she say to him?
With so many employees stopping him to talk or thank him, it took forever for him to arrive. Eleni didn’t move from her spot. When he finally reached her, his face was tight and anxious.
“Hey, Leni. How are you?”
She wasn’t sure how to put into words all she was feeling. “This is quite a party. The staff will be talking about it for a while.”
“The only one of the staff I have any interest in at the moment is you. Can we talk?”
She nodded, not sure her vocal chords were working right.
His gaze searched left and right, then he reached for her hand. “Not here. Let me get Georgie and the kids settled with Trey.”
Her stomach flipped when she placed her hand in his, but the smile and relief on his face brought her back to reality. Would this work out for them? Would she get a happily ever after like in a fairy tale, or would everything crash and burn like it had in the past?
Dean motioned her mother and the kids over to where Trey stood and introduced them all.
“I’m taking Eleni out for a little while. We’ll be back in time for the boat parade. I promise.” He signed to her mom, and Eleni’s heart melted again. “Eat all the food. We don’t want any left over.”
Xander high fived Dean while Thea sidled close to Eleni and hugged her. The girl tipped her face up and whispered, “Mom, we really miss Dean, so if he wants to come back, will you let him? Please?”
Eleni hugged her daughter, knowing she wasn’t the only one who had hopes and dreams. “I’ll see what happens.” She kissed Thea’s head, then followed Dean from the room.
Once outside, he led her to his old beat-up truck. “You still have this? I expected some fancy sports car.”
His grin sent shivers through her. “I have one of those, too, but I kind of got used to this one. Is it okay for now? I can bring out the BMW another time.”
Eleni let him help her into the passenger seat, then she fiddled with the seat belt while he climbed behind the wheel. Soon, they were crossing the island and heading toward the lighthouse. Her hands clenched together to keep them from shaking, and not because of the chilly night air. It had warmed up today into the sixties, but by the ocean it was always a few degrees lower.
They pulled into the lighthouse parking lot, and Dean killed the engine. “Let’s walk on the beach for a bit, if that’s okay?”
“Sure.” She got herself out of the truck before he could come around and darted toward the sand. He caught up with her a minute later.
They walked in silence at first, and Eleni didn’t know if she should say something or not. Dean’s gaze ping-ponged all over the place, and he kept taking deep breaths like he was about to start speaking. Was he nervous? Just because he was the head of a large corporation didn’t mean he was extroverted. When he was Dean Peters, he rarely spoke to anyone if he didn’t need to. Her included. At first. He’d eventually come around. Thea and Xander hadn’t really given him any choice.
“Thank you for all the bonuses for the staff. I know lots of them could really use the extra money. Did you do that because of me?”
His head whipped toward her. “What? No. I did it because I spent too much time cleaning up vomit and spilled food. No one should do that job for under a million a year. Unfortunately, we can’t really afford that kind of pay, but I’m hoping the little raise we gave will help.”
Eleni slipped her hand through his elbow and hugged it. He took another deep breath, but this time his shoulders dropped down instead of clinging to the side of his neck.
Lights shone brightly up ahead, and Eleni halted her steps. “Looks like someone’s in The Hideaway. Ben Hadley told me they’ve been working night and day to get it fixed up.”
“Do you want to take a peek?”
Eleni grinned. “Only if no one’s there. I don’t see any vehicles in the driveway.”
They jogged faster up between the sea grass and under the trees. The porch wasn’t sagging anymore, and it had been freshly painted. The entire house had new siding with gorgeous cedar shingles in a light washed-out gray. White Christmas lights outlined the house and the porch, and wreaths decorated each window.
“Oh, Dean, look how beautiful it is. Like it’s been given a second chance.”
“I like the idea of second chances. Do you think you could give me one?”
He sounded so forlorn, she hugged his arm tighter and moved in to kiss it. His other hand held up a set of keys.
“What are those?”
“The keys to your new house.” His brows rose up.
“My new…” Had he just said what she thought? And why wasn’t she exploding with joy? “I think we need to roll back a few steps to talking about us first.”
“Is there an us? I tried talking to you before, but you wouldn’t respond.” Dean scowled, then stared at his feet.
“You lied to me. To us. My mother and my kids. It hurts that you didn’t trust me.”
“I know, and I’ll be forever sorry about that.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Shoving his hands in his pockets, Dean rocked back on his feet. “Because I was undercover, trying to figure out—”
“No, I know why you originally didn’t tell me, and I understand that. But once we started hanging out and kissing and…other things. You still didn’t tell me.”
His hands emerged from his pockets, and he cupped her face. “I wasn’t sure how you felt about me yet. I was afraid if I told you, you’d be mad. Like you were. Are. I thought if I bought you The Hideaway and fixed it up, you’d see how much I cared for you.”
Eleni took a step back. “You really think that a house is more important than telling me the truth? Do you really not know me at all?”
The wind whipped up, and Dean forked his fingers through his hair, pushing it back. “All my life, the people who seemed to care about me did it because of the money my family had. As I got older, it never changed. Women wanted to go out with me for what I could give them. I’d overheard one of my steady girlfriends say she put up with my scars and limp because I could buy her anything. She could stay at a different resort every month if she wanted. Since I was a workaholic, she could even have her fun with other guys, and I’d probably never even notice.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Eleni frowned. “You thought I was like those women? That I’d only like you because of your money? I never even knew about it, and I still liked you. More than liked you.” She wouldn’t say it yet. Couldn’t tell him how much she cared, if what was between them ended up bent and broken.
“I knew soon after I met you that you didn’t care about money, not in the same way any of my old girlfriends did. The more I hung around, the more I realized you liked Dean Peters regardless of how much I was worth. I just still couldn’t bring myself to tell you. Not the complete truth. I made an attempt the night at the Captain’s Table.”
“I’ll give you that one.” He had made an effort. It still hurt that he didn’t trust her enough for the entire truth.
“I kept thinking what if you’d simply been having fun at my expense. I needed to be absolutely certain it was me, Dean, that you cared for.”
“But you aren’t Dean Peters. You’re Konstantine Petrakis.”
He shook his head. “The funny thing is the longer I stayed on the island, the more I knew I was really Dean. I felt more comfortable in his shoes than I’d ever felt as Konstantine. And that’s who fell in love with you. Dean.”
“Fell in love with me?” Had he seriously said it or was she hallucinating?
He picked up her hands and kissed her knuckles. “I love you, Eleni. I haven’t been this happy in I don’t know how long. Being with you and your mom and the kids has brought such joy to my life I’ve never experienced before. You not only brought me out of my shell, you cracked it so I don’t ever want to go back there. Unless you won’t forgive me.”
Stepping into his arms, she pressed a kiss to his chin. “Yes, I forgive you. I don’t know how it is to be rich, but I can imagine it’s trying at times.”
“Would you like to try it? I can show you the house.”
“You really bought it?” Tears welled in her eyes.
He shook the keys and led her up the back deck. Inside, her mind practically exploded with how perfect it was. The kitchen appliances and floor. The living room was empty with only some painting cloths bunched in a corner, but the walls had been redone and the woodwork sanded and refinished.
“They aren’t quite done, but I couldn’t wait any longer to show you.”
“It’s perfect. The color is exactly what I wanted.”
“The kitchen’s only pale yellow. I figured you could add the navy accents yourself. Let me show you upstairs. I had to ask at the hardware store about sage and periwinkle.”
As they trotted up the stairs, she shouted back, “What color did you go with?”
“You’ll see.”
She slipped into the main bedroom and switched on the light. “Sage. Oh, it’s as beautiful as I thought it would be.”
“I personally liked it better than purple. You know, in case I ever get a chance to visit here. I’ve got some furniture coming soon, and I didn’t do any curtains or stuff like that. I thought you’d want to do all that yourself.”
Eleni peeked in the other rooms, then twirled in the hallway between them.
Dean held out the keys. “Regardless, the house is yours.”
She tilted her head. “Regardless of what?”
“This.” He held out a box and flipped the lid. “I didn’t think anyone would ever love me for who I am and not for my money. You did. And your family did. Before you even knew who I was, you gave me the best of yourself and shared your family with me. Made me realize how much I missed out with them and helped me remember what it was like to be a kid again.”
The ring was gorgeous. Not as big and gaudy as she figured a millionaire would buy. Dainty, feminine, but still lots of diamonds.
“I love you, Leni. I want to love you forever and be your husband. I want to help raise your children in the same loving way you have. Will you give me the chance?”
There wasn’t even any hesitation. Her head bobbed up and down. “Yes. I’ll marry you. I love you, Dean. Because you’re a good person, and I know you’ll be a fabulous husband and father to my kids.”
His arms enclosed her, and their lips met. Hers had been bereft without his ever since he’d left. “Won’t it be awkward with you as my boss? Will that cause problems?”
Dean pressed a kiss to her nose. “That was something else I wanted to discuss. Reassigning you to a different job.”
“You mean the Activities Director?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of my wife and my adviser. You can focus on teaching the kids and not worry about leaving them during the day. Unless you really want to have a job outside the home.”
The thoughts swirled through her mind and so many scenarios presented themselves. “Maybe someday when the kids are older, I’d love to work more closely at the resort. But for now, if you’re okay with it, I’d love to spend more time with Thea and Xander.”
His face moved in for a kiss. “And me?”
“Oh, yes. Most definitely you.”
Epilogue
“Is Mr. Petrakis in?” Eleni asked Dean’s secretary, Maggie. The woman had been thrilled to be transferred from cold Boston to somewhere much warmer in the winter.
“Yes, Mrs. Petrakis. He’s always here for you. Go on in.”
Eleni still gave a tiny knock on the door, in case he was on the phone or in the middle of something.
Dean glanced up from his computer screen, and a grin split his face. He waved her in, so she closed the door behind her and crossed the room. Dean’s new fourth floor office in the back of the financial suite had come out great.
As she stepped onto the balcony that looked out on the beach, she chuckled at Nadine with the four kids. They still took turns with homeschooling, even though she’d given up her full-time job here. Dean eased up behind her, enveloped her in his arms, and kissed her neck. He’d sure learned exactly what set her off in the past few months that they’d been married.
