Smitten in Santorini, page 7
“Should we talk here?” Apollo asked quietly, looking from his friend to his sister.
“Mihalis is napping,” she replied. “We have a little time.”
“Mick told me most of it,” Apollo said, his green eyes meeting hers sadly. “I’m younger than you, but we’ve always been close, so I feel like your big brother. I wouldn’t have been happy about an unplanned pregnancy, but I love both of you. I wish you’d come to me.”
“There wasn’t anything you could do,” she whispered. “I thought I was protecting him.”
“At this point, I think Mihalis has to be our concern,” Apollo said after a slight hesitation. “Have you two talked about what to do going forward? Your name isn’t even on the birth certificate, Lena, which means it’s going to be a legal mess.”
“I spoke to a lawyer in the U.S. when I got home last night,” Mick said slowly. “He said under the circumstances, it would be best if Lena adopts him and gets sole custody. Then I can sue for visitation and such.”
“Have you spoken to Sophia about any of this?” Apollo asked his sister.
She shook her head. “I haven’t been able to reach her since she left Greece, but she isn’t going to be a problem.”
“But Giorgios will.” Apollo’s mouth thinned with distaste. “I can see him doing whatever he feels is necessary to keep Sophia from divorcing him.”
“Or to use as leverage to get money from her.”
“She has money?” Mick asked.
“We have money,” Apollo said. “As a family. All three of us kids have been getting money from the business since we turned 21, and on paper the company is worth a lot.”
“It’s enough to make Giorgios fight for it?”
“In reality it’s not,” Lena said. “Most of it is rolled over into the business and investments, but if he can use it to hurt her he will. He’s a lazy slob so even a few hundred Euros a month would keep him in coffee and cigarettes.”
“Not gonna happen,” Apollo grunted. “But money in general may be our only leverage with him.
“Look, if I do a paternity test and prove he’s mine, can’t I take him anyway?” Mick asked. He quickly shook his head when Lena paled. “Not from you—but from them.”
Apollo frowned. “It would get incredibly complicated and the Greek courts could take years to make a decision. I think your lawyer was right—it’s best if they give up custody to Lena and then you and she work it out.”
“What if…” Lena swallowed hard as she realized this was her chance. Her grandmother had told her what needed to happen and this was the perfect opportunity. She didn’t know what he was going to think but hoped for some divine intervention to make him agree.
“What?” Mick looked at her.
“What if we got…married.” She licked her lower lip nervously. “I’ll sign anything you want—I don’t want anything that’s not for Mihalis. But you’re here in Greece for two years and if I can talk Giorgios into giving up custody and we turned around and got married…”
“And you already had a paternity test proving he’s yours,” Apollo continued thoughtfully.
“We could file to change the birth certificate,” Lena said quickly, before she lost her nerve.
Mick was staring at her. “Are you serious?”
“You know I’m not interested in your family’s money,” she whispered. “I just want to do what’s right for Mihalis and we’re stronger in the eyes of the court—both here and in the U.S.—if we’re married.”
“That’s probably true.” He could see the logic but she’d caught him completely by surprise.
“It’s a good idea,” Apollo admitted, watching them both. “And it would be good for Mihalis too. The two of you living together, with him, for the next two years while you’re in Greece. It gives you time to sort out the custody situation and get him used to having two new parents.”
“We’re going to need money,” Lena said slowly. “I don’t think Giorgios will do it otherwise.”
“How much?” Mick arched a brow.
“Maybe ten or twenty thousand,” Lena murmured. “I have four thousand Euros in my savings account, which is about $4,500 U.S. and I can probably borrow some from my parents—”
Apollo shook his head. “No, I’ll take it out of the company. I want Giorgios gone just as much as you do.”
“He’s my son, and this is part of getting custody,” Mick interjected. “I’ve got money and access to cash.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Apollo protested. “I don’t want Lena dealing with him—he tried to hit Sophia again when she was packing for her trip, so Lena’s not going anywhere near him.”
“He hit Sophia again?” Mick asked, scowling.
“It used to be a thing,” Lena explained. “A lot of Greek men did that in older generations, but not so much anymore. Giorgios, unfortunately, is a throwback to asshole times. But the silver lining is that hitting Sophia is what got her to file for divorce.”
He made a face. “Yeah, well, I agree with Apollo—I don’t want you anywhere near this guy.”
Lena’s heart did a little skip at his possessiveness and couldn’t help the tiny prick of hope. Maybe Yaya had been right with this crazy idea that made so much sense now that they were talking about it. Yaya had told her to trust her; after all, she’d never been wrong before.
“I need to get ahold of Sophia,” she finally managed to say. “We’ll need her signature as well.”
“We can have a lawyer draw up the papers in a day or two,” Apollo said. “Then we’ll Fedex them to Sophia and she’ll have to get to the embassy to have them notarized since they’ll be in Greek.”
“In the meantime, Mick should get a paternity test done,” Lena suggested. “I don’t know how long it takes to get the results.”
“I looked it up,” Mick said, his voice almost sheepish. “It should only take a couple of days if we can send the samples quickly. There’s a private laboratory in London that can do it within 24 hours and will post the results online.”
“You two are going to have to put on a good show,” Apollo said after a moment. “If you want both the U.S. and the Greek courts to believe that you two are married in every sense of the word, so you can get custody, you’ll need to make this work.”
“I can,” Lena said, glancing at Mick. “Can you forgive me for what I did so we can do what we have to for Mihalis?”
“I’ve already forgiven you,” he replied gently. “I understand what happened. My mother can be… intense. I don’t blame you for being afraid. I just wish you’d trusted me to take care of it, but I know why you didn’t, so don’t worry about the past anymore. We do have to talk about the future, though.”
“One thing at a time,” Lena said. “I don’t know how much more I can absorb just yet.”
“You should try ringing Sophia in her room at the resort later today,” Apollo said.
“Is she going to be willing to give up the child she’s raised since birth?” Mick asked.
Lena nodded. “She’ll still be his aunt and have the ability to spend time with him. I can’t imagine she’d say no—it was her idea to come clean.”
“Is the next step getting engaged?” Mick asked, his blue eyes slightly shrouded, as if he wasn’t quite sure what to do.
“Don’t you want to wait for the paternity test?” Lena asked, frowning.
“You said you never slept with anyone else while we were together… did you?”
“No.” Her mouth went dry as he looked deep into her eyes. His gaze was unnerving, so intense. So blue. How had she forgotten what it was like when he set those incredible blue eyes on her?
“Unlike you, baby, I trusted you then and I trust you now.”
“Even after what I did?” she demanded, trying to stop feeling so many… feelings.
“You made a mistake but one mistake doesn’t define us. At least, it doesn’t for me. We have a chance now to do the right thing for our son—and I have to believe I wouldn’t have loved you as much as I did if you weren’t the woman I thought you were.”
She blinked rapidly, trying to hide the emotions surging through her veins.
“I have an idea,” Apollo said quickly, standing up. “I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into the kitchen.
“Are you okay?” Mick asked her softly. “You’re really pale and you’ve been on the verge of tears this whole conversation. I don’t want to do this if it’s going to make you unhappy.”
“I’m not unhappy,” she whispered, trying to express the depth of her feelings without telling him more than she was ready for him to know. “I’m terrified that doing this is going to make you unhappy! I’ve already hurt you once… knowing I did it again would kill me.”
“I’m a big boy, Lena,” he said softly. “And we made Mihalis together—you didn’t do that alone.”
Before she could respond, Apollo came back with something in his hand. “This is my grandmother’s… she gave it to Paige to use as a temporary wedding band until we could buy something together. Paige wears it on a chain around her neck now, but we thought you could borrow it, as a temporary engagement ring until you have time to shop and find something you both want to wear. No matter what happens, you should have rings with meaning—for Mihalis’ sake, if nothing else.”
Lena took the ring and put it on her fourth finger, surprised it was a perfect fit. “Thank you,” she said. “This is so thoughtful and sentimental—it means a lot to me.”
“And to me,” Mick said, holding out his hand to Apollo.
“You’re my brother,” Apollo responded. “What else could I do? It’s not as though I can choose sides—I love you both and Mihalis is my nephew. One way or another we were going to have to come to an understanding and I wasn’t going to give up on either of you to do the right thing.”
“I’m going to go have a good cry,” Lena murmured. “I’ll be okay once I’ve gotten it out of my system.” She hurried out of the room, leaving Mick staring after her regretfully and Apollo thoughtful.
“She’s awfully emotional,” he said. “You haven’t knocked her up again, have you?”
Mick scowled. “Jesus, we just started talking yesterday. What would make you say something like that?”
“You two are so busy living in the past, you don’t see what’s in front of you. You’re getting a second chance, my friend—this time don’t let her be more stubborn than you.”
“What?” Mick just looked at him.
“I walked away from Paige… remember? Young, stupid, unsure… blah blah blah. Now look at us. Because she had the balls to fly 7000 miles to say goodbye to the guy she’d impulsively married and then never spoke to again. Four years ago, you let Lena go. You had a ring. You were trying to figure out how to tell your buddy you wanted to marry his sister. You were in love with her. And you just let her go.”
Mick looked away, stoic in his refusal to respond.
“You have one more chance with Lena. Make it count.”
“Why?”
“Because I know you’re still in love with her and I think all those tears are because she’s still in love with you.”
“After what my family did?” he snorted. “She’s just doing what she thinks she has to for Mihalis.”
“Why would she have named him after you if she didn’t love you?”
“I’m his father.”
Apollo rolled his eyes. “You’re going to keep the blinders on, hm?”
Mick shook his head. “I thought you weren’t taking sides?”
“I’m not—I’m trying to help.”
“I have a lot to sort out, starting with my mother and this mess with the fire. Then I have to think about Mihalis, proving I’m his father and getting something legal that allows me to be a part of his life. I’ve been in love with Lena for a long time, but I can’t put her first until I get my own shit together.”
“Just don’t take too long.”
15
Mick met Hank for a drink at a café in Oia, since that’s where Hank and his wife were staying. Mick ordered a Greek beer he’d come to like called Mythos and sank into a chair next to Hank.
“What’s going on, my boy?” Hank eyed him. “You sounded… stressed on the phone.”
Mick nodded, taking a long swig. He glanced at his friend and asked, “Did my father ever mention not approving of a woman I was dating in college?”
Hank narrowed his eyes slightly. “You’re talking about Lena.”
Mick was startled but made sure not to let it show. “Yes.”
Hank sighed. “He was unhappy when he found out who your translator was here in Santorini. When I asked why he said she was a gold-digging bimbo from the past.”
Mick clenched his jaw painfully, shaking his head. “She wasn’t. She isn’t.”
“Your mother offered her money and she took it.”
“You knew?” Mick was disappointed.
“Not until you hired her as your translator. You father saw her name and called me but I told him it was your project and to butt out.”
“You did?” Mick frowned.
Hank took off his glasses and met the younger man’s eyes. “Michael, I’ve watched you grow up and turn into the smart, caring, hard-working man you are. I’ve also watched your parents manipulate both you and your sister to no end. You were strong enough to become your own man—a good one—in spite of their machinations and I’ll always have your back, son.”
“Thank you. That means a lot. Especially now.”
“You still love her,” Hank said quietly.
“We have a son.” Mick took a breath and told him everything, producing the check Lena had given him.
“That’s quite a tale.” Hank ordered them another round, studying the check intently. “Well, if you came here looking for advice, I have plenty, but you have a lot of things in play.”
“Tell me about it.”
“You’re going to have to deal with your mother and that’s going to lead to a run-in with your father.”
“Will you give me a professional recommendation if things go south?”
Hank chuckled. “I’ll have you working for our biggest competitor by lunch if that happens. The thing is, that would mean leaving Greece.”
“I know.” Mick sighed. “Dammit, I want to stay. Not only do I love this project, I need time to get to know my son and win back his mother. I’m getting ready to marry her and don’t even care about a pre-nup. I know her, inside and out. There’s never been anyone but Lena and while we’ve had a rough time, I believe she loves me too.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
“What?” Mick wasn’t sure what he meant.
“Why are you sitting here talking to me instead of wining and dining the beautiful woman you’ve been without for… how long?”
“Almost four years.”
“Go.” Hank waved an impatient hand. “There’s nothing for me to tell you. I disagree with your feelings about the pre-nup, but you have good instincts. If you don’t think you need it, you know better than anyone.”
Mick sighed. “Then why do I feel so confused?”
“Love.” Hank grinned. “Women will do that to you no matter what, and the right woman will never stop.”
“Does Sheila still make you confused?”
“Every minute of the day,” he laughed. “But she’s worth every second of it.”
“Shit.” Mick drained his beer. “I might need a few days off.”
Hank nodded. “Good thing I’m here to pick up the slack then.”
“I’m sorry.” Mick hesitated; this might be problematic.
Hank waved a hand. “The project’s on hold anyway, so go. Do what you need to do.”
“Thank you.” Mick dug out his keys and headed to the rental car. He had work to do, and in a few hours, a phone call to make.
* * *
Mick dreaded calling his mother, but he had to. It was a little after six in the morning in San Francisco, but she was usually up doing yoga, Pilates or some other trendy workout regimen, so he sat out back and dialed her number. It was late afternoon, siesta time here in Greece, so the beach behind the villa was deserted and he waited impatiently for her to answer.
“Michael.” Her prim voice made him scowl even though she couldn’t see it.
“Mom.” He tried to keep his voice level.
“I’m on my way out, dear. Did you need something?”
“Tell me about the money you gave Lena.”
The silence on the other end of the line told him she didn’t want to talk about it, but that was too bad.
“That was a long time ago.”
“She was carrying my baby and you scared her so badly she didn’t even think she could tell me.”
He heard her sharp intake of breath but when she spoke her voice was as cool as ever. “The money was all she was interested in.”
“If that was the case she could have gotten rid of it.”
“There’s actually a child… you’ve seen him or her?”
“Him. Mihalis. Your grandson is three and you’ve never met him.”
“She didn’t have to take the check, Michael. It was a test and she failed miserably. That isn’t my fault. Any woman who truly loved you wouldn’t have taken it.”
“Did she cash it?”
“Of course she did.”
Liar. Mick inhaled slowly, letting his breath out a little at a time until he was ready to talk again. “You shouldn’t have interfered.”
“Wasn’t it better to find out before she could hurt you even more than she did?”
“That’s just it—I didn’t find out anything. She disappeared and took my kid with her.”
“That shows you who she is.”
“Actually, it shows me more who you are. I have to go, Mom.” He disconnected and stared out at the water.
He’d only known about Mihalis for thirty-six hours but already loved him. The idea that his mother had done something that had cost him three years with his son was infuriating, but he had no idea what to do next. His parents had always tried to get him and his sister to do what they wanted, but he’d never paid much attention. He studied hard, got good grades and made his parents proud when it mattered. Until Lena, he’d never worried about whether his parents would like a girl because none of them mattered. He’d been naïve when he brought her home, though. He’d forgotten how bigoted and closed-minded they were. For all he knew, it was Lena’s olive-colored skin that bothered them more than her allegedly smaller bank account. He’d ignored their racist and homophobic comments over the years because it had never impacted him and it was easier not to fight with them.
