THE GREEK'S TINY MIRACLE (14 page)

No sooner had she climbed in the front seat and shut the door than Nikos joined her behind the wheel. He didn’t speak the whole time they drove to the port. Stephanie knew better than to talk, but her heart was heavy for him and the tragic situation with his father.

After he pulled around to the parking area of Vassalos Shipping, Nikos left the keys on the floor of the car and they walked back to the yacht. “I want to get to know your family, Nikos, but I couldn’t possibly stay in their house, since it would cause too much stress for everyone.

“Much as I want to make things right, I can’t tolerate your father’s attitude or the way he spoke about me. Maybe in time things will get better. I could hope for that, but not right now. I trust you understand.”

Silence followed her remarks, until he helped her step on the deck. “I owe you an explanation.”

She threw her head back, catching sight of his tormented expression. “If you mean that kiss you gave me at the back door was supposed to be an in-your-face gesture for your father’s digestion, I already got the message.”

“If you think that, you couldn’t be more wrong,” Nikos grated. “Just when I thought my father had run out of tricks, there he was once again, trying to set me up with Natasa. But this time you were there. No amount of makeup could conceal the bruise on your jaw. It stood out in the moonlight, reminding me that you’d unwisely faced my demons and held me during the night, despite the consequences to you and the baby.

“Tonight I realized how very beautiful you are and how courageous to have forgotten yourself to help me. No one has ever been that self-sacrificing for me. In a rush of emotion I felt the need to show you how I felt. Since my father chose that moment to appear, then he has to live with that picture, because I refuse to apologize for something that had nothing to do with him.”

Stephanie swallowed hard. Nikos’s sincerity defeated her. “Do you think Natasa saw us?”

He gave an elegant shrug of his shoulders. “If she did, let’s hope it was cathartic.”

For the other woman’s sake, Stephanie hoped so, too, and looked away. “I would have liked to have met your mother.”

“One day I’ll introduce you to her and the whole family. They’re very nice people.”

One day.
That sounded so lonely.

“Nikos...about the baby—”

The mere mention of it brought a look of anxiety to his dark eyes. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine!” she assured him, not wanting to add to his worries. “I was just surprised you told your father.”

Nikos’s hard body tautened. “Hearing the truth from my lips has put an end to his dream of my marrying Natasa in order to consolidate our families. He’s been stuck in that groove for a decade. Since I’ve refused to work in the company, he has lost his hold on me.”

Stephanie drew closer to him. “What’s he afraid of?”

Nikos studied her for a long moment. “At one time he thought I was Costor Gregerov’s son.”

It took a second for Stephanie’s brain to compute. When it did, she let out a gasp. “Your mother and Kon’s father?” Surely she’d misunderstood.

“It’s complicated. My mother and Kon’s mother were best friends growing up on Oinoussa. My parents married first and had two children before I came along. But Tiana’s eventual marriage to Costor brought a lot of grief to her family, because he’s part Turkish.

“In some corners of society, the Greeks and Turks refuse to mix. The built-in prejudice against him caused a painful division. For Tiana, it was she against the world once she’d married Costor. They had four children before Kon came along.”

As Nikos peeled back the layers, Stephanie’s anguish for his pain grew.

“My mother defended Tiana’s decision and was always sympathetic to Costor. At one point someone started a rumor that she got too close to him. It wasn’t true, and both my mother and Costor always denied it, but my father was a bigoted man. He believed it and there was an ugly falling out that never healed.”

Stephanie bit her lip. “DNA testing wasn’t available when you were born.”

“No, but it wasn’t needed. As Tiana once told me, the stamp of a Vassalos was unmistakable. Unfortunately, my parents’ marriage suffered. It’s a miracle my mother didn’t leave him, but she loves him. She remained close friends with Tiana, which threw me and Kon together, but the damage done to both families during those early years was incalculable.”

Stephanie clutched the railing. “What a tragedy.”

Nikos nodded. “My father became controlling and possessive. He tried to rule my life and choose my associates, making sure I didn’t mix with people like Kon’s family. By my teens he’d cultivated a friendship with the Lander family, laying the groundwork for the future he envisioned for me. But he went too far when I was forbidden to spend any more time with Kon, who’d become like a brother to me. Naturally, I defied my father, because Kon had done nothing wrong.”

Stephanie darted him a glance. “Except to be a constant reminder of the past.”

Nikos breathed deeply. “Everything reached a boiling point when Kon needed money for his divorce. I gave him what I’d saved from working. My father found out and threatened to disown me. I told him it wouldn’t be necessary, because Kon and I had already joined the navy and would be shipping out.”

The night breeze had sprung up, lifting the hair off Stephanie’s cheek. “You and Kon shouldn’t have had to suffer for your father’s paranoia. How long did it take him to beg your forgiveness?”

“His pride won’t allow him to beg. For my mother’s sake I visited them on leave, but things have never been the same. Underneath he’s still a bigot and distrustful.”

“Evidently he doesn’t like Americans, either,” she whispered.

“He’s predisposed to dislike anyone whom he imagines might have control over me. I invested my military pay and bought the
Diomedes
so I would never have to be beholden to him.”

Heartsick for Nikos, Stephanie looked at her husband through new eyes. Here she’d suffered all her life, wishing she knew anything about her father, while Nikos... Her ache for him grew worse. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

“You’ve married into a complicated family. Don’t try to sort it all out tonight. You look tired, which comes as no surprise after your wrestling match with me last night.”

Stephanie would do it again and again if he’d let her, but after this incident with his father, she sensed he was unreachable. True enough, his next words left her in no doubt.

“You go below. I’ll stay up here and wait for Yannis. As soon as he comes, we’ll leave port and head back to Oinoussa.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

September 1

N
IKOS
HAD
SEEN
his wife in a bikini when they swam on one of the isolated beaches. Oftentimes Elianna came with them. With the growing evidence of her pregnancy, there’d been a decided change in her since April, when they’d met. But he broke out in a cold sweat as he watched the doctor spread the gel on Stephanie’s tummy to do a Doppler ultrasound.

“Ooh, that’s cold.”

“All my patients say that.”

“Are you all right?”

“Of course she is.” Dr. Panos smiled at Nikos. “Sit down, Kyrie Vassalos, and watch the screen. We’ll take a peek inside to see how your baby is progressing. This will take about ten minutes.”

Nikos couldn’t sit. More than his concern about the gender of the baby was the fear that something might show up to indicate a problem. The doctor moved the probe over her belly. Pretty soon the sound of a heartbeat filled the examination room.

“Can you hear that?” Stephanie cried in excitement.

“Your baby has a good, strong heartbeat. Keep watching the screen.”

Whether it was his baby or not, Nikos stood there mesmerized by the sight of pictures that gave evidence of the living miracle growing inside her.

The doctor nodded. “I like what I see.”

“Then it’s healthy?” Stephanie’s anxious question echoed that of Nikos.

“At this stage everything looks fine and normal. The baby could fit in the palm of your hand.”

Yet you could see it was a perfect baby. Nikos could only shake his head in awe.

“But it needs to turn for me if we’re going to find out its gender.” Dr. Panos pressed in various spots. “I know you’re uncomfortable after drinking all that water, Stephanie. Just a few more minutes, then you can use the bathroom.”

She let out a big sigh. “As long as there’s nothing wrong, I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl.”

Since the night she’d held him during a flashback, Nikos had secretly worried he might have damaged the baby in some way. At the good news, exquisite relief swamped him.

Though she’d promised not to come near him at night, that fear had caused him to lock his bedroom door when he went to bed so she wouldn’t try to help him during an episode. Much as he desired sleeping with her, even if it would only be in the cabin with twin beds, he didn’t dare.

“From the positioning, I don’t know if we’re going to be successful. I need a better angle. Otherwise we could try another one in eight more weeks, at the end of your second trimester.” He continued to move the probe. “This one is active and kicking.”

“That sounds good to me,” Stephanie told the doctor. “I want to teach it to scuba dive.”

“So you’re a diver.”

“We both are,” Nikos volunteered.

After a surprisingly long period of silence, Dr. Panos said, “Then let’s hope he shares your interest.”

“He?”
they exclaimed in unison.

“See that?” He pointed to the baby’s anatomy. “There’s your boy. Got a name for him yet?”

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Nikos. “Nikolaos Alexandros Vassalos!”

Stephanie...

Dr. Panos chuckled. “Well, that sounded definite.” He turned off the machine and handed each of them a photo. “You can get up and use the restroom now. Keep taking your iron and vitamin pills, get plenty of rest, and I’ll see you in a month. Make your appointment with my receptionist on your way out.”

“Thank you!” Stephanie murmured emotionally.

“You’re entirely welcome. Congratulations.”

Nikos shook his hand, then studied the pictures while he waited for her. He couldn’t help remembering the time in the hospital when he’d been told he would never father a child, would never know the joy of hearing those words from a doctor, let alone be given pictures.

Stephanie’s glowing face was the first thing he saw when she met him out in reception. With excitement she scheduled her next visit, for early October.

Don’t let your doubts drag you down now, Vassalos.

He ushered her outside to the parking lot. “This calls for a celebration. What would you like to do?”

“Go to a furniture store and buy a crib. I’ve almost finished the lace edge on the quilt and can’t wait to see it set up in my room.”

“Be honest with me, Stephanie. Wouldn’t you rather we went looking for a house first?”

His question brought shadows to her eyes. “I thought we went through this a month ago.”

“I was afraid you were humoring me. I thought to give you a little more time.”

She put her hands on her hips. “I think it’s time you were honest with me. Are you dying to live in a house? Or have you decided you want to deposit me in one before you go crazy? I’m getting the message you need space away from me, while you conduct your business meetings on board. If that’s the case, please say so now.”

“Space is not the issue.”

Color tinted her cheeks. “Then what is?”

“I was only thinking of your happiness while you make preparations for the baby that’s coming.”

“I’m perfectly happy, but apparently you’re not. So I have an idea. While I go back to the yacht, you can look at furnished homes to your heart’s content with Mr. Doukakis. Let me know when you find the one you think will suit me best, and I’ll move into it.”

Damn.
On this red letter day he’d mentioned a house only to please her, not to undo all the joy she’d been feeling since her visit to the doctor.

“Not every woman with a baby coming wants to live on the water.”

“But I’m not every woman,” she retorted. “The yacht is home to me. From my condo I used to watch oceangoing vessels out on the water and dream about sailing around the world on one. That idea has always intrigued me.”

He nodded. “Then I won’t mention buying a home again. After we find the right crib, let’s have lunch on the island before we return to the
Diomedes.
”

Now that she had run out of steam, she seemed to droop a little. “Nikos? Forgive me for snapping at you. I can’t believe I talked to you like that when you’re always so wonderful to me. The truth is I’ve been so happy, I haven’t wanted anything to change. But that’s the selfish part of me talking. I’ll go with you to look at a house, and never complain again. The last thing I want to be is a carping wife.” Her voice caught.

“Carping?”

“Yes, as in a petty woman who looks for trouble and finds fault at every turn, appreciating nothing. With your command of English, I’m surprised you haven’t heard that word.”

He cradled her lovely face in his hands, forcing her look at him. She’d picked up a golden glow since living on the yacht. Her eyes shimmered an intense blue. Nikos could easily get lost in them. “You’re none of those things and you know it.”

“I’m the ball on your chain, holding you back.” She was serious.

Laughter rose out of his throat. “From what?”

She averted her eyes. “From whatever you planned to do before I ventured into Vassalos territory without permission. I look back on it now and can’t believe I was so audacious.”

Right now he couldn’t relate to the man who’d collided with her along the pier. That man had been drowning in despair, without a glimmer of hope. For a moment he’d thought he was hallucinating. But the minute he’d touched her, he’d realized she was no figment of his imagination. Stephanie Walsh had materialized in the flesh.

Nikos slid his hands to her shoulders, covered by her leaf-green top. His fingers played with the ends of her silvery-gold hair. Desire for his pregnant wife was eating him alive. Oh yes, she was pregnant. He had the proof resting in his pocket.

With their mouths so close, it was all he could do not to devour her in front of the people coming and going from the clinic. But he did kiss her very thoroughly, and was shaken by her powerful response.

“I dare you to kiss me like that when we’re back on the yacht and no one is watching,” she teased.

That’s what drew him to Stephanie. Though she could be fiery, she didn’t take herself too seriously, and retained a sense of humor lacking in the women he’d known. They’d had a month of togetherness and he still wasn’t tired of her. If anything, he couldn’t wait to get her back to the yacht. He’d taken the day off work and no one else would be around.

* * *

“I’m so glad you know how to put this crib together. I wouldn’t have a clue.” Stephanie sat propped on her bed, finishing the lace edge of the baby quilt while she watched her husband work. As she studied his dark, handsome features, a feeling of contentment stole through her.

She picked up the ultrasound picture and studied it for the hundredth time. Knowing she was carrying his son made this day unforgettable. How could Nikos possibly not know and feel that this was
his
baby?

But every time she put herself in his shoes, she remembered the horror story about his parents. And not just his parents, but the tragic lie that had bound Kon to the Frenchwoman. Trust was one of the most vital essentials in a relationship, let alone a marriage. Nikos’s view of life and women had been flawed because of circumstances, yet there was a part of him that was still giving her a chance. She loved him for that modicum of trust in her, loved him with every fiber of her being.

“It’s your fault I feel stuffed after eating lunch.” It had been a marvelous lunch of filet of sole with grapes and capers. “I’ve gained too much weight since my first doctor’s appointment, in Florida. Do you realize there’s no such a thing as a bad meal on Oinoussa?”

He darted her an all-encompassing glance that sent a shiver of excitement through her body. “Nor on the
Diomedes.
The acquisition of my new cook is putting back the pounds I lost in the hospital. When we were on the island, you never told me you’re such a fabulous cook.”

“You and Yannis are full of it, but it’s nice to hear. Mom was always at work, so my grandmother taught me a lot of her recipes.”

“Yannis says you put Maria’s cooking to shame.”

“It’s the butter instead of the olive oil.”

“I like both.”

“So do I. The blending of two worlds.” She let out a sigh. “Nikos? I’ve started picking up some Greek around you and Yannis, but it’s a slow process. I want to be able to talk to the baby in both languages. How would you feel if I found someone on Oinoussa to tutor me for a few hours every day? You speak perfect English. I feel embarrassed that I can’t converse in Greek.”

“I think it’s an excellent idea.”

“You do?” She’d been holding her breath in case he told her the future was still uncertain and he didn’t think it was necessary.

“I’ll look into it.” On that satisfying note he got to his feet. “The crib is finished. What do you think?” He’d placed it against the wall opposite the end of her bed.

“I love it! I’m glad we picked the walnut for Alex.” She rolled off the bed. Together they added the mattress and padding. When she’d fastened the ties, she reached for the baby quilt and spread it along the railing.

Nikos examined the hand stitching. “You do perfect work. Anyone would think you’d bought this. I’m more impressed than I can say.”

“It’s full of mistakes, but thanks. I hope he has your black hair. Against the white material, he’ll be gorgeous. I can’t wait to wrap him in it.”

In the next breath Nikos pulled it off the railing and wrapped it around her neck and shoulders. “If he has your blond hair, the effect with this quilt will be sensational.” Still holding the material, Nikos drew her close. “All his friends will say he has the most beautiful mother in the Oinousses.”

“
Nikos,
I—”

The rest of her words were smothered as he claimed her mouth and slowly savored her as if she were something fragile and precious. Heat began to course through her body, making her legs tremble. She slid her hands up his chest, where she could feel the solid pounding of his heart beneath his sport shirt. For so long Stephanie had been waiting for a sign that he still wanted her. Her great need caused her to respond with an ardor she didn’t know herself capable of.

He picked her up and laid her on the bed before stretching out next to her. “Today when I saw the doctor spread the gel and use the probe, I wanted to be the one to feel the baby, Stephanie. Let me feel you now.” His voice throbbed.

She responded with a moan as he lifted the hem of her blouse and pulled down the elasticized waist of her skirt. When his hand moved over her belly, sensation after physical sensation swept through her. “Our baby is right there.”

As he lowered his mouth to the spot, the shock of his kiss traveled through her womb. Stephanie was filled with indescribable delight and the hope that everything was going to be all right. She let out a helpless cry and once again their mouths sought each other and clung.

There were so many things she’d been wanting to tell him. Now she could show him, without words getting in the way. She’d thought she’d loved him before, but after living together for a month her feelings for him had deepened in new ways and had taken root.

“Don’t be afraid you’re going to hurt me,” she begged, wanting him to crush her in his arms. Though she sensed his growing desire, he held back, kissing her with tenderness rather than the kind of passion she’d once known with him. She wanted more.

He buried his face in her neck. “I don’t want to do anything that could injure the baby.”

Surely he knew that couldn’t happen. Or was he covering for something else she’d secretly worried about from the moment he’d told her he was sterile? “There’s no fear of that, unless it’s your own injury stopping you.”

Nikos lifted his head and looked down at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about the deep bruising to your spine from the explosion. When you push yourself too hard, I can tell when you’re in pain, but I’m wondering if it’s more than that.”

To her chagrin he rolled off the bed and got to his feet. “Explain what you mean.”

Stephanie sat up, furious with herself for ruining the moment. “I’ve wondered if your PTSD wasn’t the only reason you didn’t want to sleep with me in the cabin with the twin beds. If you can’t make love, then please tell me. Don’t you know it could never matter to me?”