“Why’s that?”
“Because you’re in a different kind of war—one I believe in—and I want you to win.”
Sometimes the things Andrea said and the way she said them...
“Maybe my father won’t fire the first shot after all.”
“Maybe not. One lives in hope.”
Yes, one does.
“Stavros? Why do you think he’s the way he is? You know what I mean.”
“Leon and I have asked each other that question dozens of times. Our grandfather, his own father, didn’t understand him either. He always has to be right. I don’t know where that comes from.”
“Do your parents go to church?”
Her question made him want to laugh and cry at the same time, because she was trying to understand the complex relationship he had with his parents, which not even he could fix.
“On the important holidays. How about your father?”
“The same.”
Stavros was curious. “Does he expect you to go?”
“Not anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
“When we were living in Venezuela, I went to a Catholic school and a couple of nuns befriended me. For a while I thought I might like to be one when I grew older. When I told my dad, he had a fit.”
“I’ll bet.”
“That was one of the few times I’d ever seen him really upset. He said he loved me so much he never wanted me to go away from him. At the time I believed him and gave up on the idea. But as I matured, I realized he really wanted me to grow up with the opportunity to be married and have children. He said children are a parent’s greatest blessing.”
“I know you are,” Stavros said moodily.
“I’ve tried to be.”
The trend in their conversation had become painful for him. Her father wanted his daughter to be married, but only on his terms? Father, daughter and son-in-law all under the same roof in Denver, Colorado?
“We’ve arrived at the first quarry on the list.” She got out and came around to open his door. “I’ll go inside and see if the manager will come out to talk to you. Wish me luck.”
“There isn’t enough money to pay what I owe you, Andrea.”
“Don’t be silly.” She headed for the quarry office. He experienced pure pleasure just watching the womanly way she moved. Her hair shimmered in the sun.
He’d wanted to get a head start finding new sources of marble material, but feared this wouldn’t work if he didn’t make the initial introduction. The doctor had told him not to walk around on his bad leg until tomorrow. His wound was feeling better, so he’d be a fool not to follow his advice.
Soon, he saw Andrea accompanied by an older man. Stavros lowered his legs to the floor and got out so at least he was standing. They both joined him. She’d given the manager one of his business cards.
“When your beautiful assistant said Kyrie Stavros Konstantinos himself was outside waiting with a proposition for us, I couldn’t believe it. You were stung by a stingray?”
“That’s right. I still have trouble walking.”
“You’re lucky to still be alive. I could tell you stories.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Andrea smiling.