He was coming here to this house tonight? Would his wife be with him? No. It wasn’t possible. Her body went hot, then cold. She felt sick.
“Excuse me, Irena. Would you mind if I used your powder room for a moment? I’ll be right back.”
“Please. It’s inside the doors on your left.”
“Are you all right, Mama?”
“Yes, honey.” Alexa got up from the table, praying her legs would support her before she fell into a dead faint in front of them.
Ready or not, your moment of truth has come, Alexa Remis. Pray the world doesn’t come down on your head to bury you.
* * *
Nico got out of his car and only had to wait a moment before Melia answered the door. As he thanked her, Kristos came up behind her. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to make it.”
They hugged before he handed him a gift. “Happy Birthday. I would have been here earlier, but had to put out a fire at work first. You can open that later.”
“Thanks. We’re eating outside.”
“Lead the way.”
When they reached the patio, Nico walked around to kiss Irena’s cheek, then glanced at the lovely young woman in the yellow dress seated at the table. Wavy brunette hair fell to her neck. With her coloring, she reminded him in a curious way of his sister Giannina. She was well-known for her beauty and could have been married long before now but for an unhappy love affair that had put her off men. He had to believe that would change in time.
“Uncle Nico? I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Dimitra Remis.”
He smiled at her. “It’s my pleasure, Dimitra.”
“How do you do, Kýrie Angelis.”
Nico found his place and sat. “Your name happens to be a particular favorite of mine.”
“My mother’s too. She’s always loved the Greek myths and named me for the goddess of the grain.”
Once upon a time Nico remembered another beautiful young woman who’d also loved the myths, but that had been in another world when he’d been a different person. “I’ve heard you have a remarkable mother and was told she would be here with you.”
“Kyría Remis excused herself for a few minutes,” Irena explained.
Melia brought his dinner and he started to eat. Dimitra looked across the table at him. “Kristos told me the Papadakis family wouldn’t have made it through the last six months without you, Kýrie Angelis.” Between her expectant light green eyes and warm smile, he could understand why Kristos was so taken with her.
“He’s the best friend we could ever have!” Kristos blurted before Nico could get a word out. Kristos had just opened the gift Nico had given him—a framed picture of Tio when they’d first gone in the military. Tio had been eighteen and looked a lot like Kristos at that age. He showed it to Dimitra. “I’ll treasure this, Uncle Nico.”
“I’ve long wanted you to have it.”
Kristos passed it to his mother, but at this point Nico looked beyond Irena to a woman of medium height who’d come out on the patio. A blue-on-white print dress clung to her stunning figure. Light from the candles illuminated the gold strands in her shoulder-length chestnut hair.
Only one woman he’d ever known had hair that color, but it had cascaded down her back like a mermaid’s. Maybe he was hallucinating. He got to his feet and found himself looking into the sea-green eyes of the Aegean enchantress who’d stolen his heart.
Thee mou! he cried inwardly as she sat. It was Mara!
She looked to be in her late twenties, not the thirty-six she must be now.
Dimitra was her daughter?
Nico’s mind reeled. As he did the math, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart. She’d told him she’d come to Salonica on vacation from France to be with her cousin. She must have been with another guy during the hours when he’d been at work for his father. She would have had the time to meet someone else. He smothered a groan. So many lies...
That was why she’d sent back all Nico’s letters without reading them. She’d fallen for the other guy and had ended up having his baby. How many guys had she played while on vacation?
“Uncle Nico? Please meet Alexa Remis, Dimitra’s mother.”