Theo took another sip of the scotch and waited.
“Your mother would have seen interest as a sign of weakness on my part,” the older man said in a matter-of-fact tone. “She’d have used you to get to me.”
It almost sounded as if his father had stayed away to…protect him? But that was crazy.
“I want to make it clear that I’m not here looking for a handout,” Theo said.
“If you were after my money,” Elias said, “you’d have contacted me back when you were starting your business. You wouldn’t have gone from bank to bank looking for someone to loan you money.”
Theo remembered that time. He’d been growing discouraged when one of the lenders who’d previously turned him down had called back and offered him the money he’d asked for at an even lower interest rate than had been previously quoted. Theo hadn’t thought to question it at the time, but now…
He shot a suspicious glance at Elias but his father just signaled for the maid to bring him another drink.
“Once I became an adult, once you knew what kind of man I’d become, why didn’t you contact me?”
Elias silently accepted the second glass of scotch from the maid. He stared down at the amber liquid for a long moment. “Pride,” he said finally, looking up. “I hadn’t been more involved when you were young. I was sure you’d be angry. I would have been in your position. In fact, I’m surprised you came here. And that you accepted my donation.”
Actually, Theo was surprised, too. A month ago he’d have sent the money back. But meeting his sisters and learning of his mother’s deception had made him rethink his attitude. And his time with Trish had made him realize that life wasn’t always black-and-white. His father was no saint, but Elias Stamos wasn’t the monster Tasia had portrayed, either.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these past couple of weeks,” Theo said. “I realize now that while I can’t control the past, I am in control of my future.”
Elias tilted his head, his dark eyes watchful. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Helena and Katherine are my half sisters,” Theo said. “I plan to see them again. I’d like it if we could have some sort of relationship, too.”
Theo’s words hung in the air as he awaited Elias’s reply. But regardless of the man’s decision, Theo knew he was finally charting the right course. He was going after what he wanted. Athens had been his first stop.
Next stop…Florida.
T
HOUGH THE STYLISHLY
simple wooden benches in the observation room overlooking the dance studio were rock hard, Theo didn’t mind. From this vantage point he had a perfect view of Trish and he hadn’t taken his eyes off her since he’d arrived.
The instructor was making the women click their toes on the shiny floor like horses pawing the ground. The maneuver must have been more difficult than it looked because Trish was watching intently, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Dear God, he’d missed her. The longing that rose up inside him told him he’d been a fool to ever let her go.
After leaving Elias in Athens, Theo had booked the first available flight to the United States. When he’d arrived at the Miami Airport, a driver and car had been waiting, courtesy of his sister.
Theo had called Katherine before he’d left Greece to let her know that he’d met with Elias. He’d also happened to mention he was headed to Florida to see Trish. By the time he’d hung up he had access to a Liberty Line company car as well as the South Beach penthouse suite Katherine used when in Florida.
At first he’d been reluctant to accept. He wasn’t sure where the relationshipif you could even call it thatwith his father was headed, and using company perks seemed like trading on a fortune that wasn’t his to use. But Katherine had persisted, telling him the car and penthouse were hers to offer, and if he wanted to pay her back, he could name his first daughter after her.
Theo had laughingly agreed, and now he couldn’t seem to get the image of a baby girl with Trish’s red hair and hazel eyes out of his head.
All the way to Miami, he’d thought about the wonderful future he and Trish could share…if she could only find it in her heart to forgive his earlier stupidity.
The flight had gone smoothly and arrived at the gate ahead of schedule. It was discovering Trish’s whereabouts at six o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon that had proved most challenging. When he’d called her office from the airport, the answering service had been extremely tight-lipped.
Thankfully Katherine wasn’t the only one who enjoyed a little matchmaking on the side. He’d reached Sally on her cell phonethe number being Bruno’s contribution to the effortand less than ten minutes later Theo was on his way to the studio where Trish took weekly dance lessons.
There had been laughter in Sally’s voice when she’d informed Theo that Trish had joined an over-thirties beginners tap class. Theo couldn’t understand her amusement. All he’d felt was pride.
“They try,” the man seated next to Theo said in a conversational tone. “They just aren’t very good. Which one is yours?”
Theo reluctantly pulled his gaze from Trish. “Mine?”
“You know…wife…girlfriend?” The guy gestured to the dozen women lined up on the hardwood floor below. “Sarah, my wife, is on the end. The one with the curly brown hair.”
“Mine’s the redhead in the middle,” Theo said, the words feeling awkward on his tongue. He hoped the man didn’t know Trish. Because if he did, he would know Theo was lying. Trish wasn’t his…not yet anyway.
“She’s cute.” The words had barely left the man’s mouth when he rose to his feet. “Sorry to cut this short but Sarah and I have an appointment with a Realtor. Finally going to take the plunge and buy a place of our own.”
The women had begun to file out of the dance studio and Theo realized with a start that class had ended.
“Do they go out the front door?” Theo asked, following the man down the stairs to the lobby.
The man shook his head. “Sarah told me to wait by the side door. That’s the exit the students use.”
Theo glanced around the large ultramodern lobby. There were lots of doors. All he had to do was find the one that would lead him to Trish.
“I know where it is.” The man turned back, apparently noticing Theo’s hesitation. “I’ll show you.”
Theo wasn’t sure how Trish was going to react to his unexpected appearance and he really didn’t want an audience. But at the moment he didn’t see any alternative.
Fifteen minutes later, Theo realized he needn’t have worried. All the other women in class had leftincluding Sarah and her husbandand he was still waiting. He didn’t know why he was surprised. On the ship he’d discovered that Trish wasn’t the quickest at changing clothes or getting dressed. But then, he’d never encouraged her to hurry. He’d liked seeing her naked.
The door opened and Theo watched Trish step out into the alley. Before she could head out to the main street, he moved forward to meet her. “Hello, beautiful.”
Trish rocked back on her heels, her eyes widening. She shook her head as if trying to clear her vision and blinked twice.
“Theo. It
is
you.” Her voice was deep and husky and music to his ears.
“How’ve you been?” He didn’t know why he asked. Even dressed casually in a pair of faded blue jeans and a simple cotton top, she looked fabulous. Although, on closer inspection, he could see shadows under her eyes that hadn’t been there when he’d last seen her, and he realized that perfect figure of hers was now a shade too thin.
Her gaze never left his face. “What are you doing here?”
Though she’d answered his question with one of her own, Theo didn’t care. They were together and talking for the first time in weeks. The rightness of his decision washed over him, sweeping away any doubt that remained.
“Don’t you want to know how I’ve been?” he asked.
She tilted her head and the slight smile that graced her lips gave him hope. “How have you been, Theo?”
“Miserable.” He took a step closer, breathing in the clean fresh scent of her. “I’ve missed you desperately.”
Her hold on the bag in her hand faltered. Trish didn’t respond immediately. Instead she settled the straps over her shoulder with inordinate care before looking back at him. “I’ve missed you, too.”
His heart quickened. At that moment Theo wanted nothing more than to pull her to him and kiss her until she begged him to make love to her.
Only the knowledge that this trip wasn’t about a night or two of passion stopped Theo from acting on the impulse. While he’d loved having her in his bed, that wasn’t enough for him now. He wanted all of her. He wanted her to be a permanent part of his life. To wake up next to him every morning. To share her day with him over dinner and listen to his. “There’s a café down the street. Do you have a few minutes?”
Her answer held the key to his future happiness because her response would tell him if there was any hope. Sally had mentioned Steven had Cassidy until eight o’clock on Wednesdays, which meant Trish had the time. But did she want to spend it with him?
She waited so long to answer that Theo felt his cautious optimism begin a death spiral.
“Yes,” she said finally, and then again more forcefully, as if trying to convince herself. “Yes. I have time.”
Theo had grown up attending church every Sunday with his grandparents. As an adult he hadn’t been nearly so faithful. But this was his one chance and he hoped God was listening, because as he took Trish’s arm, Theo began to pray.
CHAPTER TWENTY
T
RISH
’
S HEART BEAT
out of control and it wasn’t from caffeine overload. She cast a quick glance sideways at Theo.
With his dark good looks and white cotton shirt open at the neck, he fit right in with the Miami crowd. She was fairly certain he hadn’t said why he was here, although she couldn’t be sure. From the moment he’d startled her outside the dance studio, a dull roar had filled her ears, making it difficult to hear.
What if I’d gone out the front door? What if I’d missed him?
She’d stayed behind in the dressing room after her classmates had left, completing a few business calls. Her goal for this week was to secure a vendor to take on the Kefalonia excursions. Elias Stamos had been surprisingly silent but she knew the man would only be patient for so long. Unfortunately, by the time Trish had finished the last call, she was frustrated and still without a tour operator. Her latest “hot” prospect hadn’t been so hot in the knowledge department. How could she hire someone who didn’t even know there were horses on Kefalonia?
“Let me take that for you,” Theo said, interrupting her thoughts as he effortlessly lifted her gym bag from her shoulder and swung it over his.
She smiled her thanks, and when he took her arm, a familiar heat rushed through her. She ignored the sensation. The only chance she had of getting through these next few minutes was to pretend his closeness didn’t affect her.
“Is this okay?”
Trish looked up at the small coffee shop she’d passed many times on her way to the dance studio. “Fine with me.”
By the time they got their coffee, Trish’s tightly held control had started to slip. The scent of his cologne, the tousled curl against his forehead, even the square set of his shoulders tugged at her heart. And his mouthperfectly sculpted and just made for…
Theo gestured to a table at the back of the café. “Do you mind if we sit back here?”
When she didn’t answer or make any attempt to move, he added. “It’ll be more private.”
She remembered those lips on hers, on her neck, on her inner thigh…
“Trish? Your face is all red. Are you okay?”
Trish realized with sudden horror that she’d been staring at his mouth. “I’m fine,” she said in a voice an octave higher than her normal range. “Back there is fine. Wherever you want to sit is fine.”
For a second she thought he was about to smile, but his expression remained watchfully serious.
When they got to the table, Theo pulled out her chair then pushed it in before taking his seat. She resisted the urge to sigh.
Once seated, Trish took a sip of coffee. She relished the hot, bitter taste on her tongue, and hoped it would help clear her head. She had so many questions it was hard to know which to ask first. Basics, she finally decided. Stick to the basics. “How did you know where to find me?”
A hint of a smile crossed his face. “Sally told me.”
Sally. The self-proclaimed matchmaker.
Her friend had been relentless in trying to get Trish to contact Theo and extremely disappointed at her refusal. A sudden thought struck Trish and her heart stopped. “She didn’t call you, did she?”
“No,” he said. “I called her.”
The surprise in his eyes at the question was more reassuring to her than any words. Trish added a packet of raw sugar to her coffee, more to keep her hands busy than because she liked her drink sweetened. “You know Sally is moving to Italy.”