as you wish,” Spiros said gently, standing and motioning to Nikos.
Nikos watched for a moment. Sara was like a stranger to him. For days he’d been intrigued by her—now he knew the reason she behaved so differently from others. She genuinely did not want anything from him but transportation to the island. Now that she’d achieved that, what?
Would she try to worm her way into her grandmother’s affections—become her only heir? Eleani was wealthy enough Sara could quit her job and live the life her mother should have enjoyed.
“Do you know more?” he asked his grandfather when they left the women behind and were alone.
“No. Eleani told me long ago that she had a daughter she hadn’t seen in years. I only knew Stanos by reputation. He was a hardliner—had his own rules and stiff-necked pride. I think I can see him in a temper, cutting off his only child.”
“He had a private detective look into her life. He would have reported that Damaris was a single parent, that there was a little girl.”
Spiros nodded, studying his grandson. “What of you, Nikos?”
“What about me?”
“Sara isn’t the person we thought her to be. She’s more than a crew member of the Cassandra. I will welcome her into our family as I would any relative of Eleani’s.”
“It’s your home, do as you wish. I’m returning to the resort as soon as the captain can get the Cassandra under way,” Nikos said. He’d return to work and forget about the pretty chef. There’d no longer be a need for Sara to continue to work. He’d instruct his human resources office to begin a search to fill her position.
The sooner he was consumed with business, the better.
“Don’t leave before Monday. That’s when you originally planned, right? Stay and visit with your grandfather a little longer. Give her a few days to visit with Eleani.”
Nikos hesitated, then nodded once. He’d stay for his grandfather’s sake.
“Sara’s right, you know. I never told you how proud of your accomplishments I am. You have made a major contribution with the resort. I am proud of you and so is your father.”
Nikos smiled slightly. “That’s stretching it, don’t you think?”
Spiros shrugged. “I’m sure if he thought about it, he’d be proud of you.”
“You seem to be taking Sara’s revelation in your stride,” Nikos said.
“I was shocked when Eleani first told me she had a daughter. Hard as it is to hear the truth, it is best to find out. Too many lies have gone by in that family. Maybe Eleani will gain some peace knowing Sara. And I hope neither makes the same mistake Damaris and her father made.”
“Not likely,” Nikos said, looking back out the window. “Sara is no naive eighteen-year-old. She’s almost thirty, has worked her way up in a grueling profession. Been on her own for a while. And definitely wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth.”
“You’re angry with her. I know. It’s understandable.”
“She used me to get to Eleani. I don’t like being used.”
“That’s not all,” his grandfather said.
“That’s all I’m focused on now,” Nikos said. “I’ll tell the captain we leave at first light on Monday.” He left before his grandfather could say any more.
Nikos went to the room he used as an office. He sat and turned on his computer. But when the screen came on, he didn’t see it. He heard Sara telling him she had no family. She’d lied.
Or did she truly believe that? Eleani seemed more than willing to accept Sara.
She’d used him. Had all their time together been with the sole aim of getting to the island? The mutual interests? The kisses? What was truth, what false?
Thank God he’d never pushed for more.
So he’d wait for Monday. Escort Sara back to the mainland and wash his hands of her. Blast it!
By lunchtime, Sara’s nerves were stretched tight. She’d spent the morning talking with her grandmother. She’d finally come to believe the woman had had no inkling of the dire straits they had sometimes lived through. She began to soften the stories, glossing over the hardships Damaris had faced, trying to put a happier note on everything. She didn’t want to cause Eleani any more distress than she already felt. Again and again she looked at the letter and then at Sara.
By the time Marsa announced lunch, all Sara wanted to do was flee to the yacht and see if the captain would take her to the next island.
But she rose when Eleani did, used the proffered powder room to freshen up and went bravely to the terrace where lunch was being served.
Today she was escorted to the family table. She saw the crew’s table on the lower terrace and wished she was going there instead.
Spiros joined them a moment later.
“Nikos has work to do. He’s eating inside,” he explained to Eleani.
Sara knew the truth. He couldn’t even stand to be around her for the length of a meal. She was surprised at how much that hurt. For a few magical days she’d enjoyed herself. It was time to pay the piper. She was not some glamorous socialite like the ones Nikos was used to. She’d used him to get to Eleani. But she’d lost a lot along the way.
After an awkward lunch, Sara excused herself and headed for the boat. The first person she saw was Stefano who asked her if the rumors were true—was she Eleani Konstantinos’s granddaughter?
“Stefano, do not listen to rumors,” she said, brushing past him and going to her cabin. She pulled on her swimsuit, covered it with shorts and a top and grabbed a towel. She wanted to be alone, to think and to swim and to find some peace.
She approached the captain about taking the runabout.
“Where are you going?” he asked, not saying no. He’d also probably heard the rumor.
“Around to the cove Nikos took me to. I’ll stick close to the island and anchor on the beach.”
“Do you know how to run the boat?”
She nodded. She’d watched Nikos. It didn’t look hard.
The captain inclined his head. “Take drinking water and don’t swim deeper than where you can stand.”
Sara smiled, warmed he was concerned enough to lecture her on swimming safety. And smart enough to know she needed to be alone.
“I’ll be careful,” she promised.
She banged the dock twice trying to get the runabout away, but once she had it pointed in the direction she wished to go, she was set. In only moments Sara felt as alone as anyone could. There was only sky and sea and a bit of an island. And heartache.
When she reached the cove, she nosed the
