right?”
“Yes. We will not sail until after that. Dinner at eight.”
“Then I’ll be back by six, no problem.”
She stepped by him.
Before she’d gone three feet, he said impulsively, “Would you like to see the ruins on the mountaintop?”
Nikos wasn’t sure who was more surprised—Sara or himself. Vanished was the idea of working. Gone was the concern for his guests. He had enjoyed swimming with her; now he wanted to show her some of the island. See how she related to the history that was so much a part of their culture. Spend some time with someone who didn’t expect him to propose in the next minute.
“I would love to see the ruins. Can you spare the time?” she asked. The wariness had not left her eyes.
“The afternoon is free, it turns out. I would like to see them again myself.” With a sweep of his hand indicating she should precede him, they walked down the dock to the street. Two cabs were parked nearby, their drivers leaning against the side of one, talking.
Nikos summoned one and in seconds he and Sara were on their way through the town and beyond. The mountain was not very high, sloping gently up from the sea. The lush vegetation that grew along the side of the road served as a green backdrop to the incredible blues of the sea and sky.
Nikos watched Sara as she gazed out of the side window.
“This is beautiful. At times like this I wish I was a photographer or painter and could capture the scene forever.”
“You’ll have to remember it.”
She nodded. “I shall! Thank you for bringing me along. It’s fantastic.”
Sara felt her heart turn over when Nikos smiled at her comment. She quickly looked back out the window. With butterflies dancing inside, it was safer to feast her gaze on the view of the sea rather than drown herself in Nikos’s eyes. She felt that growing sense of awareness sweep through, though she kept her gaze firmly on the distant horizon. She felt tongue-tied. What could she say? Nikos was the type of man her mother had fled Greece to avoid. Surely her daughter wouldn’t be so foolish as to fall for him? He was so out of her league.
Yet the trip to the ruins was an unexpected treat. Why had he invited her along?
“Your guests didn’t wish to come?” she asked.
“No. They were content to sit in town and watch the inhabitants.”
“That sounds nice,” she replied politely. In some circumstances maybe. For her the chance to see more of the island beat sitting in one spot all day.
The road wound up the hillside until the vegetation grew thin. Rocky expanses dotted the land, giving way to a deteriorating wall that outlined where the ancient Roman garrison had once stood. When the cab stopped at the graveled parking lot, Sara was delighted with the setting. There were few other cars. With several acres of ruins to view, there weren’t enough people to make it crowded.
Nikos held out his hand to assist her from the cab. His fingers were warm and strong as they wrapped around hers. She shivered slightly in response, though the day was quite warm. Pulling away quickly, she walked toward the ruins feeling fluttery and excited and foolish all at once.
He spoke to the taxi driver as he paid him off. The cab turned toward the town.
“So tell me about this place. It certainly has a commanding view of the sea,” she said when he joined her, walking toward the walled expanse.
“It was a Roman outpost before the time of Christ. Not a strategic one. Archaeologists have suggested it might have been an outpost for rest and relaxation. The stones that comprised the fort remain, if in some disrepair.”
They were a warm pinkish color, huge in size and placed without mortar. The sheer size ensured they did not topple over. Sara regarded them with awe, wondering how men two thousand years ago could have moved them to the summit.
They walked to the parapet, and Sara caught her breath at the beauty of the island and sea.
“If I’d been a Roman soldier stationed far from home, I’d love to have come here for R & R,” she said. “Do you ever wonder what it would have been like?”
“More often when I was a child than now,” Nikos said. “All of Greece is steeped in ancient history. I wanted to be a Spartan when I was younger.”
She glanced at him. “You’d have made a good one, I’m sure.”
“Based on?” he asked, amusement evident in his eyes.
“Just a hunch. Of course, I guess I’d really need to see your skill with a spear before passing judgment.”
Nikos laughed. “A skill not fully developed, I fear.”
Sara smiled and returned her gaze to the sea, feeling the pull of attraction strengthen toward the man standing beside her. He rested a foot on the low wall and gazed out, as well. She could feel the warmth of his body near hers and was torn between moving away or moving closer. She did neither, just savored the day and the company and tried to keep a perspective on things.
A group of young children ran across the ruins, yelling and laughing. Sara turned to watch. They were having the time of their lives. Behind them a couple stood side by side and watched indulgently. Sara felt a tug of nostalgia. Her mother used to take her places, usually with one of her friends, and would watch as Sara and her friend ran and jumped and laughed. The excursions had been limited to the parks and gardens they’d been able to afford on her mother’s meager salary. But they’d been outings of fun and joy.
She missed her mother. For a moment sadness threatened to overrule her pleasure in the day. Her mother had turned her back on all this at eighteen. Even years later when Sara knew she’d yearned to return home, Damaris had refused. Her pride had not let her return home in disgrace, as she so often said. Her pride had kept her from the one thing she’d longed for. Sara knew about pride, but she was a touch more practical than her mother. If she wanted something, she’d go after it.
“Noisy,” Nikos said, stepping away from the low wall and watching the children.
“They’re having fun!” she said. “It’s what makes wonderful memories of family outings. Would you not have them here?”
Nikos watched silently for a moment, then turned away. “It’s hard to take in the grandeur of the place with children running around.”
“One day you’ll bring your own children to run around here. Don’t you have happy memories of similar expeditions?” she asked, walking along the wall, heading for the other side. The fort had been situated on the highest point in the island, commanding a 360-degree view. Perfect for watching from all aspects. And the view of the green of the island, the white strip of beach and the azure of the Aegean had to have made it an ideal family spot.
“No,” he murmured.
Sara looked at him in surprise. “Why not?”
“Not everyone associates families with happy children and holidays together,” he said.
Sara
