“It’s not your fault. You know that, right?”
She offered a small smile. “I know you say that, but there is a tiny bit of this that is my fault.”
“You can’t change who you are,” I said. “I don’t want you to change who you are. I like you just the way you are. It’s them that have the problem.”
“Let’s go see what my dad is up to,” she said with a smile.
“Probably has that new barbecue he bought fired up. I don’t know if I can eat another hamburger.” I groaned.
She burst into laughter as we walked up to the front of the beach house. The smell of the water and the sound of the waves comforted me. It was a sound I loved, but the last two weeks had made them even more special. It was a sound that reminded me of Bella and her father and the many hours we had sat on the beach together, talking about everything and soaking it all in. Life was good, but I didn’t realize how good until I had someone like them to share it with.
“He loves this house,” she said. “I can’t thank you enough for buying it for him. He’s always loved the beach, but this is way beyond anything he could have ever dreamed of. Me as well.”
“Hey, I wanted to do this for him. I will always think of him running into the water the first day we got the keys. He acted like a kid. It was good to see him so happy.”
“I swear he’s regressed,” she said. “He’s like a twenty-year-old starting over. It makes my heart happy to see him really happy. I honestly can’t believe he agreed to move here and retire. I was prepared with some really good arguments to convince him it was for the best.” She laughed. “He really stole the wind from my sails.”
“I was prepared to buy him his own jet to fly back and forth if he refused to move here,” I said with a laugh. “But I’m happy it was an easy sell.”
Bella knocked on the door before turning the knob. “Dad! We’re here!”
There wasn’t an answer. We headed inside, moving to the back deck that overlooked the beach. The deck was empty.
“Down there,” I said, pointing to a man sitting in a folding chair on the beach.
She grinned. “He better have put on his sunscreen. Let’s grab a beer and head down.”
That was something that had been a new addition to my life—beer. Peter enjoyed beer, as did Bella. I had developed a taste for it, preferring the craft beers. Each of us carried a cold beer as we took the stairs down to the beach.
“Peter!” I shouted.
He looked up from the book in his hand and waved at us. “I didn’t know you were coming by,” he said, getting to his feet to give Bella a hug.
“I see you’re working hard at this retirement thing,” Bella teased.
He held up the book. “I’ve always wanted to read a book on the beach. I can’t believe I’m actually doing it. There’s a blanket in that bag if you two want to pull up a seat.”
“I’m happy for you, Dad,” Bella said, leaning down to kiss the top of his head after he settled into his chair once again.
I grabbed the blanket and spread it out for Bella and me to sit on. Out of habit, I took off my socks and shoes and rolled up my pant legs, sinking my toes into the warm sand.
“How did the conversation go?” he asked.
Bella grimaced, turning to look at me. “Not great,” she muttered.
“It’s fine. We knew it was probably going to go that way.” I shrugged.
Peter nodded sadly. “I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe I can talk to them.”
I shook my head. “That’s okay. They’ve made their choice.”
Bella’s hand moved to my back, rubbing up and down to comfort me. She was always doing things like that. A subtle touch on my shoulder or a swipe as she passed me in the hall at work. It was an unspoken language between two lovers. It was a relatively new language to me, but I liked it. A simple touch or a look was all that was needed to communicate.
Bella laid down on her back, stretching out her gloriously long legs, clad in shorts. She’d kicked off her sandals and looked completely relaxed. I moved to lie down next to her when my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the screen.
“It’s my mom,” I muttered.
Bella sat up. “You should answer.”
“What if she’s going to yell and scream about how bad a son I am?”
Bella shrugged. “Then you end the call. Give her a chance first, though.”
I took a deep breath. “Hello?”
“Adrian, I’m sorry,” she said.
I turned to look at Bella, my eyes wide. She questioned me with her eyes.
“You’re sorry?” I repeated, not sure I had heard correctly.
“Yes, I’m sorry. I want you to be happy. You know that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. I worry about you being taken advantage of. You’re a good boy, and girls will prey on you.”
“Mom,” I said, ready to shut it down.
“No, no,” she said quickly. “I don’t think Bella is like that. She seems like the real thing. You’ve never spoken to me in such a way.”
“I needed you to understand this is serious.”
“I understand. Your father and I would like to have dinner with you and Bella. We’d like to get to know her.”
I blinked. “You do?”
“Yes, Adrian,” she said, and I could hear the emotion in her voice. “I see the change in you. It’s a good change. If she is the cause of this change, I want to know her. I want to be a part of your life.”
“Thank you, Mom. I look forward to the two of you getting to know each other. I promise you’ll like her.”
“I’ll call you and set up dinner,” she said before ending the call.
I slid the phone back in my pocket, smiling as I looked at Bella and her dad. They were both grinning. “I take it that went well?” Bella asked.
“It did. She’d like to have us over for dinner. She wants to get to know you.”
She threw her arms around me, hugging me. “I’m happy for you. I’m so happy you can have a relationship with your mother.”
“Thank you for being so patient and willing to give her another chance,” I told her.
“Congratulations, you two. It looks like everything is looking up.” Peter smiled down at the two of us from his chair.
“It certainly is,” I agreed.
Epilogue
Bella
Six months later
I turned sideways in the full-length mirror, checking to make sure my dress wasn’t too horribly wrinkled. It was a sleeveless wrap-style dress that cost way too much, but Adrian had insisted he buy it for me. The deep-green color made my eyes look even greener.
I turned to face the mirror, the noise of the party beyond the door beckoning me. I’d excused myself a few minutes ago, needing a little break from the exuberant members of Adrian’s extended family. His family was huge.
I took a deep breath and opened the door. There was music and the laughter of people having a good time drawing me back outside.
“How ya’ doing, kid?” my dad asked, handing me a bottle of water as he approached.
“Good. How about you?”
“Very good,” he said, turning to look out at the crowd. “They’re good people.”
“I saw you had a bit of an admirer,” I teased.
He chuckled. “She’s a nice lady.”
“Is she a distant cousin to the Gabris family?”
He shook his head. “No. Yes. I don’t know. She’s the widow of the brother of a cousin or something like that. I don’t know. Things get a little confusing.”
“I see.”
“We’re going to grab dinner next week,” he said without looking at me.
“Good. I think that’s great! Can I meet her?”
“Sure, I’ll introduce you, but right now—” He stopped talking and gestured with his head. “Incoming.”
I looked up to find Mrs. Gabris headed our way. I smiled and waved.
“Bella.” She greeted me with a hug.
/>
“Hi, Helen,” I said. “How are you?”
“I’m very good. Are you having a good time?” She took my hand in hers.
“Yes, you sure know how to put on a great party,” I said.
“Thank you.”
“Can I give you a hand with anything?” I offered.
“No, no. You are my guest. Where is Adrian?”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure. He went to talk to Stavros about fifteen minutes ago.”
“Have you met everyone?” she asked.
My eyes widened. “Oh gosh, I don’t know. I’ve met a lot of people. My dad has been making the rounds as well.”
Helen chuckled. “Oh, yes. Peter is quite the hot topic among the single ladies.”
I burst into laughter as my father blushed three different shades of red. “Oh, now,” he mumbled. “I don’t know about that.”
“I think he just told me he has a date,” I revealed.
“Bella,” he growled.
“Congratulations,” Mrs. Gabris said. “My family tree is quite expansive. If that one doesn’t work out, you let me know and I will find you a good woman.”
My dad groaned. “Thank you, but I think one will be plenty.”
“You must have been talking to Adrian,” she said with a smirk.
“Oh, you mean the bearded woman you set him up with?” I teased.
She cackled, slapping her thigh. “She was a nice girl.”
“A bearded woman?” my dad asked, a look of horror on his face.
“Yes, her facial hair was thicker than mine,” Adrian said from behind me.
“Hey, there you are,” I said, turning to face him.
He wrapped an arm around my waist, taking a sip from the glass of wine he was carrying. “Sorry, I was waylaid on my way back here.”
“Adrian, introduce Bella to the rest of the family. I’m going to grab a couple more bottles of wine. Oh, Peter, come with me. I’d like to introduce you to a couple of people.” Helen grinned in a way that said she had something up her sleeve.
My dad looked at me for help. I shrugged a shoulder. “Have fun.”
He scowled at me, following Helen across the yard.
Adrian pulled me a little closer. “I think this place has three bedrooms,” he said in a husky voice. “Do you want to go check one of them out? Test the mattress?”
“Stop. We can’t do that.”
“That dress is killing me,” he whispered close to my ear. “I want to unwrap you and devour you.”
“Adrian Gabris, if you make me wet and horny at your mother’s party, I will make you pay dearly,” I hissed.
“I like the sound of that,” he said with a cheeky grin.
“You’re incorrigible.”
“I’m horny.”
“Stop,” I said, giggling. “We’re at your parents’ house.”
He sighed and popped out his lower lip. “Fine.”
“Your mom has certainly done a one-eighty since the first party I attended here,” I said, turning to watch her lead my dad around the group.
“She likes you. She raves about you to all of our family and her friends. You’ve impressed her, just like I knew you would. Thank you for giving her another chance. She really is a good woman, and when she’s in your corner, you know you have a prizefighter behind you.”
“Thank god. She’s a little scary.” I was only half-joking.
I watched as Stavros emerged from the house, pulling Helen aside. I assumed they were running low on wine or the little cheese crackers they were serving.
“Come with me,” Adrian said, taking my hand and pulling me toward the center of the backyard.
“What are you doing?” I asked, watching as he climbed onto a chair.
He towered over me. I looked up at him, wondering what the hell was going on. He held up his hand and whistled. I turned to look around the backyard. Everyone formed a circle around Adrian. Stavros and Helen were standing nearby, staring at their son with a great deal of pride.
“Can I have everyone’s attention please?” he called in a booming voice.
The backyard quieted.
“Go ahead, son,” Stavros said authoritatively.
“Thanks, Dad. Everyone, I want to thank you all for coming out today. Most of all, I want to thank Bella and her father. As you know, they’ve come here from the United States. For those of you that don’t know—that’s a long way.”
The crowd burst into laughter. “We can’t all be as smart as you, little brother.”
I turned to look and saw a slightly older, shorter version of Adrian coming through the crowd. He was followed by two more men that all resembled Adrian. I assumed they must be the brothers I had never met.
“Hey, you made it!” Adrian exclaimed from his makeshift pedestal.
“We wouldn’t miss this for the world,” one of the brothers shouted.
I thought it was sweet that they all cared enough to show up for family events.
“Bella, these people are all a part of my family. Some of them are a little crazier than the others, but they’re family. You and your father have become like a second family to me. I thought it was important for all of you to meet and get to know one another. A couple of weeks ago, I called my mom and asked if she’d be willing to host this little gathering. You all know my mom.” He smiled.
There was a round of cheers and sounds of agreement, along with some muffled comments. I was surprised to hear it had been Adrian’s idea to have the party. He’d told me we’d been invited, but not that it was his idea.
“My mom jumped at the chance to entertain. She loves to pour wine and cook, and that’s just one of the many reasons I love her. Bella, I wanted you here tonight to meet every single one of these people. I love you more than I can put into words. That first day I met you, I knew you were someone I wanted to know. Then you got lost, and I found you—repeatedly,” he added in a dry tone.
I scowled at him while everyone else laughed.
“You have made me laugh and given me a fresh, new look on life. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. You are truly beautiful inside and out, and I thank my lucky stars every damn day that you came into my life. My life feels complete now that I have you in it.”
I raised my eyebrows, unsure what to say. “Thank you,” I murmured.
“Now that you’ve met my family, I need to ask you something very important,” he said, jumping off the chair and taking the few steps toward me.
“What is it?” I asked, a little embarrassed to have all the attention on me.
He smiled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black box. I stared at him and then the box, slowly shaking my head.
He dropped to one knee, opening the box and holding it up for me to see the massive rock inside. I could feel tears welling in my eyes as I stared at the ring.
“Now that you’ve met them, I have to ask you. Will you marry me and become a part of this crazy family?”
“I—oh my god—I can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered.
He raised his brows, questioning me with his eyes. He wiggled the ring in front of me as if to remind me of what he was doing down there.
“Of course, I’ll marry you!” I exclaimed.
The crowd erupted into shouts and cheers. Adrian got to his feet and yanked me close, hugging me before kissing my cheek and then my lips.
“Let’s see if this fits,” he said, grabbing my left hand.
My hand was shaking as he slid the ring on my finger. There were more shouts and congratulatory statements from everyone around us.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
My dad was by my side when I looked up. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a warm hug. “Congratulations, sweetie.”
“Dad, look,” I said, the tears of joy flooding down my face.
He smiled and held up my hand to study the ring. “It’s beautiful. You did well, Adrian.”
“I couldn’t have done it without y
ou,” Adrian said.
“You knew?” I asked with shock.
My dad nodded. “This man is a real gentleman. He asked for your hand.”
I looked at Adrian. “You did?”
“Of course. I’m a traditional man. You’ve met my family. Tell her,” Adrian said to my dad.
I looked at my dad. “Tell her what?” I asked.
He held up my hand, pointing to the ring on my finger. “Those two stones on either side are from your mother’s wedding ring.”
I gasped, the tears likely smudging my makeup as they poured down my face. “Thank you, Dad. This means so much to me. I will treasure this forever.”
Helen and Stavros came over to hug each of us. Helen actually had tears in her eyes.
“You two were meant to be together,” she said. “You’re a good woman, and I’m happy you have made my son a happy man. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me another chance.” She hugged me again.
“Helen, thank you for giving me the chance to prove I love your son for him and not because of who he was,” I told her. “You’ve raised a good man, and I am very happy to join your family.”
Stavros raised his hands high. “Let’s have a toast! The champagne is ready to pour!”
I realized then that they all had known what was going to happen. The whole party was for this very moment. I grabbed Adrian’s shirtfront and pulled him close, giving him a sultry kiss and earning more hoots from our rapt audience. “I love you. That’s it. I love you so much. You are my world, and I cannot wait to start the rest of our lives together.”
“Why don’t we drink a little champagne and then get home?” he asked. “I think I’d like to celebrate our engagement in private.”
“Home. Our home. Our home in Greece.” I spoke the words aloud, reminding myself that I was living a dream.
Except it wasn’t a dream. It was my life. Reality was better than any dream.
The End
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