by Joanne Walsh
“If you save the first dance for me,” he whispered, pulling her closer to him.
“Sure thing,” she replied as casually as she could, hoping he wouldn’t sense that her heart was pumping nineteen to the dozen.
“But the party is to be held in here,” Sergei protested ahead of them, looking at the space around him dressed with Halloween decorations, including hollowed-out pumpkins with candles inside them on the tables.
“Just follow Vasilis,” Hannah urged, pushing him in the balcony’s direction.
“Our other guests will be arriving! We need to greet them.” Sergei ducked to avoid a gold-dusted cobweb that hung from the ceiling.
“We’ll handle it,” Alison called from across the room. Along with all those who’d attended the chapel ceremony, she’d been sworn to secrecy about the surprise that was waiting outside.
“We’ve got champagne so everybody’s taken care of,” Dawn put in. She and her partner, Geoffrey, raised glasses of sparkling wine that had just been handed to them by a waiter.
“Go!” Tassos ordered. “We’ve got it. You can say hi later.”
“Alright,” Sergei grumbled, “if you say so,” and moved on.
Expelling a silent breath, Sally made to follow him and Hannah, only for Dimitri to tug at her hand and stop her.
“Hold up a minute!” he commanded. “Where is Frankie?”
“I’m here!” Frankie skidded to a halt at Nik’s side carrying a gift-wrapped box.
“What is that?” Nik growled. “Frankie, what is going on? You have been like an ant on a hotplate ever since we left the chapel.”
For a split second, Sally’s heart pumped so hard, it felt as if it might burst.
“We thought it would be nice to give you guys a wedding present,” Hannah threw over her shoulder as she kept a firm, propelling hand on Sergei’s back. “You know, something special for the groom and the best men. We thought we’d do it in private out on the deck.”
“Hey, that was thoughtful of you,” Dimitri said, his eyes crinkling.
“You’re welcome,” Sally muttered, grateful for Hannah’s unusually cucumber-cool response. “Now, can we keep going?”
“Agapi mou, are you okay?” He threw her a concerned glance.
“Yes, fine,” she replied, forcing another smile, “but I guess we shouldn’t keep the rest of the party waiting for too long.”
Opening the door and standing back to prop it open with his flattened hand, Vasilis nodded, “Please,” and ushered them through.
As they crossed over the threshold, it felt to Sally as if she were walking into some kind of dream. The body language of the young man who rose to greet them was visibly tense, his gaze uncertain. Dimitri instantly stopped in his tracks—as did Nik and Sergei.
“Who is this?” Nik queried sharply.
“I think you’ll know for sure once he unwraps this.” Smiling, Frankie walked towards Alessandro and held out the gift box. “It’s for you.”
Sally inhaled. Surely, Alessandro would recognize his old friend immediately, and then, in turn, the other men would realize who he was.
For a couple of seconds, he warily scrutinized the box. “What is it, per favore?”
“Open it and see,” Hannah encouraged. “He doesn’t bite!”
Slowly, still flashing Frankie puzzled looks, Alessandro tore off the wrapping paper. His eyes widened when he lifted out a battered-looking teddy. “Arcadius?” he gasped.
“Your beloved bear,” Frankie confirmed before gesturing at the other men. “Your brothers kept him safe for you.”
“Ammazza!” Alessandro choked and hugged the toy to him, before holding him out in front of him again. “What happened to his red bow tie?” he asked, his brows knitting together.
An eerie silence followed. Glancing around her, Sally bit down on her lip. Nik’s mouth was literally hanging open, Dimitri’s eyes had narrowed almost to slits and Sergei was frozen to the spot. Why didn’t one of them say something? Or was it just too much to comprehend that their long-lost brother was here now, standing right in front of them?
Finally, Nik broke the hush. “O Thee mou, no one but the immediate family knew the bear wore a little red bow tie when he belonged to Marco.”
Glancing at Dimitri, Sally saw there were tears glistening on his cheeks and felt herself well up. He knew this was his missing sibling.
“It’s Marco,” Sergei croaked.
Clasping Arcadius’s paw with one hand, Alessandro stepped forward and coughed before announcing, “I am Alessandro Scuderi from Sicily. But I think you know me better as Marco.” He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “DNA results.”
There was another lull.
“O Bozhe moy!” Sergei erupted, quaking with what sounded like laughing and sobbing all at the same time.
“Hey,” Hannah soothed her new husband, “it’s alright. Just take a deep breath.”
“Adelfos!” In that time, Nik had covered the space between himself and Alessandro to enfold the younger man in an embrace. “Welcome home, my little brother.”
Letting go of Sally’s hand, Dimitri also went over. “Kalispera, mikros.”
His brow furrowing again, Alessandro stared at him. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Who is Mikros?”
“Mikros was my nickname for you. Little one.”
“But you are not so little now.” Having got a hold of himself, Sergei had joined them.
“I can see I need to relearn Greek,” Alessandro grinned. “But, yes, I have grown quite a lot since you last saw me.”
“This is the best wedding present ever,” Sergei proclaimed, while Nik patted Alessandro approvingly on the back.
Dimitri touched Alessandro on the arm. “Hey, Mikros,” he said, his voice sounding gruff and throaty, “every Friday night, we would go to Nik’s bar and buy a drink for you because we did not want to forget you. We believed that, one day, you might come back to us, and now, here you are. Next time we meet, will you join us for real?”
“Depends on what you’re drinking,” Alessandro grinned.
“Metaxa. Brandy,” Nik confirmed.
“Eccellente. After the many you must have bought me, for the next few Friday nights, the Metaxas are on me.”
“Only if you get the twelve-star,” Sergei put in.
Everyone erupted in laughter.
Later, once they’d returned to the party, Sally and Dimitri found a quiet corner, where she filled him in on the whole process of meeting Alessandro and how she realized he could be Marco. “That little T-shirt he produced was pretty convincing. But it was the eyes that had me.”
“It hit me instantly that his eyes were Marco’s too. But it was that little detail about Arcadius’s bow tie that clinched it. Nobody but me and Nik and Sergei knew about that.” His expression sobering, he shook his head. “But I am glad you and the girls got Ionnas to do the DNA test to make certain. I just could not have handled an imposter.”
“Hey, don’t look so serious. You just got your little bro back!”
Breaking into a smile, he caught her by the waist and eased her up close to kiss her on the nose. “And I am almost the happiest man in the world because of it. I can never thank you ladies enough.”
She pulled a face. “Why only almost the happiest?”
Laughing, he squeezed her tight enough to lift her feet off the ground and murmured, “There is one thing more I need to make me the happiest. That first dance you promised me.”
Epilogue
One year later…
“Here it comes!” Dimitri swooped in with the small, loaded spoon.
Calliope’s rosebud mouth obediently opened in a large O to receive the last mouthful of her supper. For a few moments, she surveyed her father with huge, dark-lashed eyes before blowing a raspberry and spraying him with pureed banana.
“Wuff!” Skidding onto the scene, McTavish nosed in and began licking up stray banana blobs from the floor, while Callie gurgled he
r happiness and banged her plump little palms on the tray of her high chair.
“Lisous!” Dimitri muttered to himself. Sighing, he reached for the towel, first wiping her face, hands and bib before dealing with himself; he’d definitely got the worst of it.
“Everything okay, Papa?”
Glancing up, he saw Sally standing in the kitchen doorway, and the sight of her made his heart swell. She’d filled out a little since Callie’s birth and it suited her. Maybe later when the baby had been put to bed… “Fine. We just had a banana shower, but our personal vacuum cleaner was on hand to deal with it.” He waved a hand at the dog.
“All under control then.” Making her way over, Sally lifted her daughter out of her seat to hug her. “Hello, darling, did Papa give you a lovely supper?”
“We had a bath too, although we may need another one now.”
“Oh, just a quick once-over with a flannel and she’ll be fine. I’ll go do that now, and then, young lady, I think it’s time for sleep.”
He watched his wife and daughter leave the kitchen, the dog hobbling along happily behind them. McTavish was an essential participant in Callie’s bedtime ritual, settling down every evening on the rug beside her cot. For a while, Dimitri had hoped the King of the Mongrels had deserted them and gone to Pav for good, but last fall, McTavish had resumed his previous routine of accompanying Sally to the newly opened store, and once Callie arrived, insisted on keeping a close canine eye on the tiny girl. He shook his head. Callie loved McTavish, and McTavish adored her, and whatever made his baby girl happy…
He set about preparing dinner, using herbs he’d picked from Calliope’s garden, listening to the sounds of Sally as she put Callie down for the night float in from upstairs. She’d taken to motherhood so easily and was managing it and the store just fine. He was doing his share too with Callie and loving it. But now that she was almost six months old, both he and Sally agreed that juggling parenthood and work left them little time for each other, and they could do with some help. So, from next month, Cristina’s sister, Milita would be joining them to live in as their au pair. The young Romanian would also get some work experience in the estate office when she wasn’t looking after their daughter, and to improve her English and Greek. It would be, they all hoped, a win-win situation for all involved.
After placing the moussaka in the already-warmed oven, he stepped back and took in a deep, satisfied breath. Now he just had to rustle up a salad to go with it—
“I tucked her in with her rabbit, and she went out like a light. You must have been busy today wearing her out.” Sally surprised him by sliding her arms around his waist from behind.
“We took a long walk around the estate this morning, and Konstantina came by for tea this afternoon.” He threw a smile over his shoulder. With the arrival of Callie, his maternal aunt had softened, putting the past behind her and welcoming him back with open arms. “She says that Callie is the image of my mother at the same age. How was business today?”
“Goat Guy’s cheese is proving to be a bestseller.” Sally threaded herself around him to face him.
“It is extremely delicious. Just like you.”
“Oh, flattery will get you everywhere.” She swatted him across the chest. “I also got to thinking of how much I’ve missed doing my art. So, I’m thinking of making copies of some of those old black-and-white photos of the store I discovered, then overpainting, framing and hanging them on the shop walls.”
“That would look great,” Dimitri agreed. “Now, do you fancy a glass of red before we eat?”
“I spoke with Alison today,” Sally announced after they’d settled themselves at the table with their drinks. “She’s very excited because Ben has decided to return to the island and take up the assistant vet vacancy at the local practice. He’s promised to do all the pro-bono work at the shelter for her.”
“That’s nice. The mutt will have his own personal physician on hand again too.”
“Aw, don’t be mean!” She gave a mischievous smile. “I’m told there’s a young waitress at Nik’s bar who will be over the moon to know he’s heading back.” She took a gulp of wine. “Have you had any updates from Alessandro about finding premises for his new restaurant?”
“Mm—” Dimitri nodded. “I was going to tell you. He called with good news. He’s bought the bar and grill down on the waterfront that was owned by those two German guys who went back to Berlin. The plot has a lot of land for outdoor eating, and of course its views of Lekopolos are fantastic.”
“Brilliant!” she exclaimed. “I’m just so glad he’s decided to stay on the island. I’m sure his brother and sister back in Ragusa will be fine overseeing the rest of the Scuderi dining empire.”
“That is not all. He is going to talk to you about buying Dionysou Street as well.”
“Oh.” For a few moments, she looked a bit dazed, but then her features softened into a smile. “Actually, that’s a really good idea. I’m never going to live there again, am I, and, much as I love the place, it’s past time that I let it go, and all its memories.” Tilting her head, she paused. “Hey, there’s something else I heard today. Unless Nik’s already called you?”
“No…” He raised enquiring eyebrows.
“Frankie told me she’s pregnant.”
“Exochos!” Dimitri raised his wine glass in a salute. “Way to go, adelfos! Although, God help us, Sergei will be an uncle again.”
“But he’s the best uncle ever,” Sally retorted. “Callie thinks he’s the bee’s knees.”
“Maybe she will realize when she’s older.” Dimitri smiled wryly back at her. “Although I guess it will not be too long before he and Hannah start their family. I cannot believe it is already their first wedding anniversary at the end of this week.”
“Ooh, I think Hannah wants to wait a couple more years, spend a little longer on her career. After all, she’ll get to be in charge of Ionian Villas while Frankie’s on maternity leave, and that’ll be quite a feather in her cap, now that it’s the biggest property business on the island.”
“It will certainly be safe in her hands, just as Sally’s is thriving in yours.”
“The store’s been a great success. Maybe we can think about that online ordering service and the little electric van.” Draining her glass, she leaned back in her chair and tilted her head thoughtfully. “Isn’t it amazing? Eighteen months ago, I thought the place was unsalvageable—” She was interrupted by a loud wail, followed by barking. “Uh-oh, sounds like someone’s woken up already. I’d better go see what the fuss is all about.” She pushed herself up from her seat.
Dimitri reached to curl his fingers around her wrist. “Agapeminos—” He turned her arm so that the palm of her hand was facing him and kissed it. “I did not know it was possible to be this happy,” he whispered. “You, Callie, even the mutt. I have a proper family of my own at last, and it is perfect. I love you, Kyria Bekatoros.”
Stopping in her tracks, her fingers went to caress his. “I love you too, Kyrios Bekatoros.” She smiled. “Always have, always will.”
The End
Want more? Check out Nik and Frankie’s story in The Greek’s Bedroom Bargain!
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If you enjoyed The Millionaire’s Marriage Proposal, you’ll love the other books in….
The Greek Island Millionaires series
Book 1: The Greek’s Bedroom Bargain
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Book 2: The Russian’s Pleasure Proposition
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Book 3: The Millionaire’s Marriage Proposal
View the series here!
More by Joanne Walsh
The Unexpected Bride
The Great Wedding Giveaway Series
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The Italian’s Christmas Bride
The Christmas Around the World series
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The Italian’s Passion
Standalone Title
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About the Author
Joanne Walsh became hooked on romance when her grandma gave her a copy of Gone with the Wind for her birthday. The teachers at her strict girls’ school didn’t approve of a ten-year-old reading such a ‘racy’ novel and confiscated it. But Joanne still became a voracious romance reader and, later, an editor for one of the world’s leading women’s fiction publishers, where she could do two of her favorite things: work with her beloved alpha-male heroes and spend time in the USA. These days, Joanne lives in the south of England and divides her time between freelance editing, writing and spending time with her very own real-life alpha…
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