by Amy Ruttan
Now Chris knew why Stavros had been having such a hard time, because he was staring down at one of the biggest anaplastic oligodendrogliomas that he’d ever seen.
Dammit.
He knew men like Stavros; the older generation of men from the island were stubborn and brushed off what they thought were minor symptoms, like a headache, as nothing. “Minor symptoms” that might be warning them of something far more sinister. Like Stavros’s headaches.
Chris leaned back in the swivel chair and scrubbed a hand over his face in frustration. This surgery would be intricate and costly.
It was too expensive to have the clinic cover the cost—especially since the clinic was still trying to recover financially from the consequences of the earthquake. And even though Stavros had a successful taverna, Chris was pretty sure that he didn’t have enough money to pay for this surgery.
Yet Chris couldn’t let him die. He had to try to find a way to help Stavros. He had to get a surgical team together. He needed an operating room and post-anesthesia care. The list was endless.
He hated cases like this, but he also loved cases like this. It was a challenge, and he hadn’t had a challenge like this in so long.
“That’s one nasty-looking tumor,” Naomi said, interrupting his thoughts.
Chris turned to see Naomi leaning in the doorway, her eyes fixed on the screen. She was so close to him he could smell the sweet scent of her perfume. Jasmine and magnolia. It reminded him of his time in Nashville. The flowers from the trees there had bloomed and filled the air with their sweet fragrance, and every time he’d taken Naomi in his arms he’d thought of those flowers. The blooms so soft, so delicate and so beautiful...
Get a hold of yourself.
“Yes. It is. A local patient who hasn’t got time to wait for a place on a state-provided health care surgery list. To pay privately it’s going to be costly, and I don’t think he’ll be able to afford it, sadly. If he wants to live, I’m going to have to get him to Athens and do it myself.”
Which made him think about how he’d have to uproot Evangelos and take him to Athens too. He would have to find a big enough rental unit so that he, Lisa and Evangelos all had their privacy. It was going to be a nightmare, but Chris couldn’t sit back and do nothing. Stavros would die.
“Well, you know the International Relief effort might be willing to help this patient out.”
“I thought those funds could only be used to help out earthquake victims. He might have been a victim of the earthquake, but this tumor has been growing for several years.”
“Funds are to help those in need,” she said. “If he needs help—”
“I have to talk to the patient first and give him all the details,” Chris interrupted. “He may say no.”
“Yes, but you’re saying he needs the surgery. Correct?” she asked.
“Yes. He does.”
“Do you know him? Do you think he’ll agree to the surgery?”
“Only if he gets to pay his way. He’s stubborn—like most men from this island.”
He couldn’t help but grin at her, and for a brief moment he thought he saw a flicker of humor in her eyes and a small twitch of a smile on her lips.
“Well, I’ll try to find out more information. I would like to help in any way that I can. I used to...”
She trailed off and the pink flush of a blush bloomed in her cheeks. He knew what she was going to say, because he was thinking it too.
“You used to assist me in surgery. You were a brilliant neurosurgical resident. Please tell me you didn’t give up neurosurgery.”
“Oh, you mean after you got the fellowship and then the position in Manhattan?”
Chris sighed. “I didn’t take that position to hurt you, Naomi.”
She frowned. “I know that—and, yes, I’m still a neurosurgeon, as well as a more than competent general surgeon, which was what was particularly needed in the aftermath of the earthquake.”
“I’m glad.”
And he was. Naomi was far too talented to be wasted.
He had been so relieved when he’d gotten that position in New York. Naomi had been getting way too close to him for comfort. She’d become part of his life in a way he’d never wanted a woman to be. The Manhattan job had been an escape and he’d jumped at the chance.
He’d completed his fellowship and then become an attending all within three years, and he didn’t regret it. The only thing he regretted was losing her along the way. Being so scared of committing to one woman for the rest of his life that he’d run away rather than face up to his fears.
And he regretted hurting her career. He wanted to ask her about whether she’d ever got into Mayo. He wanted to know what she’d done after they’d parted. But he couldn’t find the words. He was still far too ashamed.
He glanced at his watch.
It was noon, and he had to head back to relieve Lisa for lunch. Besides, he wouldn’t mind having a light lunch at home and a quick nap. The coffee, though strong, had not woken him up. He needed sleep.
“Well, I’d better get some lunch.” He stood. “Are you eating here?”
“No, I have plans. A lunch date,” she said.
A lunch date? With who?
He was surprised by the sharp burst of jealousy that reared its ugly head deep inside him.
You don’t have any claim on her now.
“Oh...?”
“Yes,” she said noncommittally, not taking the bait and elaborating. “So, I’ll see you later, back at the clinic?”
“Yeah. Enjoy your lunch date.”
“Oh, I will,” she chirped.
Follow her. Find out who he is.
Only, he wasn’t going to do that. He wasn’t going to let that jealous, foolish part of him take over. It had been way too many years since he’d gotten into any kind of a brawl over a girl, and he couldn’t afford to have his hands out of commission now. Not when he had to get Stavros over to Athens as soon as possible and get that tumor out of him.
Theo was in the hall, waiting for the computer when he left.
“You done?” Theo asked.
“Yeah.”
“You okay?”
No. But he didn’t say that out loud. He’d never told his friends about Naomi and he wasn’t going to elaborate on that secret shame now.
“I just need a nap. Babies are bad for sleep,” Chris teased. “You’ll see soon enough.”
“Great. I can’t wait.” Theo grinned.
“Hey, is Stavros coming in again today?” Chris asked.
“No, he’s working.” Theo frowned. “Is this about those scans?”
“He has a very aggressive brain tumor. I have to get him to Athens and do a very expensive surgery.”
“He’s not going to like that,” Theo commented. “He never leaves his taverna. He’s not going to agree to surgery unless it can be done here on the island and he can be back to work in an hour or less.”
Chris laughed at that. “Well, none of that’s going to happen.”
“The surgery could happen here if necessary.”
“Theo, I’d need a surgical team that’s used to operating on grade three anaplastic oligodendrogliomas. I also think he’s going to need some chemotherapy afterward. And I’ll need more scans to see if the cancer has progressed.”
“I can tell you now—Stavros won’t leave Mythelios. You’re going to have to work a miracle,” Theo announced, ducking into the office and leaving Chris cursing under his breath.
Why did the men on this island feel they needed to be pigheaded and stubborn to the point at which it cost them everything? Stavros with his brain cancer...his father driving his mother away...and him doing exactly the same thing to Naomi because he’d taken the New York job without consulting her. He’d just upped and left.
Maybe he was cursed?<
br />
On days like today it didn’t feel as if he had any kind of blessing from the gods smiling down on him. Not that the patron saint of Mythelios had smiled on him in a long time.
What about Evangelos?
Chris’s bad attitude melted away.
Yeah, there was Evan. Chris might not have the love of a woman, but he had his son to brighten his life.
And that was all he needed.
“I’m headed for lunch, Theo,” Chris called over his shoulder.
“See you,” Theo called back.
Chris ducked out the back door and headed along the faster route, through the winding streets to his yia-yia’s home. He’d just slipped off his shoes when there was a knock at the front door.
Lisa came down the stairs. “That’s my cousin. I’m meeting her for lunch. I’m just finishing feeding Evan and then I’ll be there.”
Chris nodded. “Take your time. I’ll let her know.”
Lisa nodded and headed back upstairs to where Evangelos was hollering for strained peas—quite loudly.
Chris opened the door.
“Sorry I’m late, I got lost,” the woman outside began breathlessly. “I—Chris?”
“Hi, Naomi. So you’re Lisa’s cousin.”
He mentally rolled his eyes at the gods, who were surely laughing at him now.
* * *
Just. Great. What’s he doing here? Can’t I get away from him?
“This is where my cousin works. I thought you were...” Then she trailed off as she realized. “This is your home?”
He nodded. “It is. You’d better come in.”
Naomi stepped over the threshold and he shut the wooden door to help keep the heat out of the house. She’d seen this house when she’d first arrived on Mythelios. It was on the topmost part of the hill and it overlooked the sea. It was brilliant white, surrounded by the bright colors of the other houses. It had a huge balcony, and she’d imagined what it would be like to live there. To always see the sea.
She’d wondered about the family who lived there. Her cousin hadn’t said much about the people she worked for. Only that it was a family with money and that her charge was a young baby.
Baby? But Chris lives here.
Of course he’d found someone else. Of course he was married now. His heart hadn’t been broken when things had ended between them.
She remembered hearing about all the women he’d been with. He was a playboy in Manhattan, regularly seen out and about with a variety of famous women. And he had money, so of course he would be married.
“My cousin is a nanny,” she stated, feeling foolish.
“Yes. I’m aware of that,” he said, and his mouth quirked up in a half smile—the one that had always made her melt in the past. “It’s my son she cares for when I’m working.”
“Your son?”
“Yes,” he said. “My son, Evangelos. He’s eight months old now.”
“What about his mother?” Naomi asked.
“My, you’re full of questions today,” he teased.
“I’m sorry. I just... You were always very clear that you never wanted a wife or kids. You didn’t want a family.”
“I don’t understand. Why can’t I come to New York with you?”
“You don’t have a position there.”
“So? I want to be with you.”
His muscles had tensed and she’d seen a look that had made her stomach churn.
“You knew this wasn’t long-term. I don’t want marriage. I don’t want a wife or kids. Don’t follow me, Naomi. Don’t waste your life pursuing me when I can’t give you what you want.”
“Circumstances changed,” he said now.
Yes, because I wasn’t the right woman for you.
And her heart ached as she thought about the baby—their baby—the one she had lost. She would have loved that child. She’d always wanted children.
So Chris had got that too.
“Well, I’m happy for you and your wife.”
“I’m not married, Naomi. Not much has changed on that score. I have a son, yes, but no wife. Evan was the result of a one-night stand with a woman who just wanted me for the money. She was going to get rid of the child unless I paid her quite a lot of money to have him. I didn’t want her to get rid of him, so...here I am. A single father.”
Lisa came down the stairs and in her arms was a baby.
Naomi was struck by how much the little boy looked like Chris. Same dark eyes and hair, but the little boy had the biggest cheeks she’d ever seen, and a gummy smile that completely lit up his face when he saw Chris.
“Sorry,” Lisa said, handing the baby over to Chris. “He got up late and then his whole schedule was thrown off.”
“It’s okay,” Chris said. “Enjoy lunch with your cousin. I’ll see you back here in an hour.”
Chris then turned his entire focus onto his son as he carried him up the stairs away from the hallway. The baby gurgled and laughed, and all Naomi could do was stand there in stunned silence.
Her heart was melting as she watched how loving he was with his son.
And thought how completely heartbroken it made her feel.
CHAPTER THREE
SHE COULDN’T GET the picture of Chris carrying his son up the stairs out of her mind. How he’d held the baby so close and just how much he’d doted on him.
Would he have doted on their baby just as much?
She wanted to think he would, but she couldn’t be sure, and the fact that they would never know made her sad. Made her ache.
It had been a long time since she’d let herself think about her baby and the miscarriage. She never let her mind go there...it was too painful.
Work usually took care of that, but now she was working with Chris and he constantly reminded her of what might have been. What she might have had.
“You’re awfully quiet, Naomi,” Lisa said, interrupting Naomi’s thoughts.
“What?”
“I said you’re quiet,” Lisa teased. “I thought you were a chatterbox when we first met.”
“Sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind.” Naomi fidgeted with her napkin and tried to put Chris and his son out of her mind—but she couldn’t.
She just saw him again and again in her mind’s eye, kissing that baby who was the spitting image of him.
“I noticed. You’ve completely missed those handsome men over there who have been trying to get your attention for some time.”
Naomi turned and glanced over at the men in question. They were young—around Lisa’s age, which was about eight years her junior. They were definitely flirting with them, but Naomi wasn’t interested.
“Did you know your father’s mother? Our yia-yia?”
Lisa frowned. “Not really. She died when I was about seven years old. She lived outside of Athens and we rarely went to see her. She hated my mother. And Yia-yia travelled a lot. She died shortly after she came back from America.”
“She used to say I was cursed.” Naomi laughed half-heartedly.
Lisa looked confused. “Cursed? What? You were like...what...? Fourteen when you met her?”
Naomi nodded. “Yep—and she called me cursed or the cursed one the entire time she was visiting. Really annoyed my mother and father.”
“Well, my father said that Yia-yia had that effect on people. I don’t think you’re cursed, and I definitely don’t believe in curses, but people around here do take religion seriously. When they bring out the Saint for his yearly airing, people are really into seeing his mummified remains being carted around in a gold sarcophagus. They say it brings good luck, but I don’t know...”
“I could use some good luck,” Naomi said, and groaned. “This bachelor auction is coming up fast at the end of the month. It’s being held in Athens now, rather than on Mythelios, so we c
an get more exposure and hopefully more funds for the wider community as well as the clinic. Theo thought I was the perfect person to take it on, and it’s a great idea, but now I have to find some bachelors from Mythelios to auction off. Bachelors who are willing to give a romantic fantasy type of date. I was hoping to coerce some of the male doctors here into it, but they all have someone.”
Lisa took a sip of her iced tea. “There’s always my boss. He’s single. He has a baby, but it’s just a date for charity. It’s not like you’re selling off husbands or something. I’m sure if he knew what it was for he’d say yes. He’s quite generous.”
I’m sure.
“I’m sure he has enough women on his hands that he doesn’t need to be auctioned off.”
Lisa frowned. “Actually, no, I’ve never seen him on a date. He’s totally devoted to his son and his work. Mind you, I’ve only known him since I was hired to care for Evan. I don’t remember him from when my family would visit the island when I was a child.”
“Do you know anything about the baby’s mother?”
Lisa frowned. “Nothing. I just know that she’s not in the picture and that Chris has full custody of his son. Which is why he hired me shortly after he returned to Greece a few weeks ago. The only woman who lived with him before I came was Dr. Erianthe Nikolaides, but not for long. She’s married to Dr. Xenakis now.”
Naomi worried at her bottom lip, because she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of woman Evan’s mother was. Why didn’t she want her baby?
Naomi would’ve given anything to keep her baby.
One thing she knew: she felt really sorry for that sweet little boy, growing up without a mother.
“I can’t ask Dr. Moustakas to take part in the bachelor auction,” she said, steering the subject back to the auction because she didn’t want to think about Chris and his baby. How it had made her completely weak in the knees to see them together.
She’d never seen him like that before. So gentle, so loving. It made her long for what had been taken from her. For what she’d never got to have.
“You can ask Dr. Moustakas. He’ll probably say yes—and, honestly, he needs a night away,” Lisa said. “He really has no life.”
