A Date with Dr. Moustakas

by Amy Ruttan

  “I’m sorry... Did she actually say that to you?” Naomi asked, horrified.

  He nodded. “Yes. Marrying my father was her parents’ idea, and marrying him and having a child ended her medical career. So even though I became a surgeon—a world-renowned one at that—she sees it as a final betrayal. I became what she never could.”

  “That’s really very selfish of her.”

  Chris chuckled again. “Yes, well, I won’t deny that my parents are selfish—or that I was.”

  His admission of selfishness caught her off guard. She’d never thought she’d hear that coming from him. Perhaps he’d matured and grown now he was a father. Maybe he’d really changed.

  Don’t fall for the same trap again, Naomi.

  They walked in silence the rest of the way. He unlocked the door and led her up the stairs of his late grandmother’s house, which was still laid out in the traditional way of all the old houses that littered the islands of Greece and the mainland.

  She laid her hand on the stone, which was cool. There was a large, modern-style kitchen at the top of the stairs. He led her out through the kitchen into a small covered courtyard that held a small table, and she heard the bubbling sounds of water from a small fountain in the middle of the courtyard.

  He pointed through another set of French doors. “That’s the living room, and there are stairs there that lead to Lisa’s room and Evangelos’s room. My room is this way.”

  Chris led her upstairs, higher up the cliff that this winding house had been built into. There was a solid balcony, and from there Chris took her straight into his room.

  “This is a beautiful house,” she said, suddenly feeling awkward as she eyed the large bed that dominated the room.

  Chris nodded. “It needs some work. The bathroom is through that door, and there’s another small courtyard off the bathroom, and then stairs down to the garden, where there’s a small pool. From the courtyard there are more stairs down to the hallway that connects Lisa’s and Evan’s rooms.”

  “It’s a maze!”

  He smiled. “A bit—but this house has been in my yia-yia’s family for a long time. They built it slowly. It does need some updating—like putting in air-conditioning—but if you leave the balcony doors open, and these windows too, you’ll get a nice cross breeze this high up.”

  “Thank you again. I hate that I’m depriving you of your bed tonight.”

  “It’s no bother, really. My living room is quite comfortable. Let me just grab a couple of things and I’ll leave you to it.”

  Chris gathered some things and then headed for the balcony door, where he paused and turned around. “If you need anything, please let me know.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  He nodded and left.

  Naomi could see out of windows that faced down into the courtyard, and saw when he crossed it and headed into the living room. He closed the French doors to the living room and then the house was quiet.

  She headed over to the other side of the room and opened the windows, sighing when she saw the sea and the bright moon reflected over the diamond-dappled waters. Her place in Athens didn’t overlook the sea, but there was quite a nice view of the Parthenon...

  She cleaned up in the bathroom and changed out of her work clothes. She wrapped one of the cotton sheets around her to sleep and settled down in the bed.

  It was comfortable and it smelled like Chris. A scent she’d never forget because she often thought of being wrapped up in his arms.

  He’d changed.

  You don’t know that.

  She sighed, ignoring that niggling thought. She needed to get a good night’s rest. There was a lot to do tomorrow and she planned to be up and out of here before Chris got up.

  She couldn’t get involved with him again. She’d promised herself that she’d keep her distance from him, but that was hard to do when she was staying in his house and sleeping in his bed.

  She’d be gone before he got up and tomorrow they’d continue working together. Friendly, but that was it. That was as far as it could go.

  She had to keep reminding herself of that or she’d fall into the same trap again.

  A trap that would cost her her heart—and she couldn’t afford to let it be broken again.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  WARM SUNLIGHT STREAMING through the window was what woke her up. She was disoriented, and her eyes were having a hard time adjusting to the bright light that was filtering in from the windows.

  This was not her small apartment in Athens and, judging by the sounds filtering in through the open windows, it was past time that she usually got up.

  Oh, no. I slept in.

  Naomi groaned and glanced at the small clock next to the bed and saw that it was actually nine-thirty in the morning.

  Great.

  So much for her plan to slip out of the house early and avoid Chris. She got up and pulled on her clothes from the night before, cleaned herself up and made her way out to the balcony and down through the courtyard into the kitchen.

  Chris was sitting at the large wooden table and in a high chair next to him was Evangelos. Chris was feeding the baby yogurt and the baby’s face lit up as he eagerly opened his mouth and gulped down the yogurt while banging his little fists against the plastic table of the high chair.

  She couldn’t help but smile at the sight. The baby was covered in yogurt and making little noises of pleasure as Chris fed him.

  It sent a pang of longing through her, which caught her off guard. She had to get a hold of herself. She couldn’t be thinking this way. She couldn’t feel the pain right now and she had to keep her walls intact. That was the only way her heart would survive working with Dr. Moustakas again.

  The alternative—crumbling before him and letting him see the vulnerable side to her...the side that was still mourning what she’d lost—was not an option.

  “Good morning,” she said, feeling completely awkward as she stepped into the kitchen and interrupted this moment between Chris and his son.

  “Good morning,” he said, glancing briefly over his shoulder. “You slept in. I half expected you to be gone when I got up, but Lisa checked on you before she left for the market and said you were still sound asleep.”

  “I’m afraid I didn’t hear the alarm I set for myself.”

  “Ah, yeah—that clock doesn’t work beyond telling the time. I usually just use my phone. Sorry, I should have told you.”

  “It’s no problem.”

  “There’s coffee,” he said, and he got up and poured her a cup, holding it out to her.

  “Thank you.”

  She took a sip and it hit the spot. She sat down across the table from him and his son. The baby grinned at her and then gurgled, demanding more yogurt.

  “Yes, yes. So impatient.” Chris beamed and spooned the last of the yogurt into the baby’s mouth.

  Naomi smiled. “He’s adorable.”

  “I think so,” Chris said, with pride in his voice. “Oh, Lisa left a pair of shoes in her room for you. Some ballet flats until you can get back to Athens.”

  “Good to know,” Naomi said, relieved. “I wasn’t sure how it would look, wearing flip-flops in the clinic two days in a row.”

  Chris chuckled. “It’s not safe, that’s for sure.”

  “Have you had any updates on Maximos?” she asked.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact I have...”

  Chris cleaned up Evangelos and handed the baby a toy to play with as he put the yogurt dish in the sink.

  “The hospital in Athens was able to stabilize him, but he needs surgery, and their surgeons have never dealt with a depressed skull fracture of this magnitude. They want me to go and perform the surgery this evening. So I’ll be heading to Athens tonight and then coming back to Mythelios in the morning.”

  “I’m
sorry to hear that Maximos’s condition is so severe. His poor mother must be beside herself.”

  Chris nodded. “It’s hard to be so hurt and so far from home, even if Athens isn’t technically that far away. I hope I can do something, but I won’t know until I get in there.”

  “What about Evangelos?” She glanced at the baby, who was already drifting off to sleep in his high chair. His chubby cheeks were even more pronounced as he slept.

  “Lisa will watch him. He’ll be in good hands and I’ll be back in the morning.” Chris set down his coffee. “I’ll just put him down, and then once Lisa gets back, we can walk to the clinic together.”

  “Sure.”

  She drank her coffee slowly as Chris picked up Evangelos, who was startled but then curled into his father’s arms. It made her long once again for the baby she’d lost, and she choked back the emotion that was welling up in her.

  She just couldn’t help but wonder what if?—which was something she never let herself do. She didn’t ever let herself think about what had been lost, because it had taken her so long to pull the pieces of her heart back together.

  “I’m back,” Lisa called out as she came up the stairs. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

  “Hey—so you have shoes I can borrow?”

  Lisa nodded and set the bags from the market on the table. “Yes. Come to my room and you can try them on, but I’m pretty sure they’ll fit you.”

  Naomi set her coffee cup in the sink and followed Lisa through the courtyard and into the living room. She could see sheets at one end of the large sectional couch where Chris had obviously slept.

  Warmth spread in her cheeks as she thought of him stretched out there, sleeping...

  She had rolled over and looked at him. He’d been sleeping on his back, with one arm behind his head and one resting across his chest. Only a sheet had covered his hips. She’d watched him breathing in deep sleep, recalling the way his arms had held her after their lovemaking. How safe she’d felt with him.

  She’d reached out and touched his chest, running her fingers over his skin.

  He’d opened an eye and smiled at her.

  “Good morning...”

  She had to focus.

  She couldn’t let memories like that invade her thoughts. She had to lock all those memories away, and not feel when it came to Chris, so that she could protect her heart.

  Up a few more steps and they were in Lisa’s small but comfortable room. Lisa picked up a pair of black flats from her bed and held them out.

  “These should fit you.”

  Naomi sat on the edge of Lisa’s bed and slipped the shoes on. They were a little big, but not much.

  “These are perfect. I’ll bring them back to you tomorrow.”

  “No rush. Now, I’d better go check on Evangelos so Chris can get back to work. He’s heading to Athens tonight?”

  Naomi nodded. “Maximos Ponao was in an accident last night and he has a pretty significant skull fracture.”

  Lisa sighed. “He was one of those good-looking men from the market who were watching us the other day. That’s too bad.”

  “He was?”

  “Don’t you remember? You don’t see any of the men who have eyes for you, Naomi,” Lisa teased as she slipped out of the room.

  She hadn’t given those two handsome Greek gods any thought after that day in the market when she’d had lunch with Lisa because all she could think about was Chris. When Chris was around, she didn’t see any other man.

  She hadn’t dated after Chris and her miscarriage because even the thought of being intimate with another man made her remember what she’d lost, and she didn’t ever want to be hurt like that again. It was better to focus on her work, so that she could forget the pain.

  But here she couldn’t hide from it.

  And she hated that.

  She hated the feeling that she was losing control of herself, because she’d sworn that she wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  “Thank you for the shoes. I’m going to head back to the clinic. Tell Chris thank you for letting me crash here for the night.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Naomi left the room, and as she glanced back into Evangelos’s room, she saw Chris rocking back and forth, the baby over his shoulder.

  Tears stung her eyes.

  She had to get out of here before she did something she’d regret.

  * * *

  Naomi was avoiding him and he didn’t know why.

  Lisa had come in to take over the care of Evan so that he could get to the clinic, and when he’d gone to pack a bag for his overnight stay in Athens, he’d discovered that Naomi had left and gone to the clinic without him.

  He’d foolishly thought that they might walk down together. He’d thought they’d gotten past the awkward stage and were becoming friends again, because that was all he really wanted.

  Liar. You want a lot more than to be her friend.

  He cursed himself inwardly and rubbed his eyes as he leaned back in his office chair. He was staring at the scans that the Athens hospital had sent over so he could prepare for the surgery on Maximos.

  He hadn’t practiced surgery since Evangelos had been born. His life had been in complete upheaval since then. Evan had been born, he’d had to pay off Evan’s birth mother, Lillian, from the funds he’d had to beg from his father and then the earthquake had happened. And finally his yia-yia had become sick and died.

  He was looking forward to getting back into the operating room, even if the team in Athens wasn’t his usual team. Maximos needed surgery and he had the skill and experience to do it.

  And, deep down, he was really looking forward to not being a father tonight—so he had to stop thinking about Naomi and how she was avoiding him and focus on work.

  He had no time in his life for a relationship, and he would never bring a woman into his life unless he was committed to her completely. He didn’t want to hurt Evan that way. He didn’t want his son to feel like he’d felt growing up. Evan had already been abandoned by one mother, and that was one too many as far as Chris was concerned.

  Focus.

  He leaned over the computer again and made some notes. He could definitely use more coffee. He hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. Evan had mostly slept, but the couch was not Chris’s bed and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about who was in it.

  She’d been so close, but so far out of his reach.

  And he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about all those nights they had spent together. Her in his arms, the silky feather-like touch of her hair against his cheek, the scent of jasmine and how she’d driven him wild...

  If only it had been her who had gotten pregnant with his child. She would’ve never left their baby.

  Or at least he’d like to think that. He didn’t really know her, did he?

  He glanced at his watch and saw that the ferry was going to leave soon. He finished making his notes and grabbed his stuff out of the staff lounge.

  “Off to Athens?” Theo asked as he came out of an exam room.

  “Yes. The surgery is tonight. Is Dr. Hudson still here?”

  “No, she left for the ferry a few moments ago. Why?”

  Chris frowned. “No reason. I left Lisa your number in case something happens with Evan...”

  “No worries. She’ll have it handled, I’m sure.”

  Chris nodded. He’d been apart from Evangelos for several hours before, but usually he stayed within a ten-mile radius of his son. This was the first time that sea would be separating them, so he couldn’t get to him quickly.

  It was scary, but as a parent he should think about his son being the one on the operating table, dependent on the surgical skills of a particular doctor. He would want the very best for Evan, so he had to do this for someone else’s son.

 
“I’m sure too,” Chris said quickly. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

  He left the clinic and headed down to the docks. The ferry was boarding, and he handed in his ticket and went on board to the upper deck. As he got there, the ferry made its final preparations and was soon pulling away from Mythelios and toward the mainland.

  He took a deep breath and leaned against the railing, watching the island slip into the distance, all the while trying not to worry about his baby too much. When he could no longer see the island, he turned back away from the railing—and saw that Naomi had taken a seat inside. She was reading papers from a very thick file.

  Just let her be. She doesn’t want to be with you.

  Only, he couldn’t take his own advice and he made his way to her.

  “You didn’t wait for me.”

  Naomi looked up, startled. “Chris! No, I guess I didn’t. You were so absorbed with those scans from Athens that I thought I’d sneak down to the ferry and start doing my work.”

  “No, I mean this morning. You didn’t wait for me then either,” he said, taking a seat next to her.

  “I have a lot of work to do.”

  “I thought you were running away.”

  A strange expression crossed her face briefly. “And what would I be running from?”

  “Me?”

  “I did that already,” she stated firmly, and then turned back to her work.

  “Would you be in the operating room with me?”

  The words stunned him, but he really needed someone he trusted in that room when he worked on Maximos. If he couldn’t have his regular scrub nurse and the residents he was used to working with, he could at least have her.

  They worked very well together. And she had been there from the start with Maximos.

  She was clearly shocked. “You want me to be in the operating room with you?”

  “You’re still a neurosurgeon. Who else would I have in there with me? I don’t know many of the surgeons in Athens. I haven’t had a chance to get to know them. I need someone I trust. Besides, I let you sleep in my bed last night. You owe me.”