Along Came Twins...

by Rebecca Winters

  Leandros groaned. “That small sailboat I bought you hardly qualified, did it?”

  “I love that boat. It’s been one of my great joys.”

  His hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Why in heaven’s name didn’t you tell me you didn’t want to live at the penthouse?”

  “And have you think I was a scheming woman who married you for your money and was already rearranging your life and your assets?” she cried out.

  Her reaction astonished him. “Where’s all this coming from, Kellie?”

  “It doesn’t matter now.”

  “The hell it doesn’t. Tell me!”

  She smoothed some golden strands away from her temple. “When I resigned from my job at the advertising agency, my boss, Brandon Howard, said, ‘Now that you’re marrying a man as rich as Croesus, you’ll be able to buy anything you want, and become the paparazzo’s favorite target.

  “But if you think you’re the only woman in his life, because of all the toys the great Leandros Petralia gives you, you’re even more naive than I thought. Have you ever known a wealthy Greek playboy to be faithful to one woman all his life? You can’t name one! It’s a fairy tale, Kellie. Wake up and get out of it before it’s too late.’”

  A gush of adrenaline attacked Leandros’s body. “Now I’m beginning to understand some of your initial concerns about Fran getting involved with Nik. It’s all making sense. But don’t you know that was your employer’s jealousy talking, because you would never go out with him?”

  “I realize that now, but at the time he made it sound so ugly, I determined never to be the creature he was talking about. No matter how much I might have wanted to ask you to sell your penthouse for my sake, it wasn’t something I could have found the nerve to do.

  “It would have given your family and friends more ammunition to find fault with me, and start saying that I was trying to change you to get more gifts out of you.”

  “My family loves you!”

  “In your eyes, Leandros, because you see what you want to see. But I heard your cousins Dionne and Zera talking with Karmela at your grandmother’s birthday six months after we were married. They didn’t know I’d picked up enough Greek to understand what they were saying. It was quite illuminating to learn all the ways I didn’t come close to matching Petra’s virtues.

  “They saw a foreigner who would never fit in, who couldn’t speak Greek in the beginning or get pregnant, who put you through one artificial insemination procedure after another.”

  “But you never heard my parents say such a thing!”

  “That’s true,” she admitted quietly. “I’m sorry. Your parents are wonderful.”

  “They love you, Kellie. Just remember that Dionne and Zera are close friends with Karmela. That would explain the damaging conversation.” His gut twisted. “You should have told me. You’ve suffered in silence all this time.”

  “I married you, not them, Leandros. Families will gossip. That I understand and forgive.”

  “Your generous nature should make them ashamed.”

  “I wish I hadn’t said anything. As for the penthouse, I would hardly call living there a penance.”

  “But it took an emotional toll,” he muttered grimly. Everything had taken a toll....

  By this time they’d arrived at the hotel. He drove into his underground parking space and helped her out of the car to the elevator. After they’d reached his suite, he asked her what she’d like to eat, and called for room service. But when they sat down at the table to eat, he wasn’t hungry.

  “Kellie? Would you answer me something honestly?”

  “What else do we have if we don’t have that?”

  He leaned forward. “The last thing you said to me before I left Philadelphia was that I shouldn’t have married you, because you weren’t good enough for me. I never understood where that came from until today, when you told Olympia about Rod’s background. For you to clump his family with mine is—”

  “His rejection made me feel inferior,” she interrupted. “It hurt my pride, nothing more.”

  “Maybe that feeling was linked to Petra,” he theorized. “Why didn’t you talk to me about it?”

  “I suppose I didn’t want to bring her up if it would be painful for you. I realize now that isn’t the case. I shouldn’t have said I wasn’t good enough for you. It was a foolish remark. You and your family are nothing like that. In my pain I’ve said a lot of things I regret.”

  “That works both ways. I should never have shut you down when you asked if I’d go to counseling with you.”

  For the next few minutes they ate in silence.

  “I have another confession to make, Leandros.”

  He put down his coffee cup.

  “When you wanted to keep trying the procedure—even though we weren’t getting along—I couldn’t believe you weren’t discouraged,” Kellie murmured. “I’m afraid I started thinking that the only reason you married me was to replace the child you’d lost.”

  He eyed her soulfully. “If that were true, I would have suggested we adopt a baby and save ourselves all the angst we went through. But I loved you and knew how much you wanted the experience of being pregnant. I’d already been through that part with Petra.”

  “I know,” she whispered, “and I was secretly envious of her. Years ago, when Fran told me she could never have a baby, I felt terrible for her, but I didn’t begin to understand the depth of her pain until the doctor explained how hard you and I would have to work to conceive. You just take it for granted that you’ll grow up, get married and have a baby. But it doesn’t always play out like that.”

  “I’ll admit I wasn’t prepared to find out you were allergic to me. If you want to know the truth, I thought your hives were a physical manifestation that you’d regretted marrying me.”

  Her eyes teared. “You’re kidding me.”

  “No. Not at all. My heart almost failed me to think the woman I’d married was no longer enamored in the same way. It hurt my pride. I know there were times when we couldn’t communicate because I couldn’t handle it. That didn’t help us at a time when we needed to be totally supportive and confident of our love.”

  “Oh, Leandros...I had no idea.”

  He took a steadying breath. “This morning’s session has opened my eyes to many things, not the least of which is the part Frato has played in our lives. Before we do anything else, I want to sit down with him in person.”

  Kellie rested her fork on the salad plate. “Because you don’t believe I told the truth about him?”

  Leandros’s hurt and anger were simmering beneath the surface. “I believe you, Kellie. What I didn’t know until a few hours ago was that he’s not the friend I thought he was. Apparently blood isn’t thicker than water.”

  Her brown eyes filled with more pain. “Don’t say that, Leandros. He’s your cousin, and was only trying to put me in the picture.”

  Leandros wiped the corner of his mouth with the napkin. “I’ll reserve judgment until we’ve talked to him.”

  “We?”

  “Yes. We’re going to take a leaf out of Olympia’s book and face him together, where there’s no squirming room. He’ll be at the office. I’m going to call him now and tell him to meet us at the villa on Andros after he’s through work today. I’ll put it in terms that won’t allow him to avoid the summons.”

  She pushed herself away from the table. “Well, if you’re going to do that, I’m going to phone Fran. She’s left several messages over the last few days and has no idea I’m in

  Athens. I need to respond. Excuse me.”

  Encouraged that, since their therapy session, they weren’t at each other’s throats, and she felt like talking to Fran, Leandros pulled out his cell to call his cousin on his private line. Frato answered on the third ring.

  “Hey, Leandros—missing the job already?” he teased.

  His affection for Frato made this difficult for him. “Actually, something of vital importance has come u
p. No matter what you’ve got planned for this evening, I need to talk to you in private and want you to fly out to Andros. How soon can I expect you?”

  After a period of quiet his cousin said, “This sounds serious.”

  “Make no mistake. It is.”

  “I’m in Volos, doing a walk-through of the construction for the new resort. Those specs you worked up really helped. I should be finished by two-thirty at the latest, then I’ll fly straight to Andros.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  “Leandros? What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t talk now. See you later.” He purposely hung up, for fear his anger would overtake any good judgment or magnanimity he had left.

  Next he phoned Stefon and told him to get the helicopter ready.

  * * *

  “Kellie? I’m so thrilled it’s you! I told Nik that if I didn’t hear from you soon, I was going to call your aunt.”

  “Sorry I didn’t get back to you before now, but a lot has been going on. Is this a bad time?” She sank onto the edge of the bed in the guest bedroom to talk.

  “Not at all. I just put Demi down for her nap. The next time you see her, you won’t believe how much she has grown. I sent you pictures, but you have to see her in person. She’s so sweet and beautiful, Kellie. Gorgeous like Nik. I love them both so much I can hardly stand it, but forgive me for rattling on.”

  The happiness in her voice caused Kellie’s eyes to fill with tears. “That’s the kind of news I long to hear. After warning you against Nik, I feel so terrible.”

  “You’re my best friend. Don’t you know I understood why? Please promise me you won’t bring it up again. It’s all in the past. So how soon do you take possession of the house in Parkwood? We’re going to fly over and help you and your aunt and uncle move in.”

  “I love you for offering, but I’ve had to put my plans for the house on hold.” In fact, she needed to call her Realtor after she hung up with Fran.

  “Why? Was there a snag in the negotiations?”

  “N-no,” she stammered.

  “Kellie...I can tell by that hesitant sound in your voice something’s wrong. What is it?”

  “Are you sitting down?”

  “Do I need to?” she cried in alarm.

  “No. I’m sorry. It’s good news.”

  “Thank heaven.”

  “This week I found out I’m seven weeks pregnant with twins.”

  “Twins?” Fran squealed with joy.

  “Can you believe it?” Kellie half laughed through the tears. “After all my angst?”

  “It’s another miracle! Oh, wait till I tell Nik! How are you feeling?”

  “Dr. Creer gave me medicine for the nausea. I’m doing fine.”

  “Forgive me for the next question, but I have to ask. How soon are you going to tell Leandros? I have to say, he’s so devastated by what’s happened, I hardly recognize him.”

  Kellie had hardly recognized him at the office. She’d been waiting for Fran’s question. “He already knows. I flew here day before yesterday.”

  Another cry came over the phone line, almost bursting her eardrum. “You’re in Athens?”

  “Yes. There’s so much to tell you, I hardly know where to start. Unfortunately, I can’t stay on the phone right now because we’re flying to Andros the minute I get off. But I promise I’ll call you tomorrow. Maybe we can meet for a late lunch on Thursday. Leandros and I will be back in town for the next session with our marriage counselor.”

  She heard another gasp. “Leandros Petralia, the Leandros Petralia, finally agreed to go to counseling?”

  “Yes. I flew to Athens to tell him I was pregnant. That’s when he told me he wants another chance to save our marriage. I don’t know if it will work, but I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. Give that baby and Nik a big kiss from me. Au revoir, for now,” she said. It was a habit she’d picked up since their boarding school days in France. Aware Leandros would be waiting for her, she clicked off before Fran could say anything else.

  After leaving a message for her Realtor to call her back, Kellie freshened up. But before she joined her husband, she ran her hands over her stomach.

  “My precious little babies,” she whispered. “You deserve a mother and father who love each other desperately and have no secrets.”

  She might have known Leandros would insist on talking to his cousin ASAP. It was his way to swoop in and take care of whatever needed doing, but this wasn’t a business transaction. They would need to tread carefully to find common ground, in order to deal with their problems. Today was a start, but what if this didn’t work?

  Kellie put her head back. Refusing to think negative thoughts at this early stage, she walked through to the sitting room. He’d changed out of his suit into jeans and a burgundy polo shirt. She averted her eyes to keep from staring at his well-defined physique.

  Kellie had always been wildly attracted to him, but in the end even such a strong attraction hadn’t been able to overcome her distrust and pain. She could scarcely credit that he was willing to go to counseling with her. However, she needed to remember this was only the first day of therapy. A frisson of fear ran through her because she knew anything could go wrong in the weeks ahead.

  “Were you able to reach Frato?”

  His haunted gray eyes swerved to hers. “He’ll be arriving later this afternoon. How’s Fran?”

  “She sounds happier than I’ve ever known her to be.”

  “Did you tell her about the twins?”

  “Yes. She’s elated for us. I told her I’d see her on Thursday after our therapy session.”

  “Good.” Leandros’s gaze swept over Kellie. “Is there anything you’d like to do before we leave for Andros?”

  “No.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Except for the kiss at his office, they’d had no contact or relations in over two months. He didn’t try to touch her again except to help her get in and out of the car or the helicopter. In those early months, they’d never been able to stay out of each other’s arms. Even though Leandros had admitted in therapy he’d felt a change in her since the wedding, he seemed to have brushed his fears to the back of his mind, with the result that she was convinced he thought all was well.

  Somehow she needed to learn how to shut off her memories of what it used to be like with them. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to get through this experiment. But it was so hard when they slept under the same roof at night. He went to his room, she went to hers, where she died a little each time without him.

  Once more Kellie had to fight the desire that shot through her when he grasped her arm to assist her into the helicopter. His touch always played havoc with her senses. Christos couldn’t help but notice.

  With her heart still pounding, they were carried over the Parthenon of the three-

  thousand-year-old city to the island where she’d known joy, accompanied by doubts and fears she’d never been able to shake.

  Now she was facing a new fear. She’d seen the wintry look in Leandros’s eyes when she’d told him what Frato had said to her at the wedding. Her husband was a wonderful man, but when crossed he made an even more wonderful adversary. Kellie had it in her heart to feel sorry for Frato, who had no idea what was waiting for him.

  It wounded her that there might be trouble between the cousins, who’d always been so close. That was one of the reasons she’d never told Leandros anything. But therapy had forced her to open up if they hoped to save their marriage. It was too late to beg her husband to call off this meeting. In any case, she didn’t want to.

  For Leandros to hear from his cousin’s lips that he had a blind spot where Karmela was concerned would give credence to what she’d told him. Her husband would have to take her fears seriously. She was so deep in thought, she didn’t realize they’d landed until Leandros called to her.

  “Kellie?” He looked worried. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. Of course.” She unstrapped herself and got o
ut of the helicopter with his help. This time she felt his hand slide down her arm like a caress, as if reluctant to let her go. Her breath caught before she moved away to thank Stefon for another safe flight.

  Leandros was right behind her as she hurried down the path to his villa. With each step she wondered how many times he and his first wife had rushed into his house to be alone and shut out the world.

  When Kellie reached the door, she waited for him to unlock it, but he stood there instead, staring at her with penetrating eyes. “After the many revelations during our therapy session, I realize you have more questions about Petra and me. I wish you’d asked me long ago. I would have told you anything.”

  He seemed to be reading her mind. “I should have, but I wanted to pretend you didn’t have a past. That was another mistake on my part.”

  “Kellie,” he said in a tone of exasperation. “Let’s not talk about the mistakes we made. Before we go inside, I want you to know something important.”

  She gripped her handbag a little tighter.

  “Petra agreed to our wedding taking place at the church in Stenies, but after the ceremony, we spent the night aboard her father’s yacht with all the amenities. It’s moored in a bay two miles from here. The next day we flew to New York for our honeymoon.”

  Kellie couldn’t believe they’d chosen New York when they could have stayed here.

  “She was never happy on Andros. It was too steeped in the past for her. She craved life in the big city. We rarely spent time here. On the few times we did come, it was to see her parents. At her insistence, we always spent the night at her parents’ villa.”

  “But what about your wishes?”

  “I came home when she was away overnight on business.” Leandros searched Kellie’s eyes. “I’m telling you all this to let you know we never slept in my villa. No woman has ever stayed overnight here except you.”

  While that piece of news sank in, he turned and unlocked the door. After opening it, he suddenly picked her up like a bride. “I want to carry you over the threshold again. This time you can have the sure knowledge that every memory inside these walls since we met is associated with you and no one else.”