by Debby Mayne
The instant he focused on Paula, he lost his breath, she was so beautiful. Her eyes sparkled as she greeted him at the door. "Ready?" Her soft, sweet voice had charmed him the first time he heard her speak, and now it carried a melody unmatched by anything on the radio.
"Hey, Sarge!" His buddy's voice startled him back to the present.
Nick forced a smile as he spun around. "What's up, Brock?"
"Wanna go to the NCO Club?" Brock, the guy who bunked across the hall, arched an eyebrow. "They've got two-fers during happy hour. And if we're lucky, we'll see some hot girls who like their men in uniform."
"No thanks," Nick replied.
Sergeant David Brock chuckled. "I was just hoping I could lure you over to the wild side."
"Not a chance." Nick squatted to tie his sneaker. "I don't want to make life any tougher than it already is."
"How tough can it be for you?" Brock shook his head. "You made rank faster than anyone I know, you've managed to save most of your money, and you could have any girl on base if you stopped long enough to let one of them catch you."
"I don't know about that." Nick straightened and gave his friend a two-finger mock salute. "See you tomorrow, buddy."
A couple more days and he'd be home. He wondered if he'd get to see Paula. According to his mother, Paula's business had been picking up lately. He grinned. Her shop was on the sponge docks. Yeah, he'd see her.
As Paula drove across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge leading to the Ellenton Outlet Mall, she half-listened to her friends' chatter and half-daydreamed about seeing Nick again. Would he be happy to see her?
She did a mental forehead slap. Why should she care if he was happy to see her? He'd made her miserable by leaving before she got back from college.
A finger snapping in her ear startled her. "What's up with you?" Steph asked. "Normally you can talk the paint off the wall, but today you're, well . . ." She lowered her voice to finish the sentence. "Pensive."
Paula nodded. "I have a lot on my mind."
"It's Nick, isn't it?"
Suddenly the chatter stopped. Paula glanced over to the passenger seat and saw Steph staring directly at her. She wanted to deny that knowing she'd see Nick was getting to her, but she couldn't do that and be truthful.
"Well, yeah, sort of. It's weird, you know?" She lifted one shoulder and let it drop, trying to act casual. "But that's not all. Business is picking up, and I'm a little worried—"
"You've got a good life, Paula." Steph shot her friend a glare. "With all the online orders you're getting, you can pretty much do whatever you want and your business will be fine. Jake at church has the biggest crush on you I've ever seen, and I'm sure there are others we don't even know about. Don't let my cousin mess with your mind like that."
"I'm okay," Paula said with a smile. "Really."
"None of us can believe he just up and joined the Air Force without any warning. Aunt Ursa was so distraught she lost ten pounds that first month." Steph snickered. "Not that she couldn't afford to let go of a few pounds, but, well, it was stressful."
"Like I said, I'm fine. Let's drop the Nick thing, okay?" Paula forced her voice to sound normal, and that made it squeak. She cleared her throat. "I just hope I can keep up with the orders—at least through the holidays."
"It's barely September," Charlene piped up. "So why are you worrying about it now?"
Paula tugged at her seatbelt and shifted so she could see in the backseat. "This is retail we're talking about. Everything is a season ahead."
"I'm just finishing up tax season for late filers," Charlene moaned. "That's why I'm so ready for this shopping trip."
"We could all use some retail therapy—the kind where we're the customers and it doesn't involve us having to sell anything," Steph agreed. "I need something cute to wear to Nick's homecoming party tomorrow. You could stand to get something new too, Paula." She caught herself and covered her mouth as she offered an apologetic glance at Paula. "Oops! Sorry, I forgot."
Paula shrugged and forced a smile. "Enough with the apologies. I'm fine. Y'all don't have to walk on eggshells."
She could tell Steph was staring at her and sizing up her true reaction, so she lifted her chin, never dropping the smile from her face. Paula was glad when they finally pulled into the mall parking lot.
"I've been looking forward to this for a long time," Charlene said as she patted her messenger bag. "I've been saving all my clothing allowance just so I could pick up a few designer duds."
"Aw, how cute!" They didn't miss a step as Steph pulled Paula and Charlene by the arm. "You give yourself a clothing allowance."
"I'm an accountant. It's all on the balance sheet."
As they perused their favorite outlet stores, Paula wondered what Nick would be like after being away for so long. He'd come back home for several visits, and she'd seen him a few of those times. But this was different. He'd be in town for six weeks.
Paula picked up a coral necklace to go with her ecru knit sweater set because Steph said it brought out her golden highlights. Okay, so she wanted to impress Nick, but she needed to try not to be so obvious.
2
Nick arrived at the airport several hours ahead of time and managed to get on an earlier flight that wasn't full, but he didn't tell anyone back home. He wanted to surprise them.
"Going home to see your girl?"
He turned to the woman beside him. "No, just taking some time off and chilling with the family."
The elderly woman's expression instantly registered disappointment. "Oh." She fidgeted with the edge of her sweater for a few seconds. "I don't like to fly, but my daughter didn't want me driving."
She reminded Nick of his mother. "Are you visiting your daughter?"
The woman nodded. "She moved to Tampa with her husband seven years ago."
"Do you have grandchildren?"
Her face lit up. "Yes, two granddaughters and a grandson." She reached for her handbag on the floor, but she paused for a moment, dropped it, and glanced away.
Acting on a hunch, Nick asked, "Do you have some pictures? I have a bunch of nieces and nephews, and I sure do miss 'em."
A grin slowly spread across her face, warming Nick's heart.
"I have pictures." Once again she reached for her bag and dug around until she found a small photo album. She hesitated for a second. "Want to see them?"
"Yes, of course."
Nick settled back in his seat as his new friend, Mrs. Cooper, shared experiences that reminded him of his family, which made his flight more enjoyable than it would have been if he'd remained silent. When she wrapped up a story about how she'd missed the birth of one of her grandchildren, her eyes glistened with tears.
"I miss them so much."
He wanted to hug her, but he resisted and patted her arm instead. "At least you'll see them soon."
"Yes." Mrs. Cooper turned to look out the window, leaving him with his own thoughts.
Nick managed to get lost in his own daydream until Mrs. Cooper turned back and studied him for a moment, her lips turned downward but not in a classic frown.
"What are you thinking?"
"I just realized that all we did was talk about me. I don't know much about you."
"There's not much to tell."
"I'm surprised you're not married, a handsome sweet boy like you."
Nick shifted in his seat before turning to her with what he hoped was a comical face. "Looks can be deceiving."
"Are you thirty yet?" The directness of her question caught him by surprise.
"Uh, yeah, I hit the big three-oh last month."
"It's time," she said. "You'll find a nice girl soon. Don't wait too much longer—at least not if you wanna have kids. You'll want to be young enough to enjoy them." She sighed. "Children can bring such joy."
He paused before slowly nodding. "I'll keep that in mind."
After they landed at Tampa International, he asked if she needed help with her baggage. When she said she had everythi
ng in her carry-on, he walked her to the pickup area and waited until her daughter arrived. Then he went back inside, gathered his things from baggage claim, and arranged for a van limo. Mama would be hurt he didn't call for someone to pick him up, but after being on the sterile base, he needed that extra time to decompress before arriving home where he was sure to be swamped with well-meaning but overbearing family.
He stepped outside and inhaled the humid, salty air then smiled as he slowly blew out his breath. There's no place like home.
Since Nick was one of two passengers in the limo, the driver took them across the Courtney Campbell Causeway over the bay from Tampa to Clearwater, where they dropped off the other person. As they headed up Highway 19, where traffic flowed heavy but steady, he rubbernecked the whole way. Some of his old haunts were gone, but new businesses took their places along the main artery that ran north and south through Pinellas County. He flipped his cell phone open and called his mother. After her voicemail kicked in, he speed-dialed his cousin Steph, who answered on the first ring. They chatted for a couple of seconds before she asked, "Are you here already?"
"I'll be there in a few minutes. I got a limo."
"You weren't supposed to—" She stopped. "Never mind. See you in a little while."
As the limo turned onto Tarpon Avenue, Nick felt a settling in his soul. Only a few blocks away from the insanity of chain stores and restaurants, the Greek life flourished on either side of the tree-lined street. Some streetscaping and remodeling had been done, but his hometown still maintained much of the old-town flavor.
They passed the shoe repair shop and an antiques store that had been there as long as he could remember. A small café he'd never seen before was next in line, but it still had the same look as the other businesses along downtown Tarpon Springs—weathered and worn but loved.
His mother had informed him that she expected him to attend at least one service at the Greek Orthodox cathedral with her and that he was staying at the old family home his first night back. Ever since he could remember, when visiting relatives came—whether from Greece or Michigan—his family drew straws to see who got to play host first. He chuckled as he thought about his aunts and mom, all huddled in the kitchen, studying the tips of the straws that stuck out above the ribbon, each of them hoping to get the longest straw.
A sudden thought slammed him in the gut. At some point while he was gone, he'd been relegated to being a visitor.
His vision blurred as he tried to wrap his mind around being a guest in his own hometown. Every once in a while the limo driver took a quick peek at him in the rearview mirror, and this time he did a double-take.
"You okay, man?" the driver asked as he slowed to a stop at the traffic light. "You don't look so good."
"I'm fine." But he wasn't. This was his home. He was born in Tarpon Springs and played first string for the Spongers football team, for crying out loud. But now he was a guest.
Next time the driver looked at him, he forced a grin. "Tarpon Springs hasn't changed much since I was last here."
"How long's it been?"
Too long. "Not long. About a year or so." Actually closer to two years.
The driver's shoulders shook in what appeared to be laughter. "A year . . ."—he looked in the mirror and shook his head—". . . or so can seem like forever." He paused for a few seconds before he continued. "I know. I've been there. Back in the day, Sharon—she's my ex-wife—didn't want me to go off to Nam. But I told her . . . it's like this. Sometimes a man's gotta be a man. Know what I mean?" He looked at Nick in the mirror again.
"Um . . . yeah." Nick wasn't in the mood to have this conversation with someone he'd never see again, but he didn't want to be rude. "So how's the weather been around here lately?"
"You're kidding, right? Hot and humid." He clicked his tongue. "Gotta love this place to put up with all the sweat."
Nick popped a Tic-Tac before he realized the driver was watching. The man's eyes crinkled. "She must be special."
"What?" Nick asked. "Who?"
The driver tilted his head back and roared. "So you haven't let her catch you yet, huh? Don't wait too long, or she'll get away before you know what happened."
What was up with these people who wanted him paired off? Did he look over-the-hill or desperate?
When they arrived at Aunt Ophelia and Uncle Arthur's place, the old family mansion, the limo driver blew out a low whistle. "No wonder you're all homesick. Your family's got some bucks." He snorted. "I didn't figure you for the rich type."
Nick handed the driver a wad of bills that would more than cover his fare. "It's my family's money, not mine. They just let me stay here when I'm in town."
"Thanks, man. Call and ask for Roger when you wanna go back." He opened the back of the van so Nick could get his bags. After he slammed the door shut, he lifted his hand. "See ya. Have fun." Then he got back into the van and zoomed off.
Nick stood on the front lawn and looked around. Nothing had changed, but everything seemed so odd. And still. His antenna went up. It was too still and quiet. Something was going on.
He lifted both bags and got halfway up the walk when he spotted some movement behind the edge of the shade in the room facing the street. Yep, something was going on in there, and he had a feeling he knew what it was.
Nick braced himself for a lot of commotion as he trudged up the front porch steps. The second his foot hit the top step, the front door flung open.
"Surprise!"
"Opa! Hey, everyone, Nick's here!"
"C'mon, Nick, get the lead out! What's taking you so long?"
"You got a lot of stuff? Want me to send Zeno out to get it?"
"Opa! For he's a jolly good fellow . . . c'mon, everyone! Sing!"
Nick scanned the crowd until suddenly everyone became invisible but her. There stood Paula, all five- foot-seven of the woman he'd loved since the first time he saw her. Her hair was shorter . . . and lighter? She had a line or two on her otherwise perfect, heart-shaped face. But in his mind she hadn't changed a bit. His radar would have picked up on her if she'd been within a mile of him.
Her lips quivered before they stretched into a smile. He tried to smile back, but someone was pulling him into a hug.
"Aunt Ophelia! Thank you for doing this, but you shouldn't have."
The woman flapped her hand from the wrist and waved him off. "Of course I should. We miss you, Nick."
A manly slap on the back caught his attention, and he turned. "Uncle Arthur. How's the sponge business? I heard Dad had a little accident."
"He's fine. Can't keep a Papadopoulos man down long, son. So tell me. How's the Air Force?"
Nick grinned. "Still flyin' high, I guess."
"So I hear." Uncle Arthur chuckled.
"Hey, Nick, over here!"
The instant Nick turned, a flash went off and momentarily blinded him. He blinked and lifted his hands to shield his eyes. "No pictures, okay?"
Zeno laughed. "You know better than that, Nick. We gotta have pictures."
Aunt Ophelia lifted her hands over her head and clapped them frantically. "Okay, everyone, you'll get a chance to talk to Nick, but give him some space. He needs to put his things away, so make room and let him freshen up. I got more food in the kitchen, so everybody grab a pan and give me a hand."
Within minutes the foyer cleared out and Nick stared out the front window trying to process his feelings. He glanced off to the side and spotted Paula standing there watching. Waiting. Looking at him then turning away when their gazes met. His lips went dry.
Paula swallowed hard. She'd followed a couple of the Papadopoulos cousins toward the kitchen when Steph suddenly stopped, grabbed her shoulders, nodded toward Nick, and turned her around to face him. She didn't have time to glance away before he caught her staring at him.
"Paula," he said softly. His gaze lingered on hers, and she took a step back. Whoa, buddy. The room felt like it swayed. "You look great. How's business?" Nick made a face, frowned, and laughed
. "That was a stupid thing to ask. Mind if I start over?"
"That wasn't stupid," she replied. "Business is good—sometimes too good."
Unexpectedly, he took several long strides toward her, bridging the gap between them. Her heart hammered. Lord, give me the strength.
Nick touched her face with his fingertips then pulled back quickly, as if she'd burned him. "Is there anyone . . . I mean, are you involved . . ." He didn't finish his question, but she knew what he wanted to ask. His lips pursed, and he closed his eyes. "Sorry about that. I'm not doing this right."
She wanted to say Yeah, there's someone. A husband, a kid, and a baby on the way. Paula shook her head. "No, there's no one. I'm so busy with the store, I don't have time—"
Suddenly, a Papadopoulos army charged through the swinging door leading from the kitchen, everyone carrying a pan, platter, or serving bowl. Steph's mom took the lead, with Nick's mother right behind her. When they caught sight of Nick and Paula standing a foot apart, face-to-face, they halted in their tracks.
Steph's mother spoke first. "You two probably have a lot of catching up to do. Why don't you go on outside and take a walk around the block or something?"
"No, that's okay." Paula spun around. "I want to help."
"We don't need your help," the woman said.
"But—"
Mrs. Papadopoulos tilted her head and grinned. "Everything's already done, Sweetie. All you and Nick have to do is grab a plate and fill it." She looked at her nephew and winked. "Maybe you can go for your walk after you eat. You'll need it if you so much as taste the baklava. Phoebe really outdid herself this time."
"You gotta try the spanikopita," one of the aunts said. "I used my secret recipe."
Within seconds, the clattering of spoons against chafing dishes echoed through the dining room and spilled over into the foyer. Once she had her plate filled, Paula found herself herded toward the sunroom, along with Steph, Alexa, Nick, and a half dozen other cousins around the same age.
