“You’re doing great.” Apollo continued to hold her hand.
As the pain neared its strongest point, she squeezed his hand. Tight. Very tight. He didn’t say anything. Nor did he try to pull away. And though in the beginning she hadn’t wanted him here for any of this, she now found comfort in his quiet strength and took solace in his encouraging words.
But she wasn’t sure either of them was up for all of this. If this was how bad the pain was now, how much worse was it to get when the baby was finally born? The thought sent an arrow of fear through her.
She couldn’t do this. She never should have agreed to have this baby for her sister. Sure, women had babies all the time, but they were different than her—they were braver and stronger.
As the pain ebbed away, she said, “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Apollo placed a finger beneath her chin and turned her head until their gazes met. “You can do this. You are doing amazing so far. I’ve never seen anyone as brave as you.”
She didn’t believe him. “You’re wrong.” Panic clawed at her. “I can’t do this.”
“I swear you are the bravest.”
“But you’ve done all kinds of brave things, from hiking and camping in the jungle to mountain climbing. I’m just having a baby.”
“Having a baby is one of the bravest things a person can do. And climbing a mountain doesn’t even compare.” His voice faded away, as though he were lost in his thoughts.
She was supposed to have another couple of weeks before all of this. Even her doctor hadn’t said anything about her going into preterm labor. If she was going to be a parent, she had to do better—be more prepared.
“Popi, I’m in awe of you.”
He was? Had she heard him correctly? He was in awe of her?
She turned to him and found warmth reflected in his eyes. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“I do. This little baby is going to have the most amazing mother.”
What did that mean? Was he telling her that he was going to relinquish his quest to have custody of the baby?
She never got to ask the question, as another more powerful contraction swept her breath away. She held on tight to Apollo’s hand as she rode the painful wave.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
WHAT EXACTLY HAD he gotten himself into?
Time passed slowly. Very slowly.
Apollo sat by helplessly as Popi writhed in pain. It was more horrible than even he had ever imagined, not that he thought about childbirth much. In fact, he’d spent his whole life avoiding the subject. But he hadn’t been able to avoid the guilt that shrouded his youth over him surviving while his mother had not.
But that wasn’t going to happen with Popi. She would make it. The medevac would be here shortly. He was positive of it. Because there was no way he was delivering that baby.
As more time passed, Popi’s contractions were a mere two minutes apart. The winds and rain continued to pummel the bungalow. His hopes of a quick rescue were slipping away.
It was going to be up to him to make sure Popi held the baby in her arms at the end of all of this. That seemed like a very daunting task.
“Talk to me.” Popi’s voice drew him out of his thoughts.
“What do you want me to talk about?”
She pulled her hand from his and ran her finger along the uneven scar trailing down his thigh, where his shorts had ridden up. “Tell me about that.”
“You don’t want to hear about it.”
“I do. Please tell me. Give me something to concentrate on besides the contractions.”
With all she was going through to bring a healthy baby into this world, he had no right to withhold her one request. But where did he begin?
He cleared his throat. “I was on an extended trip in the Himalayas when it happened.”
“What were you doing there?”
He shrugged. “Would you believe me if I told you that I threw a dart at a map and that’s where it landed?”
She looked at him with disbelief reflected in her eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Pretty much. The dart method has taken me to some of the most interesting places on this earth. Some places I’d rather have not visited. This was one of those places.”
“You mean because you got hurt?”
Just then her hand sought out his, and he knew what was coming—another contraction. He couldn’t believe the contractions just kept coming one right after the other. It was well into the middle of the night by now. And lines of exhaustion were written on Popi’s face.
“Keep talking,” she said before groaning in pain.
And so he did as she asked. “I spoke to Nile before I went on the trip. I wanted him to know that I’d be completely out of touch for a couple of months. Nile told me about the baby and wanted me to be available in case there was any news about the baby. In fact, he demanded I forgo the trip and pick up the slack at the office so he could spend more time at home.” Apollo paused and wiped the sweat from her brow, never once letting go of her hand. “I didn’t know it at the time, but it would be the last thing that he ever asked of me. So we ended up arguing.” Apollo expelled a sigh. “If I had known—if I’d had any clue that was to be my last conversation with him, it would have ended so differently.”
“I’m sure Nile knew how much you cared about him.”
“Really? Because the last thing I told him was to butt out of my life. He wasn’t my father and he couldn’t boss me around.”
Apollo could tell Popi’s pain was lessening, as her grip on his hand loosened. He didn’t think that his hand would ever be the same after this night. If he made it through without any broken bones, he would count himself as lucky. But right now, that would be a small sacrifice compared to what Popi was going through.
“You couldn’t have known it would be your last conversation. None of us knew what was going to happen.”
“But my brother didn’t ask much of me. For years, he just let me be to chase one adventure after another, like some overgrown kid. And the one time he needed me, I’m too busy for him.”
“He wanted you to be happy. He knew you’d had an unhappy childhood.”
“It’s something I never want this baby to go through.” His gaze met hers. “I want us to figure out a way for the child to be happy.”
“We will.” She gave his hand a quick squeeze. “But what happened on the hike?”
“There was an earthquake. The ground beneath my feet literally disappeared. And that is the last thing I remember.”
“That’s horrible.” Her gaze moved back to his leg.
“They say I fell, tumbled, rolled—you get the idea—about two hundred to three hundred meters. I ended up buried in rocks. Luckily I wasn’t alone on the hike. Others were more fortunate than me. They called for help and dug me out.”
The color drained from Popi’s face.
He knew this wasn’t the story to tell her—especially now. If only she hadn’t insisted. “I was unconscious when they found me. I’m told I had a broken leg, fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.”
Popi gasped. “You’re lucky to be alive.”
He nodded. “For a while, I wondered why I’d been spared while others hadn’t. Now I guess I have my answer.” His gaze moved to her baby bump. “But it shouldn’t be me here. It should be my brother. What kind of mixed-up fate is this?”
The pressure on his hand tightened. Another contraction was building. While Popi panted her way through it, he kept talking.
“While I was in the hospital, I’d slipped into a coma. Apparently the hard head I’ve been accused of having isn’t much of a challenge to rocks.”
Another contraction commenced. He wasn’t sure Popi could hear him at this point, but he kept talking just like she’d asked. “I was in a coma when they died. It’s why I didn�
��t make it to the funeral. I remember dreaming of Niles. You know, while I was in a coma. I don’t remember anything else, just seeing him and talking to him. He was as real to me as you are.”
He recalled how Nile had said that he was proud of Apollo. They’d walked and talked like...like brothers.
“Do you think it was your brother saying goodbye?”
Apollo didn’t say anything at first as he pondered the question. He wasn’t sure what he believed about the hereafter. Did he think the dead could speak? No. He certainly didn’t believe in ghosts.
As though Popi were privy to his internal debate, she said, “You know you were in a coma at the same time as...as the accident.”
He knew what she’d meant to say—he was in a coma at the same time that his brother had died. Was it possible that it was truly Nile speaking to him in his dreams? Would Nile really have said that he loved and forgave Apollo? He wanted to believe it, but he knew it had just been wishful thinking on his part.
Not wanting to think about it any longer, Apollo steered the conversation away from the ghost of his brother. “I never thanked you for making all of the funeral arrangements. You don’t know how bad I felt when I woke up in the hospital and found out that I had lived while my brother had died.”
“That must have been horrible.” Popi leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
Not being there for his brother and cutting Nile most of the way out of his life—they were the regrets that weighed upon his heart. He wasn’t sure he would ever forgive himself for living while his brother died without ever getting to meet his little son or daughter.
Though Apollo did find comfort in Popi’s words, he didn’t feel he deserved them. “You have nothing to be sorry about. You lost just as much as I did that day.”
Popi didn’t say anything. He felt her body grow rigid. And then her grip on his hand tightened once more. The baby was almost here.
His gaze moved to the window. It was still dark out. But as he listened, he noticed that the turbulence of the storm had dissipated. But would help be able to reach them before the baby arrived?
“I need to push,” Popi said between pants.
His blood ran cold with the thought of being responsible for the lives of Popi and the baby. His mother hadn’t survived childbirth, and she’d been in the hospital, with people who knew what they were doing. He didn’t have a clue besides what he’d read, and that hadn’t been much.
Please let them be okay. Please.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“WAAH... WAAH... WAAH...”
Popi used her last bit of energy to smile.
They’d done it. Together they’d brought a new life into the world. And it was amazing. It was miraculous. And she’d never known such happiness.
“It’s a boy.” Apollo placed the baby, wrapped in a soft towel, on her chest.
Popi glanced up at her hero and noticed how pale he looked. In fact, he looked as though he were about to pass out.
“You should sit down.” She attempted to move over, but her body protested the thought of moving so soon.
“Maybe I will.” Apollo sunk down on the floor. He didn’t seem to care that there was no mattress beneath him. He drew his knees up and rested his arms on them. He glanced over at her. “You were amazing.”
“We were amazing.” She turned to the baby in her arms, who’d calmed down now. “But you are the star of the day.”
Apollo leaned in close. His finger stroked the baby’s cheek. “You are a miracle, little guy.”
“I just wish...”
She didn’t have to say it, because he’d felt the same way. “I wish the same thing. His parents would be so proud of him.”
A tear rushed down Popi’s cheek. “They definitely would.”
Whup. Whup. Whup.
The sound of an approaching helicopter gave Apollo his second wind. In a heartbeat, he was on his feet. He rushed to the door and swung it wide open.
He stepped out onto the porch. The early morning sun was shining brightly as a gentle breeze circulated through the bungalow.
“How is it out there?” she asked.
“Blue skies and a calm sea.”
“What about the island?”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
Which is exactly what it did—worry her. If it was so bad that he wouldn’t even tell her the damage, it must be really bad. Thank goodness they had a crew showing up today. It would appear they had more work ahead of them than they’d originally been planning on. She just hoped they were up for the challenge. Because she wasn’t. She had other priorities now.
She turned her attention to the cutest little boy in her arms. He had blue eyes that seemed to take in everything around him. And a head full of dark hair. He was definitely going to be a heartbreaker when he grew up—just like his uncle.
Just then Shadow decided to make an appearance after hiding for most of the night. He crept forward, stretching his neck out and sniffing the new baby. Popi smiled. Something told her that these two were going to be good friends.
As for her and Apollo, she didn’t know how things were going to work out now that they were about to leave the island. But their time on the island had most definitely changed things between them. The Apollo that she thought she’d known was much different than the actual caring, giving man that was now crouching next to her to fuss over the baby.
But even though she’d come to know this caring and gentle side of him, she knew that he still had an adventurous side. Would that mean he would leave the baby with her?
There were still so many unanswered questions. But as the paramedics made their way inside the bungalow, she knew any answers would have to wait until much later.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL.
Home. The word felt so strange.
Apollo opened one of the ominous oversize black doors with bronze fixtures. The Drakos estate had staff to open doors and such, but he’d been fending for himself for so long that he was no longer used to being fussed over. He knew that would change by moving back into this gigantic mausoleum of memories.
He hadn’t alerted any of the staff of his exact arrival. He’d wanted his return to be low-key. He wasn’t sure how he would feel first walking in here. While Popi had been in the hospital, he’d stayed in a hotel close by, not wanting to be far from her or the baby should they need him. And perhaps a tiny part of him had been relieved to have a legitimate reason to put off his return.
He glanced around the grand foyer with its gleaming marble floors. He recalled as a boy running into the room in his socks and sliding across the floor. His gaze moved to the grand staircase, where his father used to stand at the top with a glass of bourbon in one hand, while with the other hand he’d point an accusing finger at Apollo for one offense or another.
He recalled one specific instance when his father had stood at the top of the steps and glared down at Apollo like he was master of the universe. Apollo would get blamed for misdeeds he’d done and sometimes for misdeeds that were not his. And as he grew older, his attitude toward his father became more hostile.
There was a specific day when his father had blamed him for something that was clearly not his fault and called him worthless, and Apollo had shouted that he hated his father. His outburst had been rewarded with his father raising his hand and launching his still-full glass of bourbon down the steps at Apollo. The vivid memory caused Apollo to flinch.
Popi’s hand touched his shoulder. “Are you okay?”
He glanced down at the marble floor, where he’d been standing that day. If he hadn’t moved, the glass would have hit him. He choked down the lump in the back of his throat. But when he spoke, his voice had a hoarseness. “I’m fine.”
Looking back now, he wondered if that was the day his father wrote
him out of the family business, or had that already been a forgone conclusion from the tragic day when he was born? Not that it mattered to him. He could take or leave the business world.
He’d learned a lot about the world and himself when he’d been off on his adventures. He was no longer the kid filled with rage over his crappy childhood, where he’d never known his mother, and his father had said one abusive comment after the next.
He shoved the dark memories to the back of his mind. Things would be different for the baby. Apollo would make sure their precious little boy never had to run from hateful words or flying glasses. The only time he would run from Apollo was when he was threatening to tickle his nephew.
Apollo turned to Popi, who was holding the sleeping baby in her arms. “Let’s get you and the little guy situated.”
“Thank you for letting us stay here while my parents are recovering from the flu.”
“Not a problem.” In truth, it had all worked out the way he’d wanted. He just didn’t realize after all these years that this place would still get to him.
Just then Anna, the housekeeper, entered the foyer. Her face lit up with a big smile that made her warm eyes twinkle with genuine happiness. “Mister Drakos, you’re home. It’s been too long.”
“Hello, Anna.”
It was then that she broke with protocol and gave him a hug. It wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last, that she bent the rules that had governed the Drakos estate for as long as Apollo could remember. Maybe that’s what the place needed—a break with the routine of the past.
He hugged her back. She was the closest thing that he’d ever had for a mother. And it was only now that he realized how relieved he was that she was still here for him to come home to. Between Popi, the baby and Anna, he would do his best to make peace with living here amongst the ghosts.
Anna pulled back and turned to Popi. “And who do we have here?”
She knew because Apollo had called ahead to make sure the house was spiffed up and a room had been set up for Popi and the baby. But he knew that Anna was fishing for an introduction.
Claiming the Drakos Heir Page 10
