The Greek Bachelors Collection. Rebecca Winters
if it’s a girl?”
“After my mother’s mother, Melitta.”
“I like both names. Are they still alive?”
“Yes.”
She smiled up at him. “Our child will have great-grandparents, too. What a blessing,” she said as he studied her hair and features.
“Nikos?” Yannis called out.
“I’m coming,” he said, still staring at her with an enigmatic expression she couldn’t read. “Get what you need to take with you. We’re going ashore.”
On legs that felt like mush, she hurried downstairs to freshen up and gather her purse. In a few minutes the men had secured the ropes, and Nikos walked her along the dock to a parking area, where he helped her into a dark blue car.
“Feel free to use this whenever you want to come into town. I’ll give you a key when we’re back on the yacht.”
“Thank you.”
She noticed he moved a little slower, but considering his horrendous accident, it was miraculous he could walk without most people noticing anything was wrong.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“I’m getting there.”
“Did you take your pill for nausea?”
“Just a few minutes ago.”
“Good. There’s a taverna where you eat in the garden at the back. I’ll introduce you to some authentic food I love.”
Stephanie couldn’t wait to see what he chose for them, especially since these islands were home to him and he knew the streets and shops like the back of his hand.
The proprietor of the small restaurant beamed when Nikos escorted her inside. They spoke in rapid Greek before the older man led them through some doors to a charming garden in bloom with fabulous wild hyacinths and orchids.
There were a dozen or so tables filled with tourists and locals. After settling at a table for two, they were brought fruit drinks and appetizers. One dish, something yellow, was prepared with olive oil, onions and fava beans, Nikos told her. Another, called caciki, tasted like cream cheese with cucumber and was served with slices of freshly baked, crusty psomi bread. It was followed by shrimp risotto and the grilled calamari.
Stephanie made inroads on everything but the octopus. “Maybe another time,” she said to him. After his morose, brooding demeanor yesterday, the white smile he suddenly flashed her, the first she’d seen since her arrival, was so unexpected and startling that her breath caught. She found herself praying this side of him wouldn’t disappear.
“Dessert?”
He had to be teasing her. She shook her head. “Thank you. The meal was delicious, but I couldn’t possibly eat another bite or it might turn on me.”
“Since we can’t have that, let’s go buy you some clothes.”
They went back to the car and he drove to the other side of the village, where he stopped in front of a boutique. “Ariadne likes this store. She says it’s trendy. I think you’ll find something to your taste.”
Inside, Stephanie discovered some great short-sleeved tops, pants, skirts, a couple sundresses and several dressy, long-sleeved blouses in filmy material for evening. Along with those she bought more lingerie, sleepwear and a bikini.
An older woman waiting on her spoke excellent English and was very helpful. As she was putting a white sundress and jacket with small purple violets around the hem in a box for Stephanie, she said, “You will look beautiful in this.”
“Thank you.”
Nikos stood at the counter with her. “It will make a lovely wedding dress, don’t you think?”
Stephanie’s heart plummeted. She knew Nikos wanted their wedding to be simple, but she’d still hoped to wear something more bridal to her own nuptials. The saleswoman must have seen her reaction, because to Stephanie’s surprise she frowned at Nikos.
“A wedding dress? Oh, no. For that you need to go across the street.”
“It’s all right,” she quickly told the woman.
In order not to upset Nikos, Stephanie forced herself to recover from her disappointment in a big hurry. “I love this dress. It will be perfect. Here’s my credit card.” She’d come to Greece unprepared, and didn’t expect him to pay for a new wardrobe.
Too late, she realized her mistake. In front of the other woman he took the card away and replaced it with one from his wallet. Stephanie gave him a covert glance and saw that his dark expression was back. She should have guessed Nikos had too much pride to allow a woman to pay.
There were so many things she needed to learn about him. On the island they hadn’t gone anywhere except the resort, rarely interacting with anyone other than the staff. This was a totally different situation.
He collected her purchases and walked her out to the car, putting everything in the backseat. While he did that, she climbed in the front passenger seat, but he held on to her door so she couldn’t close it.
Stephanie looked up at him. “Aren’t we going to leave?”
His jaw had hardened. “I saw the look on your face in there. You want a traditional wedding dress? We’ll get you one. The most elaborate we can find.”
She was crushed. “No, Nikos. Please get in the car so we can talk without everyone hearing us.”
“There’s nothing to discuss. Come.”
After she got out, because he’d left her no choice, he locked the car and ushered her across the street to the bridal shop. An elegant, striking young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, caught sight of Nikos and couldn’t look anywhere else. When she spoke in Greek, he responded in English.
“We’d like to see your designer bridal gowns for my fiancée.”
Fiancée. What a joke.
“Right over here.” She led them to a rack of sumptuous-looking dresses with price tags that meant this was a high end shop. “Go ahead and start looking.”
Stephanie hated being in this position. The whole time she examined each dress, she could hear the ringless clerk talking to Nikos in Greek instead of waiting on her. The younger woman was deliberately flirting with him. Stephanie had to get a grip. In the mood he was in, she knew he wouldn’t leave this shop until she’d found something for their wedding.
Last night, when she’d opened the closet containing his uniforms, she’d imagined him as a groom wearing the navy one with the gold buttons. With his black hair and olive skin, he’d look magnificent in it. Such an outfit required a wedding dress that lived up to it. If he was now intent on her wearing a designer gown, then she expected him to dress accordingly, too.
After some deliberation, she chose the most expensive dress on the rack. It was a simple princess style, but the floor-length veil of Alençon lace gave it elegance. It cost a fortune, but she didn’t care. He’d accused her of using him for his money. So be it.
She turned to the clerk. “If you have this one in stock, I’ll take it. In America I’m a size 4.” Of course, Stephanie wouldn’t be that size much longer, but she figured she could squeeze into it once she’d worn off her meal.
The clerk looked taken back. “I believe we do.”
“Then please ring it up for me. My fiancé will carry it out to our car. Thank you.”
Once the clerk went into the back room, Stephanie glanced at Nikos, who was leaning against the counter, his face implacable. No doubt he was feeling some pain, but he’d hate it if she drew attention to it. Maybe she could give him an out.
“Do you still want to stop by the clinic