The Greek's Long-Lost Son

He studied his son. The only thing that was going to guarantee any success at all was the purity of Ari’s spirit and Theo’s unqualified love for the child who was part him, part Stella. If their boy had inherited her sweetness, her loving nature, then maybe Theo had a prayer of getting through to him. But he knew it would have to be on Ari’s timetable.

“Hi,” he responded without enthusiasm, refusing to look at him.

“Who’s your friend?”

“Dax.”

“Hi, Dax. I’m glad you came. I want to get to know Ari’s friends. I think there’s a character on the Star Trek television series with your name? He has special powers.”

Dax blinked. “I already know that. How did you know?”

“I love science fiction. Especially UFO stories.”

“Me, too. My dad thinks they’re stupid though.”

“Well, I don’t.”

“Rachel knows some real ones,” Ari said, drawn into their conversation in spite of himself.

“Who’s Rachel?”

“My aunt. Her daddy was a pilot in the air force.”

Theo’s eyes took in Dax, who wore jeans and a tank top. Stella had put on trousers and a white blouse that her figure did wonders for. Considering everyone’s attire to be appropriate, he made a decision.

“Your mother told me we would only have two hours today, Ari, but I think it’s long enough to go for a hike. What do you say we all go?”

“That sounds cool,” Dax responded enthusiastically.

Ari stared at Theo in surprise.

“You mean Mom, too?”

“She and I spent all our time outdoors. We must have walked all over Salamis Island. There’s no one I’d rather trudge up a mountain with. In fact, I’d like to see if she can still keep up with me.”

Theo moved around the other side of the car and opened the door for Stella, who looked at a total loss for words.

“I…I didn’t plan to come with you.” Her voice faltered.

“Please, Mom?” Apparently this idea pleased their son. With his mother along, he wouldn’t be so afraid. Theo couldn’t ask for more than that. She would have trouble refusing.

“I second the motion,” Theo murmured. “You know all the secret places around here. I remember you telling me about the deserted lookout on the mountain behind us where you once found an eagle’s nest.”

Again Ari looked surprised. He stared at Stella. “I’ve never seen it.”

“That’s because I’ve never taken you hiking up there, honey.”

Good. This would be a new experience for the four of them. “Let’s find out if it’s still there, shall we? I’ve brought enough goodies for all of us.”

Everyone was looking at her. She could hardly say no. Stella would walk through fire to protect their son. “Well, all right.”

While the boys got out, Theo assisted her. The sight of those long, elegant legs covered in khaki raised his blood pressure. When their arms brushed by accident, it sent a rush of desire through his body so intense he was staggered. To his chagrin, everything about her appealed to him more than ever.

“Ari? I bet you know how to put the top up on the car for your mother.” The boy nodded, but Theo could tell Ari hadn’t thought of it until it was mentioned. “That’s good. We want it to be safe while we’re gone. This car’s a beauty,” he said, eyeing Stella. She looked away.

“Will you let me do it, Mom?”

“I’ll help,” Dax volunteered.

“Yes. Of course.” She’d been outvoted and outmaneuvered. Nothing could have pleased Theo more. He helped the boys and made easy work of it.

Once she’d locked the car with her remote, Theo opened his pack. “Give me your purse.” Though he sensed she was fighting him every step of the way, she had to be careful in front of Ari. After she’d handed it to him, he zipped the compartment and eased it onto his shoulders a second time.

“If everyone’s ready, there’s a footpath beyond that copse of trees running up the side of the valley. Last one to the lookout is a girlie man.”

Both boys laughed. Dax asked, “What’s that?”

“A phrase I picked up while I was living in New York. It means wimp!”

Ari’s smile faded. He stared hard at him as they walked. “Mom and I used to live in New York.”

That was where she’d gone? Where she’d been for so long?

It was an astounding piece of news, despite the fact that he knew Stasio did business there on a regular basis. To think Ari had been living in the same city where Theo had worked…So close? It slayed him. “Did you like it?”

“Yes, but I like Greece better.”

“So do I.”

“Come on, everyone,” Stella urged. “At this pace we’ll never get there.” Theo wondered what had made her so nervous that she’d been a little short with Ari just now. A tight band constricted his breathing. By the end of their hike he intended to find out.

“I’ve never been to New York,” Dax muttered.

“It’s an exciting city.”

“I thought you lived in Greece.”

“I did until my twenties, Dax, then I moved to New York to earn my living. Now I have an office in Athens and am back to stay.” Stella walked ahead of him with Ari, but he suspected she was listening to make sure the conversation didn’t touch on things she wanted kept quiet.

“What do you do?”

“I deal in stocks and investments. Some real estate. What does your father do?”

“He owns a bank.”

Of course. Dax belonged to the approved sector of Greek society. “Does your mother have a job, too?”

“No. She stays home with my brother and sister and me.”