AllFreeNovel
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He heard her sharp intake of breath but when she spoke her voice was as cool as ever. “The money was all she was interested in.”
“If that was the case she could have gotten rid of it.”
“There’s actually a child… you’ve seen him or her?”
“Him. Mihalis. Your grandson is three and you’ve never met him.”
“She didn’t have to take the check, Michael. It was a test and she failed miserably. That isn’t my fault. Any woman who truly loved you wouldn’t have taken it.”
“Did she cash it?”
“Of course she did.”
Liar. Mick inhaled slowly, letting his breath out a little at a time until he was ready to talk again. “You shouldn’t have interfered.”
“Wasn’t it better to find out before she could hurt you even more than she did?”
“That’s just it—I didn’t find out anything. She disappeared and took my kid with her.”
“That shows you who she is.”
“Actually, it shows me more who you are. I have to go, Mom.” He disconnected and stared out at the water.
He’d only known about Mihalis for thirty-six hours but already loved him. The idea that his mother had done something that had cost him three years with his son was infuriating, but he had no idea what to do next. His parents had always tried to get him and his sister to do what they wanted, but he’d never paid much attention. He studied hard, got good grades and made his parents proud when it mattered. Until Lena, he’d never worried about whether his parents would like a girl because none of them mattered. He’d been naïve when he brought her home, though. He’d forgotten how bigoted and closed-minded they were. For all he knew, it was Lena’s olive-colored skin that bothered them more than her allegedly smaller bank account. He’d ignored their racist and homophobic comments over the years because it had never impacted him and it was easier not to fight with them.
That ended now. He was primed for a fight but wasn’t sure how to throw the first punch. Arguing with his mother was a lesson in futility; she was far too self-absorbed to care or even engage most of the time. His father would definitely have something to say but Mick had to be careful with him. Not only did he work for the company his father was part owner of, he was on a project that would keep him in Greece for the next two years. Close to his son. Close to Lena. He wanted to preserve that if at all possible. Not to mention, he loved his job. He could take his skills and experience anywhere—just as Hank had said—but he didn’t want to. He would if it came down to that, but he’d fight for what he had now. Just like he planned to fight for his son and the woman he’d never stopped loving.
Mick spent a couple hours on the construction site, getting Hank up to speed on what was going on and doing his best to look interested in his job when all he could think about was his son. The word felt strange on his lips, but it got more comfortable each time he said it. By the time he was headed home, he couldn’t wait to see Mihalis and figure out a way to bond with him since he didn’t speak more than a few words of Greek and Mihalis spoke limited English.
The villa was bustling with activity when he walked in a little while later. There was laughter and music, Raegan and Paige giggling on the couch while Mihalis wrestled with Apollo on the floor. Lena appeared to be in the kitchen cooking something that smelled wonderful and he momentarily forgot all about her betrayal. Surrounded by people he cared about, hearing his son’s laughter, the warmth brought from having someone making a home-cooked meal, all assaulted his senses in ways he wasn’t prepared for. Why did this feel so real if he and Lena weren’t meant to be?
“Anything new out there?” Raegan called out to him.
He shook his head. “Still waiting for news.”
“Grrr.” Raegan made a sound of discontentment.
“You’re home.” Lena came out of the kitchen with a warm smile, looking delightfully edible with an apron over her shorts and tank top and her hair up in a messy bun. “How’d it go?”
“Nothing new,” he said, returning her smile.
“Hopefully soon.” She waved a towel in the air. “Ten minutes for the loukoumades.” Loukoumades were pastries made of deep fried dough and then usually sprinkled with cinnamon and covered in honey.
Mihalis rattled off something in Greek that Mick didn’t understand, but Lena and Apollo laughed.
“You can’t have them all,” Lena responded in English. “You have to share.”
“Share?” The child repeated the English word with a frown so she said something in Greek and he nodded.
Mick hated not being able to communicate with his own son, but Lena was trying, talking in English as much as possible and Mihalis seemed to pick it up quickly. The loukoumades were delicious, conversation was light and filled with laughter, and Mick wanted to punch himself for being a little surly.
“Mihalis wants to go for a swim and I’ve already washed my hair today,” Lena said as she began clearing plates. “Will you take him, Mick?”
Mick’s eyes shot up to hers but he instantly nodded. “Yeah, sure. What do you think, buddy? The pool or the sea?”
“Pool!” Mihalis yelled, jumping to his feet.
“His bathing suit is hanging on the door of the bathroom,” Lena said. “Can you help him change?”
