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“Are you going to be okay exploring the world with me? I love what I do, and designing beautiful buildings, watching them come to life, is part of who I am. I can’t do that sitting behind a desk in San Francisco or even working on projects from here in Greece. I need to be there, watching each project come alive… will you do that with me, Lena? Will you follow me around the world to build my dreams?”
She didn’t even hesitate, tears pooling in her eyes and a tremulous smile on her lips as she said, “I’d follow you to the other side of the galaxy, Mick.”
Mick and Lena stayed at Apollo’s house since it was empty and would afford them some privacy, while Mihalis stayed with his grandparents. It was nice having some time to themselves, but there was too much going on for them to truly relax. Mick spent hours on the phone the rest of the day and Lena did much of the same, as they tried to get organized and keep up with what was going on the job site.
“I may have to head back to Santorini for a couple of days,” Mick told her the next morning as they drank coffee on the patio overlooking the sea. “I’m getting a weird vibe from Pat. The investigators think it was an inside job but no one will tell me why.”
“You think he’s being vague because he thinks it was Loren?”
“Probably. But that doesn’t explain why he’s being so cool to me on the phone.”
“What does Hank say?”
‘Nothing. He said he’d call me back yesterday and never did.”
“You think they’re trying to edge you out?”
Mick made a face. “I can’t believe Hank offered me a job one day and is avoiding me the next, but anything is possible. A buddy from college is a high-end recruiter so I sent him my resume last night. He’s going to update it for me and get it out there. I’m not worried about it. It pisses me off, but money isn’t an issue, so I don’t want you to worry either.”
She shook her head. “Money means very little to me as long as Mihalis is happy and healthy, and I can draw from my share of our company’s dividends if he needs something.”
“I’ve got a house worth over a million dollars that I can liquidate if necessary, I have an account in Switzerland with the rest of what I inherited from my grandfather and there’s enough in my checking account right now to last us a year if we wanted to sleep at your mom’s house.”
She laughed. “I’d prefer we didn’t, but we could if we had to.”
“I’m not particularly worried about my future, but I do want to find out what’s going on in Santorini. Even if my father manages to get me fired, I’d like to leave the project on target, you know?”
“Did you ask Apollo what he thought?”
“He said Hank and Pat kind of brushed him off yesterday and he didn’t want to push it.”
“What do you think we should do?”
“I don’t know why, but something in my gut is telling me I need to show up there and see what’s happening.”
She cocked her head. “Do you want me to come?”
“Actually, no. I think it’s safer for you to be here.”
“You think I’m in danger?” She looked shocked.
“I hope not, but I’d feel better knowing you and Mihalis are here with your parents.”
“Okay, I’ll use the time to get organized.”
“Buy a wedding dress,” he whispered, squeezing her hand. “It might be a civil ceremony, but it should still be special. Something short, white and sexy.”
She smiled. “I can definitely do that.”
21
The only person other than Lena that knew Mick was returning to Santorini was Apollo and he picked him up at the port. Like Lena, Mick had found he preferred the ferry to flying since the airports both in Athens and on the island were so far out of the way.
“Thanks for coming,” he said to Apollo as he got into the rental car.
“Of course. How’d everything go with my parents?”
“They seem okay with Lena and I being together, that I’m Mihalis father, everything… did they know she and I had a thing?”
