Page 29 of The Little Greek Guesthouse

‘Oops.’ She’d giggled, holding onto his arm, and he’d laughed.

‘Oh dear, we have too much of the Ovilos. Come, I’ll help you.’

She protested that she was fine, but his arm was strong and warm around her waist, and she was happy for him to guide her up to her bedroom. She pulled him over to the bed and kissed him passionately, but he gently eased himself from her embrace, resting his forehead against hers and groaning.

‘I want to, believe me,’ he whispered, brushing the hair from her face and gazing into her eyes. ‘But you’re a little drunk, and you might . . . I don’t want you to wish we didn’t . . .’

Nina looked up into his chiselled face, felt his strong arms around her. She very much doubted she’d wish they didn’t.

But he kissed her one last time, and left, and after smiling at how respectful he’d been, Nina fell into bed without taking her makeup off or drinking the water she so badly needed. Vassilis must have been a little worse for wear too, because she’d heard him stumbling around downstairs before he left, walking into a couple of rooms before he eventually found the front door.

Refreshed now, she stepped out of the shower and dressed in a sensible vest, skirt and sandals, stopping to fasten the necklace Vassilis had given her around her neck.

‘My god, you take so long,’ Theo grumbled as she finished applying her suncream. ‘A man could die of starvation waiting.’

‘Baba you’re such a drama queen – I didn’t even put on makeup!’ She grinned. ‘Maybe I should just take a minute to . . .’

Theo wilted against the kitchen counter, still covered with bits of wood and dust, pressing a hand to his head. ‘So hungry, I’m going to faint.’

Nina linked her arm through his as they walked out.

‘Good grief,’ she said. ‘You’re such a drama queen, Baba.’

Chapter Fourteen

It was one of the best days she’d had in Kefalonia so far.

They went to the café first, it being a priority to keep Theo’s blood sugar up before he passed out, apparently. As they tucked into the delicious Greek salad, Yiannis joined them, and he and Theo were soon reminiscing about old times, which seemed to mostly involve their boyhood antics. Nina basked in these stories, little snippets of Theo’s childhood that he hadn’t cared to share with her; the time they snuck into Maria’s garden to climb her apple tree and steal the fruit, and her goat – a predecessor of Milo – had acted as guard dog and bitten through the seat of Theo’s trousers. The time they’d carved their initials in the glass on the landing of the flat above the café, and how Yiannis’s mother had been so angry he hadn’t been allowed his dinner, and how you could still see that carving, if you knew where to look. The time they’d snuck into Maria’s house after she’d told them off and had rubbed her toothbrush in the soap to punish her.

According to Yiannis, Theo was the instigator of all this mischief. Nina, looking at his round cheeks and the glint in his eye as he laughed and denied all knowledge, could believe it.

Eirini, Alex and the children joined them as the afternoon wore on. Epikos sat on his dad’s knee and Xernao, sticky with sweet drinks and sweat, climbed onto his mum’s. She stroked his hair as she laughed along with the stories.

‘I never knew you were such a naughty boy, Yiannis,’ she said. ‘You’ll be giving these ones ideas! Not that they need any encouraging, eh?’ She smiled at Epikos, who spoke to her in Greek.

Eirini nodded and spoke to the children in fast Greek, and they ran inside, grinning. ‘Well,’ she said, standing and replacing her sunglasses. ‘Looks like we’re off to the beach. I must love and leave you.’ She kissed Alex on the cheek, and he rose, tying on his apron. ‘Unless you’d like to come?’ Eirini asked, turning to Nina.

‘Baba? Might be nice?’

The children returned, dressed in sunsuits, caps, sunglasses and Crocs, and Eirini smothered them in suncream, despite Epikos’s scrunched face and Xernao’s loud protests. She shook her head as they ran ahead with Theo, who was happily carrying their buckets and talking to them in Greek, and she and Nina fell into step behind.

‘You know I think I go to work for a rest,’ she said, laughing and gazing after the children with a look of total adoration.

‘They’re so sweet.’ Nina adjusted her sunhat. ‘What do you do?’

‘I’m a nutritionist.’ She flashed Nina a grin. ‘But don’t worry, I won’t be lecturing you about eating nothing but almonds and raw aubergine!’

Nina laughed. ‘Well, I always think I’m pretty good about what I eat, you know, but lately . . .’ She thought about the meals and drinks she’d been sharing with Vassilis. ‘Not so much.’

She felt the smile spread over her face and a blush warm her cheeks as she remembered Vassilis kissing her and tearing himself away the night before, leaving her longing for more.

Eirini gave her a knowing look. ‘Ah, with the handsome builder, yes?’

Nina barked an unexpected laugh, shocked that Eirini knew about her and Vassilis. ‘I – what, how do you . . .?’ She took off her hat and pushed her hair off her face, flustered.

Eirini laughed, resting a hand on Nina’s arm briefly. ‘Oh don’t worry, this is a small village; everybody knows everything. He is a handsome man.’ She nodded, watching the sand under her feet as she walked. ‘Good for nice times.’

Nina cleared her throat, trying to calm the heat in her cheeks. ‘He is. He’s very sweet too actually, he gave me this last night.’