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“Your mom is amazing. She blows them all away.” Carter laughed, looking at Sienna.
“She blows me away too,” Sienna said, feeling a little wheezy and hiding it with a slug of water. “She surprises me all the time.” She returned Carter’s look and finally answered the question in his eyes. “You’ve probably already realized we’re not all that close. We came on this trip to repair our relationship.”
He puffed out a breath. “I thought you two were besties.”
Sienna shook her head. “I was much closer to my father.” She didn’t say that she’d recently learned how good her father was at lying.
Maybe some of those lies were about her mother. And they were the reason she and her mom had grown so far apart.
* * *
They hada late lunch after the hike up the Karavolades Stairs, feasting on horiataki, Greek salad of homemade feta, cucumbers, red onions, Kalamata olives, and the delicious Santorini tomatoes, with an accompanying plate of toasted pitas and tzatziki. As she’d told Sienna, the volcanic soil gave the tomatoes a taste like no other in the world.
Angela excused herself for the restroom and used a little extra time to text Xandros, arranging for a meet the following morning. Was it a bad idea? Probably. She’d been fearful this morning. Yet now she didn’t care. She had to see him again. Even his typed words on the phone screen made her breathless.
Afterward, they trooped up to Carter Ellis’s villa with its terrace pool, which wasn’t deep but enough to cool off after baking in the sun. By dinnertime, they were all tipsy on margaritas, the Greek beer Mythos, and retsina, a Greek wine Angela had never been fond of. Instead of going out again, Carter ordered a light dinner comprised of appetizers.
“We were supposed to view the sunset in Oia. There’s a perfect spot, though it’s crowded as the sun goes down.” He waved a hand at the group behind him. “But I don’t think we’re in any shape to get there. I’d planned on walking.” He snorted a laugh. “These guys haven’t recovered from the stairs the way you have.”
“I hike a lot at home,” Angela said. “Hills in the morning get the blood pumping.”
“I need to climb the San Francisco hills.” Sienna crossed her eyes dramatically. “Because I certainly couldn’t take those stairs the way you did. I’m impressed, Mom.”
Angela barely stifled a gasp. She hadn’t been Mom since Sienna was a little girl. Maybe it was the Mythos beer.
“Tomorrow will be easier,” Carter said, grinning. “We’re renting mopeds. You can each ride on the back with one of us, or we can rent a couple more.”
Angela looked at her daughter. Her eyes were shining and her smile sweet as she looked at Carter like he was a chocolate truffle she’d love to savor.
She noticed Tamryn looking too, a frown marring her otherwise pretty face.
“I’d love to,” Angela said. “But despite how easy you seem to think that climb was for me, I’m exhausted.” And she had a date at the café. “I’d like to rest and read.” She touched Sienna’s arm. “But you go.” She smiled at Carter. “She can ride on the back behind you.”
It wasn’t precisely matchmaking, but if something developed, there’d be no long-distance impediment.
“You must come with us, Angela,” Carter coaxed.
Even Sienna added, “Yeah, come.”
Angela shook her head. “Mopeds are for the younger generation.” Though she could have done it easily. She and Xandros had gone everywhere on mopeds.
“You can always change your mind in the morning.” Carter winked.
“Thank you.” She gave him a quick hug. “Now, it’s been a long day with all the walking, the sun, and the delicious food, and I’ll take my leave.” She put her hand on Carter’s cheek. “Thank you for a wonderful day. And take care of my daughter tomorrow.”
“Night, Mom,” Sienna called as Angela left through the terrace gate that led to her stairs.
Hours later, she heard the French doors close a little too sharply, then a loud curse. Sienna had obviously indulged in a few more drinks. Angela could only hope it loosened her up a bit. She was so staid back home, so career-oriented. She rarely dated, and she’d never had a long-term boyfriend. Angela didn’t want her daughter to be alone. Carter Ellis could be a good influence, especially with his father’s edicts about vacations and leaving work in time for dinner.
The door opened and Sienna called softly, “Mom?”
Angela pretended to sleep. Not that she didn’t want to talk to Sienna, but she knew in her mother’s heart that she would start pushing her daughter toward Carter. And Sienna would resent it. No, it was better to say nothing at all and let the matter take its course.
As soon as Sienna closed the door with a loud snick, Angela wondered if she should have taken the opportunity for a heart-to-heart. This morning, she’d wondered all over again if she could actually tell Sienna the truth. It was the shock of seeing Xandros. But despite her fears, she knew the only way through was to tell Sienna everything. She just had to find the right time.
And hope her daughter didn’t hate her more than she ever had.
