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CHAPTER 39
LEO
Leo sat with Cassandra in the living room of her flat, waiting for her parents. So far, Owen hadn’t made a statement or given any interviews, and Leo had no intention of speaking to the press.
While they waited, he checked in with Ben and the crew at Rose Village, sharing the good news about the grant. He slid the phone into his jeans and considered Cassandra. She was pensive, curled up in the ugly purple armchair, looking out the window onto the street.
The ticking clock on the mantle escalated the tension as it counted down the seconds until her parents arrived.
“I hope nothing happened to them.” She got to her feet to pace.
He reached a hand to her. “Come here.” She was nervous and so was he, but they both needed to remain calm.
She came to him, and he pulled her onto his lap, holding her close. “That’s better. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
She gave him a shy smile. “Have you always been so sure of yourself?”
“No. The truth is your father probably wants my head on a platter, but I won’t let him intimidate me.” Nikos was a known entity to him, but Cassandra’s mother was a mystery. “I’m familiar with your father, but tell me about your mother.”
“My mom and dad are opposites. He’s all business, and she’s an artist. She has her own gallery in Manhattan. She’s incredibly intuitive about people. She’s also very laid-back compared to my father.”
“I like her already.” Her mother would scrutinize Leo, but he wasn’t worried. His feelings for Cassandra were genuine. She would probably be a lot more approachable than Nikos. He wondered how much they knew about Owen and how they felt about him. “I have a question.”
“What’s that?”
“Were your parents aware of how Owen treated you?”
Cassandra bit her lip in concentration. “Owen was always on his best behavior around my parents, but my mother was standoffish with him. I don’t think she trusted him.”
“And your father? Did he say anything to you?”
She gave him a long look. “I think you already know the answer to that question. My father doesn’t think any man is good enough for me. After Owen broke up with me, I told my parents everything.”
“Well, when they get here, I want to make it clear to them how much I care about their daughter.” He waited to be sure her eyes were focused on his. “And I’m pretty sure she cares about me too.”
Cassandra lips curved into a smile. “She does. Very much.”
He took her hand and kissed her fingers. “I’m glad.”
The doorbell rang, and she jumped off his lap. It was one of those tinny, two-tone bells that reverberated through the flat. It matched his spike in anxiety, but for Cassandra’s sake, he would not let his emotions show.
He got to his feet and joined her at the front door.
Cassandra peeked through the peephole. “They’re here.” Her eyes shifted to his with unease.
“Let’s do this together,” he said firmly.
Cassandra gave him a nod and opened the door. “Mom! Dad! It’s good to see you.” Her parents stepped into the entryway. While mother and daughter embraced, Nikos focused his attention on Leo like a heat-seeking missile. No surprise there.
“Mom, this is Leo Sutton,” Cassandra said. “Leo, this is my mother, Melina Papadakis.”
Melina held her hand out to him with a warm smile, her gaze fixed on his with calm interest. “Pleased to meet you, Leo.” Except for her short hair, she was strikingly similar to Cassandra. Melina wore loose-fitting, dark gray slacks paired with a long, unstructured white shirt. A gray cashmere scarf was draped casually around her shoulders. Her only jewelry was a wide gold wedding band.
“It’s nice to meet you, Melina,” he said, shaking her hand.
Cassandra tucked a curl behind her ear. “And of course, you already know my dad.”
Wearing a business suit, Nikos was the epitome of formality compared to his wife’s casualness.
