SHOWERED AND DRESSED in a new suit, Apollo stepped in front of the floor-length mirror in his bedroom.
He didn’t want to go to the office, especially a day early. But he couldn’t just skulk around the house with Popi right here. He knew that sooner or later he would be drawn to her. He would want her to explain away the money and the custody papers. Like that could be done.
Why did he let himself think Popi was going to be different? Why did he think with her in his life that he could have a happy future? Happiness wasn’t in the cards for him.
He moved to the table by the French doors, where fresh coffee had been left for him. He picked up the mug, knowing he would need some caffeine in order to get through the day. He took a drink, but it lacked its usual good taste.
The only thing he could do—his mission in life—was to look after his nephew. And he was going to throw all of his resources into blocking Popi’s attempt at gaining custody. Seb was a Drakos. He should grow up here in the family home.
And as upset as he was with Popi, he was mostly upset with himself. The thought of going after her—of ripping the baby out of her arms—sickened him. He set aside his coffee, no longer having the stomach for it.
Knock-knock.
“Come in.”
Anna entered the bedroom, clucking her tongue and shaking her head just like she used to do when he would get in a row with Nile. He wanted to ignore her. He wanted to just sit here in his own puddle of self-pity. After all, he was the one who always came up with the short stick where relationships were concerned. Why didn’t Anna sympathize with him instead of acting like he’d done something wrong?
“What is it?” His tone was short and curt.
She arched a brow at him and he suddenly regretted aiming his frustration at her. “I can’t believe you are sending her away.”
“I’m not sending anyone anywhere. Popi is leaving because she wants to. She can’t get out the door fast enough.”
“Uh-huh. You just keep telling yourself that.”
Apollo got to his feet. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Anna crossed her arms as her determined gaze met his. “What else was she supposed to do with you being so closed off and short with her? This place was starting to feel like a home again. You were at last starting to be happy, just like I’d always wanted for you. What happened?”
Apollo turned away from Anna’s probing eyes and moved to the window overlooking the garden—a garden he’d planted with Popi. “She wasn’t the woman I thought she was.”
“What sort of woman would that be?”
“One that cared.” His voice was nothing more than a whisper.
“I think there’s something you need to see.”
“Not now. I just want to be left alone.”
“It’s important. Come with me and then if you want, I’ll see that no one disturbs you the rest of the day.”
He knew better than to argue with Anna. The woman was a force to be reckoned with, and it was easier and quicker to placate her than to argue the point.
He followed her to the other side of the house—the side that he made a point of avoiding. He didn’t want to go there. He didn’t know why Anna would take him here. She knew this part of the house had once been his father’s sanctuary. For Apollo, it had been where he took his punishment for whatever his father felt like accusing him of that day.
He stopped. “Anna, I can’t.”
She turned to him. Determination gleamed in her eyes. “You must.”
“Why? What’s so important?”
“Something that just might change how you see the future.” Without waiting for him to respond, she turned and kept walking.
Though every part of him wanted to turn and walk in the opposite direction, he found himself following Anna. What could possibly be so important?
As they walked, he noticed the hallway had been painted. Instead of that dingy dark gray color that had adorned these halls all his childhood, they were now a much cheerier off-white. And the portrait of ancient wars was replaced with portraits of landscape scenes. Where had they come from? Was this something that Popi had splurged on?
They turned a corner and stopped in front of a set of double doors. Anna turned to him. “I wasn’t supposed to show you this. It was meant to be a surprise but under the circumstances, I thought you should see what Popi has been up to while the baby naps.”
Anna pushed open the doors and then stepped aside. Why would Anna let Popi mess around in this room? Anna knew the bad memories he had in here. But when he stepped inside the room, the big oak desk where his father would sit and drink his bourbon was gone. In its place was a modern glass desk. Everything in the room was light and bright—something his father would have hated. And greenery was everywhere. The bookcases that had lined the wall behind his father’s desk were gone. The wall was blank as though it wasn’t finished.
Knock-knock.
He turned to find two delivery men with a big roll in their arms, plus some other supplies.
The men paused at the doorway. “We’re from Manolas Decorating with a delivery.”
Apollo was confused. “But I refused payment.”
The man looked at the paper in his hand. “It says that it was paid in full. A Miss Costas paid.”
And it had to be with her own funds.
While the man placed the supplies off to the side of the room, Apollo tried to make sense of everything. The money Popi had spent had been for him. She was trying to wipe away the sadness of the past and paint him a new future full of light and hope.
If he was wrong about her and the money, what else had he been wrong about?
The memory of the custody papers sitting on the table haunted him. How could that be a misunderstanding? Popi had to know what she was doing.
But another part of him wanted to believe there was an explanation he hadn’t thought of. He couldn’t leave things like this. He needed answers before it was too late.
He retrieved the custody papers and headed for Popi’s room. He rapped his fingers on the door, hoping she was there. Surely she wouldn’t have slipped away to a hotel or anything. To his relief, the door opened.
Popi’s normally bright and sparkly eyes were dulled and red. Had she been crying? Because her plans were about to go awry? Or was it something more?
He held up the papers. “Was this your idea?”
“Was what my idea?” Confusion reflected in her eyes.
“To sue me for custody of Seb and to ask for large support payments?”
“What?” She paused as though making sense of what he was saying. “Can I see those?”
“You don’t know what they say?”
She frowned at him. “Obviously I don’t or I wouldn’t ask to see them.”
Hope started to swell in his chest, but he tamped it down. It was too soon and he still had questions. “Then why else would your attorney send me these papers?”
Popi sighed and turned to walk farther into her room. “Because I accidentally overheard you on the phone. You were making plans to leave on a safari—another one of your dangerous adventures. And...and I wanted to make sure the baby is with me when you’re out of town.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m not sure what you heard, but my life is here with Seb.” He stopped himself from saying that his life was with her too, because he still had unanswered questions. “I have no intention of leaving Seb. And I told my friend exactly that.”
“Oh, I didn’t know.”
He had one more important question. “And the really large support payments?”
“I don’t know anything about those. I called my attorney and I was a bit worked up at the time. I told her to do what was best. I thought she would send the papers to me first—not you.”
His gaze searched her eyes, finding nothing but honesty reflected in them. He knew that his next move would determine the ultimate fate of their relationship.
“I have to go.”
He turned and exited the room. His mind was already churning through this new information and what it meant.
He didn’t have time to bask in the hope that filled him. Instead he needed to act. His questions had been satisfactorily answered, but he couldn’t just apologize and expect Popi to give up her life on Infinity Island. He had to give her a reason to stay here—with him.
Goodbyes were so hard.
Popi’s dream of raising Seb alongside Apollo had been dashed. That acknowledgment slashed through her heart. How had she read everything with Apollo so wrong?
As she stood in the dimly lit nursery, Popi blinked repeatedly, stemming the river of tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks. If she gave into her emotions now, she didn’t think she’d be able to stop crying.
It was time for her to head back to the island...back to her job...back to the welcoming embrace of the island’s close-knit community. Seb would be loved and cared for here. Apollo would see that this precious baby had a hands-on, adoring father. Of that she had absolutely no doubts.
Raised as a Drakos, Seb would have every opportunity to live a fantastic life. And once a formal visitation agreement was drawn up, she’d see Seb every single chance she was allowed. She’d be around so much that he’d get tired of seeing her, but she would never get enough of Seb’s smiles and laughter.
She held Seb in her arms until he fell asleep. Tears clouded her vision. She whispered, “You will be safe here. Your uncle will see to it. You will be loved by Apollo and Anna and the rest of the staff that think you hung the stars.” When Shadow meowed from his spot atop the chest of drawers, Popi smiled through her tears. “And Shadow will love...” Her voice cracked. “He’ll love you too.”
She blinked repeatedly as unshed tears clouded her vision. If she didn’t leave now, she was afraid that she wouldn’t have the strength to do the right thing—leave Seb here. This was his home—his destiny. She’d watched Apollo over the past weeks and he was up to being a good father.
“I love you, little guy.” She placed the sleeping baby in the crib. “Your mum and dad are watching over you. Always. And I’ll be back just as soon as I can.” She swiped the tears from her cheeks.
And then she slipped an envelope from her purse and placed it against the lamp on the chest of drawers. With all her things packed and the baby down for the night, there was nothing left to do but leave.
With every step she took toward the door, it felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest. Without allowing herself to glance back, she exited the mansion and walked down the long driveway, to where a taxi was waiting to take her to a hotel for the night. Tomorrow she would catch the ferry back to Infinity Island—where she belonged.