The Greek Doctor's Secret Son

‘Is that why you’re here now?’ she said quickly. ‘For a holiday?’

‘No. I opened a clinic on the island twelve months ago and I live here now.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes.’ He shrugged. ‘I’m very fortunate to live and work in such a beautiful place.’

‘You are, although I don’t imagine that was the main reason you set up a clinic here.’ She gave a soft little laugh and Nico felt his skin prickle when he heard the contempt it held. ‘No doubt it’s the ideal place to tap into the lucrative European market. There’s a huge demand for cosmetic surgery procedures from across the whole of Europe, I believe, and travelling to Greece must be a lot quicker than travelling to the USA.’

‘The Ariana Leonides Clinic doesn’t offer cosmetic surgery procedures. Its aim is to provide primary health care for locals and tourists.’ He shrugged when he saw from her expression that he had surprised her. For some reason he couldn’t explain, he knew that he wanted to set matters straight. ‘There’s also a ten-bed hospital unit for minor surgery cases.’

‘I had no idea...’ She broke off and shrugged. ‘It all sounds very different from what I would have expected, but there again it’s been a long time since I saw you, Nico. There’s bound to have been changes in your life.’

‘In yours too,’ he agreed, looking pointedly at the child standing beside her.

‘Indeed.’ She gave him a brief smile but once again he saw that flash of fear cross her face and it intrigued him. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her what was wrong when she picked up her suitcase. ‘Anyway, I won’t keep you. I’m sure you must be anxious to check how your patient is doing. It was nice to see you again, Nico. Take care.’

With that, she made her way to the taxi rank. There were only three taxis on the island and as luck would have it, there happened to be one free. Nico watched her hand her case to Aristotle, the driver, then usher the boy into the back of the cab. It roared away in a cloud of exhaust fumes, leaving him wishing that he had said something, done something, at least made arrangements for them to meet again. Even though he knew it was crazy, he couldn’t help feeling, well, bereft as he watched the taxi disappear around the headland...

Nico shook his head to rid himself of that foolish notion. Going over to his car, he got in and started the engine. He had everything he needed and wanted. He had made up his mind a long time ago that he would never commit himself to a relationship. He was too much like his father to take that risk. Maybe he had made a lot of changes to his life since his heart attack, but, basically, he was still the same person he had always been. One couldn’t escape one’s genes, after all. No, getting involved with Amy was out of the question even if she had been willing, which he very much doubted.

As for having a family, well, that was another non-starter. To put it bluntly, he refused to subject any child to the kind of upbringing he’d had. That was why he had been so dismayed when Amy had announced that she was pregnant. He had kept thinking about his own childhood, remembering how he had felt growing up as the son of Christos Leonides. Although his father might be revered by the business community even today, few people knew what he was really like.

Christos Leonides was a cold and ruthless man who had always put his business interests first and had cared nothing for his wife and his children. While neither Nico nor his sister, Electra, had been physically mistreated when they were growing up, they still bore the mental scars of their father’s indifference. Their mother had done her best while she’d been alive to compensate for it but it had had a lasting effect on both of them, especially on Nico. Although Electra seemed to have come to terms with the past since she had married and had her own family, Nico had been unable to rid himself of the fear that he would turn out exactly the same as his father.

That was why he had ruled out the idea of having children and why it had been a relief when Amy had miscarried their baby, even though part of him had grieved for their lost child. He had been so shaken when he had realised it too that he had buried his feelings beneath a veneer of disinterest and it didn’t make him feel good to know that he had hurt Amy. Badly. She had suffered one of the worst experiences any woman could go through and he had made it so much worse by pretending that he hadn’t cared.

Nico’s heart was heavy as he set off for the clinic. He didn’t regret many things in his life, but he regretted that.

* * *

Amy finished unpacking and stowed the suitcase in the corner out of the way. Glancing around the small, whitewashed bedroom, she felt some of the tension start to seep out of her. Meeting Nico had been a shock but the upside was that she had got through the experience relatively unscathed. She had often wondered how she would react if they met again, but surprisingly she didn’t feel much different from normal. Although her heart was beating a shade faster than usual, it certainly wasn’t racing, and her breathing was only the tiniest bit laboured. She was functioning perfectly well and if that wasn’t proof that she was over him then she had no idea what was.

‘Can we go to the beach now, Mum?’

Amy glanced round when Jacob came racing into the room. She had allowed him to explore the small hotel where they were staying while she unpacked, although he had been under strict instructions not to leave the building. Now she smiled at him. ‘I can’t see why not. Do you want to put your swimming trunks on? We may as well have a swim while we’re at it.’

‘Yes!’ Jacob punched the air in delight as he ran over to the wardrobe and took out his swimming trunks. Stripping off his clothes, he put them on and raced towards the door.

‘Hold it right there, young man.’ Amy picked up the bottle of sunscreen, ignoring his grimace as she started to apply it to his skin. ‘There’s no point pulling a face. I told you before we came here that you have to use sunscreen before you go outside. The sun is a lot hotter here than it is at home and you don’t want to get burned, do you?’

‘I bet he doesn’t wear sunscreen,’ Jacob muttered, screwing up his face as she applied a layer of cream to his nose.

‘Who doesn’t?’ Amy asked, busily rubbing it in.

‘The man on the ferry, that doctor—Nico, you called him.’ Jacob tilted his head to the side and looked questioningly at her. ‘How come you knew his name, Mum? He knew yours too ’cos he called you Amy, so have you met him before?’

‘I...erm... Yes. But it was a long time ago.’ Amy screwed the top back on the bottle, feeling her hands trembling. She had forgotten how observant Jacob was and she should have realised that he would pick up on something like that.

‘Where did you meet him? I thought you said that you hadn’t been to this island before,’ Jacob continued, making it clear that he didn’t intend to let the subject drop.

‘I haven’t.’ Amy picked up her beach bag, making a great production out of checking that she had everything they needed: towels, sunglasses, water...

‘So you met him somewhere else?’ Jacob persisted. ‘Was it at the hospital? Did he used to work in Dalverston?’

‘Not Dalverston, no. We met in London while I was studying to be a nurse,’ Amy explained, hoping that would satisfy him.

‘London? That’s where you met my daddy, wasn’t it? Does he know him?’ Jacob’s voice was filled with excitement. ‘Maybe he has some photos of my daddy or knows where he lives. Can we ask him, Mum? Please!’

‘Jacob, stop it! Nico—I mean that man—doesn’t know anything about your daddy.’ Amy took a deep breath, struggling to stay calm, but it wasn’t easy. Maybe it wasn’t a total lie; after all Nico had no idea that he was Jacob’s father. Nevertheless, it didn’t make her feel good to have to fudge the truth and she hurriedly changed the subject. ‘Now come along. No more questions. Let’s go and have that swim. Last one in the water is a lazy monkey!’

Jacob responded to the challenge as she had hoped he would, racing out to the terrace that led onto the garden. Amy followed more slowly, needing to get herself together so that he wouldn’t suspect anything was amiss. She sighed. Jacob had become increasingly curious about his father since the other children had started teasing him and it was only to be expected when he knew so little about him. Jacob had never seen a photograph of Nico, never been told anything about his father’s background, and it was all her doing too.

She had blanked out that period in her life because it had been too painful to think about it. However, she couldn’t continue blanking it out, certainly couldn’t refuse to answer Jacob’s questions for ever. At some point she would have to tell him about the man who had fathered him, which was why she had decided to bring him to Constantis. Giving Jacob a sense of his true identity was the first step, she had reasoned, and the rest would follow later. However, she was very aware that things might happen sooner than she had anticipated now that Nico was on the scene. Should she get it all over and done with? she wondered suddenly. Tell Nico who Jacob was and then tell Jacob that Nico was his father?

Amy immediately dismissed the idea. She couldn’t tell Jacob that Nico was his father until she was sure of Nico’s reaction and even then she might have to keep the truth from him. After all, there was no reason to believe that Nico would welcome the news that he had a son, was there? The one thing she wouldn’t risk was Jacob getting hurt if Nico rejected him, as he might very well do.

* * *

‘We’ll keep her here overnight. She may need to be transferred to the mainland tomorrow but it’s too risky to move her at the moment. Can you keep an eye on her, please? She may have recovered consciousness but she’s not out of the woods yet.’

Nico smiled his thanks when Sophia nodded. As acting sister on the hospital unit, Sophia Papadopolous had proved her capabilities more than once. He was planning on making her position permanent and only hoped that she would agree. Sophia had returned to Constantis after a long stint of working in Italy. Although she hadn’t said anything to him, he had heard via the clinic’s redoubtable grapevine that she had returned following the break-up of a relationship. Sophia had been disappointed in love and had come home whereas he had come here for the good of his health. Everyone had their reasons for being on the island, it seemed, even Amy. Had she come here simply for a holiday? Or had there been another reason for her visit? From what she had said, she’d had no idea that he was living here so that couldn’t have been a factor and yet it seemed strange that she should have chosen this island rather than one of the more popular tourist destinations.

He tried to dismiss the unsettling thought as he went to his office and put through a call to the Australian Embassy in Athens. He had found Jane’s passport tucked into the pocket of her haversack and now had her full name and address. He spoke to one of the attachés who promised to contact the girl’s parents. According to her passport, Jane Chivers was eighteen years of age and although legally an adult, Nico guessed that her parents would want to know what had happened to her. In their shoes, he would have done.

Nico frowned as he ended the call. It was the kind of thought that would never have occurred to him before and yet it had appeared, fully fledged, in his mind. Why? Had it anything to do with meeting Amy and her son? Had it somehow triggered a reaction to see the boy and wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t lost their baby? He sensed it was true and it alarmed him. He didn’t want to go down that route. It was pointless. Pointless and strangely upsetting too.

Nico left his office and went to check that there was nothing that needed his attention before he went home. There had been an antenatal clinic that afternoon but Elena Delmartes, one of their most experienced doctors, had dealt with it and there had been no problems. Offering a comprehensive health care package to the islanders had been his aim when he had set up the clinic and he knew that the women appreciated not having to travel to the mainland for their antenatal care. Although most still preferred to have their babies delivered at home by the local midwives, they came to the clinic for their check-ups. It was a system that worked extremely well. According to the latest figures, very few women had missed an appointment at the clinic which certainly hadn’t been the case when they had needed to travel to the mainland. It meant that every baby born on the island had an increased chance of being born healthy.

He drove home, taking his time as he travelled along the familiar route. Once his proposal for the clinic had been given the green light, he had set about finding himself a place to live. Although a few luxury villas had sprung up along the coast, he had preferred a more rural location and had opted to search the villages tucked into the foothills of the mountains for somewhere suitable. He had come across the tumbledown old farmhouse at the end of a particularly long day and had fallen instantly in love with it. With views of the mountains to the rear and a sweeping view of the sea from the front, it had been exactly what he had been searching for. He had immediately put in an offer then had to wait months while the various members of the family who owned it were contacted and persuaded to sell him their shares.

He had taken possession twelve months ago and there was still a lot to do, but he had discovered to his surprise how much he enjoyed working on the property. There was something deeply satisfying about crafting and replacing the old worn stone. It was a little like performing cosmetic surgery, he often thought; he was taking something less than perfect and improving its appearance.

Nico parked the car and stood for a moment, drinking in the view. The air was ripe with the heady smell of the vines that grew in the nearby fields and he inhaled appreciatively. There was a good crop of grapes this year so maybe he should think about making his own wine. It would be a treat to sit out here next year, sipping a glass of wine that he had produced himself. He closed his eyes, picturing the scene: the sun turning the sea blood red as it sank below the horizon; the sky darkening before the first stars appeared; the woman seated beside him, raising her glass and smiling at him...

Nico’s eyes flew open. Hurrying inside, he set about his nightly routine—shower, change of clothes, make himself a meal—all the things he did every night when he got home. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t erase that final, disturbing picture, the one of Amy seated beside him, smiling at him with such warmth in her eyes. Maybe it was a long time since he had seen her but it didn’t feel like it, not when he could conjure up her image in the blink of an eye. However, the most worrying thing of all was that now her image was in his head, he knew that he was going to have the devil of a job getting rid of it.

CHAPTER THREE

‘EFHARISTO. THANK YOU. That was delicious.’

Amy smiled her thanks as she and Jacob got up from the table. Breakfast had been simple but delicious: thick creamy yoghurt with honey and fresh figs followed by a selection of tiny sweet pastries. It proved that she had been right to choose this small, family-run hotel. Jacob would gain a much better idea of the Greek way of life by staying here than he would have done if they had stayed in a hotel that was part of an international chain. Hopefully, it would help him develop a better understanding of his paternal heritage.

She sighed as she followed Jacob out of the dining room. Maybe he would gain an insight into the Greek side of his heritage but unless she was prepared to tell him that Nico was his father what would it achieve? Jacob needed something solid to give him a true sense of his identity—photographs, meetings, conversations. At the moment his father was some shadowy figure he had never met and it wasn’t enough to arm him against the taunts that had made his life such a misery lately. He needed proof that he had a father and the only way to give him that was by introducing him to Nico.

Amy was still worrying about it as they made their way to the beach. Although it was still early, the sun was strong so she went through the routine of applying sunscreen to Jacob as well as to herself. There was another English family staying at the hotel but the parents didn’t seem concerned when their two children ran off to play before they could apply sunscreen to them. The mother shrugged when she noticed Amy watching.

‘They hate having to use sun cream. I have the devil of a job putting it on them.’ The woman laughed as she dropped the bottle into her beach bag. ‘Mind you, I’m a bit like that myself. There doesn’t seem much point coming all this way to get a tan and then coating yourself with that stuff, does there?’

Amy smiled, although she disagreed wholeheartedly with what the other woman had said. She had seen too many cases of people being badly burnt after they had failed to take adequate precautions even in England. She checked that Jacob was playing safely in the shallows with the other children then took her book out of her bag. It was the latest mystery by a favourite author but it failed to hold her attention. She kept thinking about Nico and what she should do, whether she should tell him who Jacob was or not. It all depended on how he would react and that was something she couldn’t foretell. She sighed. If it was anything like the way he had reacted when she had miscarried Jacob’s twin, it would be better to keep Jacob’s identity to herself.

The morning flew past. Amy spent some time helping Jacob build a sandcastle then decided it was time they got out of the sun. It was almost noon and the sun was at its peak so she opted to take him for an early lunch. Once they had put on dry T-shirts, they strolled around the headland and discovered a small taverna in the next bay. There was a shady terrace overlooking the beach where a couple of local fishing boats were unloading their morning’s catch and she elected to sit out there, ordering a Greek salad for herself and a toasted sandwich for Jacob. They had just started to eat when Nico appeared.

Amy felt her heart leap into her throat when she saw him standing at the foot of the steps leading up to the terrace. It was obvious that he had come straight from the clinic because he was wearing a lightweight suit with an open-necked white shirt that made his olive-toned skin look more bronzed than ever. With those deep chestnut-brown eyes, that crisp black hair and those clean-cut features, he was an arresting sight and she noticed several of the women in the restaurant looking at him with interest.

Amy took a quick breath as her gaze ran over him, comparing how he looked now to how he had looked nine years ago. He was definitely thinner, she decided, thinner and even more commanding. Nico had always projected an air of confidence, of authority, of being completely in charge of himself, and it was more apparent than ever these days. He looked exactly what he was, a handsome, successful man in his prime, and the thought scared her. Once Nico found out about Jacob then she wouldn’t be in control of the situation any longer. Nico would try to take charge and that was the last thing she wanted. How could she be sure that Nico would put Jacob’s needs first? How could she guarantee that Jacob wouldn’t get hurt?

It was that last thought which frightened her most of all, although she did have other concerns, ones which she refused to dwell on. How it would affect her to have Nico back in her life wasn’t the issue.

Nico felt his breath catch when he saw Amy sitting on the terrace. Just for a moment he was tempted to turn around and leave only that would have been far too revealing. Did he really want her to think that he had a problem about seeing her? he thought as he made himself walk up the steps. Of course not! He stopped by her table, dredging up a smile that he hoped appeared more natural than it felt.

‘Hello again. I see you’ve discovered my favourite lunchtime haunt.’

‘I had no idea that you came here,’ she snapped.

‘Of course not.’ Nico had to stop himself taking a step back when he heard the defensive note in her voice. It was obvious that he had touched a nerve, although he wasn’t sure which nerve it was. That remained to be seen. ‘It’s just a happy coincidence.’

He thrust that tantalising thought aside. Digging into the reason for her touchiness would be a mistake. He needed to remain detached, aloof, distant if he wasn’t to find himself being drawn into a situation he would regret. He and Amy Prentice had had an affair—that was the long and the short of it. He hadn’t made her any promises, hadn’t wanted anything more than they’d had. If Amy hadn’t got pregnant then he probably wouldn’t even have remembered her name...

Would he?

The question buzzed around inside his head like a pesky wasp around a jam pot but he swatted it away. He didn’t intend to go down that route—it was a waste of time. Maybe he hadn’t thought about her for a long time but he was very aware that somewhere in the depths of his mind, she had occupied a small space all of her own. Amy and the miscarriage had been a milestone in his life, even though he hated the idea. It implied that she had a hold over him and that was something he didn’t appreciate. He preferred to live his life on his own terms and not have to account to anyone else for his actions.

‘So how are you enjoying your holiday so far?’ he asked, pulling out a chair. There were several empty tables he could have chosen but he was determined not to make an issue out of this encounter. The more significance he bestowed on it, the more important it would become.

‘We’ve only been here for a day,’ she shot back then flushed when she realised how rude that must have sounded. Her tone softened as she glanced at her son. ‘It’s been great so far, though, hasn’t it, Jacob?’

‘Uh-huh,’ the boy mumbled, his mouth crammed full of sandwich.

Nico laughed with genuine amusement. ‘I’ll take that as a yes. Obviously, Jacob has worked up an appetite, so what did you get up to this morning?’

‘We went to the beach for a swim and then made a sandcastle,’ Amy told him, spearing a juicy black olive with her fork.

Nico looked away as she popped it into her mouth, not proof against the feelings it aroused as he watched her lips close around the ripe fruit. He took a deep breath as he picked up the menu and studied it. There was no point thinking about Amy’s beautiful mouth and the kisses they had shared. It was never going to happen again purely because he didn’t intend to put himself in the position of kissing her. Not if he had any sense! As he had already discovered, Amy had the power to disrupt his life and the last thing he needed was her turning it upside down. He mustn’t forget that the main reason he had moved to Constantis was for his health and he didn’t need the stress.

‘Dr Leonides, how lovely to see you!’

Maria Michaelis, who ran the café with her husband, Stavros, greeted him warmly as she came to take his order. Maria had been one of his first patients when he had opened the clinic. She was diabetic and had had many problems over the years, including the biggest one, her inability to get pregnant. However, after a change of medication, everything had been sorted out, although it was a little embarrassing that she now believed he was some kind of a miracle worker.

‘Kalimera, Maria.’ Nico stood up and kissed her. ‘How are you today?’

‘Very well, Doctor, thank you.’ She patted her swollen tummy. ‘This little one is certainly keeping me on my toes.’

‘You mustn’t do too much,’ he admonished her, sitting down. He glanced at Amy, wanting to include her in the conversation as it would appear more normal that way. And keeping everything normal was vitally important, he suddenly decided. ‘Maria is seven months pregnant with her first child and I keep telling her that she should rest more.’