Loe raamatut: «A Date With Dr Moustakas»

CHAPTER ONE

Three years later, Mythelios, Greek Islands

ANOTHER SLEEPLESS NIGHT.

The heat wasn’t helping. Even though he’d been back in Greece since the middle of July—two months after the earthquake—Chris still wasn’t quite used to the temperature. His body was firmly set to Manhattan mode and Manhattan temperatures. It also didn’t help that the island of Mythelios was still recovering from that earthquake.

His late grandmother’s home didn’t have air-conditioning either. And, since the island still remained in repair mode, renovations that weren’t crucial to the infrastructure and safety of the citizens had been put on hold.

Air-conditioning would have to wait.

He yawned as he opened the doors to the small terrace of his grandmother’s beautiful villa. He leaned over the balcony, watching the sun rise over the Aegean Sea.

It had been a long time since he’d watched the sun rise bright and beautiful over the turquoise sea of his youth. It had been years since he’d picked olives in his grandmother’s garden or swum in the sea. The garden was overgrown now, but up on the top level of the house he had an unobstructed view of the horizon.

His grandmother’s home was the oldest and the highest of the old homes that had been built into the cliffs of Mythelios. It had thankfully fared pretty well during the earthquake, only suffering slight damage, while newer homes had suffered and crumbled.

It was funny how it had managed to stay intact through the powerful quake.

It was funny how nothing really seemed to have changed here since he was a young man.

He’d been in America for so long, pursuing women and his career, that he’d forgotten to stop and smell the roses—or in this case the orange blossoms that wafted up from his late grandmother’s garden.

His life for the last three years in New York City had been endless parties, women and work. Work had been his priority. He’d let nothing get in the way of becoming the top neurosurgeon on the eastern seaboard.

Well, that wasn’t quite accurate. One thing had gotten in the way—and that was the reason for his sleepless nights and why he’d returned to Greece.

An ill-fated one-night stand in a long string of the one-night stands he’d had in order to get over losing the woman he truly loved had led to him having a baby dropped off on his doorstep. Well, not so much on his doorstep. He’d paid a lot of money to the mother so he could keep his son.

Baby Evangelos was his world now, and even though Chris could afford a nanny, and had one for his infant son, she was entitled to take a night off—as she had last night. He was on feeding and diapering duty whenever that happened.

Chris scrubbed a hand over his face.

Why had he let his life go completely sideways like this?

When had it gotten to be so hard?

Right—he knew exactly when that had happened: when he’d walked away from Naomi and put his career before love. That was when it had all gone to heck. He’d left behind the only woman who had ever broken down the careful walls he’d created to keep people out. She’d started to come even before his work, and that had annoyed him.

He’d sworn he would never settle down—not after watching his parents’ disastrous marriage crash and burn.

So he’d left her. Frozen her out and left her behind in Nashville while he pursued his high-flying career in New York City. And even worse, she’d loved him and he’d held her back. He hadn’t been able to give her what she’d wanted, and yet she’d turned down an excellent job for him. That guilt still ate away at him.

He hadn’t been able to forget about her. So he’d tried moving on by bedding a series of different women. And that was how he’d ended up with Evangelos.

And there was no question that he loved his son. He loved being a father—something he’d never thought that he’d ever want—but this was not how he had pictured his return to his home village.

“Nice abs!”

Chris frowned and then looked down to see Ares walking through the square in the tiny village. His long curls were hidden under a baseball cap—one that Chris had sent him when he first went to America.

Ares had been one of his best friends since he was a child. He was one of the four founders of the Mythelios Free Clinic and he worked in emergency medicine. All his friends were back on Mythelios now, since the earthquake, when one of their number—Theo—had put out a call for their help.

Ares had boyish good looks, and the silly hat that Chris had sent him as a joke looked so out of place on him, but it made Chris smile nonetheless. He was glad to be back with Theo, Deakin and Ares, even though they were working in the clinic and he wasn’t.

Of course none of them had a baby yet.

“Put a shirt on!” Ares teased again, laughing.

“Where are you off to?” Chris called down, ignoring the teasing.

“The clinic. Actually, I was going to come see you. There’s a case I’d like your opinion on.”

“I’m not here to practice medicine. I came back just to lend a hand and deal with my grandmother’s death.”

“Come on,” Ares begged. “I need your expert opinion. Besides, it’s high time you got your hands dirty at the clinic you helped found.”

Ares had a point—and he did miss working. He missed neurosurgery.

Chris nodded. “Okay. I’ll come by when Lisa comes back.”

Ares raised his eyebrows. “Who’s Lisa?”

“Evan’s nanny.”

“Ah, and here I thought the infamous Greek Valentino of Manhattan was up to his old tricks.”

Chris snorted. “And since when do I have time for that?”

“Well, you must’ve had some time,” Ares teased. “You’re the only one with a kid.”

Not for long, since Cailey Nikolaides was four and a half months pregnant now. Cailey was a nurse at the clinic, and Theo’s wife.

“Look, either come into the house or get to work. You’re going to wake the neighbors with your incessant shouting in the streets!” Chris called.

Ares winked. “See you in a couple hours.”

Chris watched him jog away through the narrow alleyways of the old part of the island, where other villas like his grandmother’s clung to the side of a cliff by the sea. The homes were brightly colored and connected by narrow cobblestone streets that eventually wound their way down to a large square dominated by a church, and then there was a small path to the docks and to the clinic.

The bell at the church rang out the time, waking up this sleepy island that was only an hour’s ride by ferry to Athens, a city much more modern in comparison to the simple way of life that still dominated Mythelios.

He yawned, stretched and looked down.

Dammit.

He wasn’t wearing anything at all. Good thing the balcony was solid, and not an open terrace like they had in the larger cities, because he’d fallen asleep naked.

He had to get some clothes on fast, before Lisa came back.

He didn’t want to give her the wrong idea.

That had been his problem his whole adult life—he seemed to give all the women he met the wrong idea. Even Naomi had gotten the wrong idea about him in the end.

“I thought I meant more to you,” she’d said, her voice shaking.

“Look, we both knew this had to end sometime.”

“I didn’t know that. Or I guess I just didn’t want to believe it.”

“Well, then, that’s your problem.”

His stomach clenched as he recalled some of the last words he’d said to her. It cut him to the quick how badly he’d hurt her, but he’d told her from the start he didn’t want anything serious.

And it still killed him that she’d given up that job at Mayo for him. He’d held her back and that would haunt him forever, but there was no way he was ever going to settle down with one woman for the rest of his life.

He’d watched his parents.

Once marriage came into play, everything went south. His mother had left, and no matter what Chris had done, he’d never been able to please his father.

He shuddered. He was never going to get married.

Chris reluctantly walked away from the balcony and headed back inside. He pulled on a robe and checked on his son, who was sleeping peacefully in his crib. The only fan in the entire house was in the nursery, but even that just pushed around the hot air.

You never wanted to be a father either, a little voice reminded him.

And yet here was Evangelos.

He smiled at his son, so like him, sleeping peacefully. He was sucking the chubby fist in his mouth in his sleep. His dark curls were plastered to his face from the heat.

This island was his world now. He’d do right by Evangelos. His son would never want for anything and would never feel like a stranger to his father—a toy that would be played with only when it suited his parents. Chris was going to make sure his son had everything he could possibly need.

Except he won’t have a mother.

Chris shook that thought from his mind.

Evan didn’t need a mother. He’d made do without a mother’s love, and he’d give his son enough love for both parents.

He closed the door to the nursery and headed back to his room, where he had a quick shower and then pulled out the scrubs and lab coat that Theo had given him when he’d returned to Mythelios a few weeks ago.

“What are these for?” Chris had asked as he’d stared down at the scrubs that Theo had handed him.

“They’re scrubs.”

“I know that,” Chris had said, “but what are they for?”

“Look, I know that your yia-yia just died, but when you feel the need to come back and work, we could really use you at the clinic.”

“Thanks. I’ll think about it. If you need me for an emergency, I’ll be there, Theo, but I can’t commit right now.”

“I know,” Theo had said gently. “But these are yours for when you need them.”

It might not be the glitzy Manhattan hospital where he’d been working, but at least he’d still be working. He would still be doing what he loved and he would be giving something other than money back to his home. His time and his skills.

Ever since he’d headed to America, he’d had a financial hand in the clinic that Theo ran, using his trust fund from Mopaxeni Shipping to help fund it year after year the same way his friends did, but he’d never done more than that.

It was time to do more now, and he’d still be able to devote enough time to Evangelos, and to fixing up his grandmother’s home, and to raising his son in a place that was safe and quiet. A place where he’d always been happy when he was young.

Chris was mad at himself for staying away for so long, but he’d thought life would be better in America.

He’d slipped on his clothes and was tying his shoes when the front door opened.

Lisa blushed when she saw him. “Sorry, Dr. Moustakas. I meant to come back sooner, but my cousin from America arrived in Greece a month ago, and she was visiting my family last night in Athens.”

“It’s okay, Lisa. I gave you the day and the night off. You deserve a break.”

Lisa ducked her head and brushed back one of the errant strands of her dark brown hair behind her ear. If he’d been a younger man, and not a father, he would have flirted with her. Only, he wasn’t that playboy anymore, and Lisa was from a respectable Athens family. A family that would be expecting a proposal of marriage from any man she became involved with.

“I’m headed down to the clinic. I can be reached there,” Chris said as he opened the door, and then he turned back. “How long is your cousin in Athens for?”

“For a while. She’s working there,” Lisa said eagerly. “My father’s brother fell in love with an American girl and settled over there. No one has seen my uncle or my cousin since she was a small girl. It’s the first time I’ve gotten to meet her!”

“Well, perhaps you can spend the weekend with your family in Athens next week. Get to know your cousin a bit better.”

Lisa brightened. “I would like that, Dr. Moustakas.”

He nodded and shut the door. As he walked through the cobbled streets, he saw the little village at the edge of the sea where his yia-yia had lived was coming alive, and that the ferry boat from the mainland sat at the docks as people boarded it for the hour’s jaunt to the mainland and the docks at Piraeus.

It wasn’t too much farther to the clinic, and there was a bit of a spring in his step as he headed there. It felt good to be working again and helping out Ares, Theo and Deakin, his best friends, as well as their significant others—he was still having a hard time wrapping his mind around that.

All his friends were matched up. They’d finally found love. He was the only single one left among them. And that wasn’t going to change anytime soon. No way.

There had been only one woman he’d come even close to thinking about marrying, but he’d bungled that so badly that he’d broken her heart. He deserved to be alone. That was his punishment for the pain he’d caused her. One he’d bear gladly.

Chris sighed and opened the door to the clinic. No one was at the front desk, but the door had been unlocked.

“Ares?” he shouted. There was no answer. “Ares, where are you? Hello?”

“Good gravy, what is with all the shouting? I’m coming!” a soft Tennessee accent answered back. One that he knew so well.

His heart skipped a beat as the owner of the voice came charging out of the back of the clinic, dressed to the nines in business attire—the high heels that he’d always thought were ridiculous and a pristine white lab coat.

Her thick strawberry blond hair was swept up off her neck in a tight bun, which didn’t suit her, and her soft hazel eyes widened in shock as she froze to the spot.

“Naomi?” he said in a daze as he found his voice. “What’re you doing here?”

* * *

Oh, my good Lord, what is he doing here?

She knew that Dr. Christos Moustakas was Greek, but she’d had no idea that he was here in Mythelios. She’d thought he was still in Manhattan, playing all-knowing neurosurgical God and playboy.

She’d thought when she left him behind and started working for an international relief effort as a surgeon that she would never have to lay eyes on him again, and that had been good enough for her.

She’d given up so much to take a chance on love and she’d been rejected. He’d shattered her heart and soul three years ago, and she’d never wanted to see him again. Ever.

That’s not completely true.

She had longed to see him, but she just hadn’t been able to risk him hurting her again. Not when it had taken her so long to put her heart back together after he’d so coldly dismissed her—and then she’d lost their baby. The baby she hadn’t even known about until after he’d left for New York.

She’d tried to tell him, but he hadn’t returned her calls.

So she’d borne that pain alone.

She hated him. He was the reason she didn’t date anyone—ever. She’d put her career first because she was never going to make that mistake again.

Her heart was hardened.

You don’t hate him. Not really.

Yet here he was. Standing in front of her in clinic scrubs and looking just as good as the day he’d left her all those years ago. His thick dark hair still perfect. Those dark eyes still with that twinkle in them. And even though he wasn’t smiling, just seeing his chiseled handsome face made her go weak in the knees all over again.

No. Don’t let him have any power over you.

It had taken her a long time to get over Christos after he’d put his career over her. She’d made her peace with that, and even though she’d blown her chance with Mayo, she’d never blown another one.

And now she was one of the attending surgeons with International Relief. She had a lot of responsibility. Maybe she had him to thank for that—for focusing her mind on her career instead of on him.

Still, she was not happy he was here. Of all the places in the world, why did he have to be here in Mythelios?

Good gravy, why did he have to be here?

She’d been assigned to work between Athens and Mythelios as a surgeon for the next couple of months. When she’d come to Athens in July, she’d gone to the clinic a couple of times, and Chris hadn’t been there. Of course, during the first part of her assignment in Greece, she hadn’t spent a lot of time in Mythelios, since most of the seriously wounded from the earthquake had been sent to Athens.

And now that she was going to be spending more of her time lending a hand at the clinic, rather than working in the city, he was here—and he was in scrubs as if he belonged here.

You haven’t said one word since he asked you what you’re doing here. Speak!

“What’re you doing here?” she asked.

Oh, my Lord in heaven, that was the most pathetic...

She cringed inwardly, because she really didn’t know what else to say.

“This is where I’m from. I’ve come back here because my grandmother died and I inherited her home. Also, this is the clinic I helped found with a few friends of mine. I thought since I was here I would spend some time working here.”

“I’ve been in Greece since last month and I haven’t seen you here at the clinic before—and you haven’t been mentioned by anyone,” she said.

“I’ve been busy dealing with the passing of my grandmother.”

“I had no idea you were from here.”

“We didn’t do much talking when we were together.” There was a twinkle in his eye as he said that.

She groaned. Of course... She quickly jogged through all those memories—which were mostly of hot, passion-filled nights. He had once mentioned coming from a small Greek island and helping to found a charitable clinic, but of all the charitable clinics in all of Greece why did she have to walk into this one?

It’s simple. You’re cursed.

That was what her father’s mother had said, the one and only time she’d met her when she was fourteen. She’d told her that she was cursed by the gods because she had forsaken her father’s heritage and was doomed.

Naomi hadn’t given it much credence then, but after meeting Dr. Christos Moustakas four years ago, and having her heart completely trampled on a bare year later, she was beginning to believe her grandmother’s words.

She was cursed.

And this just proved it.

“I work with International Relief. I’m here to help on the island after the earthquake. Mythelios and Athens is my assignment for the next couple of months. I’m a general surgeon, and I also raise funds to cover the cost of surgeries for those who can’t afford it. The earthquake’s damage is wreaking havoc on people.”

A smug grin spread across his face. “Is that so? I hadn’t heard that.”

“Yes,” she said firmly, annoyed with him. She clutched the file she was holding tight to her chest. “Dr. Nikolaides did mention to me that a new surgeon would be coming today, but he didn’t mention it was you.”

“Would that have made a difference?” he asked.

“Yes, of course it would! I’m not happy about this, Dr. Moustakas.”

You’re supposed to be in New York.

Out of sight and out of mind. Except that was easier said than done. He’d completely crushed her heart. She didn’t trust men anymore, thanks to him.

She’d been head over heels in love with Chris. He’d even gotten her pregnant. But he’d made it clear that his career was more important to him than she could ever be. He’d broken things off, and although she’d tried to contact him to tell him about the baby, she’d lost it only a few short weeks after he’d left for New York.