Stirring Up Trouble (Inspiring the Greek Billionaire) (15 page)

“I don’t know. We’ve written more than enough songs, but none of them are perfect. I’ve started working on one, but we didn’t get the chance to finish.” The tune came to her when she’d woken up with Braden inside of her a couple days ago. She hadn’t gotten the chance to play it for him yet. Guess she’d have to choose three from the songs they’d completed.

George’s eyes sparkled. “Well, you still have a couple of days. I’m sure you’ll do fine. Have you decided what to do with the property?”

From the start, there’d never been a question she’d keep the property. She knew how much
Acropolis
meant to Braden and she’d never take it away from him. “Yes. I’m not selling it. Braden can have the lease with the same rent for as long as he wants. You can give any profit to a charity of your choice. I don’t want the money.”

His brows furrowed. “Why wouldn’t
you
send the money to a charity?”

She choked back the tears and looked at the floor, not wanting to see her family’s faces when she gave them the news. “I’m not staying. Regardless of Rand’s decision, I’m leaving the morning after the audits.” She took a deep breath and raised her head. “I’m sorry, Mom. Sorry, Portia. But the earth is telling me it’s time to move on to California.”

She only hoped California would be far enough she could pretend she hadn’t left her heart and soul back in Michigan.

CHAPTER 18

Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage.

William Shakespeare
, Twelfth Night,
act 1, scene 5

Demetrius’s head reared back, hitting the stone wall that was keeping him upright. The three men, guards he presumed, continued to pummel him without pause. He no longer felt the blows which rained down on his battered flesh. He would not give up his Euterpe even if it killed him, preferring to die her lover rather than live as a coward. His only regret was that he could not protect her from her father, Achelous’s wrath. Or perhaps he could . . .

Taking advantage of their slowing jabs as they must have thought him close to death, he surprised his attackers by punching them in their kidneys, giving him just enough time to break free of their hold and run. He had to warn Euterpe that Achelous had discovered their affair and would kill her.

He darted across the field, racing to the hill of stones. From the top, he gazed down at his beloved, pacing the beach. He shouted her name and she turned to gaze at him with such love in her eyes, he would die a happy man.

“No. You must not come any closer,” he called. He ran down the hill to the beach, his last mission in the world to save her life. “You must go back,
my
Mousa
. Your father has found you. He will kill you!”

A final blow to his head sent him to his knees and a spear nudged his chest.

“Any last words for you, mortal?” the guard asked with disdain.

“You can tell your master that death shall not keep Euterpe and I apart. Our love shall endure even after I have passed.”

“Let him go!” Euterpe cried.

His lover’s cry rang in his ears as the world turned black and death claimed him.

Hours after waking, the disturbing dream remained vivid in Braden’s mind. He didn’t know what it meant, but he’d already placed a call to a contractor to remove the Achelous statue from outside his home.

As Braden pulled into the driveway of his father’s house, he wondered again why his sister had insisted he come over this morning. She’d called and woken him with a plea to discuss a situation with her. He hadn’t been inside his father’s home in years, but for his sister he’d do anything.

The snow hadn’t stopped falling since yesterday, the skies gray and overcast. He pulled the hood of his jacket over his head and plodded through the snow to his father’s front door. He didn’t have to knock before the door opened to his sister.

“I’m glad you came,” Rose said, ushering him inside.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, taking off his jacket and tossing it over the banister of the staircase as he’d done thousands of times.

“Yes,” she answered simply before turning on her heels and walking toward the den.

He’d always liked that room the best in the house. The rest of the home was white. White carpets. White walls. White furniture. His sister and he used to worry about touching anything. The den, however, was warm and inviting where the other rooms were cold. Wood-paneled walls with shelves of books, plush beige carpet, and a wood-burning fireplace, it was the one room where Braden and Rose could be comfortable.

They each sat on the brown leather couch, taking the same positions they’d sat in as children.

“What’s wrong?” Braden asked, searching his sister’s face for some clue. “Did you hear from Mom?”

“No.” She grimaced at the reference to their mother and he wished he could have saved her from the pain of the betrayal. “I want to talk about Lola. I’m concerned.” She wrapped a piece of hair around her finger and pulled, a nervous habit carried over from childhood.

He squeezed her shoulder. “Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine.”

She sat up tall and surprised the hell out of him. “It’s not you I’m concerned about.”

It took him a moment to understand who she referred to. “You’re worried about Lola? You don’t even know her.”

His sister removed her glasses. “I don’t need to know her. I know you. You don’t give anyone a chance to love you.”

Shouldn’t she take his side in this argument? “Excuse me, but you have no idea of what happened.”

“So tell me,” she said gently.

“She’s been working with my competitor to bring down
Acropolis
.” The bitter words fell from his lips, leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

“Really?” Rose asked with doubt in her voice. “She confirmed that?”

He thought back to Lola’s conversation with Jon. “No, she didn’t have to. I overheard her speaking with the jerk right in my own restaurant.”

His sister sighed. “Did you give her a chance to explain?”

He crossed his arms. “What is there to explain?”

“I saw how you two looked at each other. Why would she do anything to hurt you? You pushed her away because you’re frightened.”

“Of what?”

“Taking down those walls you’ve guarded your heart with and allowing yourself the opportunity for others to get to know you. What do you think will happen?”

His father walked into the room and said, “He doesn’t want to end up like his mother and I. Isn’t that right, Braden?”

Braden stared at his sister who played with her hair. She’d set him up.

“Dad.” He nodded.

Martin Angelopoulos sat in the chair across from them. “Don’t get mad at your sister. She was upset. I asked why and she told me. I asked her to call you over here. Figured you wouldn’t come if the call was from me.”

No, he wouldn’t. His father was the last person he’d call for anything. Braden glared at his sister who jumped up from the couch as if she had something important to do somewhere else.

“I’ll give you a few minutes to speak.” She stopped in front of him. “Braden, give Dad a chance before you throw up those walls, all right?”

He hadn’t been in a room alone with his father since he was a teenager, and even then it wasn’t more than two people sharing space. They’d never shared a conversation before. Why start now?

“How’s the restaurant?” his father asked after a minute of awkward silence.

“Fine.” Great, relegated to small talk with a stranger. He started to stand. “If that’s what you wanted to talk about—”

“No. I’m not worried about your business.” His father held up his hand and motioned for Braden to sit. “You were always a bright young man. There was never a question you’d be successful in any endeavor you put your mind to.”

He processed his father’s words. It was the first compliment he’d received from him that he could remember. He settled into his spot on the couch. “Thank you, sir. That’s kind of you to say considering you don’t know the first thing about me.” While he appreciated the compliment, he wasn’t going to make it easy on the man. He didn’t deserve it. Hell, he didn’t deserve ten seconds of Braden’s time.

His father didn’t seem offended by Braden’s comment. He just nodded. “You’re right. Your mother and I failed you in every way that counts. We weren’t there for you as children because we were too busy trying to out-do the other. We ignored you kids. I thought if you had enough money, the right school, the right nannies, you’d grow up better than if I’d stuck around to raise you. I admit I made a mistake.”

Braden waited for the world to end. Had his father really admitted to making a mistake? “Excuse me?”

His dad laughed. “You didn’t misunderstand.” He leaned forward, his expression serious. “I should have been more involved in your upbringing. My mother was from the Old World. She spent every moment cooking and cleaning and taking care of her family. My father worked. That’s how it was done back then. When I married your mother, I expected to have the same kind of marriage. I see now she wasn’t capable of taking care of anyone. When we got divorced, I figured you were your mother’s responsibility, and when she refused to take full custody, I resented the hell out of being relegated to substitute mommy. I didn’t even know how to begin raising two kids. I should have learned rather than hiring strangers to care for you.”

Braden waited for his anger to surface, but instead he felt relief. “What changed?”

“I’ve met a woman. I’m in love, I mean really in love, for the first time in my life. She’s a single mom, raising two small kids on her own. They live in a one-bedroom apartment and they have nothing valuable. Except each other. I’ve never met happier people in all my life until Patricia and her daughters. She won’t even let me move them into a bigger place. When I saw what I’d missed, how much her two little girls need a parent in their lives, I knew I needed to make amends to you. But it wasn’t until Rosalind came home and told me what her mother had done to her that I realized how alone I’d left the two of you.”

Braden stared at his father. This Patricia had taught him humility and it shone in his clear green eyes. “Rose told you about Mom and—”

“And the affair?” he asked.

Braden nodded.

“Yes, she did. From now on, Rose will have a parent in her life. Me. I hope it’s not too late for the both of you to forgive me. I’d like to work on becoming a family again.”

Braden inhaled. He’d thought the days of hearing those words from his parents would never come. As a child, he dreamed that his parents would suddenly remember they had two children. But now, he didn’t know if he could tear down the wall and let his father in. “I’m glad you’ll be there for Rose. She needs you.”

“And just maybe, you need me, too? Tell me, Braden, anyone special in your life?”

Lola’s devilish smile came to mind. “I thought there was a possibility, but it turns out she’s a lot like Mom.”

His father’s eyebrows arched. “You’re saying this woman would sleep with her daughter’s boyfriend? Leave strangers to raise her kids?”

“No, Lola would never do that.”

His dad smiled and crossed his legs. “What happened?”

“I overheard her talking with my competitor. Seems they were working together to bring
Acropolis
down.” He should have been angry at her, but instead, he felt a gaping hole where his heart should be, like she’d ripped it out of his chest when she’d walked out the door.

“What did she say when you confronted her about it?”

What
had
she said? He tried to recall the excuses she’d told him.

“You did let her explain, didn’t you?” he asked, interrupting Braden’s rumination.

Shit, he hadn’t. He’d accused her of being like his mother and told her to pack her things without getting her side of the story.

His father got up from his chair and moved to sit on the couch next to Braden. “You know, you might have my good looks, but other than that, you’re nothing like me.”

Braden didn’t speak, his throat frozen from the fear he’d ruined his one shot at happiness.

His father reclined on the sofa and threw his arm over the edge. “Until Patricia, I was never in love. I didn’t even know I was capable of it.”

Pretty funny coming from a guy who’d married and divorced four times. Braden coughed and cleared his throat. “Why’d you keep getting married then?”

His dad shrugged. “Didn’t want to be alone. I thought my money would be enough to keep the women around, but then I’d realize, or they would, that other than our shared interest in material things, we had nothing in common. Eventually, one of us would get bored and decide it was time to move on. But you and your sister don’t rely on money for your self-worth. You’ve both made something of yourselves. You impress the hell out of me, Braden. I’m very proud of you.”

He’d waited a lifetime for those words. Braden suddenly realized it was never too late to make amends or to accept the amends. Would Lola accept his apology or had he damaged their relationship beyond repair?

Braden offered to shake his father’s hand. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

He looked down at Braden’s hand, clasped it, and then drew him in for a hug, slapping him on the back. His father really had changed.

“So, are you marrying Patricia?”

His father grinned. “I’ve asked her a half-dozen times and she keeps turning me down flat.”

“Sounds like she’s got your number.”

“Yeah, she’s making me work for her. It’s worth it though.”

His father seemed so sure, so content. Braden was envious. “I’m glad you found someone to make you happy.”

“What are you going to do about Lola?”

Braden dragged a hand through his dirty hair, not having showered. “I don’t know.”

“Well, do you love her?” his father asked as if it were a simple question.

And yet, wasn’t it a simple question? Had he ever smiled as much? Ever felt as complete as when she cooked by his side and slept in his arms?

The simple question required a simple answer. “Yes.”

“Then you have your answer.”

Where did he go from here? How could he get her to forgive him? “It’s not that easy. Even if I misunderstood the situation between her and my competitor, she might have a record deal in California. She deserves to follow her dream and I don’t want to keep her from it.”

“Son, does she know you love her?”

“No,” he said, regretting he’d pushed her away.

“Life is short. You need to tell her and then let her make her own decision. Yeah, she might choose to go to California and break your heart. Or she might decide she’d rather stay in Michigan with you. Or there might be another option that you haven’t even considered. Love knows no boundaries. It survives even after we’ve long passed. Your Grandma died twenty years ago, but I still love her. Just because you pretend you don’t love Lola and she moves to California, doesn’t mean your love will end. If you love her, you need to swim against the raging seas for her.”