What The Greek's Wife Needs - Dani Collins Page 0,20
a day or two, but I’d feel better if you had a doctor’s opinion.” He gave her something for fever and told her to rehydrate, promising as he left to order fruit juice spiked with electrolyte tablets.
“Can I shower while I wait for the juice?” Tanja asked.
“I don’t know. Can you?” Leon made no effort to disguise his sarcasm.
“Ha-ha. Water was as precious as everything else at Kahina’s. That’s why I was in the habit of drinking whatever I’d poured.” She grimaced. “And that’s why I haven’t showered in three days. Feeling grimy doesn’t help me feel better at all.”
“Go,” he urged with a nod. “Don’t lock the door. Call if you need help.”
She sent him an I’d rather die stare over her shoulder.
He wanted to say something sharp about her taking advantage of the amenities on the yacht that so offended her, but he had a brief flash of how she’d almost collapsed on the trimaran. It had scared the hell out of him. She needed to conserve her strength, not pit what she had against him.
As for the vessel, he knew it was an obscene expense. He’d been considering unloading it, but it was damned convenient. It had brought him quickly and comfortably to Malta and was allowing him to take care of her and the baby with ease.
Her drink appeared as she emerged wearing his robe, still flushed and glassy-eyed, but with a healthier glow on her skin. He gave her a T-shirt to sleep in and she looked with worry at Illi, making no move to change.
He read the conflict in her. She was sick, but she still wanted to be the one to care for Illi. It was as clear as the maternal tenderness she kept showing the baby with such natural ease. It was a regard that was so foreign to him he couldn’t help staring with fascination each time he noted it.
That’s how I knew I was her mother, he heard her say again as he took in her sharp cheekbones and the way her collarbone stuck out. That evidence of deprivation stoked the frustrated helplessness in him again, the one that wanted to be angry with her for not looking after herself, but how could he fault her?
He couldn’t. He could only order sternly, “Go to bed. I can hold her while I check emails. I’ll let Zach know you’re safe.”
“Oh. Yes, please. Thank you,” she said with subdued relief, and slipped back into the head to change.
Two hours later, Leon had watched a handful of videos on the basics of baby care. It turned out four-month-old babies didn’t know how to sit up so he didn’t need to be alarmed that Illi couldn’t. For a few seconds, he’d been convinced he had broken her.
Which was all he needed on his conscience. You’re the worst, Leon.
I know, he had wanted to shout. A weight greater than this tanker sat on him over some of his behavior in the past. Nothing criminally negligent, but not a lot that was particularly considerate of others. Then there were the things his father had done. At least he’d taken steps toward making reparation on those fronts.
Still, he’d been disturbed by Tanja’s outburst over struggling financially. He hadn’t sought a divorce because he’d been wary of what it would cost him, never dreaming she had thought he was so broke the legal fees would fall to her. Had she not seen a news report in the last few years? He’d been back on top for a while.
I traded my smart phone for baby formula.
That put a sick knot in his conscience. One that had him again thinking he should have made more of an effort to know where she was instead of trusting she’d moved on with her life and didn’t miss him at all.
He realized the baby had fallen asleep in his arm. Her round face and dark lashes looked like an ad for life insurance or some other peace-of-mind product. Even his hardened heart lost some of its resistant tension as he gazed on her.
Don’t get attached, he reminded himself, and gently set her in the cot Kyle had found, draping a light blanket over her.
He might have stood there and stared like a fool for hours, but a muted bell pinged. He picked up the phone and learned the doctor was boarding.
“Leon. It’s good to see you,” Kyrkos said a moment later as Leon stepped from the elevator into the main saloon where Kyrkos