The Greek Tycoon Box Set: The Complete Serial: Books 1-10 (42 page)

She giggled with him though she felt much less certain than he seemed to be. How
would
she cope if they had a challenging child? How would their relationship fare, whatever the child was like?

“What was it like for you and Serene when Dios was born?”
 

Carla didn’t much like talking about Serene, but the question haunted her.

Atreus stuck out his bottom lip.
 

“Well, it was different because we were not in love. And we were not friends. I feel like you and me are really good friends.”

“Me, too.”

“But Serene and I… not so much. Our relationship, now I look back on it, was based on infatuation. She was crazy about me and me about her, at first, but when the drama and romance fizzled away, there was nothing left to sustain us. The relationship was just empty. I felt I didn’t even know her. When Dios came, I had hoped that we would both fall in love with him together, and that would save us, but it didn’t. I fell in love with him, and it seems she didn’t. Even if she did, I don’t think we would have survived. There was never…” He searched for the right way to put it. “There was no deeper level. Like we only scratched the surfaces of each other. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yes.” She thought about Brian, how she’d used all her strength and power to get below his surface and onto deeper levels of love and commitment. He’d rejected each one of her efforts. “I know exactly what you’re saying.”

Atreus leaned forward to take her hand, a new passion lighting up his eyes.
 

“But this
really is
different. I can feel it. I know that no matter how many arguments we have, or even if we really misunderstand each other sometimes, that we’ll make it. We’re a team. I’ve never had that before.”

“A team,” Carla repeated.
 

That made her smile.

“And Dios and our new baby, all of us, we’ll be a really strong team. The Kostas.”

Carla grinned.
 

“Don’t you mean the Kostases?”

“The Kostasostases?”

Carla stuck out her tongue at him.

He stuck his out right back.

*****

“Granddad’s getting better,” Carla said. “And they’ve found four properties they want to come and look at.”

“That’s great news,” Atreus replied. He was about to spoon cheerios into his mouth but stopped short. “And I’ve got some news for you, too.”

“Something good?”

“Let’s hope so.”
 

He passed a few dry Cheerios to Dios in his highchair, then looked right at her. She thought she detected just a hint of nervousness.

“Tell me,” she said. “Go on.”

“Okay, so you know you’ve been worried about having the right sort of wedding dress because of your bump?”

Carla’s heart sank. Everything she’d tried on had looked ridiculous. She’d traipsed through every boutique in the nearby towns and nothing had worked. Whenever she even thought of the wedding now, her heart raced a little faster. She pictured herself a waddling white hippo making its ungainly way down the aisle. It would be so embarrassing.
 

“Yes?”

“Well, I hope this is all right. I’ve organized for a lady to come and see you. She does specially-made bespoke wedding dresses, all the way from concept to completion. So, she’ll help you design something that will make you look just how you want to look, and then she’ll make it exactly to your specifications. I really want you to feel comfortable.”

“Oh my, thank you so much!”
 

She blew him a kiss across the table.

He relaxed, then laughed self-consciously.
 

“I’m so glad you’re happy. I was worried you’d say ‘
so you think I’m so big I have to have my dress especially made?!’
and storm out of here.”
 

“Me?” Carla said. She ate a spoonful of cheerios, then looked up at him. “You think I’m a bridezilla, huh?”

“A what?”

“A bridezilla! Like a nightmare bride.”

“Oh,” he laughed. “No, no. I’d say you’re about the best bride there could ever be.”

*****

The weather was so glorious Carla met the dress designer, Stella Vitalis, in the beautiful herb garden outside the cottage. The scents of lavender and rosemary and basil mingled in the warm air. Stella and Carla sat at the outdoor table while Stella made rough sketches on a sheaf of paper she’d brought.

“Well, most wedding gowns are tight at the top, and trying to fit into one in pregnancy is going to be near impossible. You could have a larger size one adjusted, but for a summer wedding I think that’s going to be pretty uncomfortable,” Stella said.
 

She cocked her head, pencil in her mouth, looking down at what she was drawing.

“Yes,” said Carla. “All the forecasts say it’s going to be about 85 degrees. I’ll need something very cool.”
 

She was trying to stay positive, but couldn’t imagine what would ever look good.

“How about this,” Stella said excitedly.

She held up the top piece of paper to show it to Carla.

“Wow, I love it!”
 

It was strapless, with a plain white bodice that would stop just below her breasts. Then a huge skirt flared out in layers of voile and lace, all the way down to the feet. The skirt had a small amount of lace detailing but otherwise, the whole thing was plain and pure and white, just the way Carla had imagined her ideal wedding dress.

All Carla’s worries about her wedding dress rolled away.
 

“I want it,” she said, grinning.

*****

Chapter 5

Worries were mounting, though, in Carla’s head. They were to have the wedding there at Westling House, which made things a little easier, but there was still so much to do. Atreus had suggested a wedding planner, but Carla had insisted she wanted to plan everything together—it was more special that way.
 

Still, the pressure was quite intense. With a seating plan, menu preparations, music and staff considerations, flowers, decorations, dress codes, and place settings, the things they needed to think about seemed interminable. Combined with Carla’s morning sickness, the whole thing seemed formidable and impossible to ever get a proper grasp upon.

Olivia and Cressida stood in the ballroom, where Atreus and Carla were planning on holding the wedding reception, in case the weather was bad. Otherwise, the meal would be out on the terrace, surrounded by flowers.

“The top table would be here,” Carla said, sketching out a long rectangular table on the sheet of paper she was holding and gesturing across the other side of the room.

Dios toddled across the ballroom, his squeals echoing in the large, wood-paneled room.
 

Atreus chased him and said in a mock menacing tone, “I’m going to catch you!”

Normally Carla would have looked on them with affection and joy, but it felt like the whole world was piling up on top of her. Why wasn’t Atreus taking this seriously? What would happen if Serene managed to pull the wool over the court’s eyes and snatch little Dios away? She found tears were springing up in her eyes and all the confidence was draining out of her. Planning the wedding seemed pointless.

“So the guests will enter here?” Olivia said, pointing to the door that led to the atrium. “And the seating plan will perhaps be there.”

Carla felt like her heart was going to fall out. Her voice sounded harsh to her own ears.
 

“I don’t see where else they’re going to come in.”

Olivia looked surprised and wounded, too, but Carla didn’t see. She was watching Dios, worrying about what would happen if they lost him. Atreus would be devastated, no longer his happy, confident self. Life as they knew it would be over for sure.

Just then Atreus’ ring tone rang out and echoed around the ballroom. He fished into his pocket and retrieved his phone.

“It’s Theo,” he said to Carla.

She felt like her heart skipped a beat. What was it? They were going to grant Serene custody automatically? The court date had been moved to their wedding day? To tomorrow?
 

“Hi Theo,” Atreus said, striding out of the room through the double doors that led into the garden.

Dios watched him go and stretched his arms out.
 

“Dada.”

Carla looked down at him.

“Dada is going to come back in a minute.”

Usually, she would have reached down and pulled him up onto her hip. He’d have snuggled into her shoulder and she’d have rocked him, humming a soothing tune. But now she was scared to even kiss him, in case she burst into tears.

But Dios toddled over to her and looked up at her, his little face concerned.
 

“Dada.”

Her heart melted and she lifted him up. Her eyes stung and became hot, and she had to keep blinking to stop tears from falling. She didn’t want to cry in front of Cressida and Olivia, even though they were quickly becoming her friends.
 

Everything felt wrong. What if they lost the case and then had to have the wedding right afterward? What about Dios? The thought of getting married without him made her feel even more nauseous than the morning sickness made her. He was such an integral part of all that she and Atreus had, all that they were.
 

“Is everything okay?” Cressida asked softly.

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
 

“I’m okay, honestly, I’m fine,” said Carla, though tears had begun to course down her cheeks. “We’ll do this later.”

Olivia reached out to touch her arm but Carla could not stand it. She ran out the double doors, Dios still on her hip, into the summer air.

“Dada,” Dios said again.

“I know,” Carla said. “I want him, too.”
 

She looked around the garden but Atreus was nowhere to be seen. That didn’t make much difference, though, because there was enough garden there to totally lose yourself in.
 

At that moment, she despised the way the garden had changed before her eyes. Just a few weeks ago it had been a place of such tranquility and peace, sending her soul into a smooth relaxation every time she looked upon the flowers and flourishing bushes and blossoming trees. Now, every time she went out there she couldn’t help herself relating everything back to the wedding, and though the feeling was nice, it was not at all relaxing. Every time the sun shone she fretted about whether it would do so on their wedding day, for truly she wanted to get married outside. Would they have an Indian summer?

“Atreus?” she called out.

She paused to try and hear his voice, but there was nothing but the birds chirping and faraway traffic. All she wanted was to collapse against his chest and feel his strong arms wrapping around her. His soothing manner would kiss all her worries away; she was sure of it.

Guessing he was near the fountain, a place he often seemed to like to go and dip his hand into the cool water, she headed off in that direction. Dios was getting heavy on her hip so she swung him onto the other one. Usually, she would have set him down beside her and let him take his inexpert steps all the way, but she couldn’t wait for him. She knew she didn’t have the patience that day.

Sure enough, Atreus was at the fountain. When she saw him, the flood of relief that washed over her made the stress of the journey to him all worthwhile.
 

Dios clapped his hands.
 

“Dada!”

He looked up at them and smiled though it was not his confident, I’ve-got-this-all-under-control type of smile. It was uncertain and sad and it struck fear deep down in Carla’s heart.

“What’s happened?” she asked quickly. Dios struggled, reaching out for Atreus, so Carla put him down. “What did Theo say?”

Atreus let out a long sigh.

“Nothing in particular. Just preparing me for what might happen?”

Carla’s heart felt like an open wound in her chest. “And did anyone ever think I might need to be prepared?” Her voice cracked. “It’s like he’s my son, too, you know.”

“I know,” Atreus said. “But the court won’t see it that way.” Dios clung on to his knee and Atreus patted him on the back. “That was one of the things Theo said. Downplay your involvement, otherwise, it will all get complicated. He said he’s going to focus on me and my ability to give Dios a better home than Serene. He thinks that’s what will win the case.”

“Okay,” Carla said.

She felt a little bit wounded but swallowed her pride. She would do anything to help keep Dios with them.

They sank into silence, but it was not peaceful. The very garden around them put pressure on Carla. She wished Atreus would come over to where she stood and hug her.

“What about the seating plan?” Carla asked. “There’s still so much to do.”

Atreus flicked his hand in the water.