odd tension, an intense awareness, that crackling spark he always felt around her. But at the same time he felt relaxed and comfortable as he told her about the various landmarks in town.
That relaxation diminished when he realized he could feel the curious stares fixed on them from houses they passed and from second-story windows of homes above the various shops. From the grinning men sitting at tables outside tavernas, drinking coffee or something stronger as they heatedly discussed whatever was the subject of the day, and enjoyed watching and talking about anyone who walked by while they were doing it.
He glanced at Laurel and could see she was aware of it too. “Living in a small town is a bit different from living in a big city. Didn’t think I’d come back here because of it.”
“But here you are.” She looked up at him, one blond eyebrow quirked. “So why did you? Aside from the obvious charm of the place?”
She thought it was charming to be stared at? Or was she able to look beyond that to see the generations of history and how it connected all of them in a strong bond of community you couldn’t find in a big city?
“Just decided it was time to come back. Takemy place as town doctor beside my father.” No need to tell her the whole story. How he’d never been sure he wanted that for a lot of reasons, including the embarrassment his parents felt from his actions, and his sister’s too. But the sudden situation with Cassie had shown him he needed it.
“Your father is a doctor too? Why haven’t I met him?”
“He and my mother have taken advantage of me being back. They’re traveling around Great Britain at the moment. Were supposed to come back this week, but decided Ireland had to be added on to the itinerary.”
“How long have you been back?”
“Two years. They’ve been to the States and Canada, on various European tours, and to Iceland since then, believe it or not.”
“My parents also loved traveling,” she said softly, her eyes instantly wistful and sad, as they had been last time she’d spoken of them. “Most of it for digs without us, but we did have a few great trips to national parks and Washington, DC, and other places they deemed too important for their girls to miss.”
“Glad you have those memories with them.” Now that he had Cassie, he couldn’t imagine leaving her all summer every year, and wondered why Laurel’s parents hadn’t found a way to taketheir daughters with them. He let his arm slide around her shoulders to give her a brief, gentle hug. If he couldn’t comfort someone in need, then to hell with those watching who might want to make something of it.
“I can see you give Cassie a lot of your time,” she said, looking up at him with eyes that weren’t quite so sad now. “That you’re a good dad.”
“I try to be.” Wanted to be. And her words were a reminder, again, of why he shouldn’t pursue the short but doubtless incredibly sweet time he knew he and Laurel could spend together before she left. “Thanks. Not sure that’s always true, but I’m working on it.” Working on it damned hard, if resisting the urge to touch her and kiss her counted. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “So here’s the edge of town. The stone walls were built all the way down to the beach, complete with small angled cannon openings in the walls to defend against whoever wasn’t in possession of the town and fortress at that moment.”
“Is that a mosque? It doesn’t look like a Greek church.”
“It was. Built during Turkish rule. Later used as a schoolhouse, then a taverna, and now it’s owned by someone who lives in Athens and comes to stay here occasionally.”
He drew her to the outer wall to look down,where its smooth stones ended at the beach far below and swimmers lounged on large, flat rocks tossed among the boulders and slapped by gentle waves. Farther down, colorful fishing boats bobbed at the long wooden dock. “Kastorini never had the same
That relaxation diminished when he realized he could feel the curious stares fixed on them from houses they passed and from second-story windows of homes above the various shops. From the grinning men sitting at tables outside tavernas, drinking coffee or something stronger as they heatedly discussed whatever was the subject of the day, and enjoyed watching and talking about anyone who walked by while they were doing it.
He glanced at Laurel and could see she was aware of it too. “Living in a small town is a bit different from living in a big city. Didn’t think I’d come back here because of it.”
“But here you are.” She looked up at him, one blond eyebrow quirked. “So why did you? Aside from the obvious charm of the place?”
She thought it was charming to be stared at? Or was she able to look beyond that to see the generations of history and how it connected all of them in a strong bond of community you couldn’t find in a big city?
“Just decided it was time to come back. Takemy place as town doctor beside my father.” No need to tell her the whole story. How he’d never been sure he wanted that for a lot of reasons, including the embarrassment his parents felt from his actions, and his sister’s too. But the sudden situation with Cassie had shown him he needed it.
“Your father is a doctor too? Why haven’t I met him?”
“He and my mother have taken advantage of me being back. They’re traveling around Great Britain at the moment. Were supposed to come back this week, but decided Ireland had to be added on to the itinerary.”
“How long have you been back?”
“Two years. They’ve been to the States and Canada, on various European tours, and to Iceland since then, believe it or not.”
“My parents also loved traveling,” she said softly, her eyes instantly wistful and sad, as they had been last time she’d spoken of them. “Most of it for digs without us, but we did have a few great trips to national parks and Washington, DC, and other places they deemed too important for their girls to miss.”
“Glad you have those memories with them.” Now that he had Cassie, he couldn’t imagine leaving her all summer every year, and wondered why Laurel’s parents hadn’t found a way to taketheir daughters with them. He let his arm slide around her shoulders to give her a brief, gentle hug. If he couldn’t comfort someone in need, then to hell with those watching who might want to make something of it.
“I can see you give Cassie a lot of your time,” she said, looking up at him with eyes that weren’t quite so sad now. “That you’re a good dad.”
“I try to be.” Wanted to be. And her words were a reminder, again, of why he shouldn’t pursue the short but doubtless incredibly sweet time he knew he and Laurel could spend together before she left. “Thanks. Not sure that’s always true, but I’m working on it.” Working on it damned hard, if resisting the urge to touch her and kiss her counted. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “So here’s the edge of town. The stone walls were built all the way down to the beach, complete with small angled cannon openings in the walls to defend against whoever wasn’t in possession of the town and fortress at that moment.”
“Is that a mosque? It doesn’t look like a Greek church.”
“It was. Built during Turkish rule. Later used as a schoolhouse, then a taverna, and now it’s owned by someone who lives in Athens and comes to stay here occasionally.”
He drew her to the outer wall to look down,where its smooth stones ended at the beach far below and swimmers lounged on large, flat rocks tossed among the boulders and slapped by gentle waves. Farther down, colorful fishing boats bobbed at the long wooden dock. “Kastorini never had the same
Similar Books
