LITMIR.BIZ

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to be first,” Stefano said, leaning close. “Once the family has been served, we are free to enjoy ourselves.”

      Nikos came out onto the terrace then, escorting an older woman. Sara felt her breath catch as she knew she was looking at her grandmother for the first time.

      The woman was as tall as Sara, slender and walked with a regal bearing. Her hair was dark, threaded through with silver. She smiled and waved at the crew and staff, then greeted her husband. Nikos pulled back the chair to seat her, then took a seat to his grandfather’s right.

      Nikos glanced around and looked at Sara. She felt the connection almost like a touch. A second later he turned slightly toward her grandmother, obviously in response to a question the woman posed.

      The Konstantinoses were soon served their meal, and the staff then was free to partake of the lavish buffet the chef had created. She loved the spinach, feta cheese and walnut salad that she’d had before. In one of the hot chafing dishes was fresh lamb, grilled to perfection. In another a chicken dish. Another held fish. Sara sampled everything. She had to ask if the chef would share some of his recipes. The food was delicious.

      As before, she ate quietly, listening to the conversation flow around her. She knew most of the staff had worked together for years, and she was definitely the newest member.

      Lunch was followed by freshly brewed coffee and tea. Sara sipped some of the sweet tea that smelled so much like passion flower. She missed being on the aft deck of the boat, bobbing gently in the water. But this was the next best thing. She’d have to remember every detail to share with Stacy and her other friends.

      Nikos approached their table when the meal was over. Several people looked up in surprise. Stefano jumped to his feet.

      “Do you need something, sir?” he asked.

      “No. Finish your coffee. My grandfather wishes to meet the newest member of the crew,” he said.

      Sara nodded slowly and rose. She felt odd ever since seeing her grandmother for the first time. Now Nikos was inviting her to meet her—unbelievable. Should she take advantage of this opportunity and give Eleani the letter? Or wait and hope for a more private moment? The envelope suddenly felt as if it was bulging out her pocket.

      “Should I be meeting them at the luncheon table? Not the office? Is that proper?” she asked softly.

      Nikos laughed. “Entirely proper. We’ll talk diving and boats and maybe you can offer some insights to my grandfather about my resort, which he and my father think is a waste of time when I could be working in shipping.”

      “You love the resort,” she said without thinking.

      “I do. And I find the stringent regulations and many requirements necessary in shipping to be very dull. But my grandfather and father are convinced one day I’ll get my priorities straight and quit the resort.”

      “I can’t ever see that happening.” How could they be talking about such mundane topics when she was about to meet her grandmother for the first time?

      As they approached the table on the upper terrace, Sara had eyes only for the woman seated there. As they drew closer, she searched for any resemblance to her mother, but found little. Maybe in the way she held her head. In her eyes? Her mother should have been the one walking across the terrace. How could this gentle-looking woman have been so hard-hearted as to reject her only child?

      “Grandfather, this is Sara. Temporary chef aboard the Cassandra. Sara, Spiros Konstantinos, my grandfather, and Eleani, my grandmother.”

      “How do you do?” Sara said, remembering to smile at the older man. Her muscles felt strained. Now that she was face-to-face with her grandmother, she wanted to dash away.

      “Do sit with us. It’s lovely for Nikos to find someone to join him on his diving forays. It’s too dangerous to dive alone. I’m afraid my diving days are behind me. Though I do love a nice paddle in the sea,” Eleani said, smiling.

      Nikos held the chair for Sara, who was glad to sit down. Her knees felt definitely wobbly.

      “Who doesn’t like swimming in the sea?” Spiros Konstantinos asked. “Where are you from, Sara?”

      “I’ve been working at the resort in Thessalonika. When the chef on the Cassandra got sick, I was tapped as his replacement.”

      Spiros looked at Nikos. “Interesting. How did you know she liked to dive? Was it something you asked the chief chef to check into?”

      Nikos leaned back in his chair, completely at ease. Sara thought she’d shatter if anyone touched her, every nerve in her body was so keyed up. She looked at her grandmother again. So close. Should she hand her the letter?

      “She likes the sea. We went swimming and I asked if she’d like to try diving. She takes to it like a natural. And no, I had no inkling of that before we sailed.”

      “Nothing very deep yet, though,” she said, wanting to make a contribution to the conversation and not sit like a star-struck groupie doing nothing but stare at Eleani. “I love it. Seeing the colorful fish, the contour of the bottom of the sea—it’s all so different from swimming on the surface.”

      “Has Nikos taken you around to the cove?” Eleani asked.

      “We went snorkeling for a while this morning. Maybe tomorrow we’ll dive,” he said.

      Sara wondered when she and Eleani would ever have a moment alone. That’s all she would need.

      “Sounds like a good plan. Have you and Spiros settled on the boat?” Eleani asked Nikos.

      “Nikos thinks it’s fine,” Spiros answered testily.

      “And is not putting up roadblocks like Andrus?” she asked with a fond smile at her husband.

      “He has more sense than that.” Spiros glared at his grandson as if challenging him to deny the statement.

      Nikos laughed softly. “You say that because I’m agreeing with you.”

      Spiros nodded, his eyes suddenly twinkling as he studied Sara. “I think you and your diving friend should spend the afternoon exploring the coves. Maybe tonight you can take her to Patricia.”

      “Spiros,” Eleani said. “Nikos has made plans.” She gave him a very meaningful look.

      “Actually, I’ve put some plans on hold,” Nikos said. He looked at Sara. “Would you like to go to dinner at a favorite spot of mine on the nearby island?” he asked her.

      “I never turn down a chance to try new places,” she said. If his grandparents didn’t find it odd he’d invite her out, she wouldn’t refuse. “Good Greek food?”

      “The best,” he replied.

      There was a small sound from Eleani. Everyone looked at her. She stared at Sara.

      “For a moment you reminded me of someone,” she said slowly.

      Sara wondered if it was her mother Eleani had seen. She glanced at Spiros and Nikos. They didn’t seem to find anything suspicious.

      “I understand you’re buying a new boat. To get to Patricia,” Sara said to Spiros, hoping to distract Eleani from further speculation.

      “I’ll finalize the deal soon. Nikos tested it, checked the specs and said it looked fine to him. The captain of the Cassandra has vetted it as well. I take delivery soon. Are you a boating enthusiast?”

      “Actually my first time on a large boat was when I started working on the Cassandra. I enjoyed the cruise very much. It was a bit tricky at first, learning how to prepare meals when the floor beneath my feet didn’t remain level and still.”

      “Try preparing food in a gale,” Eleani said with a smile. “Remember that trip to Sardinia, Spiros, when it was so stormy, and then Paul got seasick and I tried to prepare a simple meal? We ended up eating cheese and bread and drinking

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