Carter was settling into the room his family kept prepared for him when his mother knocked. “Mama.” He hugged her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “It’s good to see you again.”
“I’m happy to see you too, but you have some explaining to do.”
“It’s not your concern.” Of course she would want to meddle. She practically couldn’t help herself.
“Do not use that misogynistic nonsense with me,” Athena said in a strong voice. “Your father used it much too often to hide his failures, and I won’t be lied to or kept in the dark any longer.”
Carter nodded. “I finally have Terini where I want him. He offered me one of his daughters in exchange for a six-month extension before I take his home. He’s desperately scrambling to come up with close to two million as we speak,” he said with ferocious satisfaction.
“Why would you agree to such a ridiculous bargain?” Athena demanded. “Are you in love with the girl?”
“Of course not.” Carter let out a cold laugh. “I would never allow myself to love a Terini. It is simply another way to toy with Rocco.”
“And that innocent girl is caught in the middle,” Athena summed up, her disapproval evident.
“She’s a Terini, so therefore she is not innocent,” said Carter with firm conviction.
“Just because she bears her father’s name does not mean she shares his character,” said his mother.
Eyes narrowed, Carter said in a low voice, “Blood tells. She is like her father. Manipulative and unfeeling.”
“It was not indifference I saw in her eyes when we responded so coldly to her arrival,” said Athena. “She was hurt and confused by our rejection.”
“I know her better than you, and I know she is like her father, dammit,” Carter insisted.
“You bear the name Braxton, but you are not like your father.”
“Pop was a good man,” Carter said defensively, suddenly feeling fifteen again. “How can you say that he was anything like Terini?”
“I’m not.” Athena patted his arm. “I’m merely pointing out that you have little in common with your father. You are responsible and hardworking. Does your father’s inability to support his family make you a bad provider?”
“Mama, I respectfully demand you mind your own business,” said Carter in a firm voice.
Athena shrugged. “As you wish, but be advised that such dealings have a way of backfiring on you.” She walked out of the room, closing the door firmly behind her.
His mother was feisty, but he couldn’t admit she may be right, that he was wrong about Scarlett. And that he might be falling for her.
11
Scarlett
Heeding Athena’s advice, Scarlett wore a light skirt and blouse down to dinner. If she’d known how chilly his sisters’ reception would be, she might have worn a sweater. Lydia sniffed when she entered the room, and Thea turned her back. A boy of perhaps eleven sat on the couch, wearing shorts and a button-down shirt, and he glared at her as well. With his black hair and dark eyes, there could be no mistaking his relation to the Braxton family.
Not bothering to speak, knowing she would receive no answer, Scarlett went to the far corner of the room and stared out the window. She was still able to make out the sea, a small dock, and a medium-sized yacht anchored to it. A smaller speedboat drifted beside the yacht, and Scarlett assumed that was their primary transportation to Mykanos and Naxos.
She looked around just as Athena and Carter entered the room, followed by Darren. Athena was dressed casually, as were her daughters, so Scarlett stopped worrying about her choice of clothing.
Not that the right outfit would make them accept her, she acknowledged. There was nothing she could do to win over these women, and it didn’t matter. She didn’t have to be liked by Carter’s family. It was not required that they get along. After two weeks, she would never see them again, so if they didn’t want to be polite, she could live with an uncomfortable twelve days.
After drinks, they adjourned to the dining room. The meal passed in cold silence, with only an occasional remark made by Athena or Carter. The sisters were stubbornly silent, and Noah spent the entire time glaring at her sullenly. Scarlett resisted the urge to demand why he hated her as she forced the food down her dry throat, wishing she was anywhere but here.
“This is a lovely island,” Scarlett said, trying to break the silence.
“Yes, it is home,” Athena said.
“Has your family owned it long?” asked Scarlett.
“Carter purchased it five years ago,” Lydia said in a frosty tone. “He takes great care of us. He is good to those he loves and ruthless with his enemies.”