CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘HOWDIDITGO?’
Selene saw Kat’s face and her own melted into one of concern. ‘Oh, dear, is it bad news?’
Kat shook her head as she laid her handbag down on the table and turned back to the housekeeper. ‘No, no, nothing like that really.’ She was not ready to share just yet what the something was that had put the worried look on her face. ‘The doctors are really pleased with his progress. If all goes well with his next round of tests, they are willing to discharge him next week.’
Kat was visiting the clinic in Athens once a week, but talking to her grandfather during the week online. This time she had taken herself off to see another specialist after seeing her grandfather.
‘Things are definitely getting more relaxed.’
‘He must be pleased he’s coming home.’
‘No, he’s mad as hell that he can’t escort me to this charity auction.’
‘Never mind, there’s next year.’
‘That’s what I said only he...yes, thanks, tea would be lovely,’ she said with gratitude to a maid who brought in a tea tray.
‘Only?’
‘He has roped in a stand-in. He says as he has donated a sports car, an Azaria should be there. I said I’m not an Azaria but, well...’ She shrugged. She had discovered her grandfather was a hard man to argue with and when faced with a defeat he fell back on chest pain, and who was going to risk disbelieving him?
Not Kat.
‘Join me,’ Kat begged when the woman poured her tea.
Smiling, Selene poured another and took a seat. ‘So who is the stand-in? Anyone we know?’
Selene had already guessed, the way she had figured out at least some of what had gone on between Zach and Kat.
‘Zach,’ Kat said quietly. Unlike for Selene, the news had come as a massive shock when Alekis had announced his stand-in for the charity auction.
Kat had excused herself and gone to the ladies’ room to cry her eyes out, but then she had an excuse for being over-emotional. Her hormones were all over the place—she was pregnant.
She’d had her suspicions for a few days and the consultant had officially confirmed it today.
To keep things private—the island was a very small place—she’d asked Sue to post her the test kit. Her friend had been sympathetic but she had promised her that nobody knew that early, but Kat had, and she’d been right.
Two weeks to the day since Zach had left, never, it seemed, to return, she knew she was carrying his child. The shock was still there, even the occasional moment of blind panic, but a level of acceptance had started to kick in and, to her surprise, excitement.
While her emotions were all over the place, she was totally sure of one thing. This baby would have a mother who loved her or him. Her baby would never feel alone and be scared. She was absolutely determined to give this child the childhood she had not had.
Sadly, she could not guarantee the baby a father. And the great-grandfather? Well, the jury was still out, but she suspected, hoped, that Alekis would be over the moon about having a great-grandchild.
And if he wasn’t, well, she would deal with it. The baby came first as far as she was concerned and if other people had a problem with that—tough!
It was the father’s identity her grandfather might have a problem with. It was a problem the father himself might have, too. She had lain awake half of last night trying to decide when and how to tell Zach and had come to the conclusion that she needed to get used to the idea herself before she shared.
It made sense.
Or she might just be a big coward!
‘It’s a really stunning event with the cream of society and—’
‘But Zach...’ Kat wailed, still blaming her hormones.
Kat had taken to her room and cried for a day when Zach had left, claiming a migraine, and when she had emerged she had known that Zach wasn’t the only person in denial.