Page 14 of The Nicolaides Baby

She let out a quiet sigh and glanced down at a still-sleeping Mara who had started to move around. Her daughter had managed not to wake up after falling asleep on the walk from the main villa to the mausoleum in the large pram-style stroller Mrs. Nicolaides had purchased and insisted Rowan use, but any minute she expected to hear something loud and probably related to food or the bathroom coming from within its depths. Hopefully, her daughter would last for however long it took for the service to close. It was all in Greek, so she had no idea what was being said. She would just have to continue taking cues from those around her.

Her eyes touched on the displayed marble front that would be affixed to the vault where the urn now resided.

ANDREAS NICOLAIDES

SIERRA STALLINGS NICOLAIDES

MAZÍ GIA PÁNTA

Together forever.

She traced over Sierra’s name.

What will I do without you?

And how would any of them go on with the gaping hole left in their lives at the couple’s loss?

Rowan bowed her head again with everyone else and peeked up through her lashes at the somber faces in the surprisingly spacious mausoleum while the priest intoned what had to be another prayer. Andreas’s parents and sister stood close together—Mrs. Nicolaides and Libby quietly weeping while Mr. Nicolaides stood stone-faced, his grief evident in his red-rimmed eyes.

This was a much smaller gathering than the formal closed-casket funeral held at the church two days ago before the cremations, with the only other people present besides immediate family on this occasion being the Petrakis’—namely Xander Petrakis, Leo’s friend and business partner, Xander’s parents, Dimitrios and Zofia Petrakis, and then, of course, his sister, Gia Petrakis.

Rowan pulled her gaze away from the petite dark-haired woman attached to Leo’s side like a limpet and frowned. Gia had separated Leo from his family when everyone had filed in and had them standing next to the vault where everyone couldn’t help but see them each time they looked up. Rowan supposed she was trying to make some kind of statement.

And she had to admit, theydidmake a striking couple. Rowan had had the opportunity to see justhowstriking frequently during the wake and funeral. At each event, the other woman had been just as proprietary toward Leo as she was being now—crying prettily when the situation called for it.

Hmmm… That might have sounded a bit catty.

Sierra had mentioned the other woman several times the last few months when talking about the family—and not in the kindest of terms. According to her, rumor had it Gia and Leo were slated to marry in what Sierra had described as “some kind of Medieval dowry shit” to combine the two families’ fortunes. Nothing was official, but everyone was expecting them to make an announcement any time. Her sister—who had always been a pretty good judge of character—hadn’t been too impressed with Gia, even saying in an unusually harsh tone, “She’s a cold bitch and Leo deserves better.”

She knew firsthand how passionate Leo was. So it was hard to imagine him not wanting passion in his marriage. But who was she to judge? Besides, for all she knew, he and Gia may have found that part of their relationship…

Rowan backed away from those thoughts. Nothing could be between her and Leo, and it wasn’t her business. But the image of him with someone else… She glanced at the woman in question again to see her dabbing at her dry eyes.

I wonder what else she fakes?

Rowan could almost hear her sister’s laughter in her head over that one.

I miss you, Sierra.

She focused her attention back on the priest to get her thoughts away from the two. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to see them together too many more times before she went back home.

“May their memory be eternal.” The priest’s final words in English brought Rowan’s head up while everyone around her repeated the phrase.

May your memory be eternal, little sister.

With that, the service concluded and the few mourners in attendance took their time walking by the vault, touching the urn and marble cover while speaking in hushed tones as they made their way to the entrance of the mausoleum. Rowan stayed where she was. She wasn’t quite ready to leave just yet.

“Zo’i se mas.” Rowan looked up at Xander Petrakis’s quietly spoken words, her brows drown down in question. He shook his head. “Sorry for your loss.”

“Oh. Thank you, Mr. Petrakis.”

“Xander, please.” He gave her a slight smile—his eyes kind. “And may I call you Rowan?” Xander was just as tall as Leo, perhaps a little taller, with handsome dark looks she was sure turned more than a few heads.

He did nothing for her.

“Certainly.” She cleared her throat. “I—and I’m sure Andreas’s family, of course—appreciate you being here.”

“They’re practically family,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. She followed his gaze to Leo and Gia speaking with the priest and caught Leo scowling at her. He quickly looked away when Gia patted over his chest and pulled his head down to murmur something in his ear—her red lips almost brushing his lobe. Rowan had no idea what was said, but Leo shook his head before Gia glanced over at Rowan with a self-satisfied smile.

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