Page 29 of Footprints in the Sand (Coleman #13)

Chapter Twenty-Five

D imitra wasn’t surprised when the six weeks after Kostos was “discovered” flew by.

For days after the initial article, she fielded phone calls from journalists, gave interviews, and spoke with several lawyers, all of whom advised her to “hang tight.” They were dealing with it.

It was a nightmare, but it was also fascinating to watch.

She became sort of famous around Martha’s Vineyard, with people at bars and restaurants asking her questions about Kostos and whether she ever got the hint he was bad news.

“He was great at lying,” Dimitra always said.

“Many men are,” they always said in return.

Most essential to the mission of all, as it turned out, was Oriana’s lawyers, who somehow, some way, figured out that it was William who’d broken the story. It seemed that he’d hired a private detective to do some digging on Dimitra, and from there, the story had broken open like an old coconut.

But the last thing William wanted was to taint his reputation by linking himself with that story. Based on whatever Oriana’s lawyers said to him, he made some kind of payment to a news source so that they stopped hounding Dimitra like crazy. Dimitra was grateful to Oriana.

Oriana, to her credit, was devastated that she’d introduced Dimitra to William in the first place. “I still want to introduce you to high rollers,” she said. “I want to get you the very best contracts. I want to champion your work! But I want to do it with better people. You deserve that.”

Dimitra wanted to keep working. She wanted to attend the exhibition in Athens, then capitalize on that hoped-for success and find more exhibitions, artist residencies, and sales opportunities.

But she was also painfully aware of how close to the end of her time with Harry was. Out of this torrential and at times harrowing time, she’d found a lover to call her own. Because she and Harry had always known the summer would come to an end, they’d prepared their hearts and minds for goodbye.

During Harry’s last week on the island, Dimitra slept on the sailboat three nights in a row and greeted each morning with a dramatic and refreshing leap into the sea.

Sometimes if they forgot where he was, Cash joined her, and she had to perform a ritual to save him.

He always got overexcited. Who could blame him?

Harry also sometimes slept at Dimitra’s place. But they both agreed that Eva needed to get out of there. Finn had stolen from her there. She needed a new space, just as much as Dimitra did back in Aliki.

“It’s hard for me to imagine going back there,” Dimitra admitted on their last night together in Martha’s Vineyard. “I can’t imagine doing anything I used to do there. I can’t imagine myself at a family party or shopping at the grocery store or drinking wine at the beach bar.”

Harry kissed her fingers and tucked her hair behind her ear. After a very long time, he said, “I want you to come to South Carolina tomorrow.”

Dimitra couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I want you to meet my daughter and my ex-wife,” he said. “I want you to see where I really live, when I’m not pretending to be a vagabond. After that, I know you have your flight back to Greece. I know you need to leave the country.”

“For visa reasons,” Dimitra reminded him.

“Of course.” He pressed his lips together. “Am I alone in thinking that this is really special?”

Dimitra’s voice wavered. “It’s really special. It is.”

Harry cupped both of her hands in his. “Meet my daughter. See my life.”

What could Dimitra do but say yes?

The following morning, at half past eleven, Dimitra had her bags packed and Eva’s place spick-and-span after a thorough clean.

Harry was at the dock with the sailboat, ready to cruise them down south.

His text read: Cash is ready to get out of here!

All she had to do was say hello and goodbye to Eva, and, of course, hug Meghan and Oriana tightly.

Oriana had agreed to drive her to the dock and drop off the rental car for her, which wasn’t one hundred percent legal, they thought, but probably wouldn’t hurt. Plus, Oriana knew the car rental guy.

When the doorbell rang, Dimitra hurried to open the door and found, to her tremendous pleasure, not only Eva but also Jean-Paul, the marble sculptor.

So far from the Greek sunshine, Jean-Paul looked out of place but very, very happy, with a smile that didn’t suit his French sensibilities.

Dimitra opened her arms and hugged first Eva, then Jean-Paul, saying, “Welcome to Martha’s Vineyard. Welcome home.”

Eva looked bubbly and overjoyed. “Mom picked us up at the airport this morning,” she explained. “She didn’t know Jean-Paul was coming, so it’s all been a big surprise.”

“What did she say?” Dimitra asked.

Meghan appeared behind Eva, wearing a funny smile. “I didn’t say anything. I just burst into tears!”

Eva, Dimitra, and Jean-Paul laughed.

“What about the marble workshop?” Dimitra asked.

“He’s going to teach a few classes here!” Eva explained. “You know how the visa works. We’re going to do three months here, three months there, and see what happens.”

“Apparently, Americans are very excited to learn how to carve marble,” Jean-Paul said.

Dimitra smiled. Meghan looked mystified but happy for her daughter. She’d come home, after all, even if it was only temporary. She had to learn to let her daughter fly.

After what Finn had done to her, she deserved it.

When Dimitra was sure that Eva and Jean-Paul were safe and comfortable in the space that was to be their home for the next three months, she hugged them and Meghan goodbye and got in the rental with Oriana, who’d come a little later.

Oriana was already talking about selling Jean-Paul’s marble wares to wealthy people in Manhattan.

“You change people’s lives,” Dimitra told her.

Oriana adjusted her hands on the steering wheel. “I see beauty in this world. Sometimes I can’t believe that it’s people I know and love who make that beauty.”

“People can surprise you,” Dimitra said.

“You certainly surprised all of us,” Oriana said.

At the harbor, they got out and hugged goodbye. And as Dimitra, Harry, and Cash sailed off into the horizon, Oriana remained on the edge of the dock, waving like a child.

Harry shook his head and scooped Dimitra in a hug. They laughed wildly, then adjusted themselves for the long sail ahead. Dimitra couldn’t believe she was leaving every safe thing she’d ever known, at least for now.

It was true that her visa was nearly up. She needed to fly back to Greece soon.

It was also true that leaving Harry would break her heart.

“It’s funny, isn’t it?” she said now. “We did everything we could to avoid breaking our own hearts, but I still feel like mine is on the verge of cracking in half.”

Harry’s eyes glinted with tears. He scooped her in a kiss and said, “Let’s not talk about it. Not yet.”

Dimitra promised she wouldn’t.

They reached South Carolina seven days later during a rainstorm.

Dimitra didn’t think she’d ever experienced such humidity.

As Harry tied up the boat, she scooped an umbrella over them both and hurried alongside him and Cash, en route to a big red truck.

Cash leaped between them in the front seat and panted against the heat.

Dimitra cackled, seeing herself in this picture.

She looked like the wife of an American cowboy, seated in a big pickup truck.

She was no longer Kostos’s wife. She didn’t know what she was. She had to be okay with that.

To Dimitra’s surprise, Harry’s ex-wife and daughter, Ginny, had put together a beautiful “homecoming” party for Harry and Dimitra, using the decorations they’d already used for Ginny’s homecoming party the previous day.

When Harry’s truck dipped into the driveway, Ginny leaped out of the door and into the rain, tearing across the grass to get to her dad.

Dimitra couldn’t take how beautiful it was.

Harry touched her hair and asked her, “How was it, Bean? Did you love it?”

Ginny had about a thousand and one stories, but there would be time for him to hear them all because he was there for her. He would always be there for her.

Ginny turned her smile to Dimitra and stuck out her hand. It seemed that she’d forgotten the rain, and Dimitra decided to forget it, too. They shook hands.

“My name is Ginny,” she said. “You are Dimitra.”

“It’s so nice to meet you,” Dimitra said.

“You’re from Greece,” she said. “I know every single Greek myth. What’s your favorite?”

Dimitra’s lips parted with surprise. She remembered how Harry had initially referenced Greek myths and now understood why. He’d had to learn them with Ginny. That, or he’d taught them to her. Either way, it was beautiful.

“I love the ones about coming home,” Dimitra said softly, eyeing Harry with a smile. “I love the one about Dimitra, fighting for her daughter to come home from Hades.”

“We call her Demeter,” Ginny said.

“I’ve heard that,” Dimitra said. “Harry, your daughter knows her myths.”

A moment later, Ginny’s mother called them in. “We have cake and barbecue and just about everything else to eat in here!” she said. When Dimitra reached the foyer, she hugged her tightly and said, “We’re so glad to have you here. Harry needed someone like you. He deserved it.”

Dimitra was touched, so much so that she had to take a break in the bathroom to cry into a tissue.

When she emerged, she met everyone else: Harry’s mother and father, his ex-wife’s new husband, who seemed like a great guy, Ginny’s best friend Mac, plus their friends and neighbors, all of whom were grateful to have Harry back.

Dimitra wondered what it would be like when she got back to Paros. Would people welcome her like this? Or would they be angry with her for what had happened with Kostos, for bringing down Nico and the drug ring, for exposing their family secrets?

She shivered. She didn’t know if she was strong enough.

But it was later that evening that Harry suggested a resolution.

“Stay in the United States with me,” Harry whispered, kissing her hand. “Stay in South Carolina. Get to know us. Learn to love barbecue.”

Dimitra’s heart opened. “Harry, you know how the visa rules are.”

“We’re going to get married as soon as we can, if you want that,” he said. “We’re going to apply for a green card. We’re going to make this work.”

Dimitra threw her arms around him and let him swirl her in the air. She felt the nightmares of the previous few years drift away from her. She felt the dying South Carolina sun on her back. She felt open and free.