Chapter Three
“My mother never told me much,” Joanna said later that afternoon. Peter had come over and they were sitting on her balcony.
She hadn’t managed to change out of the clothes she wore the night before. She had spent most of the day outside trying to wrap her brain around the day’s events.
“The only thing I was able to get out of her was that she made a mistake one night while travelling in Europe, and she didn’t even tell methatmuch until I was in college.”
Her Greek father had left her something. An inheritance.
A man whom she had spent many nights pondering and making up stories about. But if he knew about his daughter - if he cared, why didn’t he contact her before he died?
Peter had his arm around her shoulder and was attempting to console her.
“I mean, I guessed he must have been Mediterranean - Spanish or Italian even. She had red hair. I have black. I tan, she’d burn and burst into a million freckles. But we were a lot alike, so I never really focused too much on our differences. God, I wish I had nagged her more. My friends always jokingly called me a Grecian goddess. I didn’t know they were actually right. About the Greek part I mean.”
She had called Peter because he was supposed to be the person she’d call in these situations, but a hell of a lot of good it was doing her. She wanted to be angry at him for just sitting there and listening, but what else could he do?
There wasn’t a damn thing anyone could do. Not now. Her father had been alive when her mother was dead, could have contacted her, could have formed a bond, but had chosen not to.
Instead he had left it up to a lawyer.
How many nights had she spent wondering who he was?
And how the hell did this guy - George - know about her? Did her mom contact him when she got back to the States to tell him she was pregnant? She must have. There was no other way for him to know about her.
So all along Joanna had a father on the other side of the world who hadn’t cared enough to come and see her. To meet her. To get to know her. Clearly this was why her mother didn't want Joanna to know anything about him and who could blame her?
“Are you going to go there?” Peter asked. “To Skiathos?”
“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully, thinking about what the lawyer had said, about the ‘condition’. “What do you think it is? What do you think he left me?”
“If a lawyer’s involved, and the guy’s only question was when you could come over, then it’s got to be a house of some kind. Why he didn’t just tell you over the phone is strange though. But anyway, if it’s indeed a house, you should sell. No ifs, ands or buts. Sell the place, take the money and run.”
“Why?”
“Skiathos is a big tourist destination. It’s one of the most beautiful islands in Greece. Wherever that house is, it’s going to be worth a fortune. Sell it, and you and I will buy a beautiful apartment and fund a lavish wedding without breaking a sweat. Probably have enough leftover for the honeymoon, too.”
Joanna considered that. It would be the smart thing to do if they were going to get married soon.
But that word. It held so much power.
If.
Joanna thoughtshe wouldn’t be able to concentrate during the workweek, what with her inheritance and potential promotion coming up.
But that wasn’t the case.
At his insistence, Peter’s guys got in touch with her father’s lawyer, and Friday came and went with Joanna being promoted to a senior editor at Herod Publishing.
“Congratulations,” Liam said to her, popping his head inside her new office before heading out for the weekend. “You deserve this.”
“What about—”
“Senior Advisor. Now what the hell that actually means, I don’t know.” Liam stretched his arms and yawned. “Same office, slightly more pay. Just pushed to the shadows a little so a more vibrant plant such as yourself can start fruiting. I’m OK though. It hurts less that it was you they chose. See you Monday morning.”
Joanna waved goodbye to him, then turned around and stared out at the city. She a great view of both the Chrysler building and Empire State building.
She was making it, going up in the world. She was doing what she’d always wanted to do. What she’d always said she’d do.
