“Bonjour!” His voice sounded light as he looked at her with a smile she couldn’t quite read. “Would you like a café au lait?”
Nora shook her head, relieved that Pierre seemed relaxed and maybe even more friendly than before. “Thank you, but I think I need a strong espresso this morning.”
Pierre chuckled. “Aha, yes. Pastis can do that to us.”
“So I learned,” Nora said with a sheepish grin. “But it does so in a pleasurable way.”
While Pierre made them both an espresso, Nora excused herself for checking her messages on her phone. “This is rude, but I’ve been waiting for something from Canada.”
“Hey, it’s what we do these days, isn’t it?” Pierre replied.
Nora said her message had not arrived and put her phone down. “Guilty as charged.”
Pierre’s face betrayed no emotion as he handed her a steaming espresso and sat across the table from her. “Alors, all is good with the world again; the dogs are safe and home.”
He raised his cup in a toast and Nora did the same. “Grâce à Dieu.”
He passed the basket of pastries to Nora, and she asked if he had already gone into the village. “Of course,” he said, with a smile. “It’s also what we do.”
She thanked him and put a pain aux raisins on her plate. They chatted about the stress of the previous day.
“Honestly, it felt like I lost my child,” Nora said. “I might have overreacted.”
“Not at all. It’s how something so stressful affects us. The good news is it all ended well.”
“Yes. Thank you for staying behind.”
“Of course. It was the least I could do. Now we should talk about how to get you and Atticus back to Paris. I can put you on the train… Or if you can stand a longer trip, I will be happy to drive you back.”
“Please, I want to do whatever is the least burdensome for you.”
“The drive is about seven hours. If we leave soon, we can be there in time for apéros.”
Nora laughed. “Hmm, I might skip that today. But I’m fine with going by car, and I’m happy to help with the driving. We can take shifts if you like.”
“That’s kind of you,” Pierre replied. “I frequently drive long distances and don’t mind driving to Paris. Pas de problème. I will stay overnight with Olivier and Chloe and then carry on to Normandy tomorrow.”
They tidied up the house and loaded the van, and Pierre suggested they have one last peek at the kids and nannies before they left.
Nora wondered if this new side of Pierre’s personality would last.Seven hours in the van together will put it to the test.
ChapterThirty-One
Shortly after theybegan the drive, Pierre asked if Nora minded listening to music and if she cared whether it was French or English.
“Anything but rap,” she said.
He frowned and said, “Non! That’s my favorite.”
For a split second, Nora thought her hope for them getting along might have already been dashed. He paused a moment for effect and then said with a smirk, “Not.”
She laughed and told him, “The first thing I do when I get in my car is turn on my music.”
He looked at her and smiled as he nodded. “Moi aussi.”
They discovered they had similar musical likes and dislikes. He said he was impressed at Nora’s knowledge of French singers and suggested they take turns choosing playlists.
Leonard Cohen was a shared favorite, though they debated which era of his music was the best. Their laughter grew when they discovered they were both fans of the soundtrack fromSaturday Night Fever. Pierre arched an eyebrow in mock surprise when Nora admitted that The Weekend’s "Blinding Lights" was often the go-to anthem to jump-start writing her rom-coms.
