“I haven’t traveled much in France,” she confessed. “I usually spend all my time in Paris. Chloe and Oli took me to the Loire Valley for a few days once, which was wonderful. And, of course, visiting your family home in Provence was an unforgettable experience. I need to plan to see more of the country in future visits.”
“You will never run out of new travel plans in this country. Every département offers very different experiences in beauty, culture, history, cuisine, and wine. I have read my country described as a layered masterpiece and could not agree more,” Pierre said proudly.
“Even staying in one town for several days can give you many incredible road trips. I never get tired of exploring. And trust me, I have done a lot.”
Their conversation lasted far longer than their meal. The owners had started subtly cleaning up and making noises about closing until the dinner hour when Pierre said they should leave.
Nora realized with a start that Atticus would be anxiously awaiting her return. “He will have his legs crossed,” she said and Pierre gave her a strange look. Nora thought how she seemed to have a knack for putting her foot in her mouth when she was with him.
ChapterForty-Eight
The remainderof the week passed uneventfully. Nora focused on her writing business. The new year had brought several requests for copyedits, which she was busy scheduling. Between those and the memoir, her work calendar was full.
She also made time to do some plotting for what she called her ‘van Gogh romance’ and looked forward to doing more research for it. She’d noticed the young artist was still around, frequenting some of the same cafés she did—although the waitress was nowhere to be seen. But Nora had enough of a concept for the story in her head. She still wanted to pursue the project once she finished the memoir.
And she hadn’t stopped thinking about renting the next-door apartment. Her fascination with Vincent having lived there hadn’t diminished, and she had not stopped escaping into fantasies about it. When she’d mentioned her idea to rent the apartment to Chloe recently, her daughter had smiled knowingly and said, “It’s like I keep telling you, it’s all part of the French Effect.”
* * *
Nora was pleased when Pierre asked if she would consider driving him back to the hospital, this time in the van, to get the new brace put on. He expressed high hopes the change would help him to move around more easily.
Atticus went with them so Nora could take him for a walk instead of waiting in the hospital’s cafeteria. She had noticed a large park nearby as they’d left the previous appointment and thought the two of them could go exploring.
The doctor wasn’t behind with his appointments, and everything went smoothly. Although Pierre wore the new brace, he was still required to wear a sling for another few weeks.
He showed the brace to Nora. It fit snugly and looked like it offered great stability for his collarbone. The new sling was much sleeker and Pierre said it was more comfortable.
He asked Nora if she would mind if he drove home.
“If you feel you’re ready, go for it. But please, don’t push yourself. If driving causes pain, just stop.”
He pulled himself up into the van without any apparent trouble or discomfort. When they reached the apartment, he climbed out quickly and went around to open Nora’s door.
“Come on, let’s celebrate and go down to Le Moulin for a glass of wine.”
Atticus settled under the table with his treat from the waiter as they toasted to Pierre feeling better.
After a bit of small talk, he looked at Nora intently. “Nora, I have a proposition for you. Well, not a proposition, that’s the wrong word… Sorry, I didn’t mean that. I can’t think of the right word. Er, proposal. Non! Okay, a suggestion. That works!”
Nora laughed as he fumbled for the word he wanted. She thought it endearing that a hint of embarrassment flickered across his face.
“Yes, a suggestion. You always seem interested when I talk about road trips, and you appeared to enjoy our drive back to Paris.”
Nora’s face registered her enthusiasm. “I’ve been a fan of road trips my entire life. When I was a child, our vacations were road trips, and they have continued to be a part of my life. We took a lot of trips when I was married, and Chloe and I have always loved to take them together.”
Pierre raised his glass to her. “I am desperate to get back to Nice. I have an assistant keeping my gallery open, but as I mentioned earlier, I have a lot of work to do to prepare for the upcoming exhibit. Also, I have been here far longer than I would ever want to stay. I feel like I am now living with the kids.”
Nora noticed him tap his fingers nervously on the table.
“I’m sure staying with them hasn’t been easy in such a small space. But I know they have been happy to help you while you recover. And I’ve enjoyed your company. We’ve had a chance to get to know each other, and I…” She paused for a moment. “I feel our little family has grown stronger. I like knowing that when I’m so far away, they have you to rely on. It’s so important to me.”
“Yes, I am happy about that too. So, here is my suggestion. My idea.” Now he began to speak quickly, hardly stopping to breathe, as if he needed to get the words out before he lost his nerve.
“I know I cannot do the drive home myself. How would you like to go with me and help? I will plan a trip on the back roads so you will see more wonderful areas. We can make some stops, and we can take Atticus with us. I even looked up how we can help him with his car sickness.”
He stopped suddenly and didn’t break eye contact as he took a long sip of wine.
Nora was stunned. Obviously, Pierre had given the plan a great deal of thought.
