Read Online Marisa Carroll - Hotel Marchand 09 by Her Summer Lover - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Her Summer Lover
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plans for the rest of the afternoon.” Suddenly she wanted to be alone, away from Alain and the bittersweet memories his presence brought. Away from his little girl, who was so appealing, and who reminded her of all that was missing in her own life.
“Daddy, tell her we’ll help her.”
“You heard Miss Sophie. She has other plans. And you need to be getting home. Grandma Cecily will be wondering what happened to you.”
“All right.” If Dana’s lower lip jutted out another millimeter, she’d be in a full-fledged pout. “I’ll come back tomorrow or the next day,” she said grudgingly after one last glance at the empty shelf.
“I’m sure I’ll have located the stuffed animals by then.”
“Goodbye,” she said, still reluctant to leave. Her father gave her a gentle push toward the door.
“Goodbye, Dana. I’m so glad I got to meet you and your brother.” Sophie had herself back in hand. Her smile and her words were genuine.
She was rewarded with a brilliant smile in return. “Me, too.” Dana danced toward the front door, heedless of the china and glass on all sides, truly as at home in the crowded space as she’d claimed to be.
“She’s charming, Alain,” Sophie said truthfully. She’d managed to relegate the old hurts to a shadowy corner of her mind. “And Guy’s a fine young man. I’ll be glad to have him help me—” she lifted her hands in a gesture of indecision “—do what has to be done here.”
“You don’t have to give him work.”
“I want to.” That, too, was the truth. She could meet his eyes without flinching when she said it.
He watched her steadily for a moment, then nodded. “He’ll do a good job.”
“I’m sure he will. He’s your son, after all.” They both watched through the wavy glass of the many-paned windows as Dana hopped into the SUV through the door her brother held open for her.
Sophie studied Alain’s face for a moment. His were the features of a man who had known hardship but who had never given in to it. A man who had fulfilled the potential she had sensed in the boy. “They’re both great kids,” he said quietly as he turned to leave. “They’re my whole world, Sophie. That’s why I stayed with their mother as long as I did.”
“S OPHIE C LARKSON was in Past Perfect today,” Cecily told her mother. She was holed up in her bathroom, sitting on the toilet lid with the portable phone from her bedroom, water running in the sink, whispering so Alain wouldn’t overhear if he walked down the hall.
“What? I can’t hear you, Cecily. You’ll have to speak louder.”
Cecily sighed and gave up. She switched to French. Alain’s Cajun was pretty good but he wasn’t as fluent as she and Yvonne. Most of the time she regretted so few of the family spoke the old tongue anymore, but tonight she was glad. “I said Sophie Clarkson was in Past Perfect today. She’s evidently starting to look through the inventory. Dana was there and spoke to her.”
“What was the little one doing at Maude’s shop?”
“She and Guy were walking home from the school bus and saw Alain there and went inside,” Cecily explained impatiently. She had her own thoughts, and misgivings, about her son spending time with Sophie Clarkson, but she didn’t have time to indulge them right now. It was the shipment that was important. “We have to decide how to get the animals out of there before she notices them.”
“I still can’t hear you. Is that water running?”
Cecily shut off the faucet. “Sorry. My mind wandered there for a moment.”
“Well, wander it back to the problem at hand. We’ve got to get inside Past Perfect and get our medicines.”
Cecily sighed. “Yes, Mama, I know that.”
“Grandma? Are you in there? I need to use the bathroom.” Dana’s voice came through the door, giving Cecily such a start she almost dropped the phone.
“I’ll be out in a minute, honey. I’m just washing my hands.” She turned the water back
“Daddy, tell her we’ll help her.”
“You heard Miss Sophie. She has other plans. And you need to be getting home. Grandma Cecily will be wondering what happened to you.”
“All right.” If Dana’s lower lip jutted out another millimeter, she’d be in a full-fledged pout. “I’ll come back tomorrow or the next day,” she said grudgingly after one last glance at the empty shelf.
“I’m sure I’ll have located the stuffed animals by then.”
“Goodbye,” she said, still reluctant to leave. Her father gave her a gentle push toward the door.
“Goodbye, Dana. I’m so glad I got to meet you and your brother.” Sophie had herself back in hand. Her smile and her words were genuine.
She was rewarded with a brilliant smile in return. “Me, too.” Dana danced toward the front door, heedless of the china and glass on all sides, truly as at home in the crowded space as she’d claimed to be.
“She’s charming, Alain,” Sophie said truthfully. She’d managed to relegate the old hurts to a shadowy corner of her mind. “And Guy’s a fine young man. I’ll be glad to have him help me—” she lifted her hands in a gesture of indecision “—do what has to be done here.”
“You don’t have to give him work.”
“I want to.” That, too, was the truth. She could meet his eyes without flinching when she said it.
He watched her steadily for a moment, then nodded. “He’ll do a good job.”
“I’m sure he will. He’s your son, after all.” They both watched through the wavy glass of the many-paned windows as Dana hopped into the SUV through the door her brother held open for her.
Sophie studied Alain’s face for a moment. His were the features of a man who had known hardship but who had never given in to it. A man who had fulfilled the potential she had sensed in the boy. “They’re both great kids,” he said quietly as he turned to leave. “They’re my whole world, Sophie. That’s why I stayed with their mother as long as I did.”
“S OPHIE C LARKSON was in Past Perfect today,” Cecily told her mother. She was holed up in her bathroom, sitting on the toilet lid with the portable phone from her bedroom, water running in the sink, whispering so Alain wouldn’t overhear if he walked down the hall.
“What? I can’t hear you, Cecily. You’ll have to speak louder.”
Cecily sighed and gave up. She switched to French. Alain’s Cajun was pretty good but he wasn’t as fluent as she and Yvonne. Most of the time she regretted so few of the family spoke the old tongue anymore, but tonight she was glad. “I said Sophie Clarkson was in Past Perfect today. She’s evidently starting to look through the inventory. Dana was there and spoke to her.”
“What was the little one doing at Maude’s shop?”
“She and Guy were walking home from the school bus and saw Alain there and went inside,” Cecily explained impatiently. She had her own thoughts, and misgivings, about her son spending time with Sophie Clarkson, but she didn’t have time to indulge them right now. It was the shipment that was important. “We have to decide how to get the animals out of there before she notices them.”
“I still can’t hear you. Is that water running?”
Cecily shut off the faucet. “Sorry. My mind wandered there for a moment.”
“Well, wander it back to the problem at hand. We’ve got to get inside Past Perfect and get our medicines.”
Cecily sighed. “Yes, Mama, I know that.”
“Grandma? Are you in there? I need to use the bathroom.” Dana’s voice came through the door, giving Cecily such a start she almost dropped the phone.
“I’ll be out in a minute, honey. I’m just washing my hands.” She turned the water back
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