Read Online Second Chance Sister by Linda Kepner - Free Book Online

around her body. They kissed in the moonlight. “Non. This part, especially, is very good.”
    Gently, Bishou kissed him again. “You look so nice tonight.”
    “
Moi
! Regard her, this beauty, telling
me
I look nice.
Moi
!”
    “Well.” She kissed him again. “You do.”
    “
Allons
. Back to the car.” They walked to the parking area, holding hands. Louis saw her into the car, got into the driver’s seat, and drove out of the area.
    He drove past the turn for her street. “Louis, you’ve missed the pension.”
    “I am taking you home,” Louis said calmly and determinedly.
    She wasn’t ready to fight about his definition of “home.” Instead, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the ride.
    “You are not arguing with me,” Louis said.
    “I don’t want to argue with you,” Bishou replied.
    He reached over and stroked her leg. They were silent all the way to Rue Dessant. Louis was getting impatient, and she was weakening. Bishou didn’t know what she was going to say to him if he tried to take her upstairs, to bed. Probably yes.
    Then, they saw a car in the drive — an elderly gray Ford sedan.
    Puzzled, Bishou asked, “Whose car is that?”
    “I know I’ve seen it before.” Louis searched his memory. “Ah!” he said at last, “I know where I’ve seen it. At Garros.”
    “The airport? I don’t understand.”
    “We have guests.” Louis pulled up behind the gray car, and turned off the engine. His mood had changed. He hurried around the Mercedes, and opened Bishou’s door. “Come in and say hello to them.”
    Bishou accompanied him to the house. She was surprised to see Louis open the door himself, rather than Bettina. Inside, they could hear voices from the kitchen, and laughter. The voices sounded familiar.
    Louis led her to the kitchen and opened the door.
    Bettina and Madeleine rose from the kitchen table, startled, smiles still on their lips. The man seated opposite them, with two boys eating a late supper, certainly needed no introduction.
    “Oh, my Lord,” said Bishou, in English. “Bat, you’re here!”
    Her brother stood, grinning. His eyes, as gray as hers, took in the nice clothes. “Wow.” Then he held out his arms. They embraced. “Hello, little sister, we’re here,” said Jean-Baptiste ‘Bat’ Howard.
    From the other side of the table, Andre and Gerard came around, too, for their hugs and kisses. Bat shook Louis’s hand, but Louis reached out and hugged a younger boy with either arm. “Andy. Gerry.” He had thought this out in advance, and had the right name for the right boy. “I am glad you could make it here. Welcome.”
    “Louis, it’s good to meet you.” Bat switched back to French, out of courtesy for the housekeepers.
    “How did you get here?” Bishou asked.
    “I told you, Garros.”
    “I recognized the rental car from the airport,” Louis explained to her, “and realized the Howards had driven themselves here.”
    Bat nodded. “We got directions to Rue Dessant, then got here and found out you were gone. Good thing you’d told the ladies that we’d be staying upstairs, because I didn’t know what the arrangements would be.
Merde
, Bishou, you look gorgeous. You didn’t do this for a lecture, did you?”
    “Non, non,” said Louis, “we attended another reception afterward. But now,
tout le monde
knows the beautiful woman
professeur
at Université Français de l’Océan Indien. And her escort.”
    Bat grinned. “That is as it should be.”
    “Then come in to the salon with us,” said Louis. “Bettina, some tea for Mademoiselle Bishou and me.”
    “Oui, monsieur,” said the housekeeper happily, as Louis led the way out of the kitchen back to his own comfortable sofa. Bat took the easy chair while Louis pulled Bishou onto the couch beside him.
    In answer to her questions, Bat replied, “We left Logan and flew to Orly, it seems like days ago. Then Orly to Garros. The boys were thrilled with all the foliage and the jungle animals. They could just