Page 54 of Vincent
It was too cold for fishing, but that's what he needed. Taking the boat out had always settled his mind and aligned his thoughts. It was what had helped him through the shock of losing Lizzie in those early days. His mother and sister had supported him fully by taking care of his son when he needed to escape, when his thoughts had tormented him to the point where he thought he was going mad.
This was a different kind of madness. He had shut the boat off a few miles from shore and was feeding his line into the water whipping into foam. He might not get a bite, but that's fine with him. Because of the weather, he was the only one who had ventured out. That was fine with him as well.
He needed the solitude and the mindless task of fishing. He had told Jacklyn that he was not ready to confront Thea yet, and he wasn't. He was confused and felt guilty. The guilt was tearing away at him, digging into him with spikes.
Thea had been his first choice. And that was what was eating away at him. If she had given him the slightest inclination that she was interested in him that way, he would have jumped at the chance to be with her. But she had kept it to herself, and for the life of him, he did not know why. They had often told each other everything, well, not everything, he amended bitterly. Lizzie had obviously seen something, and it had her running scared, scared enough to have him promising that he would cut his best friend from his life.
He had often regretted doing so. But he had admitted that it wasn't fair to her as he was always talking about Thea. What she did and what she said. It had driven Lizzie mad, until she had blown up at him and demanded that he choose. So, he had chosen her. And to prove herself to him, Lizzie had gotten pregnant, so that he would propose, so there would be no doubt that she loved him.
Hissing out a breath, he shook his head and concentrated on feeding the line. He had taken the boat out to try and relax, and by God, that's exactly what he was going to do.
*****
"François! What in the world are you doing here?" Althea exclaimed as she opened the door to admit the elegantly handsome and very French man she had been involved with not too long ago. As usual, he looked very dapper, his tall, lean body draped in the latest fashion. The black cashmere sweater set offhis swarthy complexion, and his dense black hair was expertly groomed. His pencil-thin moustache tilted upward as he smiled at her charmingly.
"Well, Cherie, are you going to invite me in or should we continue to have this conversation in the rather stiff breeze?"
"Of course." Recovering from her surprise, she stepped back and allowed him to walk past her into the foyer.
"Very cozy indeed." He spoke with just a hint of accent that managed to make his deep voice sexy and suggestive. He turned to face her and opened his arms. "You're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Kissing her on both cheeks and then full on the lips, he eased her back to stare at her curiously, a frown touching his brow. "You've lost weight perhaps?"
"Really?" With a delighted laugh, she tucked her hand through his arm and turned just as Mrs. Bennett bustled into the hallway. After making the introductions and watching in amusement as Francois charmed the woman, Althea led him through into the kitchen.
"As usual, it smells sinfully delicious." He took a seat and reached for a sugary pastry.
"You still have not told me what brings you to the States."
"You." He smiled at her look of surprise. "I remember distinctly telling you that I was going to give you a few months and would come back to get you."
"Francois-" She laid aside her icing gun and sat facing him. "Coffee?"
"Please. I've been traveling for what seems like ages. Private planes are not what they used to be."
"Poor darling," she murmured as she set out to prepare the coffee beans.
"I know when you're being sarcastic," he said with a grin. "You were about to tell me why it is a bad idea for you to return to France with me."
Taking out two cups, she sat back down and waited for the coffee to brew. "You never said anything about coming here when we spoke a few days ago."
He shrugged elegant shoulders. "I wanted to surprise you. And this was, how you say it? Spur of the moment. A businessopportunity presented itself and I took it. A chain of restaurants is up for grabs, and the board thinks I should have a go of it. An excellent business prospect."
"So, I'm not the reason you're here." She could not help but feel relieved of that responsibility.
"I was thinking I would shoot two birds with one stone."
She smiled at that. Turning to get the coffee, she poured and handed him the cup before cutting thin slices of the raspberry and pecan pie she had made this morning. It had been two weeks since she had heard from Vincent, and during that time, she had confirmation that she was six weeks pregnant. The baby had been conceived from the very first time they made love. She had heard from Jacklyn of course, who reported that her brother was still trying to sort things out in his head. "He's very unhappy, darling, like a bear with a sore head and refuses to talk about you."
She did not have the time or the effort to think about him right now.
"Althea?" Francois sipped coffee and eyed her over the rim. "What's going on with you? Where is this paragon of virtue that you left me for? Has he come to his senses yet?"
"No." She took tiny sips of the coffee and prayed that her stomach would not revolt. "We hooked up for a brief time and had a major disagreement."
"Who's this foolish man?" he asked impatiently. "And why are you still pining over him? I'm prepared to offer you my hand in marriage and access to my considerable fortune. You would get to run my restaurants, pick and choose what you want to do or how much, and yet here you are, still hoping he will see you for who you are. This is pure and utter nonsense. Cherie, he does not deserve you. I do."
Leaning over, she cupped his face and kissed his lips softly. "And I love you for making that wonderful, impassioned speech. It has boosted my confidence considerably."
He held her hand against his cheek before turning his face to kiss her palm. Althea wished she felt something, but there was nothing there.
