Divorce didn’t mean you stopped loving a person. If anyone understood that, Rachel did.
Though her father had married four times, he’d claimed Rachel’s mother had been the great love of his life.
Rachel knew it was true. The marriage before he’d met her mother had been a mistake.
After her parents’ divorce, his other marriages hadn’t been able to fill up the empty spaces in his life.
Her father was an emotional mess. But she had to admit she saw a look come into his eyes whenever he talked about her mother.
If she were still alive, Rachel was positive he’d try to get her to marry him again.
Even though he failed as a husband and father in so many ways, the emotion for her mother would always be there, no matter what.
The emotion Luc felt for his ex-wife would always be there. No matter what.
Rachel had known he was a rare man. To hear he’d spent the last three years devoted to her made him exceptional.
It also made a future with him impossible. He had demons all right, ones she couldn’t fight.
Rachel wasn’t like her father’s last two wives, wanting any crumbs he threw them. She would have to be the only woman in Luc’s heart, but she wasn’t. She never would be.
His great love Paulette was lying in a hospital bed, capable of waking up at any time.
Miracles like that did happen. That was what Luc was praying for.
By being brutally honest, Madame Chartier had done Rachel the greatest favor of her life.
She was an intruder and needed to be gone from this house now!
> Five minutes later she’d dressed and loaded her bags in the car. Ten minutes later her travel agent had arranged a flight to London from Basel, Switzerland.
En route across the border Rachel phoned Monsieur Bulot in Châlons, and placed a wine order that would satisfy him and her father.
Everyone would be satisfied…except for one person.
The woman who’d awakened this morning full of sublime joy…had just died.
Luc paid for his groceries and went out to the Wagoneer. As he was putting the bags in the back seat his cell phone went off.
He glanced at the caller ID and clicked on. “Bonjour, Paul.”
“Bonjour. I’m phoning to tell you I cancelled the court date for Monday per your instructions.”
“Good. Now that Yves and I have made our peace, I can breathe more easily.”
“I’m sure it was a difficult decision for you, but, speaking as your friend as well as your attorney, I think you’ve done the right thing.”
“So do I. Yves insists Paulette wants out of her bondage. Their family has agreed to give me until the end of the summer.”
“Why then? I’m curious.”
“I guess it has been the vintner in me. You know—the hope of a successful harvest in the fall.”
“You’re still so young, Luc. There are many successful fall harvests in your future, new vintages, if you follow my meaning.”
Luc had aleady found that out during those rapturous hours of the night.
“So Giselle has continually reminded me. Thank you, Paul.”