We didn’t fall asleep until the sun was rising. When I woke up at noon, Peter was sleeping, his hand on my back, making sure of me. I wrapped myself in a blanket and walked over to the window. Villefranche was even more beautiful in the daylight, its buildings painted in brilliant shades of orange, gold, and crimson, and I could see a glimpse of the fishing boats in the harbor at the end of our narrow street.
While my grief for Danny would always be a part of me, my entire world had shifted overnight. More than once in this war, my life had changed in an instant. But today, for the first time, that change was for the good. I felt a glow of happiness and contentment that I couldn’t remember ever feeling before.
“You don’t even know how beautiful you are,” Peter said. I looked over at the bed, and he was smiling.
“I’m a mess,” I said, smiling back at him.
“You’re a beautiful mess.”
“I wish I wasn’t going back to Germany tomorrow.” I sat on the edge of the bed, missing him already.
“I know.” He reached for my hand. “Sweetheart, I have to ask, what do you think you’re going to do next?”
I told him about the Red Cross survey.
“With all that’s happened, I don’t want to go home, but I don’t want to go to the Pacific either. Liz said there are definitely positions available in London, Paris, and Berlin. So I’ve decided to stay. I was thinking Paris, though Frankie just asked me to apply to go to Berlin with her, so I’ve been thinking about that.”
He gave me a curious look when I said this.
I looked up at him, nervous but needing to know. “And what happens now for you? Are you going to the Pacific?”
“What happens is I’ve been ordered to Berlin,” he said, reaching over and pulling me across the bed into his arms. “For occupation duty.”
“You’re kidding?” I said.
“I’m not,” he murmured as he kissed me again and then looked into my eyes, his hands in my hair. “Please consider Berlin?”
“Hmm . . . I don’t know,” I teased, smiling as I kissed the scar above his eyebrow.
“Maybe I can convince you . . . ,” he said, pressing his lips against mine with a passion that made me feel light-headed all over again.
“I’ll let you try,” I whispered.
That night, Peter drove me back to Juan-les-Pins and walked me to the door of the Proven?al.
“I’ll see you in Paris in three weeks,” he said.
“You sure you’ll be able to get the time off?”
“I’ll make sure,” he said. “I’m never going to let so much time pass before seeing you ever again.”
“Good,” I said. One last embrace, one final kiss, and my heart started to hurt. I must have looked as pained as I felt because Peter took my head in his hands.
“It’s okay,” he said. “This time we’re not saying good-bye forever.”
“I know,” I said. “And I’m so happy for that.”
“I love you.”
“I love you,” I said. “I’ll see you in Paris.”
I watched the jeep drive away and then walked inside, checking the terrace before heading upstairs.
“Well, look who’s here.” Blanche came running up to me and grabbed my hand, pulling me with her. “I’m buying you a drink, and then you are going to tell us where you have been for the past twenty-four hours, my friend.”
“Okay, Blanche,” I said, laughing.
“You’ve got a glow about you, Fi, and I know it’s got nothing to do with the sun.” She looked me up and down. “It’s good to see. And, may I also add, it’s about damn time.”
“Well, well.” Viv was sitting with Dottie, and I couldn’t tell if they were angry or amused. “I’m glad the guys left because we wouldn’t be able to have this conversation with them around. Where the hell have you been?” She swatted me with her arm.
“We got your note, but we were still a bit worried, you know,” Dottie said. “You could have called the hotel at least.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I lost track of the time. I was in Villefranche-sur-Mer. With Peter.”
“I hoped so,” Viv said, giving me a knowing grin.
“I know a lady never talks, but you need to at least give us a few details,” Dottie said.
“More than a few,” Blanche said, handing me my glass of wine as she sat down. “I want all the dirt.”
“Go easy on her, Blanche,” Dottie said.
“Yeah, yeah. Hey, did Dottie tell you her news yet?” Blanche asked. “Because that’s big too. Lots going on at this hotel in the past couple days. I could start a H?tel le Proven?al gossip column.”
“Are you engaged too?” I said, looking at Dottie.
“No,” Dottie said, her cheeks turning pink.
“Dottie, what is it?”
“I got a letter,” Dottie said. “From First Lieutenant Don Hayes, the new leader of Glenn Miller’s band here. Before Glenn Miller went missing, he had talked about offering me a job as a soloist, to go on tour with them for the next six months. They wrote to me because they still want to extend the offer.”
“Dottie!” I said, beaming from ear to ear.
“Can you believe it, Fi? Me?”
“Dottie, I’m so damn proud of you, I might cry,” I said. “And you’re going to take it?”
“I am,” she said. “Joe and I talked about it; I have to take it. It’s once in a lifetime. He said he’d wait for me. I know he will.”
“I think of when we first got here . . .”
“I know, remember that?” Blanche said. “Martha, Frankie, and I were taking bets that you wouldn’t make it, Dots.”
“You did not!” Dottie said, kicking her foot.
“Oh yes, we did,” Blanche said. “And please don’t feel too bad, but I thought you were a goner. Actually, after the doughnut machine exploded at training? I thought you were all goners.”
“Me too,” Viv said, laughing.
“Where is Frankie, by the way?” I asked.
“Frankie is off exploring old town Antibes with Patrick Halloran from the Eighty-Second,” Blanche said. “He’s four years younger than her, but one thing I didn’t realize before? He’s like a male version of Frankie. The kid never stops moving.”
“It’s true,” Viv said. “I don’t know if it’ll last, but it’s good for her.”
“So back to you,” Dottie said. “I haven’t seen you look this happy in over a year. And I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.”
“But is it serious?” Viv said, watching my expression.
“I think . . . yeah, it is,” I said with a nod. I felt my face turn crimson, thinking about all that had happened.
“Good, then he’s got to come to the wedding,” Viv said.
“He will,” I said.
“Perfect,” Blanche said. “But more details on your romantic French getaway, please.”
“Oh shush, Blanche,” Viv said. “Can’t you see you’re looking at a girl who’s head over heels in love?”
“You have to at least tell me that,” Blanche said, eyebrows raised as she pointed her cigarette at me. “Are you? In love?”
I looked around at my friends, my face feeling flushed. I smiled and simply nodded.
“Yes.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
June 9, 1945
Paris, France
Three weeks later, the five of us were in the bridal suite at the Hotel George V in Paris, getting ready for Viv’s wedding to Harry Westwood.
Frankie, Dottie, Blanche, and I were all wearing pastel-colored cocktail dresses we had purchased in Antibes or Paris for the occasion. I had found a mint-green organza dress at a small boutique in Paris when we arrived the day before. It was sleeveless with a scooped neckline and an A-line skirt. Dottie’s dress was pale pink, Frankie’s pastel blue, and Blanche’s a light yellow.
“We look like Easter eggs,” Blanche said as we stood next to each other, staring into the suite’s large mirror above the dresser.
“We do not,” I said, laughing as I adjusted the dragonfly comb in my hair. “Well, maybe a little.”
“You look beautiful,” Viv said as she walked out of the bathroom, where she had been getting changed. We all gasped. Viv, with the help of Harry’s mother, had tracked down the most gorgeous ivory wedding dress—strapless with a satin sash at the waist and a tulle skirt that was floor length and covered with dotted sequins.
“Oh, Viv, look at you,” Dottie said. “Wait until Harry sees you. You’re stunning.”
She looked gorgeous, of course, her auburn curls shining and twisted up in the front underneath a simple ivory lace veil. Her makeup was flawless as always, and her perfect, polished candy-apple-red manicure was back since we weren’t making doughnuts nearly as often anymore.
“Thank you,” Viv said, giving us all hugs as we showered her with compliments.
She looked in the mirror at herself and sighed.
“The only hard part is my family not being here to celebrate with me,” Viv said in a quiet voice. “Thank God I have you four.”
“We’ll stand in for your sisters,” I said, putting my arm around her shoulders.
“You girls are like sisters,” Viv said. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“Are you sure I’m going to like this band you found for today, Dottie?” Viv asked. “It was such short notice, I’m surprised you were able to get anyone.”
“I’m sure you’re going to like them,” Dottie said. “And no, we’re not going to tell you any more, it would ruin the surprise.” Dottie winked at me behind Viv’s back as she straightened her veil.
“Just promise me you didn’t grab an old guy with an accordion off the street or something,” Viv said.