Celeste kept speaking quietly.
“I know you are not her. I know this. But that does not mean the last three days I have not enjoyed thinking that, if Clémence was still with us, grown up, grown beautiful and off on some adventure and she found herself where your mother lives, your mother would see her and think that she reminded her of you, take to her and share with her like I have with you, giving her something more than she would have found on her own, a gift, a treasure, what I hope I’ve given you.”
The wet spilled out of my eyes.
“You have,” I whispered brokenly because my voice was clogged with tears.
“And when you needed me yesterday, ma chérie, I must confess, not having my Clémence to share those kinds of moments with, I was more pleased you turned to me than you could ever be grateful I assisted you.”
Ohmigod! That was so nice, so beautiful and so freaking sad.
And it was so all of that that I felt my body jolt as my breath hitched with my sob and I also felt Luci’s arm wrap around my shoulders and her cheek press into my hair.
“And lastly,” Celeste whispered, “I am not disappointed in you. I know of this man, ma chérie, most everyone does. Thomas admires him and, I must admit, I do too. I suspected your secrets were dark, though I am sad to know what they are. But I am not disappointed in the least you are bright enough to see that all men are not like your husband and you are strong enough to take a risk that must certainly frighten you by trying again.”
My body jolted again as another sob tore up my throat, Luci held on tighter and at that moment, I heard a barked, angry, “What the fuck is goin’ on?”
I swallowed, Luci moved away and I twisted in my chair to see Sam stalking my way.
Yes, stalking.
Oh God.
Oh no.
Oh shit.
His eyes were on my wet face then they sliced to Luci and he demanded to know, “Who’s Kia talkin’ to?”
“A woman named Celeste,” Luci whispered and Sam’s eyes cut back to me.
“Is she upsetting you?”
“I –” I started.
He’d arrived and he bent, one hand to the arm of my chair, one hand wrapped around the back of my neck and he got in my face to ask, “Yes or no, baby, is she upsetting you?”
“Well, obviously, yes, Sam,” I answered, his face got dark, he made a move that my guess (what I didn’t know was accurate) was to pull my phone from my ear so I hurried on. “But not how you’re thinking.” I dashed my hand over my cheeks and finished, “We’re having a heart-to-heart a good one, I mean… uh, a bad one but a good one.”
Sam’s brows were knitted and his eyes were intense and he was clearly not liking me swiping at my wet cheeks and I knew this because his gaze followed those movements and that was when his brows shot together.
But now he was studying me.
I let him do it for a moment then whispered, “Honey, she’s still on the line.”
He studied me again. Then his hand slid from my neck to my cheek, taking my hair with it, his thumb extending to glide through the wet still on my skin then the pads of his fingers dug in briefly before he let me go and pushed away.
I let out my breath.
Sam said to Luci, “Girl, I need coffee.”
I said to Celeste, “I’m back and I’m really, really sorry.”
And Celeste said to me on an excited cry that was so far from her polished sophistication, my body jumped in surprise, “I approve ma chérie! Oh, I approve!”
“Uh… sorry?” I asked.
“He has a lovely voice, like velvet,” she observed.
I blinked again at my knees. Then I looked at Sam who was now sitting, eyes on me.
Then I burst out laughing.
Then, still laughing, I agreed, “Yeah. Totally.”
“He’s taking you out on the lake today?”
“Yes.”
“Lovely. The views from the lake are spectacular. Now, I know you’re busy but perhaps, before you leave, we can meet him, if only for a drink. Thomas would so enjoy that and I would too.”
My eyes slid to the lake, “I’ll, uh, talk to Sam and we’ll see.”
“Bien,” she whispered.
“But, regardless, before I go, we’ll see each other again.”
“Oh yes, ma chérie, we will definitely do that.”
“And I need to pay you back for yesterday.”
I heard her cultured but still rich and beautiful laughter then she said, “Oh no, ma chérie, you must give me that.”
“But, uh, it was you giving to me,” I pointed out.
“Yes, and the result was I walked out of your hotel room after seeing a vision of beauty. It was a gift to have a hand in that, even if it was simply nail varnish and a sweep of cosmetics. And you walked out of your hotel room to spend the night with a gentleman who earned your secrets in ten minutes. And it was a gift to have a hand in that too.”
Seriously, did I already say I loved Celeste?
I totally did.
“Okay, then my gift is, whether it’s with Sam or not, when I see you and Thomas again, I pay for dinner.”