I Promise You This (Love in Provence Book 3) (25 page)

After dinner, Philippe left for a quick meeting on the Cap with Didier. “Minou, don’t forget he wants to talk to you about the change to the kitchen that I mentioned. Can you see him tomorrow?”

Kat assured him she would make some time. “I’m so excited to see what he has in mind!”

The first appointment in the morning was at the clinic so they could assess Molly’s requirements. Once her treatment schedule was set up, Kat and Molly could begin to plan other things.

Now they sat on the floor and played with the pups again. Molly said it was the most comfortable position for her, as long as she had help getting up and down.

“Katski, I have to tell you about the strangest thing that happened to me in the rehab hospital in Toronto. Since it was close to your house, Lucy took it upon herself to be a regular visitor.”

“That was nice of her,” Katherine remarked. “She’s such a gentle soul.”

“I only met her a few times with you, and she always was very sweet.” Molly stopped talking and rolled her eyes in her typical way that made Kat laugh. Then she continued, “Well, it was kind of frickin’ strange, that’s what it was. I mean, she was giving me the heebie-jeebies.”

“Why on earth would you say that?”

“Did you know she was a Reiki master?”

“Ummm, I can’t say I did, but I’m not surprised, because she’s so into yoga and meditation. She’s such a believer in all things spiritual, astrological and, well, Zen, for lack of a better word.”

“Well, she decided she was going to give me some—uh, what did she call them? Oh, yeah, attunements—when the staff weren’t around. So she would stay for an hour and do her thing with her hands and say all that positive energy stuff. At first I thought she was a bit wacko, lightly placing her hands around my neck and head and leg and shoulder. But I got used to it, and then it actually sounded kind of cool.”

“I guess it just depends on your attitude and beliefs. Did it make you feel any better?”

“Well, here’s the really weird bit. I think it did make a difference. My shoulder seemed to stop hurting, and the staff all exclaimed how quickly it was healing. I think Lucy was helping me get better faster with all of that touching. She’d hold her hands just above where the surgery had taken place, and I actually thought it tingled there when she did it.”

“I’ve never had any experience with Reiki, but I know several women from yoga who are involved with it. Did you feel more centered? Could you sleep better after one of her sessions?”

“Yes to both, and she listened to my music playlist and made some great suggestions for music for us to listen to sometimes while she did her things with her hands.”

Katherine sat thinking for a few minutes. “I guess we just have to try all these things until we come to a conclusion that works for us.”

Molly agreed. “And much to my surprise, Tony thought what Lucy was doing was a good idea too.”

Katherine smiled. “He’s such an interesting man. After all those years of seeing him fleetingly and thinking of him as Father DeCarlo, it was a pleasure to really get to know him. It’s interesting how society tends to separate men of the cloth, as it were, from regular people. I was guilty of that, anyway.”

Molly nodded and looked away for a second. “That’s for sure.” Yawning, she said, “I’m starting to fade. It’s three in the morning my time . . .”

“Try to stay awake for another hour if you can. I’ll take the pups out for their walks while you get ready for bed. See you in half an hour or so, and let me know if you need anything.” They stood up and hugged again, smiling into each other’s eyes.

Kat sighed happily. “It’s so good to have you here, on your way back to being you. You had us seriously worried for a while.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Early Wednesday morning, Katherine and Molly went to Molly’s first meeting at the physiotherapy clinic. The drive was easy, the staff professional and friendly.

Molly had been concerned about not speaking French, but Katherine had assured her that most of the staff was happy to speak English with her.

“This is still very much part of your recuperation,” the physiotherapist reminded Molly. “You’ve been through tremendous physical and emotional trauma, and it will require more time than you realize to fully recover. Even your brain injury will take time, there is still healing going on there too.”

On the way home after a three-hour session, Molly said, “Wow, Katski, you sounded so impressive when you spoke to the receptionist in French. You’re really coming along with that!”

Kat sighed. “I’m getting more comfortable with the language. But I’ve still got a long way to go. Thank heavens for my tutor, Ida, and for patient Philippe and my friend Annette. Even Simone some days—everyone is helping!”

“It’s so great to see all this familiar territory. I just want to run around and go everywhere you took me before and stroll the cobblestone lanes . . .”

“There will be no strolling the cobblestone lanes until you get the go-ahead from the clinic. Remember what the physiotherapist said as we were leaving. You have to be very careful where you walk for another couple of weeks or else you’ll have to go back into a wheelchair. But don’t worry, there are plenty of streets that aren’t cobblestone where we can walk.”

“All right! Then can we stop at Le Vieil Antibes for old times’ sake and I’ll have an espresso? Then next time I want to go to Choopy’s and that pizza place where we met Nick and Graham and I’ve just got to meet Simone and what about Bernadette . . . Oh, wait, let’s go to your place on the Cap, I’m dying to see that!”

“Whoa!” Katherine laughed. “Make a list and we’ll do it all. We’ve got tons of time! I’ll park at the port now, and we’ll go to Le Vieil Antibes so you can have that espresso. Then we’ll go to the Cap.”

As they sat sipping their espresso and tea, they reminisced about their time together the previous August. Katherine was touched by how meaningful that trip had been for Molly.

Molly set her cup down. “Thanks to you, my eyes were really opened to the endless experiences travel brings. It completely changed my perspective for the future. As you well know, I’d never been out of Canada, apart from the States, and I really didn’t have that big a desire or the funds to take trips. Being back here reminds me that travel is going to play a part of my life from now on. Once a year I’m going to plan a trip somewhere, and I’m excited about that.”

Katherine looked thoughtful. “We’re both going through major change in our lives right now. I still shake my head in amazement sometimes.”

With her lips pursed, Molly nodded and gave Katherine a noticeably intense look. “So here’s my question for you, Katherine Elisabeth Price: have you accepted in your head what your heart has been telling you for some time? Before you left Toronto last month, you admitted you were still struggling with the idea that your home would be in France forever.”

Katherine returned the intense look as only the best of friends can. She knew Molly was right. She knew there was no point in dragging out the process any longer.

Neither blinked. “As they say, poop or get off the pot,” Molly continued. “See how I’ve cleaned up my act? Now, what’s it going to be?

Katherine shook her head and laughed. “Trust you to take a serious moment and make me laugh.”

“Never mind. That was just minor comedic relief. I’m waiting for your answer.”

“I’m close to knowing. With certainty. Philippe has been patient beyond words, and after the time we spent with Simone the other day, I feel like the truth is staring me in the face.”

Molly gave Kat a wide-eyed questioning look and spread her hands out, palms up. “So?”

“So, I’m glad you’re here to push me.”

“I’m waiting. We can talk about it anytime.”

Reaching for Molly’s hands, Kat clasped them in hers. “And we will.”

Accepting this was the end of the conversation for now.

Molly changed her tone. “I can’t believe we’re sitting here chatting in this little café in the South of France, once again,” she said with an enormous grin.

Katherine blew out a big sigh. “I’m so relieved you’re here at all. You gave us quite a scare!”

Molly’s eyes filled with tears. “How can I ever thank you for all you’ve done? For coming back to Toronto and making sure everything was handled properly. For taking care of me when there really was no one else. For bringing Andrea and Terrence into my life, and now Philippe and Nick. Oh my God, dear, dear Nick. I’m so grateful to you for everything.”

Katherine and Molly shared an embrace of love, friendship, and gratitude. Kat reminded herself to be gentle with Molly’s still-delicate condition.

Kat smiled at her friend. “I’m going to be as trite as can be now, but that’s what friends are for. We are so lucky to have each other.”

Molly nodded, wiping her eyes.

“Just don’t reunite us through a serious accident again, please and thank you.”

“I guess that’s one of the benefits of being unconscious. I didn’t know how much of a scare I gave you until much later. This accident has been a game changer for me.”

They talked about how the next few weeks might play out, made some plans, agreed that all plans were subject to change, and simply decided to have the best time together that they possibly could.

Katherine called Didier to say they would be over and that they would bring lunch. After picking up the requested baguette sandwiches, Katherine could not believe her eyes as they drove up the driveway to the villa.

A carpet of deep purple covered the gardens and much of the lawn, and spread like a flowing stream through the woodland. A sweet fragrance hung heavily in the air as Kat helped Molly out of the car.

“Wow! Just wow!” they exclaimed to each other. “What is that?”

Katherine quickly walked over and bent down to pick one of the delicate blooms. “Violets! I didn’t know we had any on the property or that they bloomed this time of year. They’ve popped open in the two days since I was last here. Look at them all!”

Didier came out to greet them, touching his fingers to his beret in respect. After Kat introduced him to Molly, she raved about the abundance of violets.

Didier’s enthusiasm matched hers. “
Oui! C’est magnifique!
Because the property was neglected for so many years, these violets spread with wild abandon,” he explained. “Tourrettes-sur-Loup has a
fête des violettes
this month. You must go! Most of their harvest goes to the perfume makers in Grasse, as they have for centuries. They are also the official flower of Toulouse and there are many
fêtes
all around that region this month, but that’s quite a drive.”

“Oh! We’ll go to Tourrettes for sure! It’s one of my favorite villages. When Philippe takes me for a spin into the hills on his Ducati, we often stop there. The village is atmospheric and so picturesque. Molly, the first sight of it will make your jaw drop.”

Katherine was still mesmerized by the purple haze that had taken over the property. “This is so dreamlike. I love it, don’t you, Moll?”

“Fanfrickingtastic!” Molly exclaimed.

Katherine picked up her camera from the backseat of the car and snapped away. She kept repeating that she had never seen anything quite like it.

Didier blew his whistle and proudly assembled his team before handing out the baguette sandwiches. Then he gave Molly and Kat a tour of all that had been done so far. While Kat continued to fill her camera chip with the dreamlike purple haze carpeting the property, he showed Molly the drawings of what was to come.

Molly could not contain her enthusiasm. “Even in this state of disrepair, it’s easy to see what a special place this will be. You can feel the history and the character everywhere, and the garden is magic—simply magic. I’ve never seen so much purple! I want to come back and help you plant and dig and weed and all that, Kat. Promise me I can do that!”

“I promise you can come back every single time you wish,” Katherine assured her. “We’re always going to have plenty of room for company. That’s something Philippe and I both are excited about. He’s such a people person and never really had the chance to enjoy that in his own home. You know how everyone loves him at the market.”

Molly nodded. “Tomorrow we’ll have to go there.”

“For sure, we can head there after your physio,” Kat agreed. “And I’m serious about you making a list. I want to do everything you want. Oh, and we’ve got some projects to put you to work on too. I’m not kidding!”

“Whatever you want. I’m at your disposal,
mon amie
,” Molly answered.

Kat and Molly settled on a bench with their sandwiches in a sheltered sunny spot in the garden. They breathed in the fragrance of the violets, exclaiming repeatedly in pleasure.

“I guess Philippe knows about this and doesn’t think it’s such a big deal,” Kat speculated. “It’ll be interesting to see what he says.”

“I bet he wanted you to be surprised,” Molly suggested.

“Why didn’t I think of that? That would be just like him.” Kat smiled knowingly.

Molly nodded in between bites. “What is it about baguette sandwiches that makes them taste so delicious with just a simple slice of cheese and ham? Actually, I’m not looking for an answer. That was purely rhetorical. I know the French discovered the secret for the most delicious bread in the world centuries ago.”

Katherine grinned and mumbled her agreement, her mouth full.

Molly went on in rapture, “Mmmmm . . . frickin’. . . mmmmm! Color me happy!”

The days passed quickly, with physiotherapy sessions every morning. Molly had bonded well with Claire, the well-trained woman in charge of her program. Her gentle persuasion kept Molly disciplined in doing interval exercises at home, and the results were showing.

Katherine was firm in reminding excitable Molly to take things slowly. Even though they were thrilled to be together and eagerly anticipated the adventures that awaited them, they also knew it was important to rest. Everything would happen in due course.

Simone asked Kat to bring Molly over for tea and
madeleines
, and that became a part of their weekly routine.

The weather had not been conducive to most excursions anyway. “Let’s give spring a little more time to settle in,” Kat rationalized. “I’m so glad you’ll be here to experience that.”

Molly had countered by saying the weather was a major improvement compared to what she’d left behind in Toronto. Philippe enjoyed agreeing thoroughly with that.

The next Monday they drove up to Tourrettes-sur-Loup with Philippe and Gilles to enjoy the
fête des violettes
. The festival lasted throughout March, with a focus on all the edible possibilities one could create with violets. Molly and Kat agreed that the violet ice cream had been their favorite.

Along the way, Kat and Philippe continued a conversation they had been having since Kat discovered the violets at the villa. Philippe hadn’t told her about them because he wanted her to have precisely the reaction she did.

“You’re the best surprise maker! Thank you again for that one, it was fabulous!”

Philippe grinned. “I’ve been thinking about your idea for a name for the villa.
Tu as raison
, Minou. You’re right. I like it!”

Katherine reached over and kissed him on the cheek. “I love it too! Molly, what do you think? Gilles? Do we have a unanimous vote?”

Villa des Violettes would be the name of the restored villa.

Much of Molly’s time was spent reading and relaxing while Kat worked on her photography files. They also began developing the FromageGraphie website together, and the more they planned, the more excited Kat and Philippe became about the possibilities. A summer launch was their target.

Molly was intrigued by their ideas for the website. She threw herself into investigating layouts and formats while Katherine kept busy planning for her debut in the photography exhibit. The three of them shared a lot of laughter and good ideas as they tossed around concepts that would marry the themes of cheese and photography.