Nine Lives - Danielle Steel Page 0,85
about his business dealings. His whole life had been on hold for a month, and he had been entirely hers. She had loved it, but knew it couldn’t last forever. Sooner or later, he’d be back in the world.
“Happy new year, Maggie,” he said to her as he held her, and she smiled up at him.
“Happy new year, Paul. Welcome back.”
The next morning, a car arrived to drive them to the airport. Maggie had packed what she needed that morning, and Paul had almost nothing to pack. He’d bought some jeans and slacks and sweaters in the shops in Lake Forest. He decided to leave them there, since he didn’t need winter clothes on the boat.
“Take something for New York,” he told her as she packed. “I need to spend a couple of days there, after the boat. And then I have to go to London for meetings, and you have an apartment to decorate.” That all seemed so far away now, and she was sorry to leave their simple life at her house. But he had things to do, worlds to conquer, and deals to make. She was free again until Aden came home in March, and maybe he’d meet them in Europe for spring break instead. Her life wasn’t really here anymore, except for special times like Thanksgiving and Christmas. She had to follow Paul back into his life now. She wondered how quickly it would change after his near-death experience. It wasn’t going to leave him where it found him, and he had told her in the hospital that it was “the last time” he risked his life. He had had a transformation while waiting to die for four days. She could see the change. He seemed to savor every moment like a precious gift.
He had sent a large donation to the family of the lead guide who had died, leaving four kids. He’d written a letter of sympathy to the widow. And she had responded stunned and grateful for his generosity.
* * *
—
Maggie wondered when they’d come back to Lake Forest. It didn’t sound like it would be soon. She called Helen to say goodbye. Helen raced over before they left to give Maggie a hug and wish Paul luck. And he hugged her back. He liked her, and Jeff, and he knew how important Helen was to Maggie. Maggie had told him how Helen had saved her life after Brad. Now Maggie had saved his. He would never forget it, and treated her with new gratitude and respect as they rode to the airport and got on his plane. He heaved a sigh of relief as he entered his familiar world and felt back in control again. He walked up the steps normally, and walked down the aisle with ease.
“How do you feel?” Maggie asked him on the trip.
“I feel great,” he said, roaring like a lion, and she laughed.
“I think my nursing days are over,” she said with a touch of nostalgia.
“You sound sorry,” he teased her.
“Maybe I am. You’re a lot easier to keep track of when you’re half frozen and can’t walk.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He smiled at her. And when they got to the boat in Antigua, the entire crew had lined up on deck to greet him, in dress uniforms, many with tears in their eyes. Once they heard the full story, they couldn’t believe he had survived, and neither could he.
“More like ninety-nine lives than nine,” the captain said when they talked about it. Paul had the steward serve them all a glass of champagne, and then he and Maggie settled into their cabin. He had asked for a massage and urged Maggie to get one.
“You deserve it more than I do.” He wanted her to be pampered to repay her for what she’d done for him. It was the least he could do. He hadn’t even been able to get her a decent Christmas present, since he could barely walk then and was still very stiff. He intended to make up for it when they got to New York, and he had something special in mind. She had bought him a cashmere and silk robe, which he had worn constantly and left in Lake Forest for when he went back.
He improved dramatically once he was on the boat. They swam morning and afternoon, the massages brought his feet back to normal, and his hands. Two weeks after they’d arrived, he felt entirely like himself.