more over the next few days, if you want to. But if you need something to ponder for now, why not think about where else you’d like to travel? We’re on vacation, after all.”
“That’s honestly just as overwhelming,” Naomi said. “I’ve never allowed myself to imagine a trip to Europe. And I never thought this vacation would extend beyond Barcelona.”
“You don’t have a wish list of places you’d like to see in Europe?”
“Not really,” she admitted, feeling embarrassed.
“Well, I’ll help you come up with one,” he said. “But for now, enough brooding. It’s our wedding night. Come back to bed. I’ll help you take your mind off things.”
He stood up and extended a hand.
Naomi smiled, took his hand, and allowed him to help her to her feet. It seemed the wedding celebration wasn’t over yet.
Chapter 11
The morning was a whirlwind.
“We’re catching a plane in a little less than two hours,” Petr said, shaking her awake. “You’d better pack quickly.”
Naomi bounded out of bed and began to move around the room, gathering her things. “So fast? Where are we going?”
“You didn’t know what you wanted to do, so I made arrangements,” he said. “We’re going to Switzerland.”
“Really?” Although she never would have thought of it, her heart fluttered with excitement at the idea. “We’ll see mountains!”
“That’s right,” he said. “And gorgeous architecture, just like they have here. You’re going to love Geneva.”
“Have you been there before?”
“Several times when I was growing up,” he said.
Naomi stuffed her clothes into her suitcase, allowing herself to fantasize about what Petr’s family home in Geneva might be like. A massive ski lodge, maybe. Wooden features, and a huge living room with a stone fireplace.
Whatever it was, she was sure it would blow her imaginings away. She could never have dreamed up this house, that was for sure.
All too soon, they were packed and ready to go. Naomi felt a pang as they left the Barcelona house for the last time.
But I’m his wife now, she reminded herself. We have our whole lives to come back here and do this again.
When they reached the airport, Naomi headed automatically for the first-class security screening line, but to her surprise, Petr put his arm around her shoulders and guided her gently toward the regular line.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he said, his eyes filled with anxiety. “I thought it made more sense to just buy business-class tickets for this flight, since it isn’t as long.”
“Of course I don’t mind,” Naomi assured him, embarrassed at her gaffe. She shouldn’t have just assumed they would be flying first class. “It’s still nicer than what I’m used to.”
They made it to their gate, and Naomi left Petr to watch their bags and hurried off to the nearest fast-food restaurant. She came back with a couple of breakfast sandwiches, hash browns, and cups of coffee.
“This is what I usually eat before boarding a plane,” she told him, handing his half of the food over to him.
He unwrapped his sandwich. “It’s so greasy!” he said, obviously delighted.
“Have you ever had their food before?”
“Never. But this is an American chain, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she said. “I was sort of surprised to find it in the Barcelona airport. But I guess people all over the world do eat this stuff. Anyway, dig in. You’ll love it.”
They sat across from one another, and Naomi put her feet up in Petr’s lap. He rubbed her ankle gently as he ate.
“You were right,” he said as he polished off the final bite of his sandwich. “This food is excellent. I don’t know why people don’t eat it every day!”
“Because it’s bad for you,” she said with a smile. “But we’re on vacation, so a little indulgence is called for, I think.”
“I agree,” Petr said. “This week will be all about indulgence.”
“Why is it that you don’t live in Sovra?” Naomi asked her husband.
They were sitting on the porch of the cabin they had rented in Switzerland. It was luxurious enough, with a hot tub, a fireplace, and a gorgeous sprawling bedroom, but Naomi had been surprised to find that Petr didn’t own a home outright in Geneva.
Then again, it was a lot to expect that he would own homes in every great city. She supposed she had just assumed that he would choose their destination based on where his family owned property, but she sort of liked that he hadn’t done that.
Petr glanced at her. “Do you want to hear that story?” he asked.
“I asked, didn’t I?” she said