crush on a handsome man, I could get over quickly. A crush on a handsome and kind man … well kind was my kryptonite.
Dauphine lay on the sectional, her eyes drowsy, but glued to the movie. She’d pulled a cerise cashmere-looking throw over her bare legs.
“Be right back,” I whispered. The boat rocked gently beneath my feet as I stood.
The swimming and salt and sea air had tired her out.
I hoped they did the same for me come bedtime.
I caressed her hair and then got up and made my way to the galley to find Andrea and chat. Unfortunately, she was busy going through upcoming menus with Chef.
After making sure it was fine with Andrea that I leave Dauphine relaxing where she was, I retrieved my sketchbook and climbed to the top deck. I spent a blissful hour under the awning, sketching the houses built into the rock. Dauphine found me soon enough and was delighted that I knew how to draw. I tore a sheet out of my book, making a mental note to buy more paper when I could, and gave her a pencil. She drew a seascape, complete with a mermaid.
The sun was low, and the light hitting the villas and rocky outcrops as we gently swayed in the water made my heart twist in contentment. I found myself longing to explore the tiny villages. How close together were all those houses after all? Were all the alleys cobblestoned? Did little French ladies stand in front of their pale blue doors and sweep their stone steps and shoo the stray cats? Did they all walk home with fresh baguettes every day? How strange to have been plucked from my small Southern life I’d thought I’d wanted and plopped into the middle of the Mediterranean. This was the kind of thing I should have been putting on a vision board as a teenager. Not that I’d ever finished one. It had always been Meredith’s idea, and my logical left-minded brain didn’t put much stock in such a practice. Although Meredith was always trying to convince me that my Pinterest board about France was the same thing. Maybe it was. Maybe fate had indeed brought me here.
Dauphine and I ate with the crew again since Mr. Pascale had not yet returned, and later, I found myself restlessly trying and failing to sleep. My internal clock was still locked into American time. The boat rocked more heavily anchored in the bay than it had in port, and while the motion should lull me, all it did was make me constantly aware I was enclosed deep inside a vessel with no fresh air and surrounded by dark water. I debated getting up to go to outside, but then I heard the sounds of Xavier coming down the stairs and getting ready for bed. So he was home. Something inside me relaxed now that he was back.
Chapter Sixteen
I peered into the galley, expecting to find at least Chef in there too, but it was only Andrea. I didn’t think I’d missed breakfast this time as there were plates and food still on the table. She had her back to me as she fiddled with the coffee machine. “Morning,” she greeted as she looked over her shoulder. “Would you like a coffee?”
“Yes, please. Desperately. But just one, thank you. This jet lag might keep me awake again tonight, so I don't think adding too much caffeine into the mix is a good idea. I’m still six hours behind.”
“Let's sit and chat before everyone comes in,” she said and indicated the banquette seating. “The jet lag will take a few days, I’m sure.”
I slid onto the banquette with some fruit and a croissant. “What time do you all usually eat?”
Andrea sat down opposite me, setting two frothy cups of cappuccino in front of us. She glanced at her phone. “Around now, but they’re all trying to figure out the Wi-Fi. It’s glitching.” Her blonde hair was scraped back like she normally wore it, in a low bun behind her head. She wore minimal make-up, and her skin glowed healthy and smooth. “You probably gathered from lunch yesterday, but Monsieur Pascale … he likes to, uh—”
“Rescue people?"
She trilled tension-filled laughter. “I guess you could say that. I don’t even think he realizes it.” She waved her hands in the air dismissively. “It's probably best to bring you up to speed. And I didn’t want to talk about it in front of everyone. They know of