He cocked his head to the side. “We can ask Evan, of course. He would have to accompany you.”
“C-could you accompany us sometimes? I mean, I think Dauphine would like to do more things with you. But only if it’s safe obviously.”
“What did you have in mind?”
I wracked my brain that seemed to have lost most of the information I’d been feeding it over the last few weeks. “If we go back to Ile Saint Marguerite, she and I could go and see the Huguenot Memorial you mentioned. And then also, I was reading about this amazing turquoise river. It’s like a gorge or something, the color of the water is milky blue, and you can kayak—”
“Les Gorges du Verdon?”
“Yes! The Verdon Gorge. Is it far?” I leaned against the stair railing behind me.
He pursed his lips. “If we drove when we were back in Nice, perhaps it would take two and a half hours.”
“Oh.” My shoulders slumped. “It was just an idea.”
“It was a good idea. Dauphine has always been interested in going there, actually. Her class went on a school camping trip a while ago, but she couldn’t go. She was afraid she would wake up with a nightmare and be teased by the other girls.”
My chest constricted. “Poor Dauphine. Wait, do you have to camp there or can you do it in a day?”
He snorted a laugh at whatever he must have seen on my face. “I see you are not a fan of camping?”
“Are you?” I defended.
“Not particularly. But somehow I don’t think I have quite the same reaction to the idea as you do.”
“And what reaction was that?”
“Like someone just asked you to try a chocolate-covered locust. Or a mussel.”
I cracked up. “Yeah. That sounds about right. All power to the campers, it’s just never been my thing.”
“No boats, no camping,” he mused. “So, is that all you wanted to talk about?”
I opened my mouth then closed it again.
His eyes were steady on mine. Intense. It was now or never.
“It’s just. This … this chatting with you is nice. Then sometimes, you just snap like I’ve done something wrong, and you’re cold again. I mean, I’m not saying I’m the best person in the world, but I think I’m a nice enough person. Dauphine seems to think so. As well as practically every other person I’ve ever met. I have to be honest, I’ve never come across someone who simply tolerates me one minute and seems repelled by me the very next.”
He stilled, his eyes narrowing. His arms folded across his chest.
Shit, I’d really just put it out there, hadn’t I? My heart thudded heavily all the way up my throat. “I mean … I, it’s fine if you don’t like me. But,” I swallowed. My mouth had gone dry as paper. Earth, or ocean, swallow me up. Please.
“You’re nice one minute and snappy the next.”
He sat forward, legs astride the lounger. “Snappy?” His work was cast aside.
“Snappy,” I reiterated. “The way you look at me feels like …” I trailed off, then cleared my throat. “Never mind. Anyway, it feels as though you have been avoiding me. Have you?” I asked before my brain caught up with my mouth. Might as well ask him straight out.
His expression remained unchanged, though there was a long pause before he answered slowly. “Why would I do that?”
“It seems like you have been.” I lifted a shoulder as if it had been just a casual observation.
“I think I have too much work going on and too many important things on my mind than worrying about where you are at all times. I … like you just fine. I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel otherwise,” he said flatly. “That was not my intention. As long as my daughter is safe, that’s all I should care about.”
“Of course.” I bit down hard. “Okay. As long as there is not something I can do differently.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” he said cryptically after a long pause. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a few more reports to read.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
My American phone beeped with an incoming text as I pulled on a fresh t-shirt from my laundry pile. After Dauphine and I swam while Xavier was on a conference call, I’d had a quick shower to get the salt off. This morning we’d stopped off at a small bay, and this afternoon we’d be docking back in St. Tropez. I was looking forward to getting off the boat again