Then he gave her nose a playful tap. “Try and dream of me, okay?”
“I’ll give it my best shot,” she said.
It wouldn’t be hard. She was warm all over, and boneless. Human syrup, that was what he’d turned her into, she thought as she let herself into the room.
But the euphoria faded at the sight of her sister. Sierra had left a bedside light on, but she was laid out under the covers, facing away from Sierra. Asleep?
“Si?” Sophie whispered.
No answer.
She crept to the bed and leaned her sister’s direction. “Sierra? Are you okay?”
Again, no answer. It was a stupid question, anyway. Sophie already knew the answer. Her poor sister.
Maybe she was wrong about Mark. Maybe things were fine between them and he really had to work. And needing to talk didn’t necessarily mean needing to split up.
And maybe Santa didn’t wear red.
Sophie dreamed that night, but not about Trevor. She dreamed Mark was on the ship with them, wearing red underwear and a Santa hat and chasing all the college girls around the ship. Sophie found him at the stern of the boat with an older woman, who was dripping with diamonds, telling her how beautiful she was.
“I love older women,” he said. “I love all women. Except my wife.”
“You rat!” she’d said, and pushed him overboard. Ha ha. Drowned rat.
14
The ship’s next port of call was Baden-Baden, a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany, near the border with France. Catherine fell in love with the park-lined Lichentaler Allee, the town’s central promenade, and the Trinkhalle with its loggia decorated with frescoes.
“You have to taste the water,” Denise said to her when they all stopped at the mineral water fountain. “It’s supposed to have curative powers.”
If only Catherine could substitute those waters for chemo. She gave it a try. And shuddered.
“What does it taste like?” Sophie asked her.
“Dirty socks and salt water.”
Sophie wrinkled her nose. “Eew. Just. Eew.”
“Think of all the curative powers,” Denise said to her.
“You’ve kept us well supplied in those,” Denise told him. “You marvelous man, you.”
“Uh-oh, I’ve got competition,” Charlie joked.
But it looked like some of the competition was dropping out. Arnold had fallen away from Denise’s side and was strolling with the group of women he’d sat with at dinner the night before. Denise didn’t appear to be missing him.
The Christmas market wasn’t huge like the ones in Cologne and Heidelberg, but it was Catherine’s favorite. The wooden booths were all trimmed with greenery and festive lights, and good smells danced on the air along with conversation and laughter of the many shoppers. Tiny snowflakes began to float down like little fairies, adding to the magical atmosphere.
She treated everyone to Lebkuchen hearts and she and Denise took a selfie next to a life-size wooden nutcracker soldier in his guard booth. She managed to take the walking tour of the city also, and then was pooped.
But after a nap when they got back on board the ship, she was ready for another gourmet meal in the dining room and some more dancing in the lounge. One more day, she thought as she and Rudy swayed on the dance floor. Why did such wonderful times have to fly by so quickly?
“I can’t believe it’s already almost at an end,” she said to Denise the next morning as they dressed for their tour of the Black Forest.
“I don’t think everything’s at an end,” Denise said. “I guarantee you’ll be seeing more of Rudy.”
Not once she told him what her new year held. She was going to have to tell him. Tonight, she thought miserably.
Tonight was still a long way off. She’d focus on enjoying today.
Everyone who had signed up for a bus ride into the Black Forest disembarked the ship to find buses waiting for them. Catherine, Denise and their new friends boarded a bus and clumped together, occupying seats toward the front, Catherine and Denise seated by each other and Rudy and Athena behind them, the rest of the gang in seats on the other side of the aisle.
It was fun to watch romance blooming between Sophie and Trevor, who were laughing about something as they got on the bus, and Catherine was also happy to see Harriet slide into a seat next to the young man named Hugh. He slung an arm around her as soon as she settled in and she seemed pretty happy about it. Catherine couldn’t help remembering an old rock and roll song that advised if