One Summer in Paris

“I’ll call back.” She rejected the call. “I still don’t understand why you’re here. You flew all the way to Paris to tell me you and Lissa have broken up?” It hurt that Mimi hadn’t warned her. For her whole life, Mimi was the one Grace had been able to depend on. And she knew she could still depend on her, but still it felt like a tiny bit of a betrayal that Mimi had accompanied David and not contacted Grace first.

“I made her promise not to tell you. I wanted to tell you in person. And I wanted to tell you that I—” his voice was rough and ragged “—I miss you, Gracie. I miss you so much.”

At the beginning she’d wanted to hear those words so badly but he hadn’t said them. And he was saying them now, when she’d finally managed to take a few strides forward?

Did he think she was just going to fling herself into his arms and forgive him?

The cruelty of it almost shredded her. “You broke my heart, David. You almost broke me.”

“I know, and I will never be able to make that up to you but I’m going to try anyway.”

She took a step backward and almost fell over a chair. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying—I’m asking—if you think there is any way you might be able to forgive me. If there are any circumstances in which you might consider—” He swallowed. Licked his lips. “Trying again.”

Grace felt as if she’d stepped into an alternate universe.

This morning she’d been in bed with Philippe. And now David was asking if they

could try again.

“You slept with someone else.” She ignored the little voice that told her she’d slept with someone else, too. “You said our marriage was over.”

“It was madness. You’re my best friend, Grace. I don’t know how I could have lost sight of that.”

“Lissa’s long legs probably had something to do with it.” Grace glanced at the door, wondering if Mimi was listening. Had her grandmother known what David was going to say? If she’d known his relationship with Lissa had ended, why hadn’t she warned her?

He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Will you at least have dinner with me tonight? So that we can talk.”

“I can’t. I have plans.”

“I thought you didn’t have any plans.”

“You asked me about the day. Tonight I have plans.” Was that why Philippe was calling? She felt awkward being with David, which was ridiculous because Philippe had never shown the slightest interest in the domestic details of her life.

Philippe didn’t do domestic details. He flew from country to country, from city to city, indulging his one big love, which was the piano. He’d never wanted anything that kept him rooted in one place.

David put his hands on the back of the chair. His knuckles whitened. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going to a concert.” She told him because she didn’t want him thinking even for a moment that she was sitting indoors crying over him.

His gaze held hers. “On your own?”

“No. Not on my own.” She reached for her bag and started to walk toward the interconnecting door, but he caught up with her and turned her to face him.

She could feel his fingers gripping her arms and smell the familiar scent of him.

“Is it Philippe? Sorry—” He let go of her, raising his hands by way of apology. “I know I have no right to ask.”

“You’re right. You have no right to ask.” She didn’t ask how he knew about Philippe. Mimi, presumably. Maybe she should feel guilty, but she didn’t. Right now she felt angry. She’d loved David. Adored him. Maybe she still did, but he’d carelessly destroyed what they had and now he expected her to just take him back?

She looked away so that she didn’t meet those blue eyes that had always made her feel weak at the knees. She wasn’t that woman anymore.

“Don’t worry about Mimi.” She tugged open the interconnecting door so violently she almost lost her balance. “I’ll take her out with me tonight. I’m sure you’ll find a way to entertain yourself.”

“How about lunch tomorrow?”

He sounded so calm and reasonable, so totally like the old David that for a moment she was tempted. Just a conversation. Why not hear what he had to say?