Having the Frenchman's Baby

Hopefully on her walk through the countryside her mind would clear and she would regain the common sense she thought she’d been born with.

But as she made her way along one of the forest roads, she realized she was in trouble.

It was no use telling herself this was simply a strong physical attraction that would be forgotten once she left the area.

This time her emotions were involved even though it was too soon to be having these kinds of feelings for a man she barely knew.

When it happens, you’ll know it, her grandfather had said.

Rachel was very much afraid she did know it.

“Sorry I’m late,” Luc explained as he entered his attorney’s office. “I couldn’t get here any sooner.”

It was close to three o’clock. Paul was probably due in court on some case. Luc hated holding him up.

The time he’d spent with Rachel today hadn’t been nearly long enough. When he’d seen Paul’s caller ID, Luc had been tempted to ignore it. But at the last minute he’d known he had to find out what was so important.

“I had to make hotel arrangements for a client who has come here on a buying trip.”

The thought of not seeing her until tomorrow was a torment already eating at him.

“Pas de problème, Luc. It has given me time to go over some other cases.” He removed his reading glasses to look at him.

“I thought you should know that the Brouets have gotten rid of their first attorney.”

Luc stiffened. “What do you mean, first?”

“I’m getting to that. It appears they’ve hired a well known lawyer from Paris named Lebaux. He’s had a lot of experience in these kinds of cases.”

Luc’s eyes held a far-away look. “If that’s true, then they can’t afford him.”

Yves owned a computer store. His business was making a steady profit. That was good news for Luc’s friend, who had a wife and two children to support.

But it killed Luc that Yves had probably contributed the most money in the Brouet family in order to pay for a high-powered attorney.

“Nevertheless Lebaux has been retained and he has already brought the original court date forward with the judge for a preliminary hearing.”

That meant Paulette’s family had either gotten a loan from the bank, or they’d mortgaged their home to come up with the kind of funds required.

Fresh guilt pierced him.

“How soon?”

“The twentieth. That’s this coming Monday. Two o’clock. I have to tell you honestly, Luc. It’ll be a hard case for you to win.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Still, you do have one thing that will let the judge know of your sincere desire for her full recovery. It’s your unquestionable devotion to her for the last three years. No one can argue that you didn’t love your wife, divorced or not.”

Luc jumped up from the chair, stung because his thoughts since last evening had been centered on Rachel.

Today he’d found himself so attracted, he didn’t want to entertain thoughts of her leaving Alsace.

It was one thing to feel desire for a near stranger he could slake with one passionate interlude before parting company. But it was quite another to imagine wanting this woman in his life.

When he thought back on his relationship with Paulette, his feelings for her had developed slowly over the years.

He couldn’t relate to the man he was right now. Rachel’s effect on him was a shocking reality he didn’t know how to deal with because he felt a connection to her beyond the physical. How could it have happened this fast and hard while he was still fighting for Paulette to wake up?