“Dieu merci you’re home safely. I needed to hear your voice and am calling for my cousin. How soon can he see his little boy? Considering Raoul is in the middle of a divorce, it should probably be someplace away from your home where he won’t be seen.”
“I can understand that. How soon could he come?”
“Tomorrow. You set the time and the spot.”
“There’s a park I take him to not far from the house. It’s at the Place des Canards. We could meet tomorrow around noon by the pond with the ducks. Afterward I’ll take him home and leave for the pharmacy.”
“Does your mother know what has happened?”
“Yes. I’ve told her everything. She believes this was meant to be.”
His eyes closed tightly for a minute. “You’re an angel, Nathalie.”
“I’m anything but.”
She was still struggling with her guilt. He had plans to help her with that. “Raoul agrees with me. A toute à l’heure.”
* * *
Tuesday morning they both cleared their schedules to be gone from the estate at noon and left for La Gaude in Dominic’s car. En route, Raoul asked him to stop at a store where he could buy a toy. He soon came out with a bag that contained a little blue-and-white sailboat like the one Raoul owned.
Using the GPS, they found the Place des Canards and parked along the side of the road near the pond. He couldn’t miss Nathalie’s gleaming hair, which she’d left loose today. In those jeans and frilly blouse, her feminine figure took his breath away.
Alain formed a contrast with his black curls. Today she’d dressed him in a navy short-sleeved romper with small red-and-white horizontal stripes.
They got out of the car and approached slowly so they wouldn’t startle him. She saw them first and smiled. “Bonjour.”
That brought Alain’s head around. Up close Dominic could see why Nathalie had believed her nephew looked like their family. In person the resemblance to the Fontesquieux was absolutely uncanny. One day he’d grow to be a tall, dark-haired duplicate of his father.
“Alain?” She picked him up so Raoul could get a good look at him.
Raoul eyed him in wonder. “He has Toinette’s cheeks and mouth.” The moment he spoke in an awe-filled voice, Alain squirmed. His eyes, black as poppy throats, darted toward the pond.
“I’ve brought something for him, Nathalie.” He pulled the little sailboat out of the bag.
She smiled. “Oh, look, Alain.”
When the toddler switched directions again, Raoul handed him the toy. “Here’s a bateau for you.”
“Can you say bateau, sweetheart?” He started turning it around in his hands. “You’ll have to play with it when you’re taking your bath.”
Between the way she loved her nephew, and the incredible sight of seeing father and son meet each other for the first time, Dominic’s heart was melting on the spot.
“Look, Alain. Canards!”
As she pointed to some that had come close to the edge, Alain pointed too. “Cans.”
“Yes. Lots and lots of them. And now you’ve got this bateau.”
“Bat!” he burst out, causing all three of them to chuckle.
Her eyes met Raoul’s. “He knows about eight words. So far all of them are one syllable.”
Raoul grinned. “What does he call you?”
“Nat.”
“And your mother?”