Follow Your Star, Jennifer Bohnet [best fiction novels to read txt] 📗

senses in disarray. She’d spent a lot of time with this man, had thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with him, but their three years apart had turned him into a stranger, and she didn’t know what to say to him.

‘Coffee?’ Zac handed her a cup. ‘Has Mathieu told you about my party next week? I hope you’re coming.’

Nanette shook her head, but before she could say anything Zac continued, ‘I’d at least feel you were starting to forgive and forget the past, and my running out on you, if you’d come.’

‘I don’t know that I do forgive you,’ Nanette said sharply. ‘As for forgetting, well, my memory is still hazy about the actual accident, but I doubt that I’ll ever forget its consequences, or the hell of the last three years.’

Zac, Nanette noted, had the grace to look upset at her outburst.

‘You still don’t remember any details of the accident then?’ he asked, stirring his coffee, not looking at her.

‘No. Other than it was only the second time I’d driven the car,’ Nanette said.

She didn’t tell him, she remembered vividly all the details of the afternoon when Zac had presented her with the racy convertible – an early birthday present. She’d loved it and had immediately jumped into it and driven Zac around Monaco, showing the car off to all her friends.

Nine hours later the car was a mangled wreck on the autoroute and she was in intensive care in the Princess Grace Hospital.

Nanette stared at him.

‘And no-one has ever explained why I was flown back to the UK within forty-eight hours of coming out of intensive care. Why wasn’t I just allowed to stay here and recover?’

‘Everyone thought you’d be better off at home,’ he said evasively.

‘This was my home. And who’s this everyone?’ Nanette demanded.

There was a brief silence as Zac pulled his croissant apart before turning to face her.

‘It was my decision,’ he said quietly. ‘I made all the arrangements.’

‘Didn’t want the responsibility of caring for me, is that it? Scared I was going to be permanently scarred or disabled?’

Zac shook his head. ‘I just thought you’d be better off where Patsy could administer some tender loving care. Nurse you back to health. Come on, Nanette, you know what my racing schedule is like from June to October, I’m never in town for more than two or three days at a time. There was no way I could play doctors and nurses all summer.’

‘But why—’

Zac held up his hands. ‘Stop. Enough questions. All I can say is, I’m sorry I hurt you in the past, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s history. I’m glad you’re back in Monaco looking so well and I hope we can be friends.’

As he said this, he looked at her quizzically before adding, ‘Or at the very least be civil to each other when we meet.’

When she didn’t answer, he sighed before reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket and taking out a brown envelope.

‘Pit lane passes. If I don’t see you before, I’ll see you on Sunday – and please think about coming to my party. Pole Position has been refurbished recently – she’s looking really smart, I’d like you to see the changes. Right, thanks for breakfast— Stay there. I’ll see myself out. Ciao.’

As the apartment door slammed behind him, Nanette sank down trembling on to a chair, relief flooding through her body. The meeting she’d been dreading was over and she could only be grateful that it had taken place privately, not in public. At least now that it had happened she wouldn’t have to skulk around Monaco worrying she was about to bump into him and wondering what his reaction would be. He was right, of course, they were bound to meet up from time to time and it was far better all round if they were civil to each other.

Not that she felt very civil towards him right now, after that casual remark about forgiving and forgetting the past. As if it was that easy. He still hadn’t explained why he had not been in touch once he’d shipped her back to Patsy.

Sitting there, trying to analyse her feelings about the meeting and for Zac Ewart, Nanette frowned. There were still questions to which she needed answers and until her memory returned fully, Zac Ewart was the only person who could give them, which clearly he had no intention of doing.

Smothering a sigh, she picked up the breakfast tray and returned it to the kitchen. For how much longer was the legacy of her past to haunt her future?

After Nanette had collected the twins from school on Wednesday afternoon they walked up to Jean-Claude’s villa where Mathieu had said he would join them in the swimming pool.

There was no sign of anyone when they arrived, but Nanette could hear raised voices coming from Jean-Claude’s study.

‘You two go on down to the pool room and get changed but do not get into the pool until I, or Daddy, get there. Understand? I’ll just go and tell Papa Jean-Claude we’re here and see where your father is.’

Nanette recognized Mathieu’s angry voice as she got close to the window of the ground-floor study.

‘Get off my back, Papa. I know what I’m doing and I don’t need your advice.’

‘The last time you shouted that at me you ended up needing me though – and my money, remember?’

‘Never going to let me forget that, are you? I was nineteen for god’s sake!’

‘Whether you want my advice or not, I’m telling you you’re getting