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

late and perhaps the airline will refuse to let you fly. I think you will possibly deliver early.’

Leaving the clinic the sisters decided to walk back to the apartment. As they strolled slowly along the embankment enjoying the sunshine and dodging the tourists, Nanette said, ‘I’ll ring the airline and change your ticket to an earlier flight. As much as I want you to stay, I think the consultant is right.’

Patsy nodded. ‘Another twenty-four hours will be OK though, won’t it? I really want to see the twins’ school play tonight.’

‘First available flight after this evening then,’ Nanette said. ‘Now, are you up for some retail therapy in Rue Princess Caroline before lunch?’

‘Silly question, of course,’ Patsy answered. ‘I’ve got to make the most of my time here – besides I must find a present for Bryan.’

‘Good, but then you must get some rest before we go to the play. It’s my afternoon to work for Jean-Claude so I won’t be around for a couple of hours. If you don’t want to stay in the apartment alone you can always come up to the villa with me.’

Patsy shook her head. ‘I’ll be fine. I’ll probably sit on the balcony and snooze for a couple of hours. Shopping always tires me out even when I’m not pregnant!’

Once back at the apartment Patsy went to sit on the balcony while Nanette telephoned the airline to change her flight. To her dismay she was told the only flight with seats available was just eight hours before the one Patsy was already booked on – hardly worth the cost of changing.

Nanette glanced at her sister dozing happily in one of the wicker chairs on the balcony and decided to simply abandon the idea of getting Patsy home early. She still had at least five weeks to go and Nanette began to pray that the consultant’s possible early delivery prediction fears wouldn’t be proved true in the next few days.

Bryan, she knew, would be devastated if he wasn’t with Patsy when she gave birth to their first child. How she was going to keep her own promise to be with her sister was something she’d worry about next month.

In the afternoon, and leaving Patsy with strict instructions to rest until she returned, Nanette made her way up to Jean-Claude’s villa.

He was waiting for her in the garden and Nanette’s heart skipped a beat as she saw him. As much as she might tell herself not to rush things, she knew she was falling in love. Standing in the circle of his arms as he held her tightly, she felt herself tremble with desire as he kissed her.

Several moments passed before he released her with a sigh.

‘How did the appointment with the consultant go?’

‘Everything seems to be all right although he thinks Patsy should go home earlier but I can’t change the flight – no seats available,’ Nanette answered slowly. ‘Haven’t mentioned this to Patsy but now I’m worried that they’ll refuse to take her anyway if we mention what’s happened.’

‘When does she want to go?’

‘Tomorrow would have been ideal,’ Nanette said.

‘Excuse me a moment.’ Jean-Claude punched some numbers into his mobile.

As he began to talk in rapid French, Nanette wandered across to the terrace wall and looked down on the Mediterranean sparkling under the azure blue sky. Jean-Claude joined her a few moments later.

‘Voilà. Patsy flies tomorrow at fourteen hundred hours from Cannes-Mandelieu. I will drive you both there. You will arrange for her husband to meet her, yes?’

Nanette looked at him in amazement. ‘How?’

‘I have a friend with a private jet. He, like me, is happy to help,’ Jean-Claude said. ‘He flies to the UK several times a week on business and tomorrow he happens to have a spare seat.’

Nanette smiled. She’d forgotten how different the rich really were with their private planes and expensive habits. ‘Thank you, JC.’

‘Now, come with me,’ Jean-Claude said. ‘I want to give you your birthday presents,’ and catching hold of her hand he led her towards the garage where he kept his Lotus.

‘I’m sorry it’s a day or two late but I wanted to show it to you in private,’ he said, opening the door of a white convertible parked next to it. To Nanette’s amazement he handed her the car keys.

‘I know you aren’t ready to start driving again yet, but I hope you will be soon. It will be here waiting for you.’

‘JC, I don’t know what to say.’

‘You don’t have to say anything. Just put the keys in your bag so you have them when you need them.’

Jean-Claude reached in the car and picked up a small orange drawstring bag that was on the driver’s seat and handed it to her.

‘But this is your real birthday present from me, ma chérie.’

Nanette was quiet as she opened the bag she recognizted as coming from the exclusive Hermes boutique near the Casino. Inside the bag itself was a padded, silk-lined box.

Nanette caught her breath as she lifted the lid and saw the watch nestling in the folds of silk.

‘JC, thank you,’ Nanette said, gazing in amazement at the watch with its diamond-studded case and bracelet. ‘It’s gorgeous. I’ve never been so spoilt. I’m overwhelmed.’

‘Does the strap fit?’ Jean-Claude asked anxiously. ‘Let me help you put it on.’

Bent solicitously over her wrist, checking it fitted correctly, he said quietly, ‘It’s wonderful to have someone special to spoil,’ before taking her in his arms and kissing her. As his lips claimed hers, Nanette abandoned herself to the delicious feelings swamping her body and returned his kiss passionately.

In the hours following Vanessa’s idea of forming a cooperative to sell the village produce, she and Ralph discussed endlessly the kind of things they could do – things that they thought would make a real difference.

List after list littered the floor of their hut. Ralph wrote down the names of possible sponsors – people who owed him favours and would be happy to participate. Vanessa wrote down every product she could think