“He would want you to be happy.” His eyes were more gray than blue, like the sky, but brighter, not ominous. He caressed her fingers.
She’d not been touched in so long, and his hands were gentle and warm and caring. Would David approve of the attraction she felt? She didn’t need his approval, even if she thought she did, but she felt disloyal. Desire and guilt tangled in her like a clump of seaweed.
Luca jumped up. “I want to feed the swans.” He grabbed the handle of the sliding window and pushed the window open.
Claire grabbed his waist, fearing he might fall out. A chilling breeze seized her. “Can we do that after we get off the boat?” Her voice was high, breathy.
He laughed. “I forgot about this glass cover.” He yanked the window closed. “Can we walk back to old town and see the decorations and the big tree in the square, Onc?”
“Would you like that, Claire? After the boat ride, we can take a walk around the old town. It’s charming and not far.” Gilbert asked.
“Walking? Bien sûr.”
“I’m right, you are a very fast learner.” Luca’s smile brightened the whole boat ride.
She let go of his waist. He sat down and leaned against her, hummingOh, Christmas Tree. She put her arm around him, feeling his warmth and joy spread into her.
The boat drifted along a canal where steep-roofed, half-timbered buildings bedecked in white lights, pine boughs, and red ribbons, reflected in the water, now calm as glass. Despite the river, she loved sharing the day with them. She wanted to spend more days with them.
She never thought she’d dread returning to Seattle. She didn’t want to. But Marti was counting on her being with them for Christmas…four days away.
Chapter 21
Wipinghersweatyhandson her slacks and exhaling the breath she’d held since she’d boarded the boat, she joined hands with Gilbert and Luca. Clouds dimmed the weak December light, hastening dusk. Ancient buildings and tall Christmas trees blinked with lights. They skirted the throngs of people heading for the Christmas market and headed down a snow-dusted hill toward the Ill River.
They strolled along a wide sidewalk running beside a stone embankment that sloped steeply to the river. When they stopped to gaze at the swirling water heading out of town to join the Rhine, Gilbert dropped her hand. “I must find a restroom. Wait here with Luca? I’ll be right back.”
Before she could speak, Gilbert was jogging up the hill toward the market. She’d made Luca cry in the restaurant. She didn’t trust herself to take good care of him, but she would try her best and not say a word about his mom or Santa.
Luca pointed. “Look, that dog looks like Remy!”
Farther down the riverbank, a man threw a ball to a black, brown, and white shaggy dog who leaped to catch it.
Luca laughed. “He’s funny. He should be in the circus.”
The sound of rushing water grew louder. A mist encircled Claire like a veil. She blinked, trying to focus, but that dark place in her was stirring, taunting her. She’d thought being on the boat was frightening, but why was it that the fear of water threatened to overwhelm her? She shook her shoulders against the prickling running up her back and down her shoulders.
Luca squeezed her hand. “Remy does that with the ball, too.”
She squinted, blinking to clear her vision. The dog jumped and arced and snatched the ball in his jaws. Stunned, she cried, “He nearly did a complete flip.”
Luca’s laughter jingled like sleigh bells.
The dog ran after another ball and leaped. As he came down, he lost his footing and slid. He dropped his ball, yelped. Sliding on all four paws down the stone embankment, he scrambled for his footing, lost his purchase on the steep incline, and fell into the river.
Luca dropped Claire’s hand and ran.
“Luca! Stop!” She screamed, racing after him, her feet tripping as she ran on the slippery walkway. “Stop!”
The dog’s black head popped up above the water. He barked, but he was already several yards downriver.
Luca’s feet pounded, following the dog, calling to him, “Vien ici!”
“Luca, stop!” He’s going to go in after that dog. No! Running, she threw her purse away, pulled off her hat, ripped open her coat and pulled off her scarf. The dog bobbed farther away. Luca sped up and ran downriver of the dog. She shrugged off her coat and threw it. “Luca!”
He curved to the left toward a stone wall. A wall where a life ring buoy hung, which she thought Luca was after, but he turned and—she realized in horror—took a running start and threw himself into the water.
Luca’s head popped up next to the dog’s.
