I Promise You This (Love in Provence Book 3) (24 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Two dog crates were tucked into a corner of the spacious kitchen in their apartment, along with all the other pet supplies.

Katherine and Philippe were on their way back to Mougins with two smaller pet carriers in the backseat of the Citroën.

Ever since leaving Simone’s house earlier that afternoon, they’d been unable to stop exclaiming. The compelling stories and revelations that concluded with Simone’s generous gift for the future had left them blown away.

Now they were grinning at the thought of the pups coming home.

“But we still don’t have names for them.”

“C’est vrai,”
Philippe agreed, “but let’s see if something comes to us as we watch their little personalities over the first few days.”

Delphine had all the paperwork ready. There was a small fee to cover administrative costs, but Katherine and Philippe also left a generous check. This
refuge des animaux
had made an excellent impression, not only with the care of the animals but also with the way the facility was managed.

As they were preparing to leave, Delphine said, “I received a lovely e-mail from your friend Annette.”

“Oh my goodness,” Katherine said, “In all this excitement I forgot to tell you. Yes! Felicette has settled in very nicely. Annette says the change in her mother has been slow and steady. She already loves that cat!”

Philippe expressed amazement.

Delphine nodded solemnly. “It’s not unusual for elderly people to have this response.”

“And now you will have two more happy customers!” Katherine told her.
“Merci mille fois.”

“It is we who thank you,” Delphine replied sweetly.

Katherine and Philippe clipped little leashes onto the collars they’d brought for the pups. Delphine walked out with them to take some marketing photos. She asked if they’d be willing to give a testimonial about the refuge.

“Any time. Gladly,” they said.

As they put the pups in the carriers, a dust-covered pickup truck came screeching into the parking lot, and a middle-aged man with a serious limp hobbled over to them.

“I’m glad I arrived in time! Delphine told me the pups were leaving today, and I wanted to say good-bye to them. I am Raymond Albert, the administrator of the refuge. These pups have been with us almost since birth, and we have become attached to them. We’re so happy you are taking both.”

He leaned over and gave each dog a scratch around the ears. “Delphine would not tell you this, but she nursed them for weeks, sleeping here on the couch and bottle-feeding them on schedule, giving them lots of love. She has been their mother for two months. All the positives you will see in them are thanks to her.”

Delphine had turned away in embarrassment, and Katherine noticed her shoulders shaking. She went to the young girl and put a hand on her back.

“Pardonnez-moi,”
Delphine whispered between sobs, “I just fell in love with them. You will too.”

Philippe handed her his business card. “You can find me at the market in Antibes. We would be happy to have you visit the pups anytime.” Katherine nodded her agreement as she handed Delphine a tissue.

The two caretakers waved good-bye as the car drove away.

The pups fussed in the carriers. Between being separated from each other and the motion of the car, they simpered and whined continuously. Philippe stopped the car, and Katherine moved to sit with the pups in the backseat, stroking them to provide comfort. She was already smitten.

“I can’t wait for them to meet Picasso. After all, he’s the one who taught me about the love a dog can bring to your life. He’ll always be special to me.”

“We will take these two on a road trip to visit Pico for sure.”

They had chosen a potty place, as Kat called it, in the garden and were pleased to see Delphine had indeed already started the training process. On command, both pups piddled to great applause.

Once in the apartment, the happy new owners played and cuddled with their charges for a half hour until the pups appeared ready for a nap. In the crates, they soon fell asleep in their new home.

Katherine and Philippe knew their lives were going to be regulated by the demands of puppy training for the next little while.

Nick called a few days after the pups arrived. He gave the details of Molly’s flight and the rehabilitation schedule Dr. Primeau had negotiated for her with the hospital in Nice. It would take about ten days for Molly to be properly registered into the clinic’s schedule, he told them.

Her condition appeared to be improving faster than anticipated. It was all good news.

The days and nights preceding Molly’s arrival were a blur of puppy parenting. Kat and Philippe shared articles on the subject, often reading to each other, and quickly filled a shelf with books about every aspect of being a dog owner. It did not take long for them to agree that it was a gratifying experience, although with patience tested from time to time, thanks to the pups’ abilities to fill each day with mischief as well as joy.

They were also surprised at the amount of time and commitment involved. Katherine and Philippe were determined to keep to the schedule Delphine had sent home. They took turns when they were at home together, but Katherine insisted on getting up during the night so Philippe could get his sleep.

Delphine had told them that after a few nights of adjusting, the pups would be able to go without a trip outside from midnight to six in the morning. Both Katherine and Philippe thanked her for that after seeing it was so.

Katherine took the midnight-walk shift, and Philippe took each pup out around six before he left for the market. They had agreed to do this separately until the pups got a bit older.

The pups proved adept at pottying outdoors and found their favorite spots in the back garden by the apartment parking lot. They were growing by leaps and bounds. Their beautiful coats were becoming more soft and shiny, and Katherine swore pure love radiated from their deep and soulful dark-brown eyes—even when they were caught chewing on a slipper or a biking glove.

“We all have lessons to learn,” Kat and Philippe agreed on those occasions.

Obsessed with finding names for their new charges, Kat and Philippe traded constant texts back and forth, then continued the topic during long conversations in the evenings. After many failed attempts at choosing cute combinations like Mocha and Chino and Choco and Latte, they gave up on that idea.

Philippe thought they might call the male Banon, after one of his favorite cheeses that came wrapped in aged brown grape leaves. Then they decided it might be confusing for the pup to hear the
non
part of his name all the time.

Finally, they chose Coco for the female—with thoughts of Coco Chanel and the deep brown of the pup’s coat. It seemed to fit her somewhat delicate nature. Her brother became known as Rocco; he was proving himself to be a strong and assertive force.

“When we call them together, we can call them Rococo,” Katherine said. “Like Brangelina! Guess where that idea came from?”

Philippe rolled his eyes and laughed. “It had to be Molly!”

March was roaring in like a lion. It was a cool, blustery day, but the sun was shining and the sky even brighter, thanks to the wind. The Monday afternoon of Molly’s arrival, Kat waited at home while Philippe went to the airport.

Earlier in the week, Molly had shared her good news that she’d be arriving wheelchair-free. She still had a brace on her leg and needed to use a cane, though. Her movements were slow, but otherwise her leg had healed well. Dr. Primeau and the rehab staff had been amazed at how quickly she had improved.

Therapy would still be needed on her leg and shoulder, and it was arranged that could be done at a new facility just fifteen minutes outside Antibes that was linked to the hospital in Nice.

Katherine wanted everything to be set up so Molly would be comfortable. She also wanted the pups to have visited the potty place just before Molly’s arrival so that they could greet their houseguest minus puddles of excitement.

New linens had been purchased for the bedroom Molly would use. With color advice from Simone, Philippe and Katherine had spent a Monday painting the room a soft-eggshell tone. Katherine had been to the market that morning and gathered together a stunning bouquet of lisianthus in varying shades of pink and purple. It was quickly becoming one of Kat’s favorite flowers.

Philippe phoned as they drew up to the front entrance. Then Kat flew down the stairs. “Molly, Molly!
Bienvenue!
Welcome back to Antibes,” she cried excitedly. “We’re so happy you’re here!”

Molly’s face was flushed with elation as they hugged gently. “Katski! I honestly can’t believe this is happening. I wish we could jump up and down! That’s what I know we both want to do. The drive along the Bord de Mer brought back such happy memories!”

Katherine laughed and jumped up and down on her own. “I’ll do it for both of us! I’m so excited.”

Philippe took Molly’s suitcase and carry-on bag up the staircase while Katherine and Molly squeezed into the elevator.

“How charming is this?” Molly exclaimed. “I can’t wait to see your new home and get a feel for your life here now. On the flight, I kept thinking of our trip here last summer and how your life changed forever after that.”

“Did I ever tell you I met the Browns? The people who owned that sweet house we stayed in?” Kat reminded her.

Kat slid open the elevator door, and they followed Philippe into the apartment.

“Do you think you brought enough clothes?” Kat asked. “The weather can be quite changeable in March and April.”

“I don’t think I’m going to be attending too many fancy
soirées
,” Molly laughed, “unless Nick has arranged for royalty to visit while I’m here. Knowing him, anything is possible!”

Molly’s eyes swept around the spacious entry. The walls, painted in a blend of pale yellows, and high ceilings, accented with the decorative millwork of another era, invited her to take a step back in time. She sighed. “This is beautiful.”

Her voice caught as she saw Elisabeth’s carpet hanging in a place of honor. “Oh my! It looks perfect there.” She wiped her eyes, “I’m overcome to know Elisabeth and Jozsef’s spirits live on here.”

When Molly recovered her composure, Kat and Philippe couldn’t wait to introduce her to Coco and Rocco. They felt like proud parents, they admitted. Molly squealed with delight as the dogs clambered all over her, subjecting her to a serious attack of puppy affection.

“I love them already!” Molly declared. “Can they sleep with me when I’m all better?”

Katherine and Philippe laughed at her enthusiasm. “One day at a time!”

After Molly finished investigating the apartment and got settled, they chatted through the remainder of the afternoon. With sunshine streaming in, they sat around the kitchen table enjoying a bottle of Bandol rosé and a selection of olives and a
tapenade
.

Dinner was planned earlier than usual to accommodate Molly’s jet lag. Philippe grilled well-seasoned lamb chops on the new indoor grill he was trying out. Katherine prepared a simple
salade au chèvre chaude
, which she knew had been a favorite of Molly’s when she had been in Antibes.

The savory, hot, melted goat’s cheese served on crispy toast with walnuts over crunchy chilled salad leaves dressed with honey and French mustard was one of Katherine’s favorite meals too. Fig jam was served on the side.

Philippe often brought home delicious varieties of
chèvre
to use. They had decided that the special product crafted by Jacques, near Entrevaux, was the one they liked best.

While Molly raved about the cheese, Katherine assured her that visits to Jacques’s farm and to the intriguing village of Entrevaux were definitely planned for when she was ready to travel. “And our friends Véronique and David are looking forward to meeting you too!”

“You know, it won’t be long before I can move about more easily. I’m feeling so fuc . . . whoa! There I go again! Almost! So frickin’ good! I think I’ll be able to ditch this brace soon. I’m really anxious to see what this new clinic has to say.”