Suddenly, I couldn't remember why I'd need to call her.
She obviously noticed my blank look. "For the movie."
"Oh, right." I felt foolish, but Leanne put me at ease with her smile.
Once I was home and sitting in front of the TV with my feet up, I reconsidered that invitation to the movies. Quite frankly I don't know what had prompted me to suggest it. My plan had been to give myself a day or two to analyze the evening before I pursued the relationship any further.
Instead, I'd arranged another date. Perhaps I felt obligated to repay her for the meal. I didn't know.
Not until I turned in for the night did it occur to me that I'd spent most of the evening talking about Macy.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A lix Turner stuck her head inside Winter's tiny office at the French Cafe. "You have a visitor," she said. Judging by her smile, Alix seemed pleased about something. She was noticeably pregnant now, and the whole staff was thrilled. Everyone had adopted Alix and, while Winter had never given birth herself, she couldn't help offering dietary advice and concocting nutritious smoothies.
Jordan, who was the most attentive husband she'd ever seen, wanted Alix to stop working, but Alix had convinced him she could continue until she felt too uncomfortable to bake. She also served at the counter when Winter needed a substitute. There were only a few weeks left before her due date, and Winter suspected Alix would work right up until she went into labor. One thing was certain; this baby would have a number of doting godmothers, and she intended to be one of them. Alix's previous pregnancy had ended in an early miscarriage last summer. That accounted for the extra care Jordan and all her friends lavished on her now.
"A visitor?" Winter looked up from the food order she was about to complete. "Who is it?" she asked automatically. Even as she spoke, she wondered who'd feel a need to be announced. Michael or possibly--
"It's Pierre." The pen Winter had been holding slipped from her fingers. "Pierre is
here?"
"Should I send him in?" Alix asked, her smile widening. She'd always been a champion of his. At times Winter had actually been a little jealous of how well Pierre and Alix got along, of the easy camaraderie between them.
Now Pierre was here, when she least expected him. Where she least expected him. She remembered his anger when she'd dropped in to see him, the distant way he'd treated her. In Winter's opinion, he deserved the same treatment. She dared not let him see how glad she was, how happy his visit made her, how much she craved the sight of him. Contemplating her response, she leaned back in her chair. A moment later she decided he could wait.
"Tell him I'm busy with an order. I'll be out as soon as I'm done."
Alix frowned, her hands resting on her protruding stomach. "Are you sure?"
"I'm positive."
Alix left and, smiling to herself, Winter chewed on the end of the pen. So Pierre had actually made the effort to seek her out. This was an interesting development. But seeing how rude and unwelcoming he'd been, a lukewarm reception on her part seemed fitting. Although she suffered a twinge of doubt, she held firm.
She tried to concentrate on the order, but her mind kept drifting to Pierre. He'd never been a patient man and she guessed that after ten minutes he'd be furious. Good. Served him right.
When she felt he'd probably reached the end of his patience, Winter sauntered out of her office. She paused in the kitchen long enough to pour herself a cup of coffee and then casually walked around the counter to the front of the cafe. Pierre sat at a table next to the window, gazing out at Blossom Street. No one else was seated nearby, although there was a short line at the counter.
By ten-thirty, the morning crowd had dwindled to a handful who'd stopped in during their coffee breaks. In another hour, they'd get a rush of lunch orders. The soup du jour, baked potato sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese and fresh chives, was popular with her customers, so the cafe was bound to do brisk business.
Pierre looked up as she approached, and it gave her a degree of satisfaction to see his eyes narrow. His coffee cup was empty and the croissant only half-eaten.
"I hope you didn't find anything wrong with my croissant," she said as she slipped into the chair across from him.
"Quite the opposite. It was excellent as always." Pierre's spine was as stiff as his compliment.
Winter shrugged lightly. "I apologize for keeping you waiting."
His mouth tensed, and he shook his head as if he'd grown tired of the old games, the playacting they both indulged in. "Don't say things you don't mean."
"Like what?" She opened her eyes wide in exaggerated innocence.
"That you regret keeping me waiting. You did that intentionally and we both know it. You wanted me to be aware that you had more important tasks requiring your attention."
Winter didn't bother to deny it. She hadn't fooled him in the slightest. She'd meant to punish him. But the pleasure of vengeance had already begun to recede.
"What can I do for you?" Winter asked smoothly.
He didn't answer for a long time. "Rien du tout. Nothing at all."
He started to rise, and Winter stretched out her arm, placing her hand over his. "Surely you had a reason for coming here."
Pierre had half risen from the chair. He sat back down, his dark eyes holding hers. "I thought we should talk."
She smiled and nodded, wanting to encourage him, wanting him to acknowledge that he missed her as much as she missed him. Nothing seemed truly right without Pierre and yet she wasn't sure how to make their relationship work.
Spending time with Michael Everett had been pleasant, but while she enjoyed his company, it was Pierre she loved, Pierre who was her soul mate, Pierre who was always on her mind.
After a lengthy hesitation, he said, "I came because I felt bad about the last time we spoke."