Chapter 54

“Looks like I’m on my way to Canada again.” Luc set down the phone and settled onto the bed.

He started to light a cigarette, then remembered and dropped it into the ash tray on the bedside table. Julie sat beside him as he leaned back against the pillows.

“Hey, Lady. You’re getting fat.” He put his hands on her hips, leaning forward and kissing her belly. “How’d that happen?”

“I swallowed a watermelon seed.” She smiled and patted the mound. “And it sprouted.”

“Damn, I’m a good farmer.” Luc put his hand over hers. “By the time I get back, that little melon’ll be ready to pick.” He gave her a wistful look. “I wish I wasn’t going, Julie.”

She leaned against him. For a few moments, they cuddled together. “Luc?”

“Hmmm?” He brushed his lips against her temple.

“Have you ever thought what a miracle a baby is?”

“Sure. All the time.”

“I’m serious.” She leaned back, looking at him. “It starts out so tiny it can’t even be seen with a microscope and by the time it’s grown, it’ll be a six-footer like you.”

“I hope it’s a boy, then, because if we have a daughter who’s six foot three, she’ll be good for nothing but being a female basketball player.”

Laughing, Julie hugged him. Luc’s arms tightened around her.

Now. Now’s the time to tell her. That I don’t want to lose her, don’t want this marriage to end. We can make it work, even if Julie never really loves me as much as I love her. I’ll accept that. I can live with it if she’ll just stay.

Taking a deep breath, Julie let it out slowly.

I should say it. Right now. That I don’t want the money or the divorce. Ask him to tear up that contract and make this a real marriage. I want this baby and I want its father, too.

She looked at Luc expectantly. His eyes met hers. For a moment, she thought he was going to say something and waited silently. He didn’t speak, and neither did she, and the moment passed.

Sighing, Julie shifted uncomfortably as the baby moved. “Give me your hand, Luc.”

Obediently, he placed his right hand in hers. She pressed it against the top of her abdomen. A second later, he jerked his hand away with a startled exclamation.

“Dieu, what was that?”

“Luc Deveraux, meet your child.”

“You mean…” He replaced his hand on the spot. “It isn’t moving. Julie, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. He changed position, that’s all. He’ll be back in the same spot soon enough. Doing a little tap dance, probably.”

“My God, it was so strong. Doesn’t it hurt?”

“It certainly isn’t comfortable.” She shrugged, trying to sound casual.

Before Merry was born, she’d been filled with awe every time the baby moved. Seeing that same look on Luc’s face made her want to laugh. Tactfully, she didn’t.

He shook his head. “I wonder if anyone’s ever tried to determine how strong an unborn baby’s kick is?”

Reaching over to the bedside table, he extracted a pencil and note tablet from the drawer.

“Let’s see…the pressure-weight of an average adult footstep on concrete is six hundred pounds. An infant’s would be…what?…one sixteenth of that….”

“Good grief, Luc. I wanted you to feel the baby move, not give me a lesson in physics?”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.” He dropped pen and paper and kissed her instead.

* * *

The next morning, Luc was on a plane to Montreal. He deliberately asked Julie not to ride to the airport with him. It was bad enough leaving her on San Souci’s porch, much less seeing her waving at him as he walked to the plane. Instead, he gave her a quick kiss, promised to call her as soon as he arrived, got into the limo and James drove away.

..and when I call, I'm going to tell her I love her and I want her and Merry and the baby and me to be a real family. I’ll do whatever she wants if she’ll do that. I’ll nullify the contract, tell her about Clarice, confess everything and beg her to forgive me. She can lead me around by the balls if she’ll just stay.

Immediately, he knew this wasn’t something he could say over the phone. He couldn’t be simply a disembodied voice, a confession coming from a telephone. He had to say it in person so she could see him. Then she’d know he was telling the truth.

Will she forgive me for what I did with Clarice? I hope she's got enough compassion for that. If she will, I'll be the best damned, henpecked husband in existence.

* * *

Listlessly, Julie wandered about the house. She already missed Luc and was angry with herself for not seizing the opportunity to say what she felt.

When he gets back, I’ll tell him, first thing…as soon as he gets here…and then, if he doesn’t feel as I do, if he wants to keep things as they are, I’ll accept it and get on with my life.

At the moment, the house was deserted and she felt alone.

Michel was still working with Al Shiraz, as well as tending to the other responsibilities involved in running the plantation. Clarice was avoiding her, though Julie didn’t exactly cry about that. Jean-Luc was at his lawyer’s, and Merry was taking a nap. The little girl had begun to complain because Julie couldn’t lift her now, and sitting on her mother’s lap became more difficult as that lap disappeared.

Most of all, however, she missed Luc, and wanted him home.

It’s going to be a very long four months.