medication properly? Should I call the
doctor?”
“No, please do not talk nonsense!”
She blinked at the sharpness of his tone. It
was unusual for him to be so harsh.
“I am sorry, Delphine, but you fuss about me
too much. Please go and enjoy your time with Brad. Girls your age
should not be so concerned about every little thing. You should be
having lots of boyfriends, lots of fun.”
Lowering her eyes to hide
her frustration at his words, she squeezed his hand.
“ Maman has Brad’s
cell phone number if you need to reach me.”
“We will not need it. You go and have
fun.”
Delphine saw that her father had turned his
attention to the TV. Feeling summarily dismissed, she went out into
the living room. Clarice sat smoking a cigarette with a trembling
hand. She stood at her daughter’s entrance.
Delphine gave her mother a
fierce hug. “I am sorry, Maman . I’ve been a bear tonight and
after you went to so much trouble on my behalf. Forgive
me?”
“Of course!” Clarice said, returning the
embrace.
Delphine squeezed her eyes
shut. Her voice broke on a half-sob. “I love you and Papa so much. You’re all I
have in the world. I just want you to take care of yourself, d’accord? ”
“ Mais oui, enfante .” She pulled back
and patted her cheek. “Now off you go.”
Taking a breath to calm her nerves, Delphine
gave her mother a lingering look before following Brad out the
door.
Brad’s hands tightened on
the steering wheel as he thought of Delphine’s words to her
mother. You’re all I have in the
world . He didn’t like the idea of her
feeling all alone like that. Besides, she’s
got me. Doesn’t that count for something?
During the trip to the shop, he darted
concerned looks in her direction. She seemed composed, but her face
was pale and her dark eyes, troubled.
He wondered if she thought about their kisses
from the night before. He couldn’t think of anything else, and
wondered how soon he could have her in his arms again.
After they arrived at the shop, Delphine went
straight to the storeroom and began to pull recently delivered
chocolate ingredients from the shelves.
“You’re going to make candy? I thought we
planned to touch up the paint now that we have all the cases moved
in.”
A small noise was her only response. Was it
his imagination or did Delphine just sniff? He tried to look
closely at her to see if she was crying, but she’d turned away.
“Well, um, while you start that, I guess I’ll go finish working out
front.”
He waited for her reply, but when she
remained silent, except for the banging of copper pots and pans, he
shrugged and went to the front of the store.
Just as he was finishing up his chore an hour
later, the smells emanating from the kitchen finally overwhelmed
him. He dropped his paintbrush into the paint pan and went into the
kitchen.
On the wooden table, a tray of chocolates
grabbed his attention. He would’ve snatched one, but figured they
were still setting up and not quite ready to eat. Delphine stood at
the stove stirring something in a large pot. She’d somehow piled
her hair on top of her head and wore a crisp new apron.
Standing close behind her, he peered over her
shoulder and saw her stirring a pot full of creamy, liquid
chocolate. Overcome by the heady combination of a beautiful woman
who could create such ambrosia, he slid his arms around her waist
and nuzzled the back of her neck.
Delphine stiffened and stopped stirring. Brad
wondered what she was thinking about. He cleared his throat. “I
talked to the Glendale newspaper today to set up a time for them to
come out and interview you. They’ll call to confirm the
appointment.”
When she didn’t respond, he closed his eyes
and inhaled the scent of her skin, tightening his arms around her
waist.
“Please don’t do that.”
Unwilling to relinquish her so soon, he tried
for humor. “What? Make calls?”
She turned in his embrace and looked up at
him. Brad caught his breath at
doctor?”
“No, please do not talk nonsense!”
She blinked at the sharpness of his tone. It
was unusual for him to be so harsh.
“I am sorry, Delphine, but you fuss about me
too much. Please go and enjoy your time with Brad. Girls your age
should not be so concerned about every little thing. You should be
having lots of boyfriends, lots of fun.”
Lowering her eyes to hide
her frustration at his words, she squeezed his hand.
“ Maman has Brad’s
cell phone number if you need to reach me.”
“We will not need it. You go and have
fun.”
Delphine saw that her father had turned his
attention to the TV. Feeling summarily dismissed, she went out into
the living room. Clarice sat smoking a cigarette with a trembling
hand. She stood at her daughter’s entrance.
Delphine gave her mother a
fierce hug. “I am sorry, Maman . I’ve been a bear tonight and
after you went to so much trouble on my behalf. Forgive
me?”
“Of course!” Clarice said, returning the
embrace.
Delphine squeezed her eyes
shut. Her voice broke on a half-sob. “I love you and Papa so much. You’re all I
have in the world. I just want you to take care of yourself, d’accord? ”
“ Mais oui, enfante .” She pulled back
and patted her cheek. “Now off you go.”
Taking a breath to calm her nerves, Delphine
gave her mother a lingering look before following Brad out the
door.
Brad’s hands tightened on
the steering wheel as he thought of Delphine’s words to her
mother. You’re all I have in the
world . He didn’t like the idea of her
feeling all alone like that. Besides, she’s
got me. Doesn’t that count for something?
During the trip to the shop, he darted
concerned looks in her direction. She seemed composed, but her face
was pale and her dark eyes, troubled.
He wondered if she thought about their kisses
from the night before. He couldn’t think of anything else, and
wondered how soon he could have her in his arms again.
After they arrived at the shop, Delphine went
straight to the storeroom and began to pull recently delivered
chocolate ingredients from the shelves.
“You’re going to make candy? I thought we
planned to touch up the paint now that we have all the cases moved
in.”
A small noise was her only response. Was it
his imagination or did Delphine just sniff? He tried to look
closely at her to see if she was crying, but she’d turned away.
“Well, um, while you start that, I guess I’ll go finish working out
front.”
He waited for her reply, but when she
remained silent, except for the banging of copper pots and pans, he
shrugged and went to the front of the store.
Just as he was finishing up his chore an hour
later, the smells emanating from the kitchen finally overwhelmed
him. He dropped his paintbrush into the paint pan and went into the
kitchen.
On the wooden table, a tray of chocolates
grabbed his attention. He would’ve snatched one, but figured they
were still setting up and not quite ready to eat. Delphine stood at
the stove stirring something in a large pot. She’d somehow piled
her hair on top of her head and wore a crisp new apron.
Standing close behind her, he peered over her
shoulder and saw her stirring a pot full of creamy, liquid
chocolate. Overcome by the heady combination of a beautiful woman
who could create such ambrosia, he slid his arms around her waist
and nuzzled the back of her neck.
Delphine stiffened and stopped stirring. Brad
wondered what she was thinking about. He cleared his throat. “I
talked to the Glendale newspaper today to set up a time for them to
come out and interview you. They’ll call to confirm the
appointment.”
When she didn’t respond, he closed his eyes
and inhaled the scent of her skin, tightening his arms around her
waist.
“Please don’t do that.”
Unwilling to relinquish her so soon, he tried
for humor. “What? Make calls?”
She turned in his embrace and looked up at
him. Brad caught his breath at
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