matters." He checked his GPS.
"We'll be there in about two hours."
But as soon as they drove into the
town along the Vienne River with its cobbled streets and quaint houses, Gillian
didn't need directions from a GPS. She guided Nathan through town, past
orchards, until they turned onto a lane leading to a gray stone house. It
looked classic, more than large enough for a woman and two children. Poplars
dotted the front lawn while willows swayed low along the side. A green and
yellow sign hung to the right of the front door.
Nathan spoke for the first time
since she'd begun giving him explicit directions. "How did you
know?"
"I could hear Dana's and
Maddie's voices. As if they were guiding me. I know it's crazy--"
He shook his head. "It
doesn't seem crazy anymore."
They climbed the stone steps and
Nathan lifted the door knocker. A rotund woman with rosy cheeks wearing a
bright floral print dress answered the door. "Monsieur? Mademoiselle?
May I help you?"
"I'm Nathan Bradley. Maddie
and Dana's father. I'd like to see them."
"Oh, Mon Dieu. Ms. Carrero
said if this ever happened--"
"Collette, who is it?"
"It's me, Leona," Nathan called
inside. "Let me in. Or so help me I'll get the French police involved in
this."
Leona came to the door and put her
hand on the older woman's arm. "It's all right, Collette."
Leona Carrero was more strikingly
beautiful in person than she was in her photograph. Gillian felt awkward and
out of place.
Nathan's ex-wife stepped back and
said, "Come in, Nathan. I knew it was only a matter of time." Her
voice grew husky. "I made a mistake and--"
"You're damn right you did.
Don't you even think about disappearing out the back door because this time
I'll call the FBI and the State Department."
Leona took a step away from him.
"I'm just thankful you haven't called them in before now. Father gave me
your message. Nathan, I'm sorry. I was just so afraid if I came back, you'd
take Dana and Maddie away from me."
He let Gillian precede him into the
foyer that was more the size of a living room. Then he turned to his ex-wife.
"I'm taking them with me. Now."
Her gaze darted from him to
Gillian. "You can't just rip them away from me like this. That's not
good for them."
"Being away from me for six
months hasn't been good for them."
Gillian knew she shouldn't
interfere, but her concern for two little girls urged her to put her hand on
his arm. "Nathan, she's right. You don't want to scare them or--"
At that moment, Maddie and Dana ran
into the foyer, saw Nathan and stopped in their tracks.
He looked at them and smiled with
such bittersweet joy that tears pricked Gillian's eyes.
Holding out his arms to his
daughters, he said, "Hi. How about a hug?"
Maddie's eyes were as blue as
Nathan's, her wavy brown hair curled on her cheeks. She put one finger in her
mouth, but came tentatively toward him.
Nathan enfolded her in his arms,
then leaned away. "I think you've grown two inches! And gotten a whole
lot prettier."
Maddie smiled.
He held his arms out to Dana.
"Come here and let me look at you."
The four-year-old approached slowly
but stood a good two feet from her father.
Gillian felt for Nathan. The look
on his face was pained when he realized Dana didn't intend to come any closer.
"Dana, what's wrong?"
Sullenly, she insisted,
"Nothin'." But she didn't come toward him.
Trying to ease the situation,
Nathan smiled. "Your ponytail is longer. You've grown two inches,
too." An awkward silence descended on the foyer until Dana pointed to
Gillian. "Who's she?"
Gillian stepped closer to both
girls and crouched down to their level. "I'm Gillian Moore. Your dad and
I are friends."
Maddie toddled right over to her
and studied her face. "Come plane?"
Dana translated. "She wants
to know if you came on an airplane."
"Yes, we did."
Keeping her eyes on Nathan but
speaking to Gillian, Dana complained,
"We'll be there in about two hours."
But as soon as they drove into the
town along the Vienne River with its cobbled streets and quaint houses, Gillian
didn't need directions from a GPS. She guided Nathan through town, past
orchards, until they turned onto a lane leading to a gray stone house. It
looked classic, more than large enough for a woman and two children. Poplars
dotted the front lawn while willows swayed low along the side. A green and
yellow sign hung to the right of the front door.
Nathan spoke for the first time
since she'd begun giving him explicit directions. "How did you
know?"
"I could hear Dana's and
Maddie's voices. As if they were guiding me. I know it's crazy--"
He shook his head. "It
doesn't seem crazy anymore."
They climbed the stone steps and
Nathan lifted the door knocker. A rotund woman with rosy cheeks wearing a
bright floral print dress answered the door. "Monsieur? Mademoiselle?
May I help you?"
"I'm Nathan Bradley. Maddie
and Dana's father. I'd like to see them."
"Oh, Mon Dieu. Ms. Carrero
said if this ever happened--"
"Collette, who is it?"
"It's me, Leona," Nathan called
inside. "Let me in. Or so help me I'll get the French police involved in
this."
Leona came to the door and put her
hand on the older woman's arm. "It's all right, Collette."
Leona Carrero was more strikingly
beautiful in person than she was in her photograph. Gillian felt awkward and
out of place.
Nathan's ex-wife stepped back and
said, "Come in, Nathan. I knew it was only a matter of time." Her
voice grew husky. "I made a mistake and--"
"You're damn right you did.
Don't you even think about disappearing out the back door because this time
I'll call the FBI and the State Department."
Leona took a step away from him.
"I'm just thankful you haven't called them in before now. Father gave me
your message. Nathan, I'm sorry. I was just so afraid if I came back, you'd
take Dana and Maddie away from me."
He let Gillian precede him into the
foyer that was more the size of a living room. Then he turned to his ex-wife.
"I'm taking them with me. Now."
Her gaze darted from him to
Gillian. "You can't just rip them away from me like this. That's not
good for them."
"Being away from me for six
months hasn't been good for them."
Gillian knew she shouldn't
interfere, but her concern for two little girls urged her to put her hand on
his arm. "Nathan, she's right. You don't want to scare them or--"
At that moment, Maddie and Dana ran
into the foyer, saw Nathan and stopped in their tracks.
He looked at them and smiled with
such bittersweet joy that tears pricked Gillian's eyes.
Holding out his arms to his
daughters, he said, "Hi. How about a hug?"
Maddie's eyes were as blue as
Nathan's, her wavy brown hair curled on her cheeks. She put one finger in her
mouth, but came tentatively toward him.
Nathan enfolded her in his arms,
then leaned away. "I think you've grown two inches! And gotten a whole
lot prettier."
Maddie smiled.
He held his arms out to Dana.
"Come here and let me look at you."
The four-year-old approached slowly
but stood a good two feet from her father.
Gillian felt for Nathan. The look
on his face was pained when he realized Dana didn't intend to come any closer.
"Dana, what's wrong?"
Sullenly, she insisted,
"Nothin'." But she didn't come toward him.
Trying to ease the situation,
Nathan smiled. "Your ponytail is longer. You've grown two inches,
too." An awkward silence descended on the foyer until Dana pointed to
Gillian. "Who's she?"
Gillian stepped closer to both
girls and crouched down to their level. "I'm Gillian Moore. Your dad and
I are friends."
Maddie toddled right over to her
and studied her face. "Come plane?"
Dana translated. "She wants
to know if you came on an airplane."
"Yes, we did."
Keeping her eyes on Nathan but
speaking to Gillian, Dana complained,
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