The Promise of Provence (Love in Provence Book 1) by Patricia Sands Page A

as Katherine softly spoke. “I’m really down. With Mom gone now, I have truly been feeling alone. I’m trying to convince myself I’m okay alone, that I can do this for the rest of my life. I’m just not feeling good about it.”
    “I know you haven’t been to the counselor recently. Do you think you should go back to her?”
    Nodding, Kat continued, “I might have to. I can’t go on like this.”
    “So, Terrence and I have been talking about it, and we think you should take a vacation. Just get out of town. Go somewhere and have a complete change of scene! What do you think?”
    Katherine stared intently at her cousin for quite a while and slowly nodded, eyebrows raised.
    “I think that might be an idea. Hadn’t really considered it, but y’know, the counselor did tell me I should consider doing something outside my comfort zone. That would qualify.” She paused for a few seconds and added, “Do you know, crazy as this sounds, except for the odd conference in Montreal or Vancouver, I have never gone away without James . . . in twenty-two years . . .”
    “Yes, as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what we were talking about. You need your own life,” Andrea exclaimed. “Trust us, Kat, you are w-a-a-a-y overdue!”
    They sat in the kitchen at the long handcrafted pine table that wore its hundred and fifty years proudly, while Andrea made a mocha and a latte with her new coffee machine and tossed ideas around.
    A beach vacation on a Caribbean island?
    A hiking holiday?
    Andrea gingerly broached the subject of cycling.
    “Don’t even go there,” said Katherine.
    Suddenly Andrea leaped up to grab her laptop from her desk.
    Returning to the table, she opened her computer and pulled up her bookmarks.
    “I’ve just had a brainwave, Kat! Do a home exchange! Here’s the website we use. It’s the perfect idea for you!”
    Laughing at her cousin’s enthusiasm, Katherine looked at her in disbelief. “Don’t be crazy!”
    Shaking her finger, Andrea replied, “Absolutely not. People often think it’s a big deal until they try it. Trust me, it’s the best way to travel!”
    Katherine pulled her chair alongside her cousin.
    “Here’s how it works. It’s so simple, it’s unbelievable, and we are going to register you right now! That way you can take your time and look at the properties at your leisure and think about where you might want to go.”
    “And I can see you aren’t taking no for an answer,” Kat said, laughing.
    Andrea was unstoppable. “Your parents’ house—I mean, your house, because that’s what it is now—is the perfect exchange property. It’s got enough space for a family, and the location couldn’t be better, with shops and a subway stop just a few blocks away. Trust me! This is going to be good! Let’s take a virtual trip right now! If you could choose one part of the world, any place you want, where would it be?”
    Katherine closed her eyes and nodded her head as a smile slowly spread. “The South of France, no question . . . the South of France . . .”
    “Of course! That’s where you took the language course a zillion years ago! I remember that! Brilliant . . . here we go!”
    Andrea clicked on the map. First Europe, then France, next the Côte d’Azur, and then a long list appeared on the screen.
    “All of those properties are available for exchange?” Katherine asked in amazement.
    “Oui!” Andrea shouted. “See what I said? There are so many possibilities! Of course, you need to take a look at each listing to see what appeals to you and also to be certain your listing is what that person wants. Let’s narrow it down to a specific town.”
    “I stayed in Villefranche-sur-Mer. That’s where the language school was, and I know it’s still there, because I’ve looked it up online a few times just to give myself a thrill,” Katherine said with a wry grin.
    “Too bad you never got back there when you enjoyed it so much.”
    “You know, since James