“Nah. I can’t even feel it.”
“What’s it for?”
“To give me food.”
“Why don’t you just eat?”
Raoul hadn’t heard a laugh come out of his father in ages. Certainly not one that hearty. “I haven’t been hungry.”
“We had chicken nuggets today,” Philippe mentioned. “Uncle Raoul would go get you some.” He looked at Raoul with imploring eyes. “He’d like them.”
“I’m sure he would.” Raoul was trying to keep a straight face, but Crystal had already burst out laughing. It drew his father’s attention.
“Ah, Crystal. It’s been such a long time.”
“Too long,” she agreed and bent over to kiss his cheeks. “I’m sorry you’ve been ill.”
“It’s nothing. Have you come for Christmas?” The hope in his voice caused Raoul to hold his breath.
“Yes. Philippe and I didn’t want to spend this one away from you and Arlette.”
“Did you hear that, mon amour?”
There was new animation in his voice. Raoul’s mother nodded and leaned over to kiss his father’s forehead. “I certainly did. That’s why you’ve got to get better quick!”
Suddenly Philippe pulled something out of his parka pocket and leaned over to put it in his grandfather’s hand.
He lifted it with his free arm. “What’s this?”
“Père Noël. Grand-mère let me take him off the tree. I asked him to make you all better. You can keep him until you come home. Then I’ll put him in my spy kit.”
“You have a spy kit?”
“Yes.”
“I want to see it.”
“It has lots of cool stuff you’d like.”
Raoul sensed another miracle was happening. When he lifted his eyes to thank Crystal, he discovered her struggling to ward off her tears. The first miracle was that she’d come back to France with him.
The wall she’d slowly erected months before Eric had been killed had been so high, he hadn’t expected her capitulation. If it weren’t for Philippe …
CRYSTAL CLIMBED IN the backseat with Philippe while Arlette sat in the front seat with Raoul for the drive back to the chalet. The short drive only took five minutes. After seeing Jules’s reaction, everyone was in higher spirits, but Crystal feared the surprise might have been too much and had drained his strength.
“Stop fretting, Crystal. You and Philippe were just what the doctor ordered,” Raoul said. He’d glanced at her several times through the rearview mirror, reading her mind.
“How soon can he come home?”
Arlette turned her head toward Philippe. “That’s up to the doctor to decide, but if I know your grandfather, he wants to come home tomorrow.”
“I wish he could.”
“So do I, but since he can’t, I have a surprise for you.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll find out as soon as we reach the house.”
There was another car in the drive when Raoul stopped the car. Before everyone got out, Vivige appeared on the front porch with her children.
“There’s Albert. Hooray!”
The two older brunettes, Fleur and Lise, nine and ten respectively, followed Vivige, who hurried down the steps to hug Crystal while Philippe got reacquainted with towheaded Albert. They all started to go in the house, but Crystal noticed that Raoul didn’t join them.
Philippe turned to him. “Come on, Uncle Raoul!”
“I’ll be back later when it’s time for dinner.”
“But I don’t want you to go.”
“Philippe—” Crystal put her hands on his shoulders. “He hasn’t even been home yet or seen his girlfriend.” If she kept saying it long enough, maybe she’d be able to handle it. She would have to if she were to acquire a new sister-in-law down the road. “We’ll talk to him later, honey. Don’t forget your cousins are waiting.”
“Okay.” He kicked at the snow with his boot. “Promise you’ll come back?” Philippe had enjoyed his uncle’s exclusive attention since his arrival in Breckenridge. It was hard for him to give it up, even for a short while.
“Bien sûr. Ciao.”
Philippe must have remembered that word because his cute little face brightened. “Ciao.”
Everyone hurried through the house into the kitchen for cocoa and the special cookies Vivige made at Christmas for the kids. All the distractions made the time pass quickly. Crystal got them settled in and helped with dinner. As they were finishing their dessert, Raoul entered the dining room.
She looked up, expecting that he’d brought his girlfriend. Crystal had been dreading it, but to her relief he’d come alone. She could tell he’d showered and shaved. In wool slacks and a navy sweater with a wide white stripe, his male appeal overwhelmed her.
His gaze took in everyone before leveling on her. “Sorry I’m late, but I had a small crisis to attend to at work.” Most likely he’d been with Sylvie Beliveau and had forgotten the time.
“Sit next to Mom.” Philippe’s suggestion took Crystal by surprise when there were two other empty seats. After he complied, her son said, “Uncle Bernard called our dessert les pets de nonne. Why did everyone laugh?”
Raoul’s lips twitched. “Well, nuns sometimes make noises just like other people.”
“You mean burps?”
“That and other things.”
In a second Philippe figured it out and laughed so hard it made everyone laugh. Vivige stood up from the table. “Come on, everyone. We’ll play a game in the other room and let Uncle Raoul finish his dinner in peace. Then we have to go home because you have school in the morning.”
The children gave a collective groan.
Crystal appreciated the change of subject and the exodus. Once they were left alone she told him what his sister had brought up earlier about Philippe possibly attending school with Albert.
“She said it was your idea, Raoul. I think it’s wonderful. While things are so rocky with your father, it would be good if Philippe’s in school so I can be a support to your mother. If you suggested it, he just might go along with it.”
He finished the rest of his coffee. “It’s worth a try. If he’s willing, why don’t I come by in the morning and pick up the two of you. We’ll drive to the school and talk to Albert’s teacher. If she’s in agreement, we’ll see how it goes. If he starts feeling too insecure, they can call me and we’ll go pick him up.”
She drew in a deep breath. “You’re a good man, Raoul Broussard.” Just keep thinking of him as a good man, Crystal. Your brother-in-law. Someone else’s boyfriend. Nothing else.
“That remains to be seen. Let’s take him upstairs now and talk to