From Daredevil to Devoted Daddy

by Barbara McMahon

  Lying in bed a short time later, he threw an arm over his head and clenched his fist. Instead of giving an apology, he wanted another kiss. One in which she kissed him back. How dumb could one man be?

  Matt came down for breakfast later than the previous days. He was going to do some exploring around the easy marked trails and then come back for Alexandre’s ramble. That is, if Jeanne-Marie would let him. There were some places where the incline was almost gentle enough to walk up. Those would be perfect for a small boy.

  He came down the stairs and went to the dining room. Two tables had guests eating. One was still cluttered with dirty dishes and two others were set. He took one to the side and sat down. No sooner had he pulled out his chair than Jeanne-Marie came from the kitchen. Did she have magical powers?

  “Chocolate or coffee?” she asked, coming to his table. She balanced a plastic bin on one hip.

  “Coffee today.” She nodded to the stack of newspapers on the buffet. “Today’s papers if you care to read. I’ll be right back.” Swiftly she stacked the dirty dishes in the bin and carried them out of the dining room. The conversations at the other tables were quiet. He rose and took one of the daily papers from the small stack and resumed his seat.

  But he wasn’t really interested in the news. He leaned back in his chair and waited for Jeanne-Marie to return.

  She did, with a bright smile and a carafe of hot coffee. Also on the platter was a frittata, fresh bread, orange juice and a petite cinnamon roll. She served him, then met his eyes. “Anything else?”

  He could hardly ask for her to sit with him. But he missed the companionship he’d had the last couple of mornings. At least she hadn’t asked him to leave. She hadn’t said anything about the kiss. Were they going to ignore it?

  Feeling like he’d won a reprieve, he looked at the meal. “This looks fine,” he said.

  “Enjoy.” She checked on the other guests, then went back to the kitchen.

  Alexandre came through a moment later and made a beeline for Matt.

  “Hi. We’re going climbing today,” he said, clambering onto the chair opposite Matt. “My mama said. Are we going now?”

  “This afternoon,” Matt concurred gravely. “If it’s still okay with your mother.”

  “Will we climb to the top of a mountain?”

  “No, we’ll start out on a small hill.”

  “I want to climb a mountain!”

  “Climbing is a skill that has to be learned. Everyone starts out on smaller cliffs, then goes on to bigger and bigger challenges. You cannot climb a mountain at five.”

  Alexandre pouted for a moment. Matt hid a smile behind his coffee cup, taking a drink while the child assimilated what he’d been told. Children wanted everything immediately.

  “Can I climb a mountain tomorrow?” Alexandre asked hopefully.

  “You can’t climb a mountain until you are as tall as I am.”

  The boy’s eyes got big. “I’ll never be that tall.”

  “When you grow up you will.” For a moment Matt wondered how tall Alexandre would be. He felt a pang of disappointment that he would likely never know.

  Alexandre kicked his foot against the chair. “Are we going soon?”

  “After lunch. I have things to do this morning,” Matt told him.

  “Can I come?”

  Matt heard the echo of Etienne’s voice. He’d ask just like that. How many times had Matt said not today, when, had he known the future, he’d have taken him every single time?

  “I’ll be on the phone with work. Then I need to scout out our route for this afternoon. But I tell you what, if your mother approves, once I’m back, we’ll start learning about climbing.”

  “I’ll go ask her,” Alexandre said, slipping off the chair and running for the kitchen.

  Jeanne-Marie came out an instant later and walked right to his table.

  “Is Alexandre bothering you?” she asked.

  “No. I told him when I finish checking in with work and scouting the climb for later, I’d go over basics with him. He needs to learn a lot to be safe on a cliff. He’s still going for a climb today, right?”

  Jeanne-Marie nodded her head slowly. “As long as I can go, too.”

  Matt gave a curt nod. He wasn’t sure he wanted two pupils, especially when he had trouble keeping his mind focused when around the pretty innkeeper. Climbing demanded a lot of concentration; he hoped he could remember that.

  He met her eyes, seeing the confusion there. But she merely said, “We’ll be ready after lunch.”

  Jeanne-Marie felt almost as excited as Alexandre when she got ready to meet Matt that afternoon. She wore long pants, the cross trainers that offered good soles and a red T-shirt—hoping it would give her courage. Butterflies danced in her stomach. She had gone on some easy scrambles with Phillipe a time or two before she’d gotten pregnant. Easy according to Phillipe—she remembered being in over her head. Maybe a person needed to begin early to master the skills.

  She hoped she was doing the right thing in letting her son try this. She knew he had heard so many stories from his grandfather about the climbs he and Phillipe had done, he equated all climbing with his father. She should talk more about Phillipe’s work and diffuse the focus on his hobby. His passion, as it were.

  Before they left their quarters, she caught Alexandre and held his face between her hands, making him look directly at her. “Listen. You must do whatever Matt tells you, understand? He’s the expert. He’ll keep you safe, but you have to listen to him.”

  “I will listen to him,” Alexandre promised solemnly.

  “If not, we stop and come straight home,” she finished.

  “Okay. I’ll listen.” He went racing out of their area into the lounge.

  “Matt, Mama says I have to listen to you. I will—really, really hard.”

  Matt was standing near the French doors. He nodded at Alexandre’s comment, then looked beyond him to Jeanne-Marie. She felt the butterflies kick up a notch, but wasn’t sure if it was from meeting his dark gaze or the thought of letting her son climb a cliff.

  “I thought we’d drive to the trailhead,” Matt said.

  “Fine, you’re in charge.” She bid Rene goodbye. The teen had come early to be there when they left.

  In no time, the three of them were walking along the rocky trail that skirted the base of Les Calanques. The sea sparkled in the sunshine. The cliffs towered over them, undulating with folds and crevices. The heat of the day reflected from the rock.

  “What did you learn this morning?” Matt asked Alexandre as they walked.

  The boy began repeating the words of caution and preparation Matt had told him.

  “Good memory,” Matt said in some surprise. The child had been listening.

  Jeanne-Marie was pleased at the effort Matt had made with Alexandre. He had drilled him on the safety features. She didn’t know all the ones her son repeated. Phillipe had given her very little instruction, intent more on getting on with the climb.

  Was Matt taking extra care because Alexandre was so young? Or was he naturally prudent? She knew from the way Phillipe had talked that he liked taking chances. She suspected Matt got the same adrenaline high from climbing, but took a bit more care to make sure he’d return in one piece.

  They reached a sloping hummock that led right to the path. Matt stopped and studied it for a moment, then looked at Jeanne-Marie.

  “This is the one I thought he could do.”

  She nodded. The hill was steep, but not sheer by any means. There were plenty of rocks to hold on to and even some small trees growing from cracks. She could almost walk up it herself without difficulty.

  “This would be perfect,” she said with genuine gratitude. She wouldn’t have to worry about her son on this. Or herself.

  “Okay, Alexandre, now listen carefully,” Matt said, stooping down to be at his level. “We’ll look over the entire hill first. Decide which way we want to go. Then once we begin, we’ll look ahead several holds
to make sure we always have a way to go. Understand?”

  The boy nodded, excitement shining in his eyes.

  Matt pointed out rocky protuberances they could use, some sturdy plants, some suspect. Cracks where a foot would find purchase.

  Matt rose and looked at Jeanne-Marie. “Any questions?”

  “Nope, I’m good to go.”

  “You’re climbing? I thought you just wanted to observe.”

  “I’ve been listening. I think I can master this. Maybe I’ll find out what all the fuss is about. Like you said, if Alexandre and I have activities in common, we might draw closer.”

  “Then follow us up. I want to stay near him.”

  Matt had Alexandre go first. Pointing out handholds and where to put his feet, Matt never was more than a foot or two away from him. Close enough to help out if anything went wrong. Close enough to catch him if the child slipped, yet giving him enough space that Alexandre would think he was doing it all on his own.

  Alexandre followed Matt’s instructions, climbing up the steep incline slowly and methodically.

  Jeanne-Marie waited until they were well ahead and then she began her own ascent, looking ahead like Matt had instructed. It was actually fun to be going from one rock or knob to another, almost like climbing a ladder. The rock was warm beneath her fingers, the sun hot on her head. After a few feet she felt a spark of elation. She had hated the thought of this for so long, but found it was enjoyable. Another place to stand, reach up, hold on and step up.

  She might never want to go up a sheer cliff or climb a mountain, but for a gentle scramble, this was turning out much better than she had expected.

  “Mama, I’m climbing!” Alexandre called, looking over his shoulder to her.

  “Pay attention, Alexandre,” Matt said. “Looking around can cause a distraction. Focus on the rocks.”

  “Okay.” He climbed some more and finally reached a wide ledge. Climbing over to sit on the flat portion, he grinned as Matt joined him. “I did it. I climbed!”

  “Yes, you did a great job.”

  Jeanne-Marie reached the ledge, looking at the two satisfied males sitting there. “I did it, too,” she said, scrambling onto the ledge. It was over a dozen feet long and at least six feet from lip to back wall. A shallow cave seemed carved out behind them. Looking up, the next stage of cliff was steeper.

  She sat on the edge, letting her feet dangle. They’d come almost thirty feet. Not a huge distance, but she was grateful for the attention Matt gave her son. “This is fabulous. Look how far we can see, almost to Africa.” She looked at Matt. “I can’t thank you enough. I can almost see what drives climbers.”

  He nodded. “The more familiar you become, the more you want a bit more of a challenge.”

  “Maybe. But for now, this suits me perfectly. Alexandre, you did so well! You’ll have to tell your grand-père. He’ll be proud of you.”

  “Maybe he will take me climbing.”

  “I bet he will.” She thought about how he’d lost heart after Phillipe’s death. But a gentle hill like this one would be perfect for him to spend time with Alexandre.

  “Now are we climbing to the top?” Alexandre asked, jumping up and looking toward the rim.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “NOT TODAY. We still have to get back down, and it’s harder,” Matt said. “You have to feel for your toeholds, because you can’t see like you can going up.”

  Alexandre went near the edge and looked over. Matt casually reached out his hand and took hold of the child’s arm. “Not too close,” he said.

  Jeanne-Marie felt another wave of gratitude toward the man. He was patient and alert. She knew Alexandre was safe around him. And this climb had opened her eyes about a lot of things.

  In thinking about Phillipe, she knew he’d never have been as patient. He hadn’t been with her. Would he have pushed Alexandre beyond what he was capable of? Or left him behind because he wasn’t as skilled? Would he have taken time to teach him?

  The trip back down was harder. Matt went first, and then coached Alexandre. When Jeanne-Marie looked over to try to plan her descent, she couldn’t remember the way she’d come up. It looked steeper than it had coming up. Now she wasn’t sure where she could find a toehold or how to make it down without falling.

  “You’ll do fine. Start a little to your left,” Matt called up. He and Alexandre were about fifteen feet below her and to the left. She picked out a couple of places to start and eased over the edge. Reaching down for a foothold, she felt a rock. Slowly she eased her weight on it. It held. Whooshing a breath, she held on with her hands and stretched her other foot lower, moving it back and forth, trying to find a rock.

  “Try a bit lower,” he called.

  She found the rock.

  It was slow going and her arms and legs were trembling by the time she reached the bottom. But she’d made it, thanks to Matt’s prompting the entire way.

  Sitting down on a nearby rock, she wrapped her arms across her chest, hoping they’d feel normal in a bit.

  “Wow. It’s lots harder going down,” she said.

  “You did fine. So did Alexandre.”

  “But only because you were here. I might have made it up okay, but I don’t think I ever would have made it down on my own.”

  “Sure you would. It takes practice.”

  “And a lot of strength. My arms and legs feel like wet noodles.”

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that.” He grinned.

  Jeanne-Marie stared at him. He looked ten years younger. It was the first time she’d seen him amused and it made her heart flip over. He was gorgeous. Sadness had robbed him of joy, she knew. But today, going with them, perhaps he’d forgotten for a short time and could enjoy the moment. His eyes crinkled slightly, his teeth shone white against his tan. She could stare at him all day long!

  “It was fun, Mama,” Alexandre said, jumping up and down. “Can we do it again?”

  “Another day. If I live through this one,” she murmured.

  “We’ll walk back to the car and you can rest there.”

  “Smart move, bringing the car. I don’t think I could have made it all the way home otherwise,” she said, struggling to stand.

  Matt offered his hand and she took it. He pulled her to her feet and gave her hand a quick squeeze. Another flip-flop of her heart. She looked away lest he think she was an idiot. Slowly she started walking to the car. This had been a special day. She had learned more about herself and about the patience some men had. Not that it changed the way she felt about Phillipe, but it did raise questions she’d never thought about. He’d been a man with foibles and drawbacks like any other. Dying young didn’t confer perfection.

  Saturday dawned a beautiful day. The sky was crystal clear, the temperature moderate and the light breeze steady from the sea. Jeanne-Marie felt a sense of excitement and anticipation she had not experienced in years. She tried to downplay the climb, but it was all she could think about. She shouldn’t become involved with anyone, especially a guest who was only staying a couple more days. There was no future in that. But she was still struck by his kindness to her son, and his care of her on the face of the rock.

  She’d put the thought of his kiss firmly away. It had been a grateful father’s gesture for listening to him talk about his son. Nothing romantic about it. At least not on his part. She would not embarrass herself by making more of it than he had intended.

  Today she and Alexandre would spend the day with Michelle and her family, exploring all the booths of the fete, enjoying the parade and ending up in the evening sitting on the veranda to watch the fireworks that exploded over the sea, doubling the enjoyment with the reflections on the water.

  Busy in the kitchen, she hoped to finish everything including cleaning up before nine. She’d left notes for her guests saying she would only serve breakfast until eight-thirty. If they didn’t come down by then, she would place a cold collection of continental breakfast rolls and biscuits and hot coffee on a serve y
ourself basis on the buffet.

  So far everyone but the couple in room three and Matt had been served. Just as she carried a bin of used dishes toward the kitchen, Matt came down the stairs.

  “I’ll bring you chocolate in a moment,” she said, motioning for him to take a seat at an empty table. Glad for the busy tasks facing her, she hurried to the kitchen. Dumping the plates in the sink, she placed the silverware into a soaking pan and then dried her hands. She made a new pot of hot chocolate and placed it on a tray with the hot breakfast strata, a basket of rolls and jams. Lifting it easily, she carried it out.

  He’d taken a seat at one of the tables by the window. She smiled brightly and placed the edge of the tray on the table while she unloaded his breakfast. “I have strata for breakfast today. And assorted rolls and breads. Anything else I can get you?” She did not let her gaze linger. He seemed to be avoiding her eyes as well.

  “This looks like all I need. Thank you.” He reached for the hot chocolate. “How are you feeling today?”

  She brushed her hands over her apron, trying to rein in her racing heart. A quick glance around showed everyone was eating. She wanted to escape. “The bath helped. I feel a bit stiff today, but not sore. Let me know if you need anything further,” she said, tilting the tray sideways and walking back to the kitchen. She felt as if she’d run a mile.

  Alexandre came running in. “Hi, Mama, is it time to go to the parade?”

  “Not yet. I have to get the kitchen cleared first. Our guests are still eating.”

  “Is Matt there?”

  “Don’t bother him,” Jeanne-Marie warned. She plunged into the soapy water and began washing the silverware.

  When she looked up a moment later she was alone in the kitchen. Quickly drying her hands, she went to the door. Alexandre was standing beside Matt, talking earnestly.

  Jeanne-Marie hurried across to them.

  “Come away, Alexandre. I’ll make your breakfast.”

  “I want to eat with Matt,” he said. “Don’t you want me to eat with you? If you eat alone you’ll be lonely.”