The familiarity with which Guy wandered into the master bath and prepared the shower made him smile. He could not remember ever feeling so comfortable, so happy. The possibility of unexpected company when he was young had kept their house immaculate and the occupants well kept. His maman loved to shower them with affection, but her bubbly nature vanished at the first sign of an outsider. Sabine and Guy were each other’s refuge. They talked about everything, sometimes just to escape the stillness of the flat they grew up in. She was the only one Guy could truly open up to, and he was the same for her. It was the closest to home he had experienced until meeting Charlotte.
Guy toweled off as he pulled fresh clothes from the dresser drawer he had commandeered after moving in. He was still barefoot and shirtless when his phone rang. Instinctive fear raced through him at the sound, but he forced himself to take a deep breath. Everything is fine, he reminded himself. Charlotte was well. Everything was all right. Reaching for his phone, the panic did not completely subside until he saw his sister’s face smiling at him from the screen.
“Comment allez-vous, frère?” Sabine asked when he answered.
“Je suis bien,” he answered, “but I will be better if you tell me you have it.”
Sabine huffed. “You doubt me?”
“I doubt the courier service. I do not like trusting such things to them.”
“They are not as bad as the airports.”
“Do you have it?” Guy asked impatiently.
“Of course. I said I would get it here and I have.” He heard shuffling noises coming from the phone, but before he could ask, Sabine continued. “I am here. You must buzz me in. You forgot to give me the code before you left the hospital.”
“You are here at the flat?”
“Oui, I thought you might want to see it and make sure it is what you want first.”
Guy shook his head. He knew exactly what he wanted. Regardless, he hurried over to the front door and buzzed his sister into the building. He unlocked the front door for her and went back to finish dressing. By the time he heard Sabine come into the apartment, he was ready. He walked out to greet his sister, but rather than her reaching out for a hug, her mouth twisted into a scowl.
“That is what you are wearing?”
“And what should I wear to the hospital?” he asked, glancing down at his jeans and t-shirt.
Sabine rolled her eyes. “Here.”
Taking the package, Guy only took a moment to make sure it had arrived unharmed before turning back to his sister. “Ready to go?”
“Are you sure this is what you want?” Sabine asked.
“Oui,” he said, annoyed, “I would not have asked for it if it was not what I wanted. He shook his head and started to walk away, but she caught his arm.
“Non, I meant, you are sure this is the right choice, yes?”
Guy’s hand rested on the door knob. Sabine questioned his choices frequently, and enjoyed letting him know when he had chosen wrongly, but this was not the same. There was concern in her voice. “You think I am not up to the task?” he asked quietly.
Sabine smiled. “I know you are. I just want to make sure you know the same.”
Pulling his sister into a hug, Guy said, “This is the right choice.”
He started to open the door when his phone rang again. “Bounjour,” Guy answered as he and Sabine stepped out into the hall.
“Guy,” Myles said, “I have news.”
***
“Papa! Papa!” Warren yelled happily when Guy crossed into Charlotte’s hospital room.
The simple words lit up Guy’s face despite his palpable anxiety. After learning he would not be taken from Guy, even if Charlotte could not care for him, Warren seemed to have decided that he no longer needed to refer to him as Papa Guy. Papa was apparently all he needed. Guy caught the fully energized little boy as he leapt off a chair and swung him over his shoulder.
“Have you been taking care of your maman while I was gone?” Guy asked.
Warren’s chin bounced against his back as he nodded. “We played cards. Grand-maman brought us brand new ones that weren’t dirty so Mommy wouldn’t get germs.”
“That was very nice of grand-maman.”
“She said we’re going to have a party later, too, but she didn’t say when. Do you know when?” he asked, trying to look back over Guy’s shoulder.
“A party, huh?” Charlotte asked. She looked up at Guy, but he said nothing. She watched him suspiciously as he sat down and plopped Warren onto his lap.
The confidence Guy had felt earlier in the living room of the flat had abandoned him. His fingers curled around the edge of the chair armrest. He did not know where to begin.
“Guy,” Charlotte asked in a trembling voice. “What is it? Did Myles talk to you already? Is it bad?”
His head snapped up immediately. “What? No. I mean yes. Myles did talk to me. Did he not speak to you?”
Charlotte shook her head back and forth quickly. The fear in her eyes cut away everything else. When Myles had called him earlier, he said he was on his way to speak to Charlotte. That was almost half an hour ago. Guy shook his head.
“Myles only had good news, ma chérie. He was supposed to have spoken with you already, but he must have been delayed.”
“What did he say?” Charlotte begged.
One of Guy’s arms was occupied holding onto Warren, but he reached out for Charlotte with the other one. He held her hand as he repeated his conversation with Myles. “Your kidney function is almost back to normal, and your white blood cell counts are declining again. Myles said the chemo is doing its job.”
“No bad news?” she asked. Disbelief was clear in her expression. Guy shook his head, smiling. Charlotte looked almost giddy for a moment, but then confusion set in. “Then why were you so nervous when you came in? I thought something was wrong.”
Setting Warren down beside him, Guy moved closer to Charlotte. “Nothing is wrong, but there are a few things we need to discuss.”
She took on a serious air, though she still seemed confused. “About my treatment?”
Guy shook his head. “About our jobs.” When Charlotte’s expression became even more perplexed, Guy pushed on before she could say anything. “Vance has already agreed to help me with the date shark business and take on some of the more difficult clients who need continued help with their problems. I will be taking on fewer clients until you are better. I won’t be going back to the hospital, either. You…Charlotte, you cannot keep working. It is putting too much stress on you. We both must focus on getting you through chemotherapy and into remission. After that, we will see.”
“But…” She shook her head. “Guy, my insurance. I can’t just stop working.”
“Oui, you can, and you must. This is not negotiable.”
“What am I supposed to do for insurance then?” Charlotte asked.
Guy took his arm from around Warren. “You will be added to my insurance.”
Tilting her head to the side, Charlotte stared at him. “But, we would have to be…”
“Married,” Guy finished as he stood, sliding the ring Sabine had brought him from his pocket.
Charlotte stared in shocked silence at the diamond engagement ring that had been passed down in his family for many generations. Her hands pressed to her mouth, one still trailing an IV. “Guy, you’re proposing? I’m not even done with chemo yet. I could get really sick again. I could…”
“I know all of that,” Guy said as he took her hands in his. “I do not wish to wait. I love you, and I want to take care of you. Both of you. This is all I want. You are all I want. You and Warren.”
Her fingers were tentative as they brushed the ring, but she did not take it. As she closed her eyes, tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Charlotte, please. I love you too much to not spend the rest of my life with you.”
As Charlotte opened her eyes again, Warren began chanting, “Say yes, say yes.”
His insistence dr
ew a laugh from them both, but Charlotte faced Guy seriously. “Are you sure about this?”
“Sabine asked me the same question,” Guy said with a grin, “and I will give you the same answer. This is the right choice. It is the only choice for me.”
Nearly climbing over the top of Guy, Warren leaned in close to his mother. “Now it’s your turn,” he whispered. “Choose yes, so we can be together always.”
Charlotte pulled her son to her and kissed his forehead before turning him so she could whisper in his ear. Every inch of Warren’s body lit up a moment later. He bolted off Guy’s lap and out the door yelling, “She said yes! She said yes!”
Happy reactions rose from everyone out in the hallway, but Guy barely heard them. “You will marry me?” he asked, grinning as he leaned in to kiss Charlotte’s lips lightly.
“Yes,” Charlotte whispered. Her body softened as Guy’s lips moved down to her fingers. He kissed each one before slipping the engagement ring onto her finger. She stared at it in amazement. “It’s beautiful, Guy.”
“You are more beautiful, and you have made me very happy.”
He kissed her again, this time more slowly. Her mouth moved against his, consuming him to the point that nothing else seemed to exist. As Charlotte’s hand slipped around his neck to pull him closer, he gave himself over to her completely. He did not care who might walk into the room. All he could think about was her. His lips scoured her skin, trailing down her jaw to her ear. Charlotte’s fingers tangled in his hair as she whimpered.
“We’re not going to be able to stick to our agreement,” Charlotte said breathlessly as his lips explored the delicate skin of her neck.
Guy shook his head, but did not pull away. “No, we will not.” Staying away from Charlotte when she was feeling well had already been difficult…nearly impossible. Guy brought himself back up to face Charlotte. He kissed her lips, drawing out every motion, telling her without words how much he loved her and how much he wanted her. When he finally pulled back, they were both struggling to breathe calmly.
“What will we do?” Charlotte asked.
Guy smiled. “I have already spoken to Myles.” He kissed her one more time, making her grin.
“Guy, do you think Myles will clear me to fly once I’ve recovered from the fever all the way…maybe between rounds of chemo?”
“Fly?”
She nodded, her hand tightening nervously. “Your mother once told me that the church on their estate would be the perfect place for a wedding.”
Warmth spread through Guy’s chest at her words. “You want to be married in France?”
“Do you think Myles will allow it?”
It was difficult to describe what emotions stumbled through him in that moment. This beautiful woman who had once been too afraid of rejection to even open herself up to friends and family, now embraced the idea of a life together, not just their small group of three, but everyone they cared about and loved.
“I think he would be willing to fly to France with us to make it happen if that was what it took.”
Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears, yet she was smiling. “I don’t think I can ever tell you how much I love you, Guy. You’ve amazed me since the moment we met. You have given up so much for Warren and me.”
“Non, ma chérie,” Guy said as he kissed her gently, “you have given me so much more than I ever gave up. You and Warren are everything to me. Tu es ma vie. You are both my life.”
Apparently no longer willing to wait, their friends and family began pouring into the room to offer congratulations. Guy’s mother was already babbling about wedding plans as Sabine promised Charlotte she knew exactly where to get the most gorgeous wedding dress. Guy’s father stood with Charlotte’s, neither one joining in the fray, but clearly thrilled with the news. Even Charlotte’s mother was smiling.
Chapter 34
Le Mariage
“I can’t believe your parents pulled this off so quickly,” Charlotte said.
Guy laughed as he kissed Charlotte’s neck. “My parents practically have every event planner in France on retainer. Of course they could arrange a wedding in two months.”
Charlotte melted against him as he moved up to her ear. “Guy, I’m not going to leave this room if you don’t stop that right now.” Her voice was plaintive, but her body had no intention of pulling away.
“Who says we have to leave the room?” Guy asked against her skin.
Giggling at him, Charlotte turned her head subconsciously so he could gain better access to her neck as he kissed his way up to just behind her ear. “I’m even more amazed everyone was able to make it. I was afraid my parents wouldn’t have valid passports, or that my dad wouldn’t be able to handle the flying.” She whimpered faintly as Guy’s arms tightened around her middle and pulled her in closer.
“Of course they had passports,” Guy said in between kisses. “I’m sure your mother checked them the moment you told her you were going to France with me when we first met…just in case she had to come and rescue you. And your father, he would not miss this. Taking the trip here slowly made it manageable for him.”
Charlotte laughed at his first comment, making it difficult for him to keep kissing her. “My mom’s gotten over that…mostly.”
“Well, we have the rest of our lives to convince her I’m not so bad, right?”
Guy felt her breath hitch at his words. “Yes, we do, and I’m so glad we’re here.”
The squeak of the door did nothing to deter Guy from kissing his fiancée. Even the irritated huff he knew all too well only inspired him to tighten his grip on Charlotte. “Go away, Sabine.”
“What are you even doing in here?” his sister demanded. “I leave Charlotte alone for five minutes and you are here again! It is bad luck, Guy. Get out!”
Straightening, Guy glared at his sister, though it was more smile than anything else. “You cannot take her. I will not allow it.”
Sabine rolled her eyes. “You are like a little boy.” She could not help grinning at her big brother, though. “I am not here for Charlotte. I am here for you. It is time to go down and take your place. You were supposed to be at the church twenty minutes ago. Charlotte’s parents are on their way up to escort her soon, so you need to go.” She turned to Charlotte, then. “Your ten minutes of alone time are up, my dear. It is time for le mariage. You are ready, yes?”
“More than ready,” Charlotte said, grinning.
Guy leaned in for another kiss, but Sabine yanked him away. “You will mess up her lipstick!” Shoving her brother toward the door, she was truly glaring at him this time. “Get to the chapel. Now! Papa is having a panic attack that you aren’t there already. You know how much he hates lateness. Everyone else is waiting for you.”
“Fine. If I must.”
“You must!” Sabine said before slamming the door in his face.
Being quite used to Sabine’s dramatics, and her need to take over anything even remotely related to clothes or shoes, he only shook his head as he descended the grand staircase. He was caught immediately by Myles. Guy had not been kidding with Charlotte when he told her Myles would accompany them to France if need be. Even though Charlotte was doing much better now that she was not working and gave her body the time it needed to recover from the infection and chemo, there were still risks with her traveling. Myles and his wife had been most kind to come with them to France so he would be able to monitor Charlotte’s health during the trip.
“How’s she holding up?” Myles asked.
“Very well.” Guy smiled. It was the happiest and most energetic he had seen her since before starting chemo. She was in between cycles of chemotherapy, which contributed to her buoyed energy and health, but her most recent test result before leaving for the wedding had been very encouraging and it left their little family with a well of hope they had needed quite badly.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Myles said. He clapped Guy on the back as he grinned. “I’m really happy for you, Guy, for b
oth of you. Two months ago, watching her in the hospital, I didn’t think this day would come.”
Guy knew exactly how he felt, but he kept the mood light by asking, “When she was sick, I had not even proposed to her yet. You did not know this day would even be happening at all.”
The chuckle his words drew from Myles was accompanied by a shaking head. “I knew, Guy. It was impossible not to know. I gave you a lot of grief when you first started dating Charlotte, because I was worried about both of you, but you were quick to set me straight.”
“What do you mean?”
“Remember the meeting you came to the day before Charlotte’s first chemo appointment?” When Guy nodded, Myles continued. “The way you held her hand the entire time, soaking up every single detail, focusing every thought on what she would need from you during treatment… I’d only ever seen you like that with one other person. Patricia.”
Guy looked away at the mention of her name, but Myles squeezed his shoulder, urging him to look up. When Guy did, Myles’ eyes were glassy, though there was a smile on his face. “You’re a good doctor, Guy. You put your heart and soul into your patients, but Patricia was different. She was the first person you truly felt responsible for, and it killed you every time they brought her back in because you loved her and it hurt you to see her like that.
“I saw that same thing in you at that first appointment with Charlotte, but even deeper than what you had with Patricia. It wasn’t just caring about a friend. Charlotte was a part of you already, and I knew you would do whatever it took to get her through this. There was no chance of you walking away from her, ever.”
“She and Warren are everything to me,” Guy said quietly. His heart ached at the thought of ever not having them in his life.
Myles smiled warmly. “I think the feeling is mutual for them.” He gave Guy’s shoulder one final squeeze before relinquishing him and heading back down the stairs.
Shark Out of Water Page 27