Page 45 of Forgiving Paris
“I thought it’d be warmer in Paris this time of year.” Landon set his fork down and looked from Emilie to her husband. They sat outside at a table near a busy sidewalk. “The weather is perfect.”
“Paris in July is the stuff people write songs about.”Emilie smiled at Landon and then at Ashley. “I’ve checked, and Thursday looks to be the same. Sunny and clear. Perfect for your show.”
Her show.With Emilie going on about her reasons for buying the gallery, Ashley drifted. No matter what awful things she had done in Paris, it was right for her to be here now. This was where her mother had always pictured her, selling her paintings in Paris. Only God could’ve allowed such redemption.
Landon turned to her. “Why don’t you tell us, Ash?”
She had missed something. “Yes… of course.”
“Like Emilie said…” Landon smiled. He wasn’t going to leave her hanging. “Her favorite of your paintings is the one of the Baxter house in the fading sunlight. Right?” He smiled at the gallery owner.
“Yes.” A dreamy look came over Emilie. “There’s something so ethereal about that one. I feel like I’m living in that house every time I look at it. What about you, Ashley? Which one is your favorite?”
“Mine is about to be sold.” Landon patted Emilie’s hand. “I’ll need to bring my checkbook to the show.”
Ashley laughed as she considered the question. Her favorite? “I can’t choose one.” She smiled at Emilie. “They’re like kids in a way. You spend all that time with them, creating them… and a piece of your heart is in every stroke of the brush.”
“Mmm.” Emilie nodded. “I like that.”
Their meal together ended far too soon, but Emilie and Edward had to get back to work. He was a loan brokera few blocks away. Landon grinned as the meal ended. “It’s our anniversary today. Eighteen years.”
“What?” Emilie practically jumped out of her chair. “I did not know this.” She looked at Ashley. “We cannot keep you a minute longer. I’m sure you two have plans.”
“We do.” Ashley looked at Landon. “He has the afternoon all figured out.”
“And the evening.” He put his arm around Ashley. “Lots of surprises.”
Emilie and Edward paid the bill and they parted ways. “Two days till your show.” Emilie looked back as she and her husband walked off. “Happy Anniversary, you two!”
Ashley and Landon were still smiling as they headed the other direction. They took their time, slower than the other tourists and locals. Landon glanced at her as they strolled toward the next intersection. “Look at that.” He nudged her, teasing her like he often did. “A happy day in Paris, Ashley. That has to be a good thing.”
“It is.” Peace flooded Ashley’s heart. Alice’s story would forever change the narrative of her time here. The information was a gift from God, no doubt. And now their time with Emilie and Edward. “I like those two.”
“They’re great.” He stopped walking at the light. “Okay. Our car will meet us a block from here.”
“Another car?” She loved this. “You make every anniversary so special.”
“Just wait.” He kissed her. “We’re about to find some new memories in this city.”
Once they were in the car, Landon turned to her. “Do you know what a flaneur is, Ash?”
“Hmm. It’s French.” She smiled at him. “Oui?”
“Oui. Nice.” He angled his head and looked deep into her eyes. “Some people think it means idle. But it goes deeper than that.”
She raised her brow, flirting with him. This was how they were together. How they always had been except for a few bad years before they found each other again. “Do tell.”
“Okay.” He grinned. “A flaneur is someone who enjoys an easy walk, a stroll. And that’s what we’re going to do first.”
He took her to the fifth arrondissement, the busy Latin Quarter, to the Arènes de Lutèce—the place where gladiators fought thousands of years ago. “I can’t imagine gladiators were actually real.” Ashley stood next to Landon as they read a plaque telling more about the history. “America feels so young.”
“It is.” He raised one eyebrow. “Come on… we have more to see.” They walked like true flaneurs down Rue Mouffetard, a market street frequented by tourists. But today it was calm, quiet.
“I could actually get lost here.” Ashley took her time, looking at the architecture of the buildings on the street, and checking the occasional market booth. “It’s like time has stopped.” She looked at Landon. “Do you feel it?”
“Mmm.” He crooked his arm around her neck and brought her face to his. “The way I always feel when I’m with you, my love.”
She was glad he didn’t say it in French. She didn’t ever want to hear those words in French again. They didn’t stop at the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore. The line was out the door. “Our car should be here any minute.”
