Page 48 of Forgiving Paris
“What?” Landon started to move, like he might find a police officer and get this figured out here and now. But then he relaxed and kept his hold on Ashley. No one was going to hurt her while she was in Landon’s arms. That was for sure. “Ash… you should’ve told me. We could’ve hired someone, checked into it and made sure the danger was past.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I should have. I just… I didn’t want to think about it.” She thought for a moment. “I did look him up once, to see if anyone had ever filed criminal charges against him.”
“And?” Landon’s heart was beating harder. Ashley could feel it.
“Actually, someone had. And a host of cases were finally solved. After his death, Jean-Claude was linked to the murder of at least three girls.”
Landon didn’t state the obvious. That Ashley could’ve been the fourth. He was trembling now. “Baby… I’m so sorry.” He kissed her forehead and then her lips. “You’re safe now. That’s in the past.”
Ashley had thought that if she finally told Landon, her fear over the matter would fade. In a single moment, even. And she wouldn’t have to feel sick about that part of her time in Paris ever again. But that wasn’t how she felt. If anything, the fear and terror of those last months in Paris were alive once more.
As if the two men were still following her.
“I’m sorry. For not telling you.” She shook her head. “I didn’t tell anyone. Like maybe if I just never talked about it, I could believe it never happened.” A sad laugh came from her. “And now I ruined our anniversary.”
“Hey.” He ran his hand over her hair and took her face in his hands. “You did not ruin our anniversary. Hardly.” He kissed her, longer this time. “You made it better.”
“Better?” Ashley felt her heart growing lighter. “How in the world did telling you that terrible scary story make it better?” She stepped back and this time her laugh was more carefree. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
“Well… see…” He nuzzled his face up alongside hers and kissed her neck. “Now, we have nothing secret between us. It’s like a moment.” He kissed the other side of her neck and then her lips. “Here on the Pont des Arts… the Love Lock Bridge. A new memory.”
Everything bad and frightening about the story she’d told him left her entirely. She grinned at him. “I like that.”
“Me, too.” He took her hand and led her out onto the center of the bridge. “And to commemorate such an occasion, and since putting locks on this bridge is still allowed…” He stopped and felt in his other pocket. Then he pulled out a slim silver lock and a key. “I brought this.”
“Landon!” She couldn’t believe it. “What else do you have in there?”
He raised his brow. “That, my love”—he lowered his voice—“I will show you later.”
She laughed out loud. “You’re so funny. Please… always make me laugh.”
“I will.” He chuckled. “That’s my job.” He handed her the lock. “Read it.”
The silver lock was so small Ashley struggled to read the words engraved on the front. Landon turned on his phone’s flashlight and there it was, the message in the prettiest font. Delicate and beautiful and deep, like everything about this trip.
Tears filled Ashley’s eyes and she hugged Landon for a long time. Then the two of them attached the small lock to the Pont des Arts. They used the key to set it forever in place, and Ashley threw the tiny key into the Seine. There was nothing else to say as they walked back to the hotel.
The message on the lock had said it all.
7-13-21
FORGIVING PARIS
17
Landon could feel the change in Ashley even before she fell asleep in his arms that night. Every dark and dangerous detail she’d been carrying since her first time here was gone now. As if she’d passed it from her own heart to his.
The information she’d shared concerned him. No doubt the Pierre guy had intended to harm her. Landon thought back to his own life during that time, when she would’ve been going through that, when two men would’ve been following her.
Possibly planning to kill her.
He ran his fingers over her bare arm and stared at the ceiling. College was busy that semester, and he had spent more time with Hope. His buddy Jalen had talked him into being a volunteer firefighter and God was whispering to him that maybe this was how he would spend his life. Fighting fires. Rescuing people.
One night the truth of that had come over him, as if he were getting a message straight from the Lord Himself, the ultimate Rescuer. Yes, for sure, he would spend his life helping people. Pulling them out of burning buildings andhelping them however he could. Even if it cost him his life.
But that night in his dorm room, Landon’s revelation was accompanied by the saddest thought. The one person he could not help, the one who wouldn’t take his phone calls and might never come home again, was the girl he still loved. No matter how much time he spent with Hope Freeman.
Then he had an idea. Actually, there was something he could do. He climbed out of his upper bunk, careful not to wake his roommate. Landon slipped into the common area and near the beaten-up old sofa, he fell to his knees.
