I Promise You This (Love in Provence Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

don’t know what to do . . .”

    Kat’s body clock was still out of whack, and she woke at 4:00 a.m.
    After lying in bed, attempting to sort through jumbled thoughts, she stretched out on the carpet and eased into a peaceful morning yoga routine. I must find the carton with my yoga things in it. I need to do this every day.
    She could hear Andrea and Terrence in the kitchen as she tiptoed downstairs after a shower. Kat knew they were anxious to get back to their farm and catch up on missed work from the past week.
    After they enjoyed another of Andrea’s hearty breakfasts, Terrence persuaded Kat to let them drive her to the subway.
    “You know we’ll be back in a flash if you need us, Kat,” Andrea said with their good-byes in the car.
    “I’m fine for now,” Kat assured them as they dropped her off. She had insisted there was no need for them to go back to the hospital. It was her turn to take over the watch. I can do it.
    Kat was heartened that there seemed to be a small improvement in Molly’s condition. The bruising and swelling appeared to be diminishing, and the nurses confirmed it. “You missed the worst of that.”
    With the background noise of beeps and whirs from all the equipment, Kat read the morning newspaper aloud to Molly. Then she reminisced about their time together in France, laughing softly and urging Molly to wake up and remember with her.
    She looked at Molly, helplessly lying there, tied up in tubes, bristles of hair beginning to appear on her head, and Kat could not shake her thoughts about the randomness of life. How some people have bad luck and others don’t. Molly had endured so much negativity in her life and yet she had always been a good person. She didn’t need this— but of course, no one does.
    Kat thought back to their school days: she, a studious introvert, and Molly, the class clown—they still had inexplicably been drawn to each other. From the first time Molly went to Kat’s house after school, she became part of their family. Elisabeth had seen through the facade of laughter and recognized a frightened little girl. Through the years Molly had spent countless overnights, sometimes bringing her younger brother to escape their violent home life.
    In spite of it all, Molly had grown to be a strong, smart woman, although always a little on the edge of conventional behavior. Their connection had been tenuous when Katherine was married to James. However, ever since James had left, Molly had been back in her life stronger than ever. Kat knew their special friendship had played a major role in her becoming the person she now was: strong, independent, confident.
    There was something about schmoozing with a trusted girlfriend that lent itself to soul baring and laughter and understanding. It made Kat even more resentful of James, and annoyed with herself, to think she had missed out on that for so many years.
    She took Molly’s hand in hers again and kept talking, begging her to get better, enticing her with plans.
    Father DeCarlo came by several times during the day. The more Katherine spent with him, the more she began to see beyond his clerical collar. She had often teased Molly about his dark good looks and accused her of going to Mass because the priest was a “hottie.” Molly always had a flippant response that sometimes caused Kat to wonder vaguely what that was all about.
    Now she simply appreciated his friendly manner and the spiritual care he was bringing to Molly’s bedside, knowing it would mean a lot to Molly. Molly had never lost her faith and sometimes teased Katherine for her lack of it.
    From a conversation Katherine had with him, it was clear Molly had talked about Kat with the priest. “Katherine, your friendship with Molly has been so important to her. She sees you more as a sister—and that’s very special.”
    Katherine had told him their friendship meant the world to her as well.
    “Please call me Tony. The people in my parish feel better calling me