The Baby Dilemma

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re as inspired as Philippe was,” Raoul murmured.

She bit her lip. “I’m not at all certain it will work, but since he was already planning a climb, he won’t be suspecting any subterfuge. If the only thing I accomplish is to prevent him from going up on the mountain in his condition, I’ll be thankful.”

“We all will, believe me,” Raoul said in an emotion-filled voice.

“There’s only one problem. Philippe’s going to realize you made this possible for me. I couldn’t bear it if he turned on you. You’re his dearest friend.”

Raoul eyed her with a glint of what looked like admiration. “Let me worry about that.”

“When is your banking conference over?”

“Today’s the final day. My suggestion is that you and Lee get some sleep while I’m in attendance. I should be through around four-thirty. We’ll fly to Zermatt in the helicopter and spend the night. I’ll give the staff a few days off.

“Tomorrow morning I’ll have Philippe flown in. After I bring him to the chalet, I’ll conveniently disappear and the rest of us will wait things out at Roger’s condo.”

Tomorrow Kellie would see Philippe.

Her heart thudded so hard with excitement and anxiety all rolled into one, she feared something was wrong with it.

Lee moved forward to touch her arm in concern. “Are you all right?”

She let out a shaky breath. “There’s a strong possibility he won’t let me into his life again. I’m petrified our marriage could really be over.”

When neither of them refuted that statement, her fear escalated.

Weary both physically and emotionally, she rested her head against the back of the seat. Her eyelids felt heavy. Before they closed, the last thing she saw was Raoul’s grave countenance.

Like a revelation it came to her he knew things about Philippe he hadn’t told his wife or Kellie. She didn’t know what exactly, but a frisson of terror attacked her body worse than before.

CHAPTER THREE

KELLIE walked Raoul and Lee to the back door of the chalet to see them off.

“I’ll be praying for you,” Lee whispered, giving Kellie a hug.

“Thank you. I’m going to need it.”

Raoul placed his hands on her shoulders. “You have my cell phone number. Call us at anytime.”

She nodded.

His eyes looked a darker blue beneath the overcast sky. “Do your magic as only you know how to do.”

Kellie let out a half sob. “I’m afraid I’ve destroyed that for him. But if loving him desperately counts for anything—”

“It counts.” He kissed her forehead before throwing an arm around his wife’s waist to walk her to the car. It was one of those little electric ones, the only kind allowed to get around Zermatt.

She watched until their car disappeared down the slope. Then she ran through the hallway to the front of the rustic chalet where the picture window gave out on the Swiss resort town famous for its skiing and mountaineering.

Raoul had told her that in good weather she’d be able to view the Matterhorn. Kellie had never been to Zermatt, and had always wanted to see the mountain. But this morning it was shrouded in gray mist.

Another reason why she wouldn’t allow Philippe to attempt a climb, she’d do anything to prevent him from leaving.

She propped herself on the couch near the window trying to imagine what she’d say to him when he arrived. When an hour had passed and there was no sign of the car yet, she began to worry that bad weather might have prevented the helicopter from landing.

However if that were true, Raoul would have phoned to let her know there’d been a delay.

Her gaze wandered to the end of the room where a circular staircase wound its way to the loft. Philippe had spent many nights up there before a climb, or a day of skiing.

She’d been put in the guest bedroom on the main floor. Though she knew it was impossible, there was still this tiny part of her that fantasized about a reconciliation. After a month’s deprivation, she was dying with love for him. Whenever she thought about them sleeping together, she could hardly breathe.

Too nervous to sit still, she walked to the bathroom down the hall and ran the brush through her hair one more time. She’d put on tan wool pants and a cream-colored cable-knit sweater he hadn’t seen her in before. They were colors he particularly liked on her.

But as she looked at herself in the mirror, she remembered what Lee had said.

Philippe has changed. He wants the divorce now.

A sharp pain pierced her heart to realize he wouldn’t care what she was wearing because he wasn’t going to look at her the same way again.

Almost immobilized by the fears plaguing her, she hurried from the bathroom to the kitchen at the rear of the chalet. From the window over the sink she’d be able to see Philippe arrive.

Earlier she’d prepared fruit and ham and cheese croissants for him. The coffee was hot. She knew he’d lost weight during the last month, but was determined to get him to eat.

She wanted to do everything for him.

She wanted to be all things to him.

She wanted to be his wife again.

It had been so long…

Just when she decided something had gone wrong and Philippe wouldn’t be coming, she heard the sound of a car.

With her heart pounding out of control, she moved to the side of the sink where she could still see out the window without being observed in return.

Pretty soon she saw it pull around the slope and stop about thirty feet from the back door. The plan was for Raoul to let Philippe out and tell him to go inside the unlocked door while Raoul did a quick errand he’d remembered at the last minute.

So far it seemed to be working. Raoul kept the car running, but by this time her eyes were riveted on the man climbing out of the passenger seat.

If she hadn’t known it was Philippe, she wouldn’t have recognized him. His black hair was overly long. In the last month he’d grown a moustache and beard.

He’d always been heartbreakingly handsome to her. He still was, but in an entirely different way. The change in him fascinated and terrified her all at the same time. She felt distanced from him by his outward appearance; it was symbolic of the trauma he’d experienced in the last month.

Six feet two inches of powerful muscle beneath his climbing clothes, the noticeable weight loss gave him a lean, hungry look. Kellie was so mesmerized by the transformation, she hardly noticed the cane he used to help keep the weight off his left leg.

His limp appeared almost nonexistent. Once again she found herself thanking providence that he hadn’t sustained worse injuries in the accident.

Raoul waved to him, then took off. Philippe gave a slight nod before walking the rest of the way to the chalet.