Going Off Piste

Chapter Eight

Reuben insisted on driving Frankie back to the hospital the next day. Jules and Bruno had their first group of paying guests arriving on Saturday and from that point on were fully booked until two weeks after Easter so even though Jules was adamant she was happy to take Frankie to Geneva, there really was no question of her actually having the time to do so.

At breakfast the next morning, Jules, Bruno, Frankie and Reuben had discussed arrangements for the next few weeks. With Simon and Betty unlikely to return to la Vieille Grange, it was agreed that Frankie would pack their bags and they would be stored in Bruno and Jules' apartment above the guest accommodation until they were ready to fly back to the UK. Frankie was to move up into their spare bedroom, giving Jules a couple of extra days to prepare the guest rooms for the weekend. Although Frankie planned to visit Betty every day, visiting hours were restricted so she would also be around to help out over the Christmas period. Reuben had accepted Bruno and Jules' offer of employment and, after a brief trip to Paris to pick up some things, would be based in les Monts until the second week of April. This last piece of news had caused Frankie's stomach to twist in excitement as she worked out that for the duration of her enforced stay in France, Reuben was likely to be around. The fact had clearly not gone unnoticed by him either. His eyes held hers across the breakfast table for an almost indecent delay as he told her his news. In the end, Jules had cleared her throat pointedly, a badly concealed smirk on her face, causing Frankie to blush embarrassedly.

A telephone call to the hospital brought the good news that both Simon and Betty had had a good night's sleep. Although for Betty the road to full recovery was likely to be a long one, she was at least out of danger. Both of them were due a visit by the doctor first thing and then Frankie would be able to visit later in the morning for a couple of hours. It was in a far more upbeat mood than she would have dreamt possible the previous day that Frankie climbed into the passenger seat of Bruno's old Golf for the trip to Geneva.

"You need to pay attention to the route today," said Reuben, throwing the bag of clothes and toiletries Frankie had packed for Simon and Betty onto the back seat before climbing in behind the steering wheel. "I've got to spend the day with Sébastien tomorrow. He's giving me a whistle-stop tour of the local ski areas so I can guide Bruno and Jules' guests without disgracing myself. That means you'll have to drive yourself to the hospital."

"I'm fine to drive today if you're busy," said Frankie, mentally crossing her fingers that Reuben wouldn't take her up on her offer. "I'm sure you've got loads of other stuff you could be doing.'

"I've got lots that I could and maybe even some that I should do but after today our time will be limited to moments snatched late at night."

Frankie couldn't suppress the graphic images that flooded her head at Reuben's words nor the accompanying hitch in her pulse.

"So today I'm all yours," he grinned, leaning across and catching her unawares with a kiss full on the mouth.

"Reuben," Frankie squeaked, trying but failing to sound disapproving, "you mustn't! Jules or Bruno could walk out of the house at any moment."

"Then I must insist you stop looking so tempting," he laughed. "Don't forget I've just had a frustrating night sleeping next to you without touching you. It was all I could do earlier not to crawl over the breakfast table and take you on the kitchen floor! Do you think that would have been more or less shocking for Bruno and Jules than seeing us kissing in the front seat of their car?"

Frankie laughed and brazenly reached one hand across to run it up Reuben's leg from knee to thigh.

"Any higher and your chances of me actually being able to drive this car are non-existent," he said, grinning delightedly.