Lara

Chapter 3

My long dark hair whips around me as I get out of my rental car and gaze at the house in front of me. The sky is grey, but it gives everything a romantic cast rather than being dreary.

Nestled in amongst the maritime pines and lush greenery is my grandmother's cottage. White with grey blocks of stone around the windows and doors and large French windows with bright blue shutters. And a veranda on one side of the house that overlooks the coastline. I notice a path leading straight from the cottage down to the rocky beach. The roar of the waves is so close I want to traipse down that path right away to dip my feet in the ocean. But after an eleven-hour flight and an hour's drive from the nearest airport, I'm exhausted.

Gratefully taking a deep breath of salty ocean air, I lug my bags to the front porch. I can't help but smile as I step inside Mémé's home; it immediately feels like her. Beautiful tiled flooring, plush furnishings, a smattering of antiques, and gauzy white curtains in every window. It's homey but elegant. And amazingly it still smells like her - floral and warm with hints of lavender. Probably because no one has lived here in the years since she passed. Which reminds me that I need to contact the caretaker of the estate in the morning and let him know I've arrived.

After touring the house, I choose the first-floor bedroom to settle in. It's peaceful with its white linens and different shades of blue accents. And as expected, pieces of Larimar throughout. A lone easel stands near the French doors at one end of the bedroom, no canvas or surrounding it, just the easel. It's as if it was waiting for me – as if Mémé knew it was time for me to take up my paintbrush again.

With a smile, I move the linen curtains aside and open the doors to let the salty ocean air in. There's a small terrace attached to this room, and it will be the perfect spot to sit with a cup of coffee in the morning. Or café I say to myself - I need to start using my French while I'm here.

I snap a selfie with the rocky coastline in the background and send it to Jade. *Just arrived. Safe and sound,* I text.

I automatically tap on the picture to send it to Jake as well but decide against it since I still haven't heard from him. I chew my lip wondering if he's been thinking about the kiss as much as I have. Or maybe in the last week he has found someone else to kiss. A lot can change in a week. Maybe he's already met someone in London. My stomach clenches at the thought.

Not wanting to explore what that jealous pang means, I blame it on hunger. Plopping on the bed I call Jade, hoping she hasn't left for work yet.

"Lar! I got your pic, I'm so glad you found it ok. How was the flight? Is it amazing there? Tell me all about it!"

I laugh. "Slow down Jade! One question at a time."

"Sorry! Ok, so you just arrived. What are you going to do now?"

"That's why I'm calling. What's that place Mom recommended? She said it was Mémé's favorite local place. I'm starving and don't have it in me to randomly choose a place to eat."

"Oh yeah wait a sec. She texted it to me." She goes silent for a minute. "Here it is. It's the restaurant for the Hotel Du Port. Looks charming sis!"

"Cool, thanks. Part of me just wants to curl up on this bed right now and go to sleep. But I have no food for breakfast either and I'll probably pass out from hunger."

"You don't want to make it all that way just to die before your adventure begins!"

I shake my head. "Jade I think you're romanticizing this a bit. I think I'll have a nice relaxing two weeks by the ocean, and then I'll return to reality and figure out how to handle my future. And how to handle Brett. I'm not going to let him get away with this."