Free The Promise of Provence (Love in Provence Book 1) by Patricia Sands Page A

Kat and Neni Elisabeth share the holidays with them.
    The whole family had worked on convincing Katherine and her mother to return for New Year’s Eve and their annual sleigh ride and bonfire because it looked like it would be a good year for it, weatherwise. And so they did, much to everyone’s surprise.
    Standing by the bonfire, Andrea said, “It’s so wonderful to see the happy times you and your mom have shared these past few months.”
    “It’s been quite awesome in a lot of ways,” Katherine agreed, adding with a bit of a snort, “Too bad it took my marriage blowing up to make it happen.”
    “Too bad indeed. How are you doing now?”
    Katherine blew out a long sigh. “Not great. I’m so thankful for this time with Mom, but I know I have to start thinking beyond it. I’ve really got my head in the sand.”
    “Well, I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but a new year begins at midnight, and my wish for you is that this will be the beginning of your new life as well.”
    Katherine muttered a muffled “Mm-hmm.”

    By the end of January, Katherine was feeling more settled into her new routine. Elisabeth, an early riser, would have breakfast ready when Kat came downstairs. Kat missed her long morning walk, so she had begun to go to yoga with Lucy twice a week. Yoga was new to her, as was the experience of having a regular commitment with a girlfriend now that James no longer controlled her agenda.
    “Thanks for pushing me to do this. It’s been a good way to fill my evenings.”
    Lucy smiled at her. “Obviously I don’t know how painful divorce is, but we have a saying: ‘One joy scatters a thousand griefs. ’ ”
    Katherine nodded. “I need to remember that one.”
    Lucy had suggested they go to this class and was a devotee to yoga, which Katherine found very helpful. Even with the clear instructions of the teacher, she felt like a klutz half the time.
    There were days when Katherine still felt empty and without a vision for her future. There were days when she struggled with the feeling she was a loser and blamed herself in every way for James leaving.
    The counseling therapy had helped. Dr. Olson was quietly intuitive, and Katherine liked her. The doctor had pushed Katherine to piece together the mosaic of her marriage, which Kat had so violently smashed on the floor of the garage as she dismantled James’s bike that day.
    “I literally kicked it into a thousand pieces. I didn’t want any memory to remain intact,” Kat confessed.
    She had been encouraged to recognize the good that had existed during her years with James as well as the hurt she had endured. There were some truths she acknowledged and hung on to. Yes, she conceded, there had been many years of love and respect in her marriage. Yes, she had been deceived and hurt, but she had not been physically or verbally abused. She had not been left poverty-stricken. Focus on the positive.
    Once-a-month maintenance appointments would help if she faltered. The forward momentum was difficult, she often admitted to herself.
    There were times she thought she saw James in front of her in a crowd. She would recognize his height, broad shoulders, the back of his head, or maybe his familiar gait and catch her breath not knowing if she wanted him to see her. She knew she did not want to talk to him. She might punch him—or worse. But then she would see the profile and feel relieved she was mistaken.

6
    Katherine hadn’t seen it coming, but she sensed Elisabeth had. Thinking back, there had been plenty of warning.
    The winter was cold and snowy, and getting her mother out for a walk was more and more difficult. At the beginning of February, Katherine hired a kind and cheery caregiver. She popped in every morning for a few hours to do a bit of housework, pick up some groceries from the list Katherine posted in the kitchen, and keep Elisabeth company while she prepared lunch for her.
    Katherine and her mother both realized the help was necessary. Elisabeth’s