Corbin (The Theriot Family)

He reached over and laid his hand on top of mine. A woman at one of the tables across the restaurant gave us a curious look. I couldn’t tell if she was judging us or just trying to figure out if we were a couple. I didn’t much care. It was obvious Mary Fran didn’t mind.

“Miss Mary Fran was right,” Beau said. “I’ve never brought anyone here except Sam.”

I raised my brows. “And Miss Mary Fran didn’t think you two were…”

Beau laughed. “She did, but Sam set her straight, telling her no way in hell would she ever consider going out with me and also that she likes women.”

“And Mary Fran… She didn’t…”

“Claude and Mary Fran like people to be who they are. They respect people for living the lives they want. Mary Fran has been working at this restaurant her whole life. She loves feeding people, and she doesn’t need a flashy setting to do it in. She’s had offers from restaurants where she could make a lot more money and gain a measure of fame—you’ll see how good her food is—but this is what she likes, a quiet place mostly patronized by locals plus a little bit of catering here and there.”

We talked about places we liked to eat in the city until Mary Fran brought out our lunch.

When I took my first bite of étouffée, I was sure I’d died and gone to heaven. No earthly food should taste that good. It was so rich, so flavorful, and the perfect consistency. The shrimp were top quality and cooked just the right amount; they basically melted in my mouth. Even the rice was perfect.

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Beau asked.

“Oh my God, yes. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything this good.”

“You won’t anywhere else.”

“Can we come here every day?” I realized I’d implied that whatever it was between us was going to last beyond the time I’d agreed to work for him. I kept my gaze on my plate of delicious food, not wanting to see his reaction.

“Corbin. Look at me.”

I hesitated. He pressed the toe of his boot against my ankle, and I knew it was a warning. I almost continued to disobey, wanting to know what the consequences would be, but this was serious. Figuring out what was happening between us wasn’t a game.

“You’d like that? You’d like to come back here together more than once?”

“Yes.” The word was barely audible.

“Good. I’d like that too.”

My heart thundered against my chest. “You would? I thought… I mean, Remy’s coming back, and the car’s done now, and…”

“Is that all this is about, fixing the car before sending you away to let your brother control what you do again?”

I scowled at him. “Remington does not control what I do.”

“Are you so sure about that? Isn’t your biggest motivation to please him, to make him see you differently?”

It had been, but now… now I knew I’d been going about that all wrong. I also knew that while I did want a bigger role in the family business, I wanted more than that. I wanted my own life, one I created, not one that was served up to me while I was sitting on a pedestal.

“He’s going to see me differently because I am different than I was when he left. This week—Jesus, it feels like it’s been at least a month since I took him to the airport—has taught me a lot.”

“You’re right, but I have a lot more to teach you.”

I smiled. “I’m counting on that.”

We ate in silence for the next few moments. Part of me wanted us to define things further while part of me was glad Beau hadn’t pushed me to do so. I hadn’t thought I wanted a relationship, not yet. I’d seen how happy Remy and Henri were, and I was envious as hell, but was I ready for that? Could I really give Beau what he wanted?

I didn’t have time to ponder that further because Beau started speaking, and I was mesmerized by his words and honored that he would share with me.

“When they threw me in a cell, I didn’t want to be the tough guy who bullied everyone into following him. At first, I tried to keep to myself, but that didn’t work. It didn’t matter if I wanted to fight. It didn’t matter if I chose to start things. People still came for me. I didn’t want to be a bully, but I wasn’t going to let anyone fuck with me either. If they wanted to start it, then I was going to finish it, and I was going to come out on top.”

I smiled and nodded. “I can imagine that.” Beau was so strong and so confident. It was hard to imagine anyone thinking they could get the best of him. Even some of the scary motherfuckers that worked for my family would back away from him.