Bayou Beauty (Butterfly Bayou 4)
She looked back at Louis. “He didn’t mean most of that.”
“He meant some of it,” Louis replied. “But something happened. Someone’s either lying to him or he’s holding back. That was not Rene. Honey, that man loves you.”
Sylvie was almost certain of it. “Can you take her home? I think I’ll stop by his office and see if he had any visitors. Cricket, you need to think about how you want to talk to Rene. You can’t let him handle everything and then tell him he means nothing.”
“That’s not what I said,” she replied.
“But it’s what he heard.” Sylvie sighed and wrapped her arms around her mother-in-law. “And you, Louis, need to convince him you love his mother and you’re not here for the cash. He’s spent his whole life being told to protect his family. You can’t expect him to toss that out now.”
“He’s trying to toss you out, too,” Cricket hiccupped.
“No, he’s not. He’s trying to get me to run.” What had he said? This made it all easier? “He’s going to find out I’m not much of a runner. But I am a fighter.”
And it might be time to fight for her marriage.
* * *
* * *
Rene looked around the two-story house that the town of Papillon offered up as the mayor’s home. It was one of the perks Sylvie got for all the hard work she did.
She should probably find a better job, because this house was not a palace.
He’d never been inside. He’d lived in this town all of his life and he’d never once been inside the mayor’s house, because when they met with the mayor, the mayor came to Darois House.
Because his father and his grandfather had been the kings of the town.
It looked like he was about to lose his crown. And his wife.
He sighed and hoped the power was still on. He rather thought it was. The house was still here for the use of the mayor. Now it would be a hidey-hole for the mayor’s husband to mull over his bad life choices.
Rene, what is going on?
He could still see her face as she asked him the question, still feel the hurt coming off her. And the offer to get through this together. That had been implicit in her every word. She’d been trying to fix things, but she couldn’t. He’d made his choice in that moment.
Her. He’d chosen her. He’d forced himself to ignore the impulse to tell her everything and let her talk it out with him. He couldn’t because she would never protect herself. She would let it all come out and make the sacrifice, and she deserved more.
He found the lamp on the entry hall table and flicked it on with a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn’t be in the dark all night.
He pulled his cell out. It had been hours since that scene in the parking lot, and he still felt sick to his stomach as he walked through the front hall. He turned on the light, and there was nothing of Sylvie in this house. She looked so much more at home in Darois House. He wanted to text her and tell her the dress she’d been wearing had made her skin practically glow. He loved the contrast of her skin against his, loved looking down and seeing her pressed against him, and how she made him feel like he was good at something.
Good at loving her.
It was the worst part. Now he was fairly certain he was in love with his wife and always had been. He’d been a coward for trying to call it anything else. He loved Sylvie and he had to leave her to save her.
Especially since apparently he wasn’t going to have anything to offer her after this.
Instead of calling his wife, he texted his cousin.
You’ve got a deal.
He would get every single bit of blackmail Charles had on Sylvie and find a way to bury it all so there wasn’t even the possibility of someone coming after her again. It was the least he could give her.
Of course, Charles was resourceful. So were his other relatives, and that was precisely why he had to consider that staying married to him might not be good for Sylvie. She deserved a family that she could be proud of, that she could trust. It was always war with the Darois family.
He shut his phone off because the last thing he needed was to have to read his cousin’s self-satisfied reply.
Was Sylvie holding Lady and cursing his name? He had to make sure the dog got her medications. He would work something out. Despite what his mother had said, he did have his own money. It wasn’t the Darois fortune, but he would be comfortable.
Financially. Emotionally it would take a long time to recover. If he ever did. He would go to Dallas. New Orleans was far too close.