“Is it so important that a person gets married? I mean, is that the only possible way to be happy?” Sylvie asked because she was starting to worry that the matchmaking business her momma was talking about might start with her. Ever since Zep and Roxie had gotten engaged, she’d heard hints from her mom that she would be next.
Sometimes it felt like a threat.
“Not according to Emma Lorraine,” Hallie replied with a shrug. “She’s perfectly happy with her good job and her perky boobs and all that free time she has.”
“And all the money she gets to spend on shoes,” Seraphina pointed out. “That woman has gorgeous shoes. And she went on a girls’ trip that had nothing to do with a play group. They went to Las Vegas. It looked like a lot of fun.”
“We have fun,” Hallie argued. “We go on trips.”
“We go to Houston and spend all our time at the kids’ museum.” Sera’s lips turned up. “Harry and Luc had such a good time. But Sylvie, to answer your question, no, I don’t think you have to get married to have a full life. Love and passion are the important things. You don’t have to love a person. It could be a job. Your passion could be helping people.”
Hallie looked from Sylvie to Sera as though trying to figure out what was truly going on. “Wait, are we talking about Sylvie? Because she is so getting married. I’ve got a whole list of eligible bachelors, and I’ve got meet-cute situations I can set up in less than an hour. Just say the word. I am a loaded gun of love and commitment. All you have to do is pull my trigger.”
Sera sent a pointed look Hallie’s way. “I think Sylvie was saying she doesn’t want the pressure that comes with being a single woman in Papillon. There is pressure on every single person to pair up and start families. I should know because I had to deal with it for years, except what I mostly got was the church ladies shaking their heads and saying no man would ever want me because I was a single mom. I truly understand the pressure. Hallie doesn’t because she got married young, though that is a whole other kind of pressure.”
“Well, I couldn’t help it. I took one look at that man and knew we should marry fast so I could take advantage of his hot bod, because it was never going to last,” Hallie replied. “Potbellies are in the Rayburn DNA. He can’t help it. We’re taking lots of pictures before our middle age starts spreading, if you know what I mean.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to get married.” Perhaps she shouldn’t have brought this up at all. More and more lately she’d wondered if she still fit in with Sera and Hallie. They were at different places in their lives.
“Excellent. Then let me get you started with this engineer I know. We’re way past halftime here,” Hallie insisted. “Luc is practically a teenager, and my baby doesn’t get along with all the other girls in her play group. She needs friends, and you two are letting me down.”
Sylvie had to smile at that. They’d always talked about how nice it would be to have kids who grew up together. “I’ll get right on that.”
Hallie reached over and patted her hand. “You know I have your back. Don’t let anyone push you. I married Johnny because I couldn’t imagine life without him. Sera married Harry because he’s the most beautiful man to ever walk into Papillon.”
She wasn’t sure about that. Harry was attractive, but she preferred Rene’s elegant masculinity. The man was smooth.
Except for this afternoon. He’d seemed out of his element.
“He’s a nice guy, too. I wouldn’t have married him if he wasn’t a nice guy,” Sera insisted.
“Sure you wouldn’t,” Hallie said with a humph. “But seriously, Sylvie, I’ve got a list when you’re ready.”
Sera leaned in, her voice going low. “She’s never going to be ready because she’s in love with Rene and she always has been. Ever since we were kids. She needs to go after that man and go hard.”
“No, I am not.” She wasn’t in love. What she felt for Rene was a combination of the old feelings she’d had for him and the weirdness of being the only one not getting married and settling down. “I admit I used to have a thing for him, but I’m over that.”
A lie, but a necessary one.
“I’m glad to hear that you’re over him because I heard a big old rumor this afternoon.” Hallie looked around and then she, too, was lowering her voice. “I think he’s getting married soon.”
He’d already found someone else? It had been mere hours since she’d told him no. “To who?”
“I didn’t know Rene was seeing anyone,” Sera said.
“He isn’t.” Hallie sat back, obviously satisfied no one was listening in. “He’s spent the last couple of years working, updating things at the company, and taking care of his mom.”
Cricket Darois had battled cancer the previous year and was only now starting to get back on her feet.
Sera looked at Hallie over the rim of her margarita. “Then how is he getting married? Is this one of those arranged marriage things rich people do?”
“Sort of, but not really. The way my mom told it, his cousin Charles is forcing him into a position where he could lose his place if he doesn’t get married,” Hallie explained. “It’s like a law or something in the company.”
Hallie did not understand how private businesses operated. “No, Charles wants to challenge him for the CEO seat,” Sylvie said. “The company is completely family-owned because they’ve never taken it public. The family votes, and Charles is telling the older members of the family that Rene can’t steer the ship because he’s not a true family man. It’s the business version of mean-girl bullying, but it could potentially work.”
If the rumor was already out there, then she should at least set the record straight.
“I’ve heard those aunts and uncles of his can be ruthless. His dad used to keep them in line, but it’s been hard since he passed,” Sera said. “Cricket recently started going to book club, and I hosted them last month out at the B and B. She was talking to Celeste Beaumont about how hard it’s been on Rene. Celeste told her she had the name of a good assassin. I think she was joking. I hope she was joking. I can never tell with Celeste.”
“I think there’s got to be some other way besides getting married.” Sylvie had thought about the problem all afternoon. “He needs to make it clear that he’s better than Charles. Charles has far less experience. I think they have these meetings once a year, so even if everything goes wrong, he’ll have another chance.”
“But what about the house? I mean, it would be awful to have to move his mom out of her home.” Hallie took a sip of her sangria. “Cricket’s been in that house for almost forty years.”