Sylvie hadn’t heard anything about the house. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, Darois House actually belongs to the company. It’s tradition for the CEO to live there, according to my brother.” Sera’s brother, Remy, was a friend of Rene’s.
She’d known that somewhere in the back of her head, but it hadn’t hit her what Rene could lose. His job. His home. His mother was still fragile.
What had it taken for him to walk in and ask for her help?
“Who is he marrying?” Sylvie forced herself to ask the question. Had she made a mistake? Rene hadn’t even mentioned all the things her family owed him for. He hadn’t asked for payback from the time her mother’s salon flooded and the insurance wasn’t enough. He hadn’t mentioned that she probably owed his family for at least part of her college education since the Darois Scholarship Fund hadn’t existed until she’d needed an extra ten grand a year to go to Tulane. She’d been ready to refuse her acceptance and go to a state school when that scholarship had saved her.
He hadn’t pointed out that he’d saved the people of this town time and time again.
Who was going to step up when Rene needed help? She hadn’t even asked him how much time he had left or what he’d already tried. She’d told him no and then arrogantly asked if he’d tried everything he could.
She hadn’t even offered him a seat. She’d been so eager to get him out that she hadn’t thought about what he was going through. She’d only thought about her pride.
“I have no idea,” Hallie admitted. “I only know that there’s a rumor he has to get married and he’s got someone in mind. He used to date that woman who was the runner-up to Miss Louisiana, and now she’s a weather girl. I’m supposed to say meteorologist, but she’s mostly big boobs and a pretty smile. She’s not very good at her job. She would probably say yes.”
“Rene is one of the nicest people I know.” Sera turned Sylvie’s way. “Are you sure you’re all right? I know you say you’re over him, but you avoid him like you are absolutely not over him.”
“He asked me.” There. She’d said it, and honestly, she should have said it the minute she’d sat down. Even when she’d been in DC, she’d called in her two best friends when she needed help.
Sera smiled, her eyes going soft. “He did?”
Hallie’s jaw dropped. “He proposed to you? Girl, why are you here? You should be out at Darois House measuring curtains.”
The house he loved, the house he’d grown up in. The house he could lose along with everything else. “I didn’t say yes.”
Sera’s eyes had gone wide. “But you didn’t say no. You played it all cool like, right? I can see that. You told him to give you some time, but tomorrow you’re going to tell him yes.”
Sylvie shook her head. “I told him no because it’s a crazy idea.”
“He’s a unicorn. Do you understand? He is a godawful gorgeous man who takes care of his mom but isn’t a momma’s boy. He’s super rich but doesn’t lord it over everyone. Damn it, Sylvie, I’ve heard he’s even good in bed, and as pretty as he is, he doesn’t have to be. What is wrong with you two? First I have to shove this one into Harry’s arms, and now you’re turning down a superhot, nice millionaire who your family loves? Your mother loves Rene. He’s your brother’s best friend.” Hallie stood up. “I’m getting another drink and maybe some cheese fries because I already married my Prince Charming and I wasn’t stubborn enough to fight it.”
Hallie turned and strode away.
“She is so much more aggressive since she had Gracie.” Sylvie watched her friend go.
“She did kind of have to push me at Harry,” Sera allowed. “I was scared of getting my heart broken again. Is that why you turned Rene down?”
How could she make Sera understand? “I turned him down for a whole lot of reasons. It’s a crazy idea.”
“You’re probably right. It would be better for him to find someone who doesn’t have feelings for him. He can get a prenup, and then after he’s settled back into his job, they can get divorced.”
Sylvie sat back. “I don’t think that’s what he has in mind. He asked if I wanted kids.”
Sera went quiet as though she needed time to process that bit of information.
“He said he wanted to give it a real chance, and he had some logical reasons for why we could work,” Sylvie explained. “And I didn’t even think about saying no. I just said it.”
“All right. I guess that’s your answer then. You went on instinct.”
She shook her head. “My instinct was to run because I wanted to say yes, and that was the truly dumb idea. He said he wanted to give it a shot, and that sounded good to me.”
“Hey, it’s okay. You’re not ready for something like this.” Sera’s gaze had gone sympathetic. “You’ve got to be patient. The right guy is going to come along and you’ll be scared at first. The situation might not be perfect, but you’ll jump in with both feet and it will work out. You have to wait for the chance and not let it pass you by.”
“What if this is my chance?”
Sera’s lips kicked up. “Yes, that was my point. You’re a careful person. You always have been. I’m going to give you some advice. Rene needs help and he came to you. Do you know if you were the first woman he asked?”
She believed him about that. She’d seen the look in his eyes. “He said he hadn’t thought of anyone else.”
“Think about that. When the chips were down, he came to you. Not to some beauty queen TV star. You. If Rene says he wants to give this a try, then he does. He’s not some player who’s going to use you.”
“But if it doesn’t work out . . .”
“Then at least you tried and you helped a friend,” Sera said. “You know you don’t have to do it all the way Rene wants. You can negotiate. You don’t have to marry him and fall into bed with the man five minutes later. You can help him and still take your time. He’s not going to turn you down because you won’t kiss him.”
But she would kiss him. If she married Rene—even for a brief period—she would end up kissing him, and if she kissed him, there was no way she wouldn’t end up in bed with him. “He’ll break my heart.”
“Only you can make the decision if the potential reward is worth the risk. You also have to decide what you’re willing to gamble in order to help a man who’s been a good friend to you over the years. I’m going to be by your side no matter what you choose. If you decide you can’t help him this way, then we’re going to pour some more sangria down Hallie’s throat and find another way you can help him.”