A part of him truly did believe that. Another part wondered if he wouldn’t have simply drifted and let time fly by, and he would have woken up and someone else would be Sylvie’s husband.
“I don’t believe it,” Charles said with a shake of his head. “You’re a manipulative bastard, Rene, but I’ll still win in the end. I hope you wrapped her up in a prenup because this marriage isn’t going to last long.”
Charles had crushed the fishing license in his fist, and he moved down the hall, avoiding the three women in his path.
“That boy has problems,” Marcelle said, her eyes trailing after Charles. “He needs a good cleansing.”
“I said a spanking.” His mother stood next to Sylvie as though she was ready to protect her should Charles turn back their way.
“That, too,” Marcelle said under her breath before turning back to Rene. “You’re going to treat my baby right, Rene Darois?”
“Every single day, Mrs. Martine,” he vowed.
Marcelle shook her head, looking at him with a steady gaze. “No. You’re marrying my daughter. You call me what you called me when you were a thin little boy stealing cookies from my kitchen.”
He was not going to cry. It wasn’t what Darois men did. “Momma Marcelle, I promise I’ll take care of Sylvie.”
Sylvie frowned his way, an expression that did nothing to take away from how beautiful that woman was. “You know I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for a long time now. Can we not treat this like some medieval binding of families? Rene, if my momma promised you three goats and a year’s worth of wheat, you’ve been had.”
She always made him smile. He held out his hand, unwilling to keep away from her a second longer. “It was four goats, and I drove a hard bargain for a bushel of the lemons she grows.”
Sylvie’s smile lit up the dreary space, and her hand was warm in his. “I think you’ll find she’ll give us those for free. And to warn you, she’s planning on a good spiritual cleanse of your house. Yeah. I probably won’t be able to stop that.”
His house could stand a good spiritual cleanse. They’d been unlucky for years. “Are you ready to do this?”
She squeezed his hand. “I am. And thank you for the flowers. I love them. Also, I hope it’s okay, but Sera and Hallie insisted on having a reception for us this evening at Guidry’s. I didn’t know if you needed to go into the office since you’re missing most of today. I can—”
He cut her off because she needed to understand that she was his priority now. “I am all yours. I think it’s lovely. Anything you need me to do with your friends, I will make accommodations.”
A brilliant smile crossed her face. “You might live to regret that.”
He doubted it. “All right, Sylvie Martine. Let’s make you Sylvie Martine-Darois.”
She walked with him to meet the judge, and Rene got the feeling that maybe his luck had finally changed.
chapter five
Guidry’s was in full swing as the moon rose over the bay and a band played on the big porch. It was a ridiculously romantic night with a warm breeze coming off the water.
Her wedding reception. Sylvie had to give it to her two best friends. They knew how to throw a party, and they’d put this one together quickly. There had been a lovely buffet and a big cake and champagne. It had been odd to stand by while everyone lifted a glass to toast a wedding that had been planned over the course of a night.
She wished they’d pared down the invite list since she hadn’t gotten to spend any time with her new husband.
“Did you invite Rene’s cousins?” Sylvie asked as Sera joined her, handing her a glass of red wine. She glanced over to the table where Rene sat talking to two of his cousins. She’d also seen one of his uncles at the bar. Charles, though, was nowhere to be seen. Still, she had to think he’d had a hand in bringing this crowd down on Rene’s head.
Sera frowned her way. “No, but you know how these things go. I didn’t invite Herve, either, but he showed up an hour early asking where the beer was. Luckily my brother is a generous man. He’s got plenty of food to go around. I think this is why he laughed when I told him to be ready for twenty people.”
Sylvie was fairly certain Rene would end up paying for all of this. She should have known that the small reception would turn into a big to-do. It wasn’t like there was much else to do in Papillon. That was all right, but Rene was having to deal with his family, and that was stress she’d hoped they could avoid. “Well, thank Remy for me. I thought this would be a much quieter affair.”
She’d hoped for some dinner and maybe a bit of dancing, and then they would take Cricket home and finally be alone and able to talk.
He’d kissed her again. At the end of the ceremony, the judge had said the words you may kiss the bride and she’d seen a look of deep satisfaction cross Rene’s handsome face right before he’d leaned over and brushed his lips against hers.
It hadn’t been enough. She’d wanted more, but she’d forced herself to smile and hold his hand as they’d walked over to the café for brunch.
“You know how weddings go in this town.” Sera sipped her champagne. “No one wants to miss out on a party. It can actually be a little chaotic.”
That summed up life in Papillon on the best of days. At least for the mayor. She hadn’t been married for two hours before she’d gotten called into an emergency budget meeting, and then she’d had to meet with a City Council member who was demanding funds the parish didn’t have.
When Gertie had shown up at the cafe to get her, Rene had kissed her forehead and promised he would pick her up for the party. When she’d been late, he’d merely sat in her office and showed not a single sign of irritation.
He was practically perfect.
So why wasn’t she sitting there beside him? When his cousins had descended on the party, Rene had politely asked her to give him some space to deal with family business.
She wasn’t sure why he’d shut her out. Wasn’t handling his family exactly what he’d wanted her to do? Wanted hadn’t been the first descriptor she’d thought. She hated that she’d thought the word hired. She hadn’t been hired to play a role.
Except she kind of had.
Sylvie glanced over and Rene was frowning at one of his older relatives, giving the uncle that look she’d always associated with a Rene lecture explaining how something had to go.
“Are you all right?” Sera asked when they’d reached the quiet of the inner dining room. “I can cover for you if you want to leave. Though I’m not sure I can get Rene out of here without pulling the fire alarm. They are all over him. I thought most of his family was in New Orleans or Houston.”