Cricket took a long breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.”
“Oh, no. I think honesty is absolutely the best policy.” Rene’s words had lost their heat, and his expression had gone cold. “I apologize. I thought I was protecting you. I can see I don’t need to do that now. It’s Louis’s job. Be careful with your money, Mother. He really is almost broke.”
Rene turned and started out the door.
What the hell had happened? Sylvie raced after Rene. “Hey, you don’t get to walk out like that.”
He didn’t stop, merely kept moving toward the Land Rover he drove. “And yet, I’m doing it. In a few days I’ll call you and we can discuss how to dissolve our marriage. I guess I didn’t need that prenup after all.”
“Are you kidding me?” She put her hands on her hips, utterly shocked at how he was behaving. She’d known he could break, but this was beyond what she was willing to put up with. “You pull me into all of this and now you’re walking away? We’re supposed to meet with your aunt tomorrow. You’re going to let that go?”
“It’s been pointed out to me now on several occasions that none of this is actually mine,” Rene said, pulling his keys out of his pocket. “And if I’m not going to fight for my job or my mother’s home, then I don’t need you, do I?”
She barely managed not to roll her eyes. “You’re feeling mean. I get that. But I did nothing wrong here except try to smooth things over for you. Don’t take this out on me.”
He went still for a moment, and she almost thought she had him. Then he beeped his SUV to open it. “I’ll stay at a motel tonight and I’ll handle my aunt tomorrow. I’ve decided to do this without involving you. It’s better this way. Stay with my mother tonight, please. I know I don’t have the right to ask you.”
He nodded back toward the clinic and she realized Cricket and Louis had followed them out. Cricket stood on the sidewalk looking like her world was ending. Sylvie turned back to Rene.
“What is going on?” Her heart ached because she didn’t buy this in any way. He might play poker well, but she knew his tells.
He shook his head. “I told you. I married you because I wanted to save my mother’s home. She doesn’t want my help therefore our marriage is no longer necessary. I’ll contact you soon and we’ll get the legalities handled.”
She heard the door whish closed behind her and heard Cricket crying as Rene slid into the driver’s seat.
“And you’re fired, Louis,” Rene said. “Maybe next week you can petition Charles to get your job back.”
Cricket put her hands over her face as she sobbed.
Rene drove out of that parking lot like a bat flying away from hell.
“I’m so sorry,” Cricket said as Louis gathered her in his arms.
Sylvie shook her head as she watched Rene flee the scene, leaving her with his crying mother and the man who’d been family to him.
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.