Bayou Baby

by Lexi Blake

  “And he got better but you never did. You never once forgot that you could lose him. I understand that. I just wished you’d given a damn about the fact that I was alive,” Angie argued.

  “So you kept Wes’s son from me because you wanted attention?”

  Angie took a long breath before she replied. “No, I kept him from Dad. When Sera first came to me, she was planning on telling you that she was pregnant and Wes was the father. I told her not to. I did it because I knew Wes wouldn’t have wanted his son raised anywhere close to our dad.”

  “I know Ralph was hard on you.” She wasn’t a complete fool. She’d known how ruthlessly belligerent her husband could be. “I tried to intercede where I could, but I didn’t have much sway with him. If I’d divorced him, we would have had nothing. My mother-in-law would have made sure I didn’t get custody. I would never have seen you.”

  “I think I heard you threaten Sera with the very same thing.” Harry looked at her like he couldn’t stand to be in the same room. “Guess you learned a lot from your mother-in-law.”

  She felt her hands clench, her whole body tensing at the accusation. “I am not her. She was a monster.”

  “From where I’m standing, you’ve got the claws and fangs for it. Good-bye, Aunt Celeste.” Harry turned and walked out.

  Angela stared at her for a moment. “If you’re wondering why I didn’t tell you after Dad died, it was a combination of fear and longing. Fear that you would behave exactly like this. Longing because for once in my life, you saw me. For once I had a real mom, and I loved it. Even when you hated my clothes and my shoes and my posture, I thought you still loved me. I was wrong. Good-bye, Mother. I’ll get a ride with Harry since technically you own my car. You can have all the clothes, too. I think it’s time I started dressing to please myself.”

  Maybe Celeste had been hasty. Her daughter’s words sliced through her. She’d never meant to make Angie feel unloved. It was just that Wes needed so much. Angie had always seemed strong. Cal had been handsome and on the right path. Wes had a brilliant mind, but his body had almost failed him once. She had to be vigilant because he was supposed to be the one to lead the company—therefore the family—into the future.

  But that didn’t mean she hadn’t loved her other children.

  They were wrong and she was right. They would come to see it her way. They had to.

  She heard the door close and was left alone in the magnificent house she’d given up everything to have.

  chapter fifteen

  Harry looked around the sad motel room and sighed. It had only been a week or so since he’d stayed in a room much like this one with Sera. Even at the time he’d known how pathetic and run-down the place was, but somehow she’d made it seem cozy. He’d held her all night in that motel and he’d been at home.

  But without her, this place was completely different. Without her, everything seemed dull.

  Still, at least the desk clerk hadn’t blinked when he’d asked about his dog staying with him. The man had asked for a pet deposit, gave him the key to Room 4, and sent him on his way.

  Shep stared up at him with accusatory doggie eyes, like he knew something had gone wrong with his world and exactly where to put the blame.

  “I’m sorry.” He was even apologizing to the dog now. Those words didn’t seem to mean much. He might be saying them for the rest of his life. He hoped he had someone to say them to.

  He checked his phone for the four hundredth time in the last couple of hours. Nothing. She hadn’t answered his texts or voice mails. If he didn’t give her some space, she might put a restraining order on him.

  He dialed her number one last time. It immediately went to voice mail. “Hey, Sera. I know you don’t want to talk to me right now, but I need you to know that I’m here. I want to help you in any way I can, and if that means leaving you alone for a while, I’ll do that, too. Just know that I promise to keep my phone charged in case you need me.” He took a long breath because these might be the last words he ever said to her. “I love you, Seraphina.”

  He disconnected the call and sat on the bed, utterly at a loss for what to do.

  There was a knock on his door and he opened it, praying it was Sera since one of his many messages had left her instructions on where he was in case she wanted to talk to him.

  Instead it was Angie. She had been true to her word, going up to her room only to grab the bag she hadn’t unpacked from her girls’ trip. She’d left everything but that one bag and her laptop behind. She was still dressed in the slacks and blouse she’d been wearing earlier, looking very much like the wealthy young lady she was . . . had been. She looked totally out of place with the singular exception of the six-pack of beer dangling from her hand. That beer was cheap, and she’d probably gotten it from the run-down convenience store across the street. “Hey, cos. You want to drown your sorrows with me? I got us a sweet spot right by the pool.”

  “Ang, that pool is green,” he pointed out.

  She shrugged and turned toward the tiny, filthy pool that sat in the middle of the concrete parking lot. “It’s said that when the fading light of day hits it just right, it’s a little like the aurora borealis of Southern Louisiana. I don’t think many of our citizenry know what that really is.”

  He followed her because she was not in a place to make the best decisions. Three beers in and he might have to haul her out of said pool, and that would take a biohazard suit.

  This town did need a nice B and B.

  Angie lowered herself onto the rickety poolside chair and popped the top off the beer, holding it his way. He took it because he could use one, and no matter how upset he was, he couldn’t leave his cousin alone. She’d lost everything.

  He’d lost everything.

  “Why didn’t you fight harder?” Angie asked. “You know you didn’t willfully tell my mother a thing. She overheard us and made a calculated guess. You didn’t mean for that to happen.”

  He’d gone over and over it in his head and come to one conclusion. “It doesn’t matter if I meant for it to happen. It doesn’t matter that I thought Aunt Celeste wasn’t in the house. I chose to follow you inside and continue the argument. It was my fault. If I’d backed off, she wouldn’t know.”

  Angie sighed. “Or if I’d answered you instead of running. I guess it doesn’t matter now.”

  “Have you called Austin?” Harry asked after she went silent. “You don’t have to stay here. I could drive you into New Orleans. It would give him something to do.

  Angie shook her head. “No, I don’t want to interrupt him. He’s having a boys’ night with some of his friends. I’m not dropping this on his lap when he could be having fun. Let him have one more night before he realizes how screwed up my family is.”

  “Are you worried he’ll be upset?” After all, Austin had thought he was marrying a woman with a powerful family and access to the Beaumont money. He seemed like a nice guy, but appearances could deceive.

  “About the money? No. We’ll have to adjust some of our plans, but he really does love me. He’ll be angry with my mom. I don’t know how he’ll feel about me keeping that secret, though.”

  “You didn’t tell him?”

  “Nope. I didn’t tell anyone at all.”

  Shep walked up to the water’s edge, sniffing and then running back like something would come up and bite him. The creature from the unchlorinated lagoon. He’d been thinking of talking to Sera about how nice it would be to put a pool in at Guidry Place. If she was going to keep it and run it as a B and B. There was a perfect place to put a pool and outdoor kitchen.

  “I’m sorry, you know,” Angie was saying.

  “About lying to your mother?” His opinion on the subject had changed quite suddenly. He was incredibly grateful this hadn’t happened when Sera was pregnant. “I’m glad you did now. Sera told me what would happen and I didn’t belie
ve her.”

  “No, I’m not sorry about that. I did what was right at the time. I genuinely believe if she’d told them when she was pregnant, it could have been a tragedy. No, I’m sorry for lying to you, and that it ended up the way it did. I was actually surprised Sera was willing to date you. She’s been so careful. She must have really cared about you.”

  It had felt like more than caring. It had felt like love. “Will your mom do it? Will she go after Sera?”

  “I suspect she will,” Angie said before taking a long swig of beer. “You have to understand Wesley was her chief concern in life. He was sick for a long time. Then he proved to be the smartest of all of us, and Dad decided to hand him the keys to the kingdom because Cal wasn’t serious enough and I was born with ovaries. And I think in some ways you were right about what you said to her. She can tell herself she wasn’t close to her sister because her Texas relatives were poor and that they might embarrass her, but I think she was ashamed of what she’d become. She complains about losing a few years with Luc. I got to meet my aunt and uncle once. Once. Isn’t it funny how the things we’re most outraged by are the things we do ourselves? We are born into a state of hypocrisy in this family.”

  “So Sera wanted to tell them?” He tried to put himself in her shoes. She’d been young and alone and scared.

  “She didn’t realize how bad it would be. Wes had talked to her about how our dad treated us all. He never hit me, but he would slap Cal and Wes from time to time when they annoyed him or he thought they needed to toughen up. We never told Mom.”

  “Why?”

  “What would she have done?” Angie asked, sounding weary. “That’s the sad part. I do understand her position. She was right about one thing. Dad would never have allowed her to have custody, and Mom couldn’t trust anyone at the time. Armie is a great sheriff, but he’s only been here the last couple of years. The sheriff before would have told my mom that it was a family matter and she should deal with it herself. I do understand her. I also know I should have told her after Dad died, but I didn’t. I didn’t because I knew what would happen. If I’m honest, part of it was selfish of me.”

  “You wanted her attention.” It wasn’t a question. Everything he’d learned about his family in the last few weeks had taught him how hungry Angie was for someone to see her. But then he thought Cal had some issues with that, too. Being a Beaumont, he’d discovered, wasn’t as easy as it seemed.

  “Like I told her, it was good to have her with me. I know she loves me. Honestly, I know this whole ‘I’m disinherited’ thing won’t last all that long. My mother shoves all her anger down. It was what she was taught to do. But she never, ever vents it, so every now and then it explodes. That’s what you saw today.”

  “You think she’ll forgive you soon?” He hated the thought of them feuding. “The real question is, can you forgive her?”

  “I don’t think she’ll frame it as forgiveness. She’ll wake up tomorrow and realize what she’s done and then she’ll call me. She’ll tell me she’s going to let the wedding go through because there would be a lot of talk if we didn’t. And everyone knows she doesn’t like talk.” Angie sighed. “I understand that, too. I remember hearing my grandmother tell me I had to be better since half my DNA wasn’t up to snuff, as she would put it. Anything my mom did was criticized. She’s got her reasons.”

  “There’s no reason for her to threaten Sera like she did.” He wouldn’t listen to any excuses about that.

  Angie reached out and put a hand on his. “I know.”

  There was the sound of a car pulling into the lot and slamming into a parking spot. He recognized his cousin’s Benz, though Cal wasn’t the only one who got out of the car. Zep Guidry was with him, and his stare went right to Harry as he slammed the car door.

  “Angie, is what Zep is telling me true? I got a call from Quaid Havery asking me to talk to Mom.” Cal was still in his suit, as though he’d driven straight back from New Orleans. “Has she lost her damn mind? Should I call a doctor? Quaid said she was suing Sera for custody of Luc and that you’re not welcome in the house anymore. I stopped by to talk to Sera but got him instead. Zep says it’s true. Luc is Wes’s kid.”

  Angie offered him a beer. “Yes, it’s true, and it’s true that I’ve known all this time and I kept it a secret. Even from you.” She turned her eyes to Zep. “Is Sera okay?”

  Zep’s hands went to his hips, his whole stance aggressive. “She’s crying her eyes out.”

  His stomach clenched. “I would like to talk to her.”

  Zep shook his head. “Talk to your aunt. Get her to back the hell off. That’s all you can do for Sera now. I thought I would beat up Cal here when he called me. He’s way smaller than you, and honestly, he’s got a soft middle.”

  “Hey,” Cal began.

  Zep ignored him. “But now I think I’ll do what I should have done in the first place and give you the ass kicking you deserve.”

  He should have known Zep would come out swinging. “Come on, man.”

  “Don’t you think I can’t do it. I’ve been in many bar fights.” Zep’s fists were clenched, his jaw tight. “I might be smaller than you, but I won’t play fair, and if I can kick that leg off you, I will use it to beat you.”

  Zep understood neither how a C-Leg worked nor how Harry himself worked. He glanced down to make sure Shep wasn’t about to defend him. Nope. Shep was on his belly, his eyes closed as if to tell the human he was on his own. “I’m not going to fight you. That’s the last thing Sera needs. I love your sister. I would do anything to help her.”

  “Then why would you betray her like this?” Zep asked.

  “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to tell my aunt anything at all.” But he’d walked into that house and asked the question. He hadn’t thought Celeste would be home, but it was still his responsibility.

  “He found out I knew.” Angie settled back in the chair. “Sera hadn’t told him that part. He also didn’t know Mom was home. It was a weird situation. Then Sera showed up and Mom went nuclear. I’m disinherited and my wedding will now be held here. At the No Tell Motel. Can’t they change the name? It’s going to look really bad on the invites.” She glanced up at Harry. “See, that’s what I mean. The minute I tell Mom I’ve moved the wedding here, she’ll cave.”

  “You’re not getting married here,” Cal said.

  “No, I know exactly what will happen. Now I have to decide if I let it happen. She’ll try to walk this back without ever acknowledging what the problem is.”

  “That sounds about right. She’s going to come around. She doesn’t understand why you did it.” Cal took the seat by his sister. “I do. I would have done the same thing. I wouldn’t have let my father raise another child. I can fix this.”

  “You shouldn’t even try. It’s too soon. If you go talk to her tonight, you’ll be the next one cut off.” Angie’s lips curled up slightly.

  Harry moved toward Zep. If he threw a punch, Harry would take it. “I’m serious. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I love her. I offered to marry her.”

  “Excellent. We can have a double wedding right here. Split the cost,” Angie announced.

  He ignored her. “I’ll do anything it takes to make this right.”

  Zep’s anger seemed to deflate. “So you’re just a dumbass? You didn’t pick your rich family over my sister?”

  “I walked out on my rich family. I was never looking to make money off my relationships,” he explained.

  “He’s serious about that,” Cal chimed in. “Mom offered him a cushy job with the company and he turned her down.”

  Like he wanted to be at a desk all day. He couldn’t stand the thought of it. He wanted to be working on something he cared about. Like Sera’s house. Like building a family with the woman he loved. “What can I do?”

  Zep sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know. She’s so upse
t, and she’s scared about money. If Celeste is already talking to a lawyer, we’ve got to find one for Sera. Everything Remy has is in the restaurant. Momma has the house we live in. It’s worth something. I’ve got a couple of thousand saved up, but that won’t go far. I’ll see what I can get for my truck.”

  “You don’t have to sell your truck.” Cal looked to his friend. “I’m going to figure this thing out.”

  “I can’t wait for that,” Zep replied. “We can’t take the chance that things don’t work out. Your mother has a lot of pull with people in this parish. She knows judges. We know shrimpers. Who do you think is coming out on top of that argument? No, we need a lawyer and we need a good one.”

  “So what she needs now is cash?” Harry didn’t know any lawyers. Every word out of Zep’s mouth threatened to make him sick. Sera was somewhere terrified that she could lose her child and he was sitting in a motel parking lot drinking beer and being useless.

  “I thought she recently came into a bunch of money,” Angie pointed out. “And I’m not with Cal on this one. I don’t think Mom will change her mind about the kid.”

  Zep stepped up to the pool, staring down into it as though there were some answers there. “Sera can’t use the money Irene left her, and she can’t sell the place until it’s ready. It’s all written into the will. If she doesn’t follow the rules, she loses the whole thing. She’s in a bind.”

  There might be something he could do about that. Sera had been moving slowly because she was trying to do as much of the work herself as she could. It would go much faster if she hired crews.

  Or found a couple who owed a man who loved her.

  “She’s not going to need anything because I’m going to talk to my mother,” Cal promised. “I have to go back to my place in New Orleans. There’s something I need to get. But I’ll fix this. I promise.”

  “What do you have that could possibly fix this?” Angie asked.

  “You’re not the only one who has secrets, sister.” Cal pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Come on, Zep. I’ll drop you back at home.”