Read Online Bayou Betrayal by Robin Caroll - Free Book Online

the children. Now it was too late.
    â€œYeah. Luc and CoCo will head back Wednesday, but Tara, CoCo and Alyssa’s baby sister, will come back the following week. Tara’s married to the sheriff here.”
    Monique shook her head. “I think I need a diagram to keep up.”
    Felicia laughed. “It is a bit convoluted, isn’t it? I guess I never really thought about it.”
    A man’s chuckle interrupted them. Pastor Bertrand, who had told her that he preferred being called Spence, sat in the living room with Gary, watching some sporting event on television. Their voices blended with the program’s, but their bursts of laughter broke out every so often.
    â€œTell me about yourself.” Felicia placed silverware on folded linen napkins.
    Wasn’t that just a loaded question?
    Better to go ahead and get the whole story out—it wasn’t as if her past was some big secret. And if she wanted to have a close relationship with her cousin, she needed to trust Felicia. Start at the beginning, that’s what her mother always told her. Monique let out a sigh and told Felicia all about Kent, their marriage and his murder. Long after Felicia had set the last plate, she sank into an adjacent chair at the table and stared intently at Monique as she laid out the tale.
    â€œThat’s terrible. I’m so sorry.” Felicia patted Monique’s hand. “I can understand some of what you’ve been through.”
    â€œHow’s that?” Monique fought to keep the tears at bay, having grown extremely tired of crying over the past.
    â€œBefore I married Spence, I was engaged to a man. A wonderful man.” Emotions laced Felicia’s words. “He was murdered.”
    â€œHow awful.” Monique could so relate. “What’d you do?”
    â€œMy brother refused to let me wallow in misery.” She smiled. “I went ahead and had the surgery that gave me use of my legs so I could get out of the wheelchair I’d spent my life in.”
    â€œYou were in a wheelchair?”
    Again, Felicia’s soft smile filled the room. “I have cerebral palsy, diagnosed at birth. Until last year, I’d never walked a step in my life.”
    Admiration grew in Monique. And respect. “Thank you for sharing this with me. It means a lot.”
    â€œYou’re most welcome. Sometimes it’s nice to talk about the painful parts of our past to help us appreciate life and all we have, yes?” Felicia gave Monique’s shoulder a squeeze. “But if I don’t pull this fricassee off the burner, it’ll scorch, and my mother will have a hissy fit.”
    Monique watched her cousin, her mind replaying Felicia’s words. Appreciate life? How? Monique didn’t have anything, not even a home anymore. No friends she could depend on. No job to keep her busy during the long days. Not even a pet to keep her company at night. She should really look into getting a cat. Or something. Anything.
    â€œMy, something smells marvelous.”
    Turning, Monique spied an attractive older woman in the doorway. She had to be Felicia’s mother—her bone structure was the same. Yet, she had a hardness around the eyes her daughter didn’t.
    â€œHey, Mom. This is Monique Harris, new in town. She moved into the old Pittman house.” She nodded at the woman. “Monique, this is my mother, Hattie Trahan.”
    â€œOh, merciful gracious. I heard about the fire. Bless your heart.” Hattie tsked.
    Monique forced a smile and remained silent.
    â€œWhat caused it? Faulty wiring? That place was older than Methuselah, and Mr. Pittman never did decent upkeep on it.” Hattie moved to work alongside Felicia in bringing dishes to the table.
    â€œNo, it wasn’t faulty wiring.” She really didn’t want to have this conversation now. It would lead to the whole reason she’d moved to Lagniappe, and she wasn’t ready for that just