indeed feel like a sell-out; a traitor to the Dalcours.
“Darcy Jove is in on this,” Andrew spat out,
as though it were a nasty taste in his mouth. “You know that?”
Rae did not answer him for a moment. “Yeah,
St. Cyr told me. He’s a minor partner. But Simon will own the
land.”
“What do you think of him?” Andrew glanced at
her.
“He seems... sincere.” Rae tried to identify
the feeling his name brought on. “He could have lied about
Darcy.”
Simon St. Cyr was the kind of man that
definitely made an impression on women, thought Rae, remembering
the shape of his lips, smooth like dark taffy. He had a way of
crossing his arms when considering something, which accentuated
that broad chest. And those big hands… The skin was dry with a few
rough spots on the palm. He was a man who worked with his hands.
What would it feel like to have him touch her skin?
“Oh no! Don’t tell me you’ve got the hots for
Simon St. Cyr!” Andrew slapped his forehead.
Rae punched his arm. “Don’t be crude.”
“Of course, the fact that Toya is his ex-wife
and still dyin’ to get him back in her bed don’t have a thing to do
with it.” Andrew gave her a pointed look. “Right?”
“They were married? Well, well.” Rae smiled
as she gazed at the scenery without seeing it. “Isn’t that
fascinating?
Andrew’s brows came together. “Now look here,
don’t go startin’ nothin’ with Toya.”
Rae put on an innocent face. “Why, whatever
do you mean?”
“I should have kept my big mouth shut about
Toya wantin’ him so bad. Now you’re gonna go after the guy just to
drive her up the wall.”
She grinned. “Gee, I hadn’t thought of that.
That would be a nice bit of lagniappe. But, seriously, Andy, I
don’t think selling even most of the land would have bothered Daddy
if it meant we could keep the dance hall open and clear Pawpaw
Vincent’s name.”
“What if Pawpaw Vincent stole the money?”
Andrew asked in a quiet voice.
“A few minutes ago, you said he didn’t do
it.”
“No, I said it was strange how he got away
with havin’ that kind of money to spread around. They might have
been able to hide out all these years.” Andrew tugged out clumps of
grass. He would not meet her gaze.
“No, it doesn’t make sense.” Rae stood up.
“I’m going to look into finding out the truth. You think about this
land deal. I’m meeting St. Cyr again Friday.”
Andrew stood to face her, wearing a fatherly
frown of censure. “Raenette Marie Dalcour...”
“Hey, it was his idea, not mine. He wants to
give me a better idea of his plans.” Rae lifted a shoulder. “Can I
help it if the man also wants to treat me to lunch?”
Andy shook a forefinger under her nose. “Make
sure that’s the only treat you get.”
“I’m grown, so I’ll thank you to keep your
fat nose outta my business.” Rae brushed his finger aside. “Just
think about the deal, okay?”
“Sure. Be careful. Maybe Mama’s right.”
Andrew gazed out over the water with a troubled expression. “We
oughta let this alone.”
“What are you talking about, Andy?” Rae put a
hand on his arm. His tone sent a small twist of anxiety through
her.
Andrew opened his mouth as if to speak and
then stopped. He put a weak smile on his face. “Nothin’, it’s
nothin’. Well, guess I better get goin’. Bring you some of my fish
after I clean ‘em.”
“Okay,” Rae called after him. Andrew walked
away with his familiar, loping gait.
Rae wondered at Andrew’s strange mood when
they were discussing Pawpaw Vincent. The old scandal seemed to
reach back across the years and give them all the jitters. For the
rest of the day, she thought about her grandfather and Estelle
Jove.
* * *
“Here’s what Kelsey has so far. The first
section is on Raenette Dalcour; the rest is on the others.”
Henry Jove was sat at the desk in his
combination office and library at home. He opened the brown folder
and scanned the first
“Darcy Jove is in on this,” Andrew spat out,
as though it were a nasty taste in his mouth. “You know that?”
Rae did not answer him for a moment. “Yeah,
St. Cyr told me. He’s a minor partner. But Simon will own the
land.”
“What do you think of him?” Andrew glanced at
her.
“He seems... sincere.” Rae tried to identify
the feeling his name brought on. “He could have lied about
Darcy.”
Simon St. Cyr was the kind of man that
definitely made an impression on women, thought Rae, remembering
the shape of his lips, smooth like dark taffy. He had a way of
crossing his arms when considering something, which accentuated
that broad chest. And those big hands… The skin was dry with a few
rough spots on the palm. He was a man who worked with his hands.
What would it feel like to have him touch her skin?
“Oh no! Don’t tell me you’ve got the hots for
Simon St. Cyr!” Andrew slapped his forehead.
Rae punched his arm. “Don’t be crude.”
“Of course, the fact that Toya is his ex-wife
and still dyin’ to get him back in her bed don’t have a thing to do
with it.” Andrew gave her a pointed look. “Right?”
“They were married? Well, well.” Rae smiled
as she gazed at the scenery without seeing it. “Isn’t that
fascinating?
Andrew’s brows came together. “Now look here,
don’t go startin’ nothin’ with Toya.”
Rae put on an innocent face. “Why, whatever
do you mean?”
“I should have kept my big mouth shut about
Toya wantin’ him so bad. Now you’re gonna go after the guy just to
drive her up the wall.”
She grinned. “Gee, I hadn’t thought of that.
That would be a nice bit of lagniappe. But, seriously, Andy, I
don’t think selling even most of the land would have bothered Daddy
if it meant we could keep the dance hall open and clear Pawpaw
Vincent’s name.”
“What if Pawpaw Vincent stole the money?”
Andrew asked in a quiet voice.
“A few minutes ago, you said he didn’t do
it.”
“No, I said it was strange how he got away
with havin’ that kind of money to spread around. They might have
been able to hide out all these years.” Andrew tugged out clumps of
grass. He would not meet her gaze.
“No, it doesn’t make sense.” Rae stood up.
“I’m going to look into finding out the truth. You think about this
land deal. I’m meeting St. Cyr again Friday.”
Andrew stood to face her, wearing a fatherly
frown of censure. “Raenette Marie Dalcour...”
“Hey, it was his idea, not mine. He wants to
give me a better idea of his plans.” Rae lifted a shoulder. “Can I
help it if the man also wants to treat me to lunch?”
Andy shook a forefinger under her nose. “Make
sure that’s the only treat you get.”
“I’m grown, so I’ll thank you to keep your
fat nose outta my business.” Rae brushed his finger aside. “Just
think about the deal, okay?”
“Sure. Be careful. Maybe Mama’s right.”
Andrew gazed out over the water with a troubled expression. “We
oughta let this alone.”
“What are you talking about, Andy?” Rae put a
hand on his arm. His tone sent a small twist of anxiety through
her.
Andrew opened his mouth as if to speak and
then stopped. He put a weak smile on his face. “Nothin’, it’s
nothin’. Well, guess I better get goin’. Bring you some of my fish
after I clean ‘em.”
“Okay,” Rae called after him. Andrew walked
away with his familiar, loping gait.
Rae wondered at Andrew’s strange mood when
they were discussing Pawpaw Vincent. The old scandal seemed to
reach back across the years and give them all the jitters. For the
rest of the day, she thought about her grandfather and Estelle
Jove.
* * *
“Here’s what Kelsey has so far. The first
section is on Raenette Dalcour; the rest is on the others.”
Henry Jove was sat at the desk in his
combination office and library at home. He opened the brown folder
and scanned the first
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