Page 60 of The Flirt

"He figured I might enjoy it," I chipped in, trying to help.

But now Xander was flashing Beckett a grin—he looked a lot like Julian at the moment. "I take it back. You do your thing. This is getting more entertaining by the day."

Huh? What just happened?

"Come on, let's go find the rest of the family," Chad said. He looked at me with a playful glint in his eyes. "Are you ready?"

I chuckled. "I'm not really sure how to answer that."

"That’s for the best." That came from Anthony. "When it comes to meeting the entire gang, it's better if you keep an open mind and lower your expectations. You just never know what will happen."

Chapter Fifteen

Scarlett

We walked farther into the garden. There were many people milling around, holding drinks. I was proud of my outfit, and it perfectly fit the garden party vibe. I spotted Zachary first and then Celine and Isabeau. The latter two were sitting down next to elderly gentlemen, who I assumed were their husbands. Remy was there, too, with an arm around Adele's waist.

When we reached the group, Zachary noticed us first. He didn't even say hi to his brother, just gave me a wide smile and said, "Well, well! What an interesting turn of events."

"Chad, darling! What a surprise to see you here. Oh, and you brought our dear Scarlett," Adele said.

My heart fluttered. I was their dear Scarlett? How? Why? Though I had to admit, I liked the sound of it so very, very much.

She came over to me, kissing my cheek. "Mom, Isabeau, and I decided you’re our good luck charm. Not just because you convinced Genaro to sell the restaurant his shrimp, but you've also made Bella very, very happy this week."

"Oh, it was my pleasure," I replied. "She's a very fast learner."

"Now, who here don't you know?"

The two elderly gentlemen rose to their feet with ease and each shook my hand.

"I'm David Broussard, Adele's dad. Very happy to meet you," the first one said.

“And I'm Felix LeBlanc," the other gentleman said. “Already heard a lot about you from my wife."

At that precise moment, I realized that both Celine and Isabeau were looking at me with far less reluctance than when I’d first met them. Celine actually rose to her feet and grabbed my hand, coming closer and kissing my cheek. How was no one shell-shocked that I'd shown up at all? Both she and Isabeau had their hair in very elegant updos and were wearing black dresses. They were both very classy and didn’t look their ages at all—on the contrary, they looked very sophisticated.

"Did Chad tell you all about the event?" Celine asked.

I nodded. "Yes. He said there's a lot of jambalaya to taste."

"I figured she'd enjoy a slice of New Orleans culture," Chad said.

Isabeau laughed, and Adele gave her what I thought might be a warning look. "Oh, darling, don't think you can fool us. First you go to Julian's bar and now here." Isabeau winked at me. "Just so you know, that's not our grandson’s usual behavior."

"I'm not even sure how to react," I said honestly, and the entire group started to laugh. I couldn't believe they were so laid-back. For some reason, I'd imagined them different. Probably because everyone I'd met seemed to cower away when they heard Isabeau's name.

"Isabeau," Adele chastised.

"What? Oh, darling, you know me. I say what I mean."

"Yes, dear, we're all very aware of your honesty policy," Felix said, clearly fighting laughter.

"Want to check out the jambalaya?" Chad asked me.

I nodded. "Oh, yeah. I'm definitely ready. Luckily I didn't have a big breakfast."

When I wobbled a bit on my feet as we walked through the gravel, Chad offered me his arm, and I gladly took it.

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