Page 58 of The Charmer

Oh, how unprofessional was I? I had a half-eaten sandwich in my hand, and the wind blew my hair right into it, landing in all that extra mayo.

"I'm so sorry," I said, panting as I stopped in front of them and quickly unlocked the door. "What did you need? Please come in. I’ll clean up right away."

God, I was so flustered. I’d always been bit of a klutz, but I'd never managed to make a mess of myself in front of clients.

One of them handed me a wet wipe.

"Thank you," I said with utmost gratitude, setting the po’boy on the counter. After rearranging my hair, I threw away the wipe.

"What can I help you with?"

"Honey, relax. We’re Celine Broussard and Isabeau LeBlanc."

The famous grandmothers! Just as Xander warned.

"I'm really pleased to meet you. What brings you here?"

"We meant to stop by before but haven’t had a moment," Isabeau said. "Anyway, we spoke to our friend Calliope this morning—"

"Darling, no need to drive her crazy with unnecessary details," Celine said. "We knew your grandmother."

"I know. She often told me stories about you," I replied.

Celine looked around. "I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been here very often, but I do remember some things. That armchair was your grandmother's, wasn't it?"

My heart somersaulted. "Yes, it was."

It felt so good to share memories of her with someone.

"She told me that she liked to read in it whenever she had a lull in customers," Isabeau went on.

"I do the same."

Isabeau glanced at the shelves. "You've got quite a collection here. You're very talented."

"Thanks. I learned the trade from my mom, and she learned it from Nana."

"I'm glad you're carrying on the tradition. Are you a midwife as well?" Celine asked.

"Oh no. Nana was the only one in the family."

"I guess it's not very fashionable to do that anymore, but she was very good," Isabeau said. "If it weren't for her, I don't think my son would've... Well, never mind. I don't want to think about that night."

She truly seemed shaken. Celine put an arm around her shoulders. "There, there. Get yourself together, my dear. It's been ages."

"Did you want to sit down? I have another chair behind the counter."

"Nonsense, girl," Isabeau said. "We're not that old."

I shook my head. "I wasn't implying that. I just want you to be comfortable."

"We are. You enjoy that po’boy. We know what it's like to scarf down food whenever there's a lull. I'm sure this one won't last long. People are probably just grabbing lunch."

“All right, if you're sure. I am hungry.” I lifted my sandwich to take a bite.

"Is your ankle okay?" Isabeau asked, and my eyes widened.

"Darling, you can't scare the girl like this," Celine told her. Turning to me, she said, “We spoke to Beckett this morning. Then to Xander, who mentioned you hurt yourself. My friend Calliope also called me. Among other things, she mentioned that you fell while dancing with Julian. You two were the talk of the evening.”

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