Page 41 of Beau

Beau got out of the truck. Aurelie met him at the front, and they walked together down to the marina and into the building, which had signs posted outside advertising bait and fishing gear for sale.

As he entered the building, Beau stood just inside the door, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting.

“Beau Boyette, is that you?” a voice boomed. Benjamin Boyette came out from behind the counter at the far end of the store, wearing a baseball cap and a T-shirt with a faded Led Zeppelin logo scrawled across it. “Man, is it good to see you.” He wrapped his arms around Beau and hugged him so tightly Beau could barely breathe.

Beau hugged his cousin back just as hard. His heart swelled, and his eyes misted. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed his cousin, his family and his home. More than that, he missed the innocence and simplicity of the life he’d had growing up. Seeing Ben brought it all back. But home wasn’t the same. No. Beau wasn’t the same.

Benjamin clapped him on the back several times, pushed him to arm’s length and stared into his face. “How are you?”

Beau dipped his head. “Good. I see some things never change. You’re still helping out here at the marina…?”

Benjamin nodded. “I’m trying to get Joe to bring the place into the twenty-first century. He did get several new bass boats for his boat rental business.”

“I’ll have to check them out,” Beau said.

“He had to do it since the old ones were disappearing.”

“Disappearing?” Beau gave Benjamin a quizzical look.

“Strangers would rent them and never bring them back.” Beau’s cousin shook his head. “They’d give what appeared to be real driver’s licenses, use a credit card and then poof!” He waved his hand as if casting a magic spell. “The men and boats left and never returned. We suspect they were running drugs through the bayou.”

“Damn. And Joe’s replacing them?” Beau’s brow wrinkled. “Why?”

His cousin grinned. “I came up with a plan to put a stop to asset loss.”

“How did you do that?” Beau asked.

“I attached a tracking device to each boat. The tracking application keeps tabs on where it goes and shows the path it took. You can count on the tracker to display exactly where the boat is at any given time.” He grinned. “Just a week ago, we had one of those rent-and-run situations. When the man didn’t bring the boat back by closing time, we brought up the application, closed the marina and took another boat out to find the missing one.”

“Did you find it?” Beau asked.

Benjamin grinned. “We did. It had been abandoned beneath a cypress tree with branches that bent low enough to dip into the water. People just passing by in other watercraft wouldn’t be able to see the abandoned boat behind the veil of cypress branches. We recovered the new boat and have been renting it out since with no problem.”

“Do you tell your clients that you’re recording their routes?” Aurelie asked.

“Joe and I talked about being transparent with our customers and decided it wasn’t worth scaring them away from renting boats at the marina again. Most people who rent are good people looking to have a great day boating or fishing. The trackers are for the dirtbags stealing the boats. We want the good people back to generate more income.”

Beau pounded his cousin’s back. “Glad it’s working out for you.”

“Enough about boats...How the hell are you?” Benjamin’s brow formed a V over his nose. “We heard about the crash. We were so glad you survived.” Ben hugged him again.

Beau didn’t respond. Mention of the crash only resurrected that hard lump in his throat whenever he thought about his team. The men who had been his brothers were now gone. Kemper, Wykowski, Jones, Cortez, Martin, Cooley and Biggs. The men he’d fought alongside. The guys with whom he’d shared meals, drinks, training exercises and missions. All gone. Everyone but Beau had died in that helicopter crash. The heavy weight of loss threatened to overwhelm Beau. He couldn’t let it. He drew in a deep breath and let it out.

Ben stared into his eyes. “I’m so sorry about your team. I know they had to have meant a lot to you. But we’re glad you’re home.” Ben dropped his arms to his side. “So, how’s the new job?”

Ben’s question brought Beau back to the present and what he needed to focus on. “It’s good.” He turned to Aurelie, eager to move Ben away from questioning him more about his job, thus cluing Aurelie into the fact that he was her bodyguard. “Ben, I believe you’ve met Aurelie.”

Ben held out his hand to Aurelie. “Yes, we met at the Raccoon Saloon. You bought the old Dupree place on the edge of town.”

Aurelie nodded and shook Ben’s hand. “That’s me,” she said. “I moved in several weeks ago. I just haven’t had time to get around and meet all the residents of Bayou Miste. I was glad to meet you, Alex and your spouses.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll meet the rest of the crew all too soon,” Ben said. “People around here have a way of getting all up in your business. Before long, you’ll know everyone.”

Aurelie grinned. “I look forward to that. And it’s nice to meet you. Lucy was very welcoming when she came over the other day and brought me the talisman to keep me safe.”

Ben’s brow wrinkled. “I’d be careful with whatever Lucy cooks up. You never know what it is or what it’s going to do. That Voodoo hoodoo stuff can get a little dicey at times.”

“How’s she doing?” Beau asked.

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