Page 12 of Bayou Sunset

Pierre tossed his gear on the floor, saying, “We be waiting on another.”

Who on earth would they want with them treasure hunting? She knew everyone in town was an amateur treasure hunter, but for the twins to share that seemed all kinds of wrong.

“Here he come,” Pierre said, tossing his gear near his brothers.

What part of stowing their gear did they not understand? They just put it in the way. “Move ya gear,” Daisy Mae said before she looked down the pier.

Mais non!She did not want to see or speak to this man. He'd ripped her heart out and walked away without looking back. She would not give him a second chance to make a fool of her. How could her brothers want him along, of all people?

“Grab the lines. Ya man, he be late.”

“Dayzee Mè,” Pierre pleaded, “wait for him.”

“Non,” she asserted. “He no step foot on mebateau.”

“Why not?” she heard in that deep, sexy voice. Romeo hadn't stepped aboard but waited for permission on the dock. At least someone respected courtesies.

Because my heart can't take ya rejection, again.“I have no use for ya, Steve. You not welcome ’round me, especially on mySeas.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. “Mais, why not?”

Why couldn't Steve understand he be slowly killing me?She didn't want to be the bitch, but it was the only way to harden her heart against him. If they tried to be friends again, she'd crumble and be left in the dust again. Alone.

Daisy Mae huffed and put her hands on her hips. “Because I be da captain, and I say so.”

“All right, little rocket,” Steve said and winked. “We play itya way.”

That was a new nickname, but she wanted to avoid starting a dialogue by asking him what it meant.

“Sorry,mon amis,” Steve told her brothers. “I guess I won't join ya today.”

“Dayzee Mè,” Pierre said, now in her face, “let him onboard. He be going to help us. He be da crew.”

Daisy Mae narrowed her eyes at Pierre. “You and JP be my crew.”

JP shook his head. “No, we hired him to be da crew. So, ya need to allow him onboard.”

Merde. Those lazy brothers of hers had hired someone to work for them. She should have guessed they'd do something like that. But she'd never imagined Steve would be the help. Didn't he already have a job?

Mon Dieu!Daisy Mae pondered whether he had given up his job in the north to live closer to his parents. The thought of constantly having him around in the same town was overwhelming. She would have to expedite her plans to relocate to a bigger town. Fortunately, she had enough savings to make the move.

Pierre approached her and grinned. “Put on ya big girl panties and let him board. I know not why ya deny him. He be done nothing wrong.”

Daisy Mae could see she'd never win this battle. So, she said, “Get your ass on board, stow all da gear properly, and grab da lines.” With that, she spun on her heels and prepared to launch.Men, they were the bane of her existence.

With a chuckle, Steve stepped onSeas the Dayand shook her brothers' hands. Then, he gave her a mock salute and grabbed the twins' gear from the bottom of the boat to stow appropriately. After emerging from below, he held one line and then the other, loosening them from the pier.

Merde. Daisy Mae had been so focused on keeping Steve away that she'd forgotten to review the map JP had in his hand. “I need me some direction, if you please.”

“Just head south,” Pierre instructed. “We tells ya when to turn.”

Daisy Mae didn't operate like that. She wanted to know where she would be traversing the waters. “Give me da damn map,” she demanded. “I needs to see da waterways before ya drive us somewhere we get thebateaustuck.”

She knew they wouldn't do that. The twins were also good captains of these waterways, but she wanted to know what they had.

JP approached and unrolled the map on the dash in front of her. He pointed to a spot on the map. “We be going to dis island,” he said.

Thinking, Daisy Mae scrunched up her brows. She traced their path and shook her head. “There be no island dere.” She remembered going in that direction before. There'd been no island.

---