Page 41 of Rafael

Shelby’s lips twisted. “I fell in love with him when he was dating my sister. He barely knew I existed. It wasn’t until he came home after his military commitment was done that he finally sawme. As a woman, not a pesky kid tagging along with her sister. We were both different from when he was dating my sister, but deep down, we were the same.”

“Wasn’t it awkward that he’d dated your sister?” Gisele asked.

“Didn’t bother me. And it doesn’t bother Chrissy’s husband. He got the girl in the long run. Now they have five kids and another on the way due around the same time as mine. They’ll be cousins and grow up together.” Shelby paused and grimaced. “That’s not what you were asking.”

No, it wasn’t, but Shelby’s face was flushed with the anticipation of welcoming her baby into a world filled with cousins to play with.

Gisele loved that her friend was so happy. Was she a little envious of that happiness? Absolutely.

“When Remy returned home from his time in the Navy, he finally knew I existed,” Shelby said. “I made sure of that. The man aggravated the fire out of me. Sometimes, I didn’t like him much. Hands down, I knew I could live without him. Did I want to? Hell no. So, how did I know he was the one for me?”Shelby smiled softly and rested a hand on her belly. “The question isn’t can I live without him? The real question I needed to ask myself was...do Iwantto live without him?”

Shelby parked in the gravel parking lot of the Crawdad Hole restaurant. They got out and picked their way across the loose gravel to the entrance.

The bouncer at the door gave a perfunctory glance at their driver’s licenses and waved them inside. He knew who they were but he was a rule-follower.

Music vibrated throughout the room and in Gisele’s ears. A jukebox in the corner supplied the tunes, with songs designed to make you cry in your beverage of choice—for most, that was beer—or kick up your heels in a lively two-step.

Shelby led the way to the bar and climbed onto one of the stools.

Gisele slid onto the stool beside her and started to order a beer. She thought about it and opted out. In deference to the pregnant woman, Gisele abstained from ordering an alcoholic beverage and settled on an ice-cold root beer.

Shelby eyed the bartender filling a mug with beer. “I’ll be glad when this baby is out of my body, and I can enjoy a nice cold beer again.” She ordered a ginger ale with a cherry on top and opened the food menu.

Gisele glanced over the list of sandwiches,burgers and shellfish dishes the Crawdad Hole offered. Though she hadn’t had lunch, nothing stood out on the menu. Because she didn’t always like cooking for one, she’d eaten here and at other local restaurants and food trucks often enough to have gone through their menus. She would rather be seated across from Rafael, enjoying taco soup.

Shelby closed her menu and laid it on the counter. “I’m having the fried shrimp basket and a cup of their gumbo. What are you getting?”

“I’m not that hungry. I think I’ll get a side salad and maybe an order of fried pickles we can share.”

Shelby grinned. “Great. I love their fried pickles.” She sat back in her seat and absently rubbed her hand over her belly.

“Is it hard being pregnant?” Gisele asked.

Her friend shrugged. “Yes and no. At first, I was tired a lot, and I couldn’t stand certain smells—like diesel fumes. I’d throw up every time I smelled diesel fumes. That was all in the first trimester. Once my body adjusted to the parasite growing inside, it’s been pretty easy. I do have to pee more often, and that will only get worse the bigger the baby grows. All in all, I’m okay so far. Ask me that question when I’m as big as a house and can’t see my feet anymore.” Shelby laughed, her face flushing with happiness. “Is it crazy that I’m looking forward to that stage?”

“Of course you are. It’ll mean you’re that much closer to meeting your baby.” Gisele’s heart swelledwith love and happiness for her friend as she moved into a different phase of her life. Having grown up as the granddaughter of the Voodoo Queen, Gisele always thought the only way to find that level of happiness would be to leave her weird world behind.

She had left and found that the grass wasn’t always greener outside the bayou, weird wasn’t a bad thing and the men weren’t any better in New York City. When she’d come home to Bayou Mambaloa, she’d told herself she could be content to live her life alone. For the past three years, that had been true.

Until a group of former military special operations guys moved in and changed everything.

Shelby glanced around the room. “Those people are leaving. Let’s take their table. I can’t get comfortable on this bar stool.”

They carried their drinks to the table where Danielle French, the waitress, was clearing the empty mugs and bottles.

“Hey, Danny,” Shelby greeted the woman. “How are you holding up with the festival in town?”

Danny glanced up and smiled. “Other than sore feet, I’m doing fine. I’ve made more in tips these past few days than I do all month. No complaints here.” She lifted her chin toward Gisele. “Hey, girl. I heard you had a break-in last night. I’m so sorry it happened to you and your shop. Things like that leave you feeling punchy for a long time. I’d hate to sleep there after that. If you need a place to stay fora while, I have a spare bedroom in my trailer. You’re welcome to have it for as long as you need it.”

Gisele was touched by Danny’s offer. The woman could barely afford her rent and utilities. Having an extra person living with her would be a financial strain. Yet, she’d offered to share her trailer with no mention of splitting rent or contributing in any way.

Gisele recognized how blessed she was to live in a community where people who had very little would share down to their last slice of bread. “Thank you, Danny. I really appreciate your offer, but I’ll stay in my apartment. I’m going to have a security system installed. I’ll be all right.”

She lifted her heavy tray onto her shoulder without losing a single mug or bottle. “The offer stands. All you have to do is call. I’ll help you move your stuff.”

“Thanks,” Gisele repeated.

Danny left with the empties and returned a few minutes later with their order.

---