Page 112 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

Owen, Sawyer, and Kennedy were already there when Josh and Tori came through the door.

Tori didn’t have much to do with the tour company but she sometimes filled in for Kennedy at the desk if needed, and she still felt like a part of everything.There wasn’t much that went on in this family, this business, or even Ellie’s bar, that wasn’t common knowledge in the family.

“We have a situation,” Sawyer said without even waiting for Tori and Josh to find a seat.

“What’s goin’ on?”Owen asked, tossing a peanut into his mouth.

“We’re comin’ up short on money,” Sawyer said bluntly.“We’re barely making ends meet and that means that we have to put off some new purchases, and the expansion we talked about last year isn’t going to happen.At least not right now.”

Owen and Josh shared a look.An unhappy look.

“Are bookings down or something?”Tori asked.She’d owned her own business since graduating with her degree but hadn’t needed to advertise or seek out patients.Everyone just brought their animals in to her, and everyone in Elton could get her cell number from her mom or dad simply by stopping them at church or running into them at the café.

“Business is good,” Sawyer said.“But we’re down a man.That means more of my time spent on the business side and more time all of us have to spend on maintenance and repairs and that means less time on tours.”

Everyone was quiet for a long moment.That was the general reaction any time anyone mentioned Tommy, the fourth partner who had died eight months before, even indirectly.

Finally Josh said, “What do we need to do?Hire someone?”

“Maybe,” Sawyer said.He shoved a hand through his hair.“But there’s more.”

“Like what?”Owen asked.

“Maddie.”

Owen froze with his hand partway through the motion of tossing more peanuts into his mouth.“What?”

Sawyer nodded.“Maddie.She wants to sell her portion.”

Owen set the jar of peanuts down hard and crossed his arms.“Why?”

“She doesn’t want it,” Sawyer said.

“She doesn’twantit?”

Sawyer blew out a breath.“Why would she want it?”he asked flatly.

“What’s that mean?”Owen asked, clearly annoyed.“Her brothergaveit to her.”

Owen was the laid-back Landry.The fun guy.The flirt.The charmer.Tori wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him scowl like he was now, and she’d definitely never seen him agitated like this.

Oh, she so wanted to know who Maddie was and what was going on.She settled in to watch.

“The last time she lived here she was sixteen,” Sawyer said.“She doesn’t feel connected to the town or the business.”

“You mean she doesn’t feel connected tous,” Owen said.

“Well, how the hell would she?”Sawyer asked, clearly exasperated.“She’s been living in California for the past twelve years.”

“Fine,” Owen said.“Then she can give it to us.Whatever.”

“Yeah, well, she isn’t going togiveit to us,” Sawyer said.“We have to buy her out.”

“What’s going on?”Tori whispered to Josh.

“Maddie is Tommy’s little sister,” Josh told her.“He left her his portion of the business when he died.She owns thirty-five percent of Boys of the Bayou.”

“Oh.”Well, yeah, damn.“And she doesn’t want it?”

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