Page 19 of Beauty and the Bayou

Tori shrugged.“He’s a little needy right now.”

“And he pees on the floor?”

“Just that one time,” Tori insisted.Then she added, “That one timehere.”

Juliet grinned at her.

“That spot is right behind your bar stool,” Ellie said to Leo as she refilled his coffee cup.“So, it’s definitely not beer.The last time you let a drop go to waste you were probably…” She shook her head.“Hell, I don’t even know.”

Leo nodded.“You got that right.And by that logic, it means it’s also not gumbo.”

“By your seat, it’s not mouthwash or cologne, either.”This came from another older woman who had just come from what Juliet assumed was the kitchen.She had short salt-and-pepper curls, and was plumper than Ellie.

Leo chuckled, clearly not offended.

“It’s also not blackberry juice,” the woman said.“Since youforgot to pick any blackberries up.”

“Oh, I’ll bet it’s frosting,” Leo said to Ellie.“From that cinnamon roll Cora threw at me two days ago when I forgot the blackberries.”He lifted his cup for a sip, seemingly unbothered by having breakfast pastries thrown at him.And unapologetic about the blackberries.

Cora set a plate of toasted bread, a little dish of jam, another dish of what looked like whipped butter, and a knife in front of Juliet.“Apple butter,” she said, pointing at the second dish.“You let me know what else you want, sweetie.”Then she looked at Leo.“It actually could be apple butter,” she said.“I threw toast at you yesterday when you forgot themagain.”

“Yep, that’s true.”Leo just nodded, sipping again.

Okay, so the older generation here had food fights on a regular basis.Interesting.Then Juliet bit into a piece of sourdough bread with strawberry-rhubarb jam and instantly decided that throwing food in here was a travesty.If it was even half as good as thetoast, it would be downright sinful to do anything but eat it and sob with pleasure.

“You’re a lawyer, huh?”Ellie asked.

“I am.Most of my work is as a patient advocate, working with people who were having a hard time navigating the healthcare system and dealing with their insurance companies.I also lobby for healthcare issues in D.C.”

“And you’re from Virginia?”Ellie asked.“You grew up there?”

Juliet nodded.“In Alexandria.My dad’s an investor.My mom was a stay-at-home mom.”

“You have brothers other than Chase?”

Juliet shouldn’t have been surprised Ellie knew of her brother, she realized.“I do.Two older.”

“You close with your family?”

“Um, Chase and I are pretty close.”

That seemed like a good enough answer for Ellie because she just nodded and went on.“Do you have a boyfriend?”Ellie pushed the coffee cup in front of Juliet closer.

Juliet coughed slightly, finished chewing, and swallowed.She shook her head.“No, I don’t.”

“Husband?”Ellie asked.She nudged the little ceramic pot of cream closer to Juliet’s cup.

“No.”

“Ex-husband?”

Well, they weren’t subtle here.“Nope.”

“Are you heartbroken?”Ellie pushed the container that held sugar and sweetener packets closer.

“Not heartbroken, either,” Juliet told her.

She’d dated but hadn’t been serious with anyone since her first year of college.The What-If and Yeah, But games got a little…um…tiresome for a lot—okay all—the guys she’d gone out with.Because she wasreallygood at both games.She could go on and on and on.

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