Page 31 of Undo Me

“Yes and no. It’s hard to see clearly. Almost purposely muddled. I’m not sure if we can help him, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.”

Rousseau shook his head, downing a shot of liquor he’d taken from the tray and shuddering in reaction. “Not to be disrespectful, Mamas, but wedding is only a few hours away, and I’ve never been good at puzzles.”

Mambo Toussaint glanced at him, before studying Elise’s pale cheeks thoughtfully. “That’s exactly what this is, though. A puzzle. But power will gather tonight when the others come to honor our ancestors and the Ghede. With their help, maybe we can find the answers together.”

BD actually felt his heart leap. Before now he’d believed it a strange expression. They weren’t shaking their heads and wishing him well. They wanted to try, despite the odds, despite the ruling which he couldn’t claim not to deserve.

He supposed that was humanity in a nutshell, wasn’t it? They didn’t know when to give up. Not if they truly cared.

He hardly dared to hope there was an actual chance he could stay. He’d been working on resigning himself to his fate all day. It never occurred to him there might be another way.

“If you do find a loophole, cher, you know I’ll take it. Until then—” His full attention turned toward Elise. “You can see why who is drawn to me? Bethany? Have you talked to her? Touched her? Is she upset?”

The men beside him laughed and shook their heads, and Elise held up her hands. “I’m a romantic at heart, but I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

The look she gave him nearly sent him back a step. “Suffice it to say you’ll have to find your way through that particular maze on your own. Your choices matter, as do the consequences.”

Hadn’t Legba said something along the same lines? Why could no one give him a straightforward answer? He dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “I admit I hate puzzles as much as Rousseau. But I thank you both for what you’ve given me.”

The mambo gestured to the food and bowed her head respectfully before allowing Elise to tug her out of the room. Ben clapped him on the shoulder in masculine commiseration. “A maze is right. Welcome to the man club, BD. Stumbling in the dark with the rest of us.”

“Bah. Neither of you knows what this feels like. With a touch you can know your woman. And Rousseau knew Allegra’s thoughts long enough to know how she felt about him. There’s no Loa around who could or would help me the way I helped you. And Bethany does not behave the way a normal woman should.”

“You mean she doesn’t follow you around like a groupie?” Rousseau grabbed a pecan from his pie before Bone Daddy could pull his plate away.

“Does he mean she expects more than just the opportunity to gaze adoringly into his pretty golden eyes?” Ben batted his lashes, his grin wide and infectious.

“Yes, damn it.” And he loved that about her. Loved her prickly manner and her sharp tongue. Loved her subtle sensuality and her wit. He ached to feel of her around him again. He yearned for her smile.

“This isn’t good.”

“Absolutely not. There is no way I can wear this in public.”

Michelle and Allegra were beside her in the mirror’s reflection wearing huge, matching smiles.

“Girl, you look hot,” Michelle said, fanning herself dramatically. “I have to hand it to the man, he knows how to shop. Who knew? You look like a white Selma Hayek in that dress. And the bride did a great job on your hair.”

“No false modesty over here. And I don’t want you feeling guilty about it,” Allegra added. “You’re distracting me from those jitters my mother decided to call to warn me about. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her talk that much, and I’m telling you, if I hadn’t gotten my hands on all your beautiful hair, I might have done something desperate involving bleach and my brain.”

Allegra had taken her hair out of its usual braid, pulling the sides back and curling the long tresses so they spiraled softly down her back. Five minutes into the reception she’d have it up in a messy bun or tangled in the nearest tree branch, but for the moment, her hair was a masterpiece.

It was her dress that was the real problem. It was the opposite of what she would have picked, especially for a wedding. Daring and attention-grabbing, with a flared bottom that ended mid-thigh. Bethany wore more to bed each night, and she’d never owned a skirt this short. On the other hand, her new bra combined with this neckline gave her exceptional cleavage.

Beside her, Allegra was stunning in her white fairy gown. And Michelle wore a violet sundress, the purple hue a nod to her mother’s beliefs by honoring the Ghede family with their favorite color. She was, as usual, a knockout.

Bethany stood in the middle in temptress red, feeling as though she’d stepped into an alternate universe where she didn’t look out of place between them. “This is not me.”

“Are you sure?” Allegra adjusted her handiwork so that a thick, ebony curl fell over Bethany’s shoulder, and beamed at her proudly. “Maybe you’ve been hiding the real you for so long, you don’t recognize her when you see her. You are a butterfly. He was right.”

“I’ll give you a butterfly.” She shooed Allegra away from her hair. “Now stop paying attention to me. Brides don’t spend their last few hours of singlehood giving makeovers and matchmaking.”

Allegra’s chin went up puckishly. “Brides can do whatever they want to. It’s in the rule book. Besides”—she shared a glance with Michelle that Bethany caught the gist of—“I have the rest of my life with Rousseau.”

And Bethany only had one night.

It was hard to believe she’d only met him this morning. From finding him naked in a cemetery to their total loss of control in the lingerie shop, she’d never experienced so much in such a short span of time.

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