Page 21 of Cajuns. Love. Curves.

Okay, so it’s not that complicated and the short version wasn’t that short.

The point is, she’s single now and I’m taking my shot.

So when Remy said he was going home to Saddle Creek, Texas, for his leave, I tagged along, knowing it was my chance to meet her in person.

She lives and works in Austin, a couple of hours east of here, but I know she’d come home to see Remy while he was in town.

So here we sit in Ace’s waiting for her to show up, planning for shit to go wrong, and hoping desperately that it doesn’t. And, yeah, I’m a little nervous about whether not she’ll live up to my expectations.

I know what she looks like. I’ve seen countless pictures of her, a couple that Remy has shown me, way more from stalking her on social media. She’s fucking gorgeous. Not that it would have mattered to me. I fell in love with her via emails and DMs.

Neither Remy nor I are the kind of guys who need to talk just to fill the silence, so as we wait for his sister to show up, we’re both scrolling through our phones.

I surreptitiously pull up some of the emails Cassie and I have exchanged over the years and reread them.

Like I haven’t been rereading them all the damn time since I found out she was single.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: Introduction

Cassie,

Thanks for the emails you’ve been sending. Like I said, it’s just nice to hear a voice from home.

I noticed, though, that you didn’t take me seriously about not needing to send me packages. You really don’t have to do that.

The messages are enough.

I wish I could respond more often. But I bet you’re used to not hearing from Remy and Wade when they’re deployed, so you know the drill.

I always enjoy your stories of life in Austin and whatever you’re reading lately.

I’m not sure that I can trust your assessment of the weather in Texas, though. Sure, you say it’s hot, but surely it’s not as hot as it is here.

Cheers,

Nick

* * *

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: I have to ask

Nick,

Yes, you said I didn’t have to send you packages. But you didn’t say I couldn’t. Besides, I figure everyone needs a new toothbrush every once in a while. Even before Remy was in the Navy, he never switched out his toothbrushes as often as he should’ve. Besides, if I’m going to send candy, I need to balance it out with dental care. It’s all part of the circle of life, yin/yang of care packages.

The real question is this: did you enjoy the snacks?

I know hard candy can be a bit controversial, since everyone under the age of 82 prefers chocolate, but I simply don’t trust the military to get your mail in time for me to send chocolate, so butterscotches it is. After all, wherever you are, may not be as hot as Austin, but it’s probably close.

Also, even if it is hotter than Austin, at least you don’t have to fight with your annoying coworkers over how low to keep the air conditioner. I like to think that if it was merely the heat in Austin, I could handle it better. My boss keeping the offices in the low 60s in the summer makes everything worse.

---