Sweet Mystery (10 page)

“Yeah, maybe the visitors’ center should be
farther down from your property.” Simon looked back toward Lucien’s
house, though it was not visible at this distance. “Don’t want too
much traffic near your home, right?”

“Um-hum.” Rae followed him, noticing how
small beads of sweat stood out on his brown skin, especially on his
top lip. She imagined the taste; a mixture of salty and sweet.

“Of course, it probably won’t be a mob of
folks. More like a steady trickle most days. But, of course, during
the summers when the kids are out of school or on holiday, it could
get crowded.”

“You bet,” Rae said right over his shoulder.
She did not move when he turned suddenly to find them almost nose
to nose.

“What do you think so far?” Simon spoke in a
quiet voice. He looked into her eyes steadily.

“So far, so good,” she said, smiling at him.
“Show me more,” she murmured, wondering only for a split second if
this was wise. But Rae had never been the shy, retiring type.

Simon swallowed. “Right, well, here we have–”
He tried to open out the rolled-up plans, but dropped them instead.
He bent over to retrieve them.

“Nice view,” Rae said.

He straightened up and turned sharply to face
her. She was gazing out over the water.

“Yes. It is.” Simon’s full mouth lifted at
one corner. “Ms. Dalcour–”

She smiled at him sweetly. “Call me Rae.”

“And you can call me Simon.”

Rae’s heart thumped at the sound of his deep
voice inviting her to become more intimate. Was there more? She
brushed a stray tendril of hair from her eyes. Simon watched the
movement of her hands. Rae could feel a pull between them.
Suddenly, she was anxious and unsure whether she was as much in
control as she thought.

She moved away from him, feeling off balance
for the first time with a man this close. “Well, Simon, you haven’t
mentioned any environmental impact studies.”

“They’ve been done. We’re just waiting for
the written report. Preliminary findings are that our plans for
park management would have little, if any, negative effect.” He
studied her for a moment.

“Yes, the plans for waste disposal and park
rangers.” Rae knew all this. She’d read the bound report.

“Of course, I can’t guarantee no pollution.
But it will at least be kept natural.”

“With folks trampling all over the place, I
doubt it.” Rae crossed her arms and stared at him in challenge.

Simon did not flinch. “True, but–”

“And you don’t really know how much pollution
there would be.”

“We can keep it clean. According to the
plans, the state will help,” Simon said.

Rae snorted. “Please! You can’t count on
them. This is a backwater town with a population that’s forty-nine
percent black. Daddy always said it’s why this parish had to fight
for everything.”

“True. Since the 1930s, we’ve been scuffling
to get our share of public works for the taxes we pay. But things
began to change in the fifties.”

“You think so, huh? Well, I’d have to see it
to believe it.” Rae was more skeptical of the system since she’d
had experience of being outside it.

Simon looked confident. He had the experience
of a man who’d been on the inside, forcing things to work. “I’m not
saying it’s perfect. But we’ve got the Legislative Black Caucus and
several white politicians working for us.”

Rae strolled toward the edge of the muddy
water. “Sounds good, but I don’t know.”

“Listen, people have been coming on your
property for years, fishing, tubing and having picnics. Mr. Lucien
once complained to me that he was constantly running off kids who
trashed up the place.” Simon walked to stand next to her.

Rae’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “Daddy
talked to you?”

“I’d see him around town sometimes. At first
he just gave me the eye when I spoke to him.” Simon grinned.

She grinned back. “Yeah, Daddy could give you
a look that made you back up quick.”

“Then one day I was fishing down at Old
River. He was there. After a while, we were talking about bait,
which fish were running, and stuff like that.” Simon shrugged. “I
think he was curious about me more than anything. But he never
asked about Papa Joe,” he finished in a quiet voice.

The mention of his grandfather brought up the
past events that had separated their families. Both were silent for
a time.

“You’re right. Andrew and Daddy couldn’t keep
all this property clean, though they tried.” Rae took a deep
breath. “Like I said, I’ll talk to my brothers.”

“I know Andrew will be a hard sell. I’ve only
said hello to him over the years.” Simon smiled. “He seems like a
nice guy.”

“Yeah, he’s easygoing. He tries to be mean
about what happened between our grandfathers, but it’s hard for
Andrew to hold a grudge against anybody really.” Rae smiled with
affection, thinking of her brother. “It’s just not in his nature to
carry on feuds.”

“And Neville?” Simon looked totally at ease,
talking to her about her family.

“He’s the serious type, hardworking; nose to
the grindstone. Temperament like my Mama’s brothers.” Rae had never
thought of it before, but it was true. Neville was like Uncle Ted
and Uncle Johnny. “But he thinks we should sell at least some of
the land.”

“Sounds like a nice guy, too.”

“Yeah, they’re my darling big brothers,” Rae
said, remembering how they had taught her to fish, hunt and swim in
this bayou. She adored them with the intensity she’d felt for
Lucien. Emotion clogged her throat.

“Rae, I wouldn’t do anything to ruin Bayou
Latte or Creole Bend,” Simon said.

The sound of his voice saying her name sent a
shiver up Rae’s spine. Down deep in her core, she believed him. Rae
felt as though the ground beneath her feet was undulating, moving
her closer to him.

A shout from a passing fisherman in a bateau
broke the spell. What in the world is wrong with you, girl? No man
had pushed her buttons like this. Not even Darcy at the height of
her raging, hormonal teen years. This was more dangerous. She was a
woman now, capable of making a much bigger mistake falling for the
wrong man.

Rae shook herself. Simon was not going to
sucker her. She would command whatever happened between them. “You
said something about a free meal, if I recall.” She resumed her
brass and sass attitude in defense against the strong signals that
Simon was sending out.

“Uh, sure, Arnaud’s okay?” Simon wiped his
forehead. He let her follow him to his Ford Explorer and opened the
passenger door.

Rae got in. “Fine with me.”

Arnaud’s was a restaurant near downtown Belle
Rose, which looked out over the Grande River. Paintings of swamp
scenes and Acadian houses hung on the walls. There was one large
window facing the water. Double doors led to a patio. The waiter
pointed to a table by the window.

“Afternoon, I’m Walter.” The waiter spoke in
a musical Cajun accent. “Is this okay? You want? You could have an
outside table…”

“It’s so nice. Let’s sit outside.” Simon
turned to Rae, who nodded.

She spoke to several people as they followed
the waiter to their table. Since they were earlier than the usual
lunchtime crowd, there were several empty places. Both ordered iced
tea.

Simon glanced over the menu. “Everything
looks good. But I’ll have my usual, a fried catfish platter.”

“Oh, come on,” Rae teased, “live a little, be
adventurous.”

Simon wore a shy smile. “Afraid I’m not the
adventurous type.”

Rae leaned forward. “You walked right up to
me that day. Tell the truth, how many people warned you that I was
a woman likely to take a chunk out of a St. Cyr?”

“Well...” Simon looked flustered.

“How many?”

“A few. I didn’t believe them though.” He
looked at her, a gleam in his eyes. “You didn’t look like you’d
bite.”

Rae lowered her voice. “I thought about
it.”

Simon looked down at their hands resting
against each other on the red, checkered cloth. “Wh–”

“Y’all ready to order?” Walter beamed at
them, pen ready. He flipped to a new page on his order pad.

Rae went into a light banter with the waiter
without missing a beat. Simon stared at her. The woman kept
lighting his fire! That voice, husky and velvet smooth at the same
time, almost had him in knots. Not to mention that she could make
the most ordinary sentences sound seductive. Or is she flirting
with me? Maybe the added sensuous overtones were only in his
mind.

Simon tried not to stare as Rae questioned
the waiter about several entrees. He guessed she was at least five
foot seven. Her full curves were a feast for the eyes, causing
several men to look up in appreciation when they walked through the
restaurant. She wore stone-washed denim pants and a white knit,
sleeveless blouse with red stripes along the V-neck. Papa Joe and
the others were right. Rae Dalcour definitely had a bite. Trouble
was he liked it.

“I’ll have the charbroiled shrimp.” Rae
handed the menu to Walter, who bustled off. “Now you were
saying?”

“Would you like to have dinner?” Simon
glanced at her, and then away. Rae Dalcour made him feel like an
awkward teenager again.

“We haven’t had lunch yet, cher,” Rae
quipped, chuckling. “My head is spinning.”

“Guess I assumed too much.” Simon was
surprised at the sharp sense of disappointment he felt.

“That wasn’t a no, Simon,” Rae replied.

Simon looked up to find her brown eyes held
no hint of rejection. His heart turned over. She was smiling for
him. Simon liked the way she said his name with that voice of hers.
He wanted to make her smile for him again and again.

“Saturday?” he asked.

“You don’t waste time, do you?”

“Not when I’m this sure.”

Simon shocked himself with this admission,
but it was true – he wanted to get closer to her. He pushed down
the warning voice of his grandfather and gave in to the feeling.
This was no ordinary attraction. He wanted to know her in every
way.

Rae raised her eyebrows at him. “We’re
straying onto dangerous ground here. What will your family say? And
the Joves won’t be thrilled either.”

“I’m grown. But if you’re worried your family
won’t approve...” Simon lifted a shoulder. He wore a slight smile
and a teasing glint in his eyes.

“My family doesn’t tell me what to do with my
personal life.” Rae laughed and leaned forward. “Tonight is fine.
Besides, it’s just a date, right?”

“Right,” Simon said. He knew better deep
down, but he tried to put a light tone to his voice.

They enjoyed the rest of lunch without
mentioning the possible complications of seeing each other. Simon
enjoyed the easy flow of conversation between them. It was as
though they’d sat together like this many times. They would
sometimes fall silent, but it was not the awkward kind so common
between a man and woman who had just met.

Without remembering just how they got there,
Simon was telling her about his dreams for the business. He talked
about his family and was lost in her account about the Dalcours.
They talked on until the lunch crowd was sparse again.

“I never realized how hard it was on you all
after your grandfather left,” Simon said.

“Humph, folks in Belle Rose got a long
memory. They blame us because the money that would have brought a
major business into the black community disappeared. The Moutons
and other white families still control most of the wealth in this
parish.” Rae wore a bitter expression. “We were treated like
dirt.”

“Amazing that you would be harassed for what
your grandfather did.”

“For what folks say he did! They didn’t prove
it,” Rae said in a clipped tone.

“Of course, I’m sorry.” Simon covered her
hand with his. “There is no proof, even after all these years.”
They both stared at their hands, his large fingers entwined around
her slender ones.

A nice fit.

“Y’all want some more tea?” asked Walter,
holding a pitcher.

Rae shook her head. “No. I’m sloshing every
time I move as it is.”

“Me neither.” Simon waited for Walter to
leave. “I’m really looking forward to tonight, Rae.” He gazed from
her eyes to her lips.

“So am I. Let’s go to Pas Patout afterward.
Or don’t you dance?” The teasing came back to Rae’s voice.

“I can hang. Two step, swing out, all the old
standards.” Simon smiled.

“Then it’s going to be some night.” Rae’s
voice dropped an octave.

Simon decided to join the game. “Hope I can
live up to your expectations.”

Rae gave him an appraising glance from head
to toe. “Oh, I’d say you can hang.”

Walter brought the check, which forced Simon
to let go of Rae’s hand. On the short drive down the highway to her
house, the silence between them was heavy. Both were wrapped in
thought. Simon wondered if Rae was experiencing the same rush as he
was.

“Well, thanks for an interesting day. And
lunch,” Rae said, smiling at him. “See you tonight.”

“Say around six?”

“Perfect.” She winked at him and hopped down
from the Explorer. “Don’t forget your dancing shoes.” With a wave,
she walked away.

Simon blinked, feeling as though he was
coming out of a daydream. Had it really happened so easily as that?
In a heartbeat he was going out with the infamous Rae Dalcour. She
was right – Papa Joe would ask him if he’d lost his sanity. And
Toya... Simon did not even want to think about that. But they would
not be the only people in town questioning his judgment. He turned
up the radio and swayed to the beat of a pop tune. They’ll all just
have to adjust.

Chapter 6

Marcelle stepped over a broken piece of chair
and looked around Lucien’s old dance hall. “Girl, you gotta lot of
work on your hands.”