weekday again.”
“Ha! Right.”
“What time did you get home?” Maggie asked, confused.
“Alphé dropped me off early, at sunrise. I slept on the porch until Justin let the dog out.”
“Oh no, I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. Maggie, I’m going to buy a place after all. I don’t want to leave Cypress Cove. This is going to be my home.”
“You are? How exciting.” She handed her a cup of coffee. “Where are you looking?”
“In town. Do you want to help me look?”
“I’d love to! What’s going on today?”
“I have appointments in Saint John’s Parish. I’ll look at the online ads when I can.”
“I guess this means things are going well with Alphé?”
Katrina had a big happy grin on her face.
“Maggie, I’m head over heels. What a corny thing to say! But it’s the truth. It’s exactly the way I feel, like he’s swept me off my feet. All the foot euphemisms are called into play.”
“Aw, that’s so nice! I wonder what it is about this place. First me and Justin, then Annie and Steve, who I think might have conceived their kid up against my house, but you didn’t hear it from me, and now you and Alphé. This place is a real love magnet.”
“I love Bayou Cottage. After I finish all the appointments I have this week, I plan on parking my ass on your porch with my laptop and working right from there until I move out.”
“I need to work today, too. And I guess it’s my turn to help out at the rescue although the truth is, between Kelly and Annie, everything is under control. Kelly seems to like having all the responsibility, too. I get to visit.”
“Can you run me into town first? I’m so sorry. What a pain.”
“It’s no trouble at all. I have to take all of these serving dishes back to my aunt’s house anyway.”
Katrina helped her load the stacks of dishes into two canvas bags they’d carry to Val Amotte’s house, where the car was parked. After leashing Brulee up, they made their way to the skiff. It was a cool, clear morning, the breeze off the water refreshing after the stagnant air at the cottage.
The dock was visible up ahead, with Gus waiting for her.
“I heard you leave,” he called out, waving to them. “That was some party.”
Maggie pulled alongside the dock. The tide was higher and made getting Brulee up two rungs of the ladder easy. He took the canvas bags of dishes from her.
“That food last night.” He held his midsection, panting, making the women laugh.
“Yeah, I’m suffering now,” Maggie said.
“I’d like a rerun for dinner tonight. Are there many leftovers?”
“Come and get some food. There’s a ton. We won’t have to cook for a couple of days.”
“I’ll take you up on it! The porta pottie company is coming to take your pot away. I’ll meet them at the dock.”
“Text me!” Maggie said, waving.
They hiked up Main Street, headed to Aunt Elizabeth’s house, Katrina holding on to her shoes and wearing sneakers. They were chatting when a new Mercedes SUV drove up, parking at the curb in front of the post office. A familiar blond woman unfolded her long body out of the driver’s seat.
“Oh, jeez, it’s Lola Beaumont again!” Katrina hissed. “She drives a Mercedes, and Alphé drives a piece-of-crap pickup truck. What’s that all about?”
“I don’t know, but I bet he bought it for her,” Maggie said.
“Maybe to chauffeur his kids around?”
“I bet that’s it. Is it something you can live with?”
“I think it is. I have more than enough for us to live a comfortable life, and he can still see to it that his kids have the best. I’m not against that.”
“You’re already thinking of expenses. That’s pretty serious,” Maggie said.
“Yes, it really is. The white-collar, blue-collar thing means something to him, and I was trying to allay his concerns.”
“Men are weird about things like that,” Maggie said. “I don’t say too much about my money, and Justin is a vet.”
“Well, I don’t have millions like you do, either. He even googled the income of a medical device salesperson on his phone. I had to laugh at that. I don’t think Alphé has a computer.”
“Well, you’ve proved money is not necessary for real attraction.”
“He reads, though. Well, he listens to audiobooks. He has quite the extensive collection on the boat. Everything from Dickens to Stephen King. And tons of self-help starting with Improve Your Tennis Game to Focus on Meditation with Ravi Conquest.”
They laughed out loud. “I