Page 32 of The Cajun Doctor

Charmaine grinned. Probably with relief that she’d escaped that one.

Years ago, the LeDeux family started putting on music and dance revues modeled on the old Village People acts. Usually they were done in conjunction with one of Louise’s matchmaking ventures.

“How about Daniel, Aaron, and Simone?”

“I’ll think of something fer them later.”

“Okay. I’ll bite. What do you have in mind for me? Keep in mind I have a chain of beauty salons to run, and my daughter is a teenager now. Mary Lou is a handful.”

“Pfff! Those beauty parlors practic’ly run themselves now. And Mary Lou is the best behaved teenager I ever met. Spends all her spare time with her daddy runnin’ the ranch. You should be thankin’ yer stars fer all yer blessings. I know all about wild teenagers, believe me. I pretty much raised Tee-John, dint I?”

Louise could see her pondering the words. “You’re right. I am blessed. So, again I ask, what do ya have in mind?”

“Sort of a family matriarch.”

“Huh? What? Like Dynasty, or Dallas, or Downton Abbey?”

“Like me. Oh, doan go all scary eyed again. I’m not plannin’ on kickin’ the bucket anytime soon. It’s a role ya gotta ease into.”

Charmaine rolled her eyes.

Folks did that a lot around Louise. As if she wouldn’t notice!

“Tante Lulu! I’m not even a blood relative.”

“Bite yer tongue, girl. Yer as much mah family as the boys.”

“I know, I know,” Charmaine said, with tears in her eyes. “Your adopted niece then.”

“Hmpfh! Mah niece Adele was married ta Valcour LeDeux, and I stepped in ta take care of her chillen when Adele died . . . Luc, Remy and René, which would make them mah grand-nephews, I s’pose. Or great-nephews. Whatever. Then that Valcour married Jolie and had Tee-John, who also was in need of mah help. So, technically, Tee-John’s not mah blood kin, either, but I’ll go ta mah grave callin’ him mah nephew. So, it doan matter if yer mama got involved with Valcour, too, and no Rivard blood was passed on. When ya came ta me fer help, did I say, no, ’cause yer not mah blood kin?”

Charmaine leaned down and hugged Louise, clearly realizing how much she’d riled her up. Louise had tears in her eyes, too, probably had mascara running down her cheeks.

“So, it’s settled. Yer mah ‘niece,’ blood or not.”

“Okay.”

“So, are ya agreein’ ta be the family matriarch, too?”

“Oh, I doan know. Aren’t I a little young to be a matriarch?”

“I been a matriarch since I was yer age. What are ya implyin’ here?”

Charmaine put up her hands in surrender. “What exactly does a matriarch do?”

“A matriarch is the go-to person fer anyone in trouble. But ya gotta sniff out trouble, too. Lak a detective. And matchmakin’, of course.”

“In other words, a busybody.”

“Zackly!”

“Lawdy!”

“One more thing,” Louise said. “I’m worried about Richard.”

“Richard who?”

“Fer shame, girl! There’s only one Richard fer me. Richard Simmons.” She sighed. For many years, Louise had been a fan of the exercise guru. What a hottie!