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“Poor Polly. She never breathed a word. She’s usually as nosy as a detective, too.”

“Yeah, Val is in town. He bought the old Broussard mansion.”

“Oh, Gus, wasn’t that your grandfather’s place?”

“It was. A dockmaster don’t make enough to fix up a place like that, however, and it was really a wreck. They say in the past year he put enough into it to pay for Alfonso Casson to build a new house.”

“No way.”

“I haven’t seen it yet, but I hear it’s mighty fine.”

“I’m surprised he wanted to be in town.”

“Gossip says he got used to living in town when they had their restaurant,” Gus said, watching her.

Gus Hebert had admired Elizabeth Bonnet, like most of the men in town, from afar. There were a few with whom she’d spend her time, but he didn’t have the energy to compete with Val and Victor Chastain, and gossip said even Polly during one summer of lust.

After her heart was broken, and she came into town less and less; it was clear she’d given up. Certain ones were allowed entry, and Gus was among the lucky few. Only boat arrivals were welcome; the gate was locked and blocked.

As a good friend, she’d spent hours playing cards with Gus on the porch of old Bayou Cottage. He’d watch her lick her lips while she concentrated, tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, even play with the buttons on her blouse, twisting the one in between her breasts this way and that. It drove him nuts, and by the end of the night he’d have a severe case of blue balls.

For years they’d spent time cooking over a makeshift grill—an old grate from the old wooden cook stove that used to be in the cottage, set up off the ground by two cement blocks—and sitting side by side for an entire evening, sharing their deepest feelings while dinner cooked.

But he never even tried to kiss her goodnight, and she always seemed grateful that he left her alone in that department.

When she left the cove to live with her niece, Gus didn’t think he’d see her again outside of a few weekends during the winter when the weather wasn’t so horrid. She always drove from Florida, too, which surprised him and disappointed him as well, because if you had a car, you didn’t need to boat into town.

So when he got the message that she would need a ride to Bayou Cottage that morning, he took extra care with his morning toilet, even using aftershave. He was surprised that the jeans he chose that day, a pair he hadn’t had on in a while, were a little big. Ironing the shirt he would wear was also a bit of a departure from the usual T-shirt. When he pulled up to the dock in his pickup, Polly was just unlocking the door to the station, and she noticed right away.

“Laundry day must be coming up, ah, Gus? Haven’t seen you in a button shirt in two years.”

The camaraderie between Elizabeth and Gus that morning after not seeing each other for so long a time was like no time had passed at all. They talked easily, catching up. Neither one’s lives had changed much; she had just moved away.

“You met my niece, right, Gus?”

“She’s likeable, ain’t she,” Gus said, pulling up to the cottage dock. “Reminds me a little of Rose at that age. Only Rose had a child by then.”

“Kids don’t get into it that quickly nowadays,” Elizabeth said, handing him one of the ropes when he jumped up on the dock.

Holding out his hand, she took it, and he purposely looked at it laying in his, letting every feeling of it, the weight and temperature, how soft it was, imprint in his memory. It might be the only time he’d touch her.

“Gus, come up and have coffee.”

“No, ma’am, I want to, don’t get me wrong, but this is your time with the girl. For whatever reason you’re here, I don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re thoughtful, as usual,” she said, looking into his eyes. “Do you want to play cards tonight?”

“Ha! You give me a ring if you still want to later. The girl might have other plans.”

“She don’t know I’m even coming,” Elizabeth said, smiling. “Okay, I’ll be in touch if it’s an option.”

Then she grabbed his shoulder and leaned in, kissing his cheek.

“You’re a sweet man, Gus Hebert,” she said, grinning.

Speechless, all he could do was try not to keel over. He was definitely not washing his face.

“Do you want me to haul those bags up?”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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