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She pushed through the doorway, where everyone was already waiting for them. The crowd had grown again. It had started with a few curious onlookers, and now half the town was in there, eager to watch the proceedings.
What had happened? How had he gone from getting ready to ask her to go out with him to the door slamming in his face?
His brother had happened. Naturally.
Of course, he could have handled it with more finesse. He certainly hadn’t meant to make her feel like he was trying to hide their relationship.
Quaid took a deep breath because he couldn’t do what he wanted to do. He couldn’t walk in, throw her over his shoulder, and take her back to their room so he could show her exactly how serious they were.
She was sending out CVs? He’d thought she wasn’t going to do that until after her ethics case was settled. He’d thought he had more time to convince her to stay here in Papillon and give them a shot at a real relationship. Hadn’t he set everything up so she didn’t have to worry about money?
Damn it. That was likely part of the problem.
How hard was it on Jayna to let him pay for her legal fees? She was a proud woman and had been raised to believe she shouldn’t accept what her mother would likely think of as charity. It wasn’t. It was one friend helping out another friend.
It was one man who couldn’t stand the thought of her being hurt in any way making sure she had what she needed.
Except this time he was the one who’d hurt her.
He pushed through because there was nothing to do except work at this point. He would have to find a way to make her understand how much he cared, because the one thing he couldn’t lose washer.
chapter ten
“So you walked out and left him?” Sienna leaned toward her, practically yelling over the raucous music reverberating through Guidry’s. She picked up the two beers they’d ordered and handed one to Jayna.
It was seven p.m. on a weeknight, but Guidry’s was packed.
Jayna glanced around the place and had to admit that it had a vibrancy and energy that could compete with any restaurant or nightclub she’d been in. Like many establishments in a small town, Guidry’s served more than one function. There was a dining room, a bar section with big TVs playing whatever game was on, and a patio for quieter dining. There was even a dance floor, and it was hopping this evening. A zydeco band played, and she recognized some of the people swaying on the floor.
Sienna tugged on her elbow, nodding toward the door. It was too loud to talk in here, and her sister seemed done with waiting for explanations.
Jayna took a long swig before starting for the big patio. Out here the music was softer, the air warm. Edison lights were strung around, bringing a soft ambiance to the setting.In front of her, the bay was laid out. Here at Guidry’s one could dine on some delicious Cajun cuisine and also rent a boat to fish. There was a marina down the hill.
“Hey, Aunt Jay!” Ivy called out before throwing her body down the long slide.
The girls were playing on the big playground that had been around since Jayna was a kid. It was attached to the patio by a wrought iron fence she’d been told had recently been installed when Otis, the alligator, had grown attached to sunning himself on the merry-go-round. She waved to her nieces.
“You two be careful,” Sienna called out. “Dinner should be here soon.”
Ivy and Kelly ignored their mom, preferring to giggle with the other kids as they raced around the fenced-off playground.
She and Sienna had done the same thing while their mom had met with her friends and had dinner and danced and talked. Later, when they were older, they’d sat at their own table with friends.
Well, Sienna had friends. Jayna had Sienna, but it had still been fun. It wasn’t the kind of thing they would have been able to do if the community hadn’t been so tight. She would never allow her nieces out of her sight if they were in New Orleans, and the restaurants there wouldn’t let a bunch of preteens sit away from their parents in a big obnoxious group, but they all knew each other here. In her day, if she’d misbehaved, LC or Glendola Guidry would have marched her right over to her mom’s table and she would have gotten in trouble. Now that was Remy or Lisa Guidry’s job.
Like it was Quaid’s to take care of the town’s legal needs. Sylvie Darois had come back home to be the mayor. Sylvie’s father had worked in the government, too.
So many people in town followed in their parents’ footsteps, working side by side and taking over when it was time.
“Jayna? Are you okay?” Sienna asked once they’d gotten to a place where they could hear each other.
She shook off the odd thoughts she’d been having since her fight with Quaid. Though it hadn’t been much of a fight. He’d told her what to do and she’d figured out her place in his world, which was beyond limited. “I’m good. I told him I had something to do and I walked out. Then I went to your place and convinced you to actually give me something to do.”
Her sister had been surprised when she’d shown up, but she’d been game to take her to her friend Angie Jones’s birthday party at Guidry’s. Like most of her life here in Papillon, she was going to a social event because her sister took her along.
Because no one liked her. Not even the man she’d been sleeping with.
“Angie didn’t mind at all. The more the merrier, you know,” Sienna said, pulling out the chair to the table they’d claimed. “It’s pretty much just a get-together, though she’ll serve some cake in an hour or so. I’m sure you’ll see a lot of people from school.”
