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Chapter1
“Danny,we’re gonna need more beer over here,” Bernadette “Bernie” Bellamy waved at their friend and favorite waitress at the Crawdad Hole Bar and Grill.
Felina Faivre slid lower in her chair, her cheeks burning.“I haven’t finished the beer I have.It’s not that big a deal.Really.”
Too late.Danielle French, the feisty little red-haired dynamo everyone referred to as Danny, hurried over and rested her empty serving tray on one hip and her fist on the other.“Who is he?What’s he done?Do I need to stomp on his hairy ass to get his attention?”
Bernie nodded.“I’m all for it, but Felina has decided to take the high road.”
Danny frowned.“Who are we talking about?New guy or Marty the rat bastard who dumped you for your best friend?”
“Shh.”Bernie pressed a finger to her lip.“Marty asked Trish to marry him,” she whispered.
Danny’s eyes widened.“Has it even been two weeks since he dumped you?”
Felina grabbed Danny’s arm.“Please.It’s not that big a deal.”
“The hell it isn’t,” Danny said, her voice growing louder.“No one treats our favorite flower girl like gator excrement and gets away without some form of retribution.”
Felina grimaced.“I appreciate your loyalty, but I’m really okay.We were drifting apart anyway.I should’ve seen it coming, but I was too busy with my shop to pay attention to our relationship.”
“Meanwhile, he was screwing your best friend,” Bernie pointed out.“For him to pop the question to Trish, they had to be going at it for longer than you two have been broken up.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” Danny said.“Want me to get Gisele to conjure up a Voodoo potion to give the jerk a massive case of jock itch?”
“Did I hear my name?”Gisele Gautier, the granddaughter of the local Voodoo Queen, sailed up to the table and slid into the seat on the other side of Bernie.She grinned.“Who are we plotting against?I love brewing up a little retribution.”
“No, guys.”Felina shook her head.“I don’t need vengeance.I need ideas on how to make it through the wedding without looking pathetic.”
“What wedding?”Gisele asked.
“Marty asked Trish to marry him,” Bernie filled Gisele in.
Gisele let out a low whistle.“Seriously?So soon?”
Felina’s gut twisted at the reminder.She and Marty had been a couple since high school.Everyone in Bayou Mambaloa had expected them to get married, even Felina.She’d thought he was waiting to propose until he’d established himself as a successful insurance agent and she’d gotten her flower shop business solvent enough to hire another person to help.They’d both met their career goals, and he’d still not asked her to marry him.
Felina felt like she’d somehow failed at their relationship.She’d failed to see the truth.Marty hadn’t asked her to marry him because of career timing.He hadn’t wanted to marry her, period.
Gisele reached across the table and covered Felina’s hand.“Do you want me to turn Marty into a frog?”
Felina gave a shaky laugh.“No, I don’t.”She squeezed her friend’s hand.“I’m actually happy for Marty and Trish and wish them all the luck.”
Danny snorted.“Trish will need all the luck.If he could dump you for her, who’s to say he won’t do that to Trish?”
“I can’t think that way,” Felina said.“Trish is my best friend.”
Gisele’s eyes widened.“Still?”
Danny frowned.“She stole your man.How can you still call her a friend?”
“She didn’t steal him,” Felina said.
“Did I hear you say someone stole something?”a feminine voice sounded behind Felina.
She turned to smile weakly at Shelby Taylor.“Nothing important.”
“Only her boyfriend’s heart,” Danny said.
