Bayou Beauty

Butterfly Bayou, Book 4

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About the book

Love returns to Louisiana's Butterfly Bayou in a new small-town contemporary romance sure to charm hearts, from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

Sylvie Martine was prepared to take Washington D.C. by storm, but she put that dream on hold when her beloved hometown of Papillon, Louisiana, needed her most. Now Sylvie's the mayor of the tiny town on the bayou that holds her heart. But for Sylvie, this can only be a pit stop on the way to bigger and better things. The last thing she needs is an old love to resurface and threaten her goals.

Rene Darois’s whole life has been about serving his family—no matter how much it hurts. He’s used to sacrificing for his large extended family and the company his grandfather created. But he can’t believe the latest demand: he needs to find a wife and quick or he could lose it all. It would be a horrible situation. But he has just the solution: his high school sweetheart. Sylvie is everything he wants in a wife—smart, funny, and caring—and he planned to woo her anyway.

Now he just has to convince Sylvie that their love is worth it all, or he and the bayou will lose her forever.

Excerpt

Chapter One 

PAPILLON, LOUISIANA 

Sylvie Martine sat in the small conference room and reflected on her life choices. It was barely noon, but it had already been a long day. 

“He had no right to do what he did,” Leonard Denmore said, anger in his tone. “That was my friend he evicted. And with no cause.” 

Justin Hardy’s eyes narrowed. “I had plenty of cause. Let’s talk about your friend trashing my property. Have you even read the lease you signed?” 

“I signed that for your daddy, who would never, ever have forcibly evicted a good friend,” Leonard retorted. 

They continued on, but the world had sort of faded into the background because she had bigger problems, and they all had to do with the upcoming wedding of her best friend’s brother. Seraphina Jefferys was one of her two best friends in the world. Her younger brother, Zep, was getting married in less than two months, and Sylvie didn’t have a dress or a date. How many weddings had she been to since she graduated from college? Seven. She’d been to seven weddings. She’d been a bridesmaid four times. She hadn’t even come close to putting on a wedding dress, hadn’t gotten a hint of an engagement ring. And Zep Guidry…Papillon’s player, never-kiss-the-same-girl-twice…was getting married. 

Sylvie was facing down thirty. All her friends were married and having babies and building their families and she…she was stuck. 

“You still have to do things right,” Leonard insisted. “There are protocols for eviction. I should have been able to hire an attorney.” 

“Like you have money for an attorney,” Justin replied with a huff. “You can barely pay your rent. You’re lucky I’m not trying to evict you.” 

People were starting to notice. If she’d stayed in DC, she would be just one more ambitious woman trying to make her way in the world. No one would question her single status. In fact, they would consider her young to think about settling down. Here in Papillon, she was practically an old maid. 

Which shouldn’t matter. But it did. 

Sometimes she wondered if she should run. Pack a bag, catch a plane, and disappear. Her momma would worry, but she could send her a postcard every now and then, letting her know she was all right and sane. 

“How am I supposed to present a raccoon with an eviction notice? It can’t read,” Justin replied. “I would love to see you get that raccoon a lawyer. That would go over great with the judge. Although, who knows, maybe you people have raccoon court. It wouldn’t shock me.” 

Sane was important. Sane would be nice. Sane was hard to find here in Papillon. Somewhere outside this little bayou town, there was a whole world where mayors were respected figures who were far more likely to deal with the press than to be forced to handle a conflict between a landlord and a tenant over a raccoon. 

Come home, they’d said. Take over the mayor’s office. It’ll be easy, they’d all told her. It’s mostly ceremonial. 

No one had talked to the citizens of Papillon about that, and it wasn’t like any of them would Google the word mayor and learn what a mayor’s actual duties were. They kind of treated her like a queen on a throne dispensing justice. But without any power at all. No crown for Sylvie. 

Just endless meetings with citizens who all thought their problem needed to be solved immediately, but with absolutely no logical solutions at hand. 

She’d taken to having this biweekly meeting where citizens could bring concerns to the mayor’s office. They only had city council meetings every six weeks, so she’d thought it would be great to have listening meetings with the citizenry. She’d envisioned herself truly communicating with the citizens and coming up with innovative plans to help out her hometown. At the time she’d been ready to show them all what she could bring to the table by having big conversations. 

Nope. It was mostly complaints. She’d once listened to an entire group of protesters upset over Dixie’s Café changing their pancake recipe. 

She’d gone to Tulane for this. 

“Leonard, you have to see that you can’t keep a raccoon as a pet,” she began. 

Leonard was eighty-three and stubborn as the day was long. He’d also lost his wife of fifty-two years six months before. Sylvie felt a deep well of compassion for the man. 

“Brian is not a pet,” Leonard corrected. “He’s a friend.” “He’s a potential source of rabies.” Justin owned the fourplex where Leonard lived. He also lived in one of the units. He’d recently inherited the property from his father and moved to Papillon to take over running the business. His father had been in the community for years, but Justin had rarely visited and didn’t seem to be fitting in. “I’m honestly not sure it doesn’t have rabies now. It threw grapes at me. And they were half eaten. I was perfectly in my rights to have it removed.” 

“He was defending his home,” Leonard insisted. 

“It’s my property. I own it. His home should be in the woods,” Justin shot back. 

She’d thought she’d get to hear about real problems— things like how the parish still hadn’t fully recovered from the last hurricane, and shouldn’t city hall do something about that? Nope. She got to hear about raccoons and how Otis was scaring the tourists. Otis was the town’s most famous alligator. Her town had a pet alligator. Should it be so surprising that Leonard wanted his raccoon friend treated fairly? 

She’d been home too long. 

“But I don’t want him gone.” Leonard sat back with a lost look on his face. “Did you already kill him?” 

Sylvie sighed because if there was one thing she’d learned from being the mayor of Papillon, it was that no matter how silly the problem seemed, it meant something to someone. Wasn’t that what her mother had tried to teach her? Her mother ran the local beauty salon, and it was a universally acknowledged truth that half a beautician’s job was to listen. 

Leonard was lonely. He didn’t have family around him. It wasn’t the mayor’s job to take care of him, but it was Sylvie’s. She was more than a mayor. She was human, and that meant taking care of someone in need. 

That was one lesson she hadn’t learned from Tulane. Papillon had taught her that. 

“I didn’t kill it.” Justin was frowning as though realizing the situation was more serious than he’d thought before. “I called animal services.” 

Well, that told her one thing. “Zep Guidry wouldn’t put down an animal unless it was extremely sick or dangerous. We can call him and have a talk about how he’s going to deal with the…with your friend.” 

If she’d done one right thing since taking this job, it was to put her best friend’s brother to work. A few months before, she’d taken the advice of Deputy Roxie King and allowed a new department to be formed with Zep at the head. It had cut down on the sheriff’s department having to deal with animal calls. Zep had proven to be an excellent public servant, and the folks around town trusted him. 

Leonard’s eyes suddenly had some fire back in them. “Yeah, Zep’s always been a good fellow. He wouldn’t up and murder an innocent animal. Not like this guy.” He stood. “I’ll go down and talk to him about getting Brian somewhere safe.” He frowned Justin’s way. “Since his own home ain’t safe for him anymore.” 

Leonard strode out of the room. 

Justin turned to Sylvie, a look of complete shock on his face. “What was I supposed to do? I asked him to get rid of the raccoon five times. It’s not sanitary. And it’s nocturnal. The other neighbors were complaining about the noises it made at night. I didn’t rush in and pull it from his arms like I was taking someone’s baby.” 

“His wife died before you took over the complex. He’s lonely and he’s stubborn. I’ll call down and let Zep know he’s got a visitor on the way,” Sylvie explained. “I might also encourage him to find a more suitable companion for Leonard. Is there anything in his rental agreement about not allowing pets?” 

Justin sat back and sighed. “Dogs and cats are fine as long as the tenant can put down a pet deposit. I’m not running a charity. Those units are my source of income, and even then I have to send half of it to my ex. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset the guy, but he was pretty unreasonable.” 

“Your father was a friend of his. I think Leonard’s watching everyone around him getting older and feeling it himself.” And didn’t she understand how that felt. “If you have more trouble with him, give me a call. My mom was friends with his wife. She might know a better way to deal with him.” 

“But I’ve got a contract,” Justin insisted. “I don’t understand why I should go through a bunch of hoops for one old man.” 

“Because at the end of the day this isn’t a big city where you won’t have to face him or all the people who know him. If you wanted that, you should have stayed in Lafayette and hired a property manager. He’s not merely your tenant. He’s your neighbor, and that means you can’t simply be the boss. Your father wasn’t.” 

“Yeah, well, I’m rapidly learning my dad was a lot more patient than I gave him credit for.” Justin stood and gathered his paperwork. He’d come prepared for a fight, while Leonard had shown up with a mug of coffee and a Bible. “It’s weird. I thought I’d come down here, look around, and then sell the place. I ended up staying for a week, going through my dad’s things, and now it’s been six months and I’m living my father’s life. With raccoons. I might not be cut out for this.” 

She didn’t like the idea of him selling. Most of the property in Papillon was owned by the people who lived there. 

The landlords tended to be local. Even the only apartment complex in the parish was run by the Darois family. 

She glanced up, and as though merely thinking the name could conjure the man, there was Rene Darois, walking by the windows of the conference room. He wore a suit, but then he usually did. All the other men in town were fairly casual, but not Rene. He had to own twenty of those suckers, and every single one was a whole mood. 

It wasn’t that he wore the suit—it was the way he wore it. Like it was some kind of suit of sexy armor he donned each morning before he went out to walk among his people like the kindly king he’d become. 

She wished she didn’t remember what it felt like to kiss that man. All these years later and she could still feel the warmth of his touch, the way he’d explored her lips like he wanted to remember how she tasted forever. 

“I’m trying but I feel like I’m failing,” Justin was complaining. “I’m trying to be professional.” 

“Have you thought about getting to know your tenants? It’s a small town. Things work differently here. I know it feels odd, but if you give it some time, I think you’ll like it.” She knew Leonard was frustrating, but Justin obviously wasn’t used to dealing with people, which would make it hard for him to be a good landlord. 

“My dad did.” Justin seemed to deflate. “I want to…I don’t know…make him proud. We weren’t close. I feel that now.” 

“Take care of his tenants.” Her heart softened a bit because it was obvious he wanted to try. “I think you’ll find it’s a good way to feel the connection. Working here in city hall helps me feel close to my father. And like I said, give me a call if you have trouble with him again.” 

She stood because it looked like she’d listened to her last citizen for the day, and she had a long afternoon of going over budget reports ahead of her, and then she had dinner with her two besties where she would hear about their babies. She didn’t even have a dog. 

She’d thought she would have a baby by now. And a husband and a house that wasn’t falling apart around her. 

She hadn’t even dated in the last year. She was so far from where she thought she’d be now. 

Rene had stopped, smiling at the man he was talking to. His lips had kicked up in that smile that got her heart racing. She was not going there again. Nope. He’d turned her down, and he’d honestly been right to do it. They’d been far too young, and now she knew he wasn’t the right guy for her. He lived in a different world. He dated models and beauty queens, and she dated intellectuals. Well, she did when she dated. “So you’re the mayor?”

She’d practically forgotten Justin was still standing there. “Yes. That’s what they tell me.”

“You’re pretty young for a mayor.”

She got that a lot. “Well, like I’ve mentioned, this is a small town and Mayor Malloy had been in office for almost thirty years. When he passed, they weren’t sure who to replace him with. I have a master’s degree in political science and I worked in DC for a few years, so I got recruited.” 

“Well, I’m glad you did. I’ll be honest, I was feeling pretty down. You’re good at your job, Madam Mayor.” He gave her a smile. 

“Thank you. If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Hardy, I have another meeting to get to.” Lunch in her office suddenly didn’t seem like a bad idea. 

“Hey, I was wondering if you would like to grab some coffee sometime, and maybe we can talk some more.” 

“I have a ‘breakfast with the mayor’ event coming up next week. I would love to see you there.” Maybe she could introduce the man around. 

“But I was hoping—” Justin was cut off when the door came open and Gertrude Cormier stood in the doorway. 

Gertie had been working in city hall for twenty-five years. She’d been the mayor’s secretary for many of those years, and Sylvie had inherited her. She’d been a godsend since Gertie knew everything about everyone. Nothing got past the lady, and her eyes were immediately on Justin Hardy. “Pardon me, Mr. Hardy. I need the mayor for her next meeting. Madam Mayor, the sheriff is waiting.” 

Justin immediately stepped back. “Of course. Thank you for your time. I’ll think about what you said.” 

When the door closed behind him, Sylvie looked at her assistant. “I didn’t know Armie was on the schedule today.” Gertie shrugged a shoulder. She was dressed in a business suit that might have come from the eighties, but she made those power shoulders work for her. “He’s not. You do know that man was hitting on you.”

He was? “No. I was helping him with a problem. That’s all.” 

Gertie’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding? He was asking you on a date, but I think you were distracted. How is Leonard? Losing Brian is going to be hard on him.” 

“You know Brian’s a raccoon, right?” Had she misread his intentions? Not that she would have gone out with the man, but she usually was better at picking up social cues. Or maybe she only thought she was good at them. 

“Of course, but Leonard’s been lonely since Pearl passed,” Gertie acknowledged. “I think he also liked how Brian threw things at Hardy. It amused Leonard. He is not impressed with the new kid’s management skills, if you know what I mean. I told Zep to find a dog for him. That old man needs some companionship.” 

Sometimes she swore Gertie could read her mind. “I was going to do the same thing.” 

“Well, I caught Leonard in the hall. He wasn’t sure where Zep’s office was.” Gertie held her ever-present clipboard close. “I set him on the path and let Zep know he’s coming.” 

“Thanks.” Sylvie didn’t mean to stare, but Rene was still in the hallway—he was kind of a work of art, and she got sucked in every time. He was talking to the city engineer, likely about some project he was going to fund, or maybe he was going over plans for poker night. 

“Madam Mayor, should I get you a tissue?” 

She shook her head, coming out of the trance she seemed to go into whenever her brother’s best friend walked into her line of sight. 

“Why?” She forced herself back to the present. 

“To wipe the drool away, girl.” Gertie was shaking her head. “Maybe there’s a reason you don’t know when a man is interested in you.” 

She sighed. “I was not drooling. I was thinking. I got distracted.” 

“You always get distracted when that boy walks in.” 

“He’s not a boy.” Rene was all man and she wasn’t a girl anymore. She would be thirty in a couple of years. By the time her mom was thirty, she’d already been married for years, had two kids, and started her business. 

“You are all children to me.” Gertie started toward the door. “Come along, honey. I’ve got your schedule for the rest of the week, and you need to go over the budget before the council meets. Have you thought about what you’re going to wear to the meeting with the Hollywood people?” 

Sylvie was doing a meet-and-greet with a group of Hollywood producers looking for a cheap location to shoot a film. “I bought a Chanel suit.” 

It was gently used, but it was her size and cost half what she would pay in a store. She was all about the online thrift shop. 

Gertie shook her head with a long-suffering sigh. “You know I could sew a label in for you.” 

Gertie did not understand Sylvie’s need for designer wear. Her thoughts drifted back to Rene. Rene understood that a good outfit could give a person confidence. “It’s not the same. Do you know why he’s here?” 

“No idea.” Gertie opened the door and then gave Sylvie a once-over. “Good, that’s your I’m-a-serious-politician face. Use that one.” 

She barely managed not to roll her eyes. Gertie claimed she had a face for every situation. Apparently she also had a “drool over the superrich hottie” face, and she needed to make damn sure she wasn’t wearing that one for the next couple of minutes. “I shall attempt to get by him without fainting or screaming like I’m a teen at a K-pop concert.” 

She wouldn’t even look his way. That was her best play. She would walk straight to her office, and he would do what he normally did and not even notice she was alive. 

“I’ll go pick up your lunch,” Gertie said as they walked into the hallway. “I’ll be back in five minutes.” 

She wouldn’t. It would be at least thirty because the minute Gertie walked into Dixie’s to pick up the grilled chicken salad Sylvie had ordered, she would have to say hello to everyone she knew. And Gertie knew everyone. It was precisely why she was excellent at her job. Gertie was a fount of knowledge about the parish and everyone in it. 

Sylvie heard the deep rumble of Rene’s voice and had to force herself not to run. To him? Away from him? Either way, she would walk away like the empowered woman she was and not the college girl with a crush. 

She kept her eyes on her phone. She knew city hall like the back of her hand. Her father had worked here when she was a kid. He’d been the city clerk for most of his life, and he’d taken such pride in bringing her and Andre to work with him when he could. When he would catch up on paperwork over the occasional weekend, this place had been a playground for her and Andre. 

She missed her father. 

She glanced down at her phone and then smacked right into a big body. The impact sent her phone and bag straight to the floor. 

Without glancing up, she dropped down, reaching for her Chanel caviar quilted tote. She’d gotten that one secondhand, too. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” 

“Well, I was the one who didn’t move out of your way, so it’s my fault.” 

Rene. She should have known from the ridiculously expensive loafers or the perfectly tailored cuff on the slacks. But no, it was the deep voice and that smooth accent that got to her every time. At least he was speaking English, because when he spoke French, she couldn’t even think straight. Naturally she’d knocked right into the man she’d been trying to avoid. 

And her screen had been damaged slightly. There was a tiny crack in the lower corner. “I’m sorry, Rene. I wasn’t paying attention.” 

“Be careful with that.” He knelt down and got to her phone before she could. “That glass is incredibly sharp.” 

“It’s not the first time. I’ll tape it up.” It wasn’t so bad. It hadn’t completely shattered, and she was locked in a contract for another year. She would have to make do until she could get into Houma and find someone who could repair the screen. Hopefully that spiderweb could be temporarily stopped with some tape. 

Rene got to his feet and held his hand out to help her up. 

She put her hand in his and tried not to think about how big and warm it was. She needed to get back out in the dating world, because just the touch of the man’s hand sent a thrill through her. 

She needed to get laid. That was all. So why was it only this one man who could do this to her? 

She got to her feet and gently slid her phone into her bag. 

A warm smile creased his face, and those green eyes stared down at her. “You’ll tape it? That sounds like something your daddy would have done. I remember him explaining to me that there was nothing in this world a man couldn’t fix with duct tape and—” 

“Patience.” She knew the motto well. “My dad was big on patience.” He would also tell his only daughter not to make a fool of herself over a man. “Sorry again. I’ll let you get back to what you were doing.” 

His smile faded as though that hadn’t been the reaction he’d hoped for. “I was looking for you. I was hoping we could talk.” 

“Of course. Gertie went to grab our lunch, so I’ve got a little time. Let’s head to my office. What’s it about?” It would be smarter to talk to him out here in the open, but also far less polite. She needed to get used to the man again. Once they’d been friends. It was time to find a way to be something like coworkers. The Darois family had had a good working relationship with city hall for as long as anyone could remember. The Daroises had been in the area since long before there was a city hall to speak of. 

“A wedding.”

Sylvie should have known this was coming. Rene was close friends with the Guidrys. “Did Sera and Remy talk to you about having Zep’s bachelor party out at your place? Sera would love for you to be involved. She trusts you more than a lot of Zep’s other friends.” 

“I’m glad to hear that since it might make the rest of this conversation easier. But I wasn’t talking about Zep’s wedding. I was talking about ours.” 

“I’m sorry…” And then she couldn’t help the laugh that came from her. “That’s a good one.” 

He’d gotten the slightest frown. “It’s not that crazy an idea, and I would like the chance to convince you why. Can we go to your office? I would rather not propose in front of half the town.” 

She stared at him for a moment. There was not a hint of humor on the man’s face. “You’re serious.” 

“I am,” he said, his voice going quiet. “I even put on my best suit in the hopes that you would be blinded by my masculine beauty and tell me yes without thinking about it.” 

She was well aware that there were eyes on them. “We should definitely go to my office.” 

She turned and started down the hall. It looked to be an interesting afternoon. 

It hadn’t been the most romantic of proposals, but then romance wasn’t the point. This proposal was all about logic. Rene stepped inside the big office the mayor used. It was a place he knew well, but he hadn’t actually been inside it recently. Not since Sylvie had come home. 

Damn, but she looked good. Growing up, she’d had a quiet beauty about her. Even in college there had been an academic air that clung to her. She’d been the smart one, the Hermione of her group. 

Then she’d walked back into town three years ago and he’d been floored by how lovely she was. Elegant and sweet, and he had to wonder how hot he could make her if she gave him a chance. 

But his proposal wasn’t about sex, either. Sex would simply be a nice bonus. 

“You haven’t redecorated.” The office was still masculine and dated back to the early nineties, the last time Mayor Malloy had redone the place. 

“Well, we have a budget here at city hall, and it doesn’t include much for redoing individual offices.” She placed her handbag on the massive cedar desk, which didn’t match her classic feminine style at all. “So what is this craziness about?” 

“It’s not crazy, and I didn’t put it the right way. You’ll have to forgive me. I’ve never proposed marriage before.” And that was part of the problem. He’d had many a girlfriend, but none of them had been the “one.” After a while he’d started to think there was no mystical one person in the world for him, and if he waited for a woman to knock him on his ass, he would be alone for the rest of his life. He would miss out on something he considered important. 

She stared at him like he’d grown two heads. “Rene, we’ve barely talked since I got back.” 

“That is not my fault,” he pointed out. She’d been frustratingly hard to get close to the last few months. “You’ve been good at walking away anytime I show up.” 

“That’s not true.” But her shoulders had straightened, a tell she’d had for many years. When Sylvie Martine decided to lie, she got a superhero posture, as though she could sell it through sheer will. 

Luckily the only things she lied about were minor fibs to cover her vulnerabilities. 

“I have to wonder if you’re embarrassed by the fact that we almost went to bed together back in college.” 

He would have sworn she gained an inch in height. That chin of hers came up and there was fire in her eyes. “We did not.” 

She didn’t remember that moment the way he did. He could still feel how soft she’d been, how she’d thrown herself into that kiss with every bit of passion she had. It was one of the things he’d always found fascinating about her. She cared about so many things. It made him wonder what it would be like to be someone Sylvie Martine cared for. “Oh, we did. We came close.” 

“Well, I don’t think about it.” 

“I do. I think about it a lot.” That one night had been haunting him lately. It had been the last time he’d been deeply moved by a woman. 

She seemed to deflate. “Rene, what is this about?” 

“I’m thirty-three and I feel like time’s running out on me.” He knew it was running out for his mother, and it was definitely running out for the business his father had worked hard to push into the future. “I want to be totally honest with you. I’m going to propose what is basically a business arrangement, but it goes beyond that. I’m lonely and I want to start a family.” 

She was still for a moment. “So you picked me? Out of all the women you know?” 

He didn’t know all that many. Not in a dating sense. She’d obviously listened to old gossip about him. “If it helps, I didn’t consider anyone else. We make sense.” 

“You’re not in love with me.” 

But he was attracted to her. He liked her. “Plenty of marriages have started that way.” 

She moved around the big desk, leaning against it, her arms over her chest. “What is this really about? Because you didn’t wake up and decide to start a family. What’s happening?” 

She was wrong about that. He’d thought about her for years, but it had been the accident he’d been in that had made him seriously consider his future. He had woken up in the hospital and realized how fragile life could be, how little time anyone truly had. But she was right about the reason he was pushing her. “There is a potential that I’m going to lose control of the company my father ran for fifty years if I don’t get married, and soon. Or at least have the prospect of marriage.” 

Her eyes widened and then she frowned as though she’d figured something out. “It’s Charles, isn’t it? He’s always hated you.” 

This was another reason Sylvie was the perfect solution to all of his problems. She understood his family in a way few others did. “Charles recently inherited his mother’s shares. That wouldn’t give him a real shot at going up against me for the CEO position, but he’s got a plan. He’s started a campaign against me.” 

“You’ve been an excellent CEO.” 

There was the outrage he’d hoped for. “I’m afraid I’m boring to some of the younger shareholders, and too exciting for the older ones. Charles is telling our cousins that if he’s the CEO, he’ll bring in tons of new money and he’ll hand it out like candy.” 

“Which will put the company under.” 

“He’s promised to fund some of their business ideas, ideas I said no to.” 

“But isn’t the majority of the shares in the hands of the older generation?” 

Charles had thought of that, too. “My cousin has pointed out to certain family members that our company has always been run by family men. Some of my more traditionally minded relatives have been expressing concern over my lack of a wife and children. The wife part is surprisingly not the real issue. My cousin Herbie was held up as perhaps a better CEO because he and his husband have two kids. So really it’s about the prospect of children. Do you want children?” 

She started to pace. “I…this is crazy.” 

He watched her, careful to give her space. “Is it? Look, I understand if you find the idea of marriage to me distasteful.” 

“It’s not that. It’s that we haven’t spent time together in years.” 

“So spend time with me. Let me take you to dinner tonight and we can discuss this further.” 

She stopped, her hands going to her hips. “Let me get this straight. You want me to marry you to save your company from your evil cousin.” 

“And to have children if you decide you want to stay in the marriage. Don’t forget the ‘I’m lonely’ part.” He wasn’t handling this well. He was usually much smoother than this. But she was right about Charles being evil. He would sell them all out for a dollar and not care about the employees who’d worked there for years. “You would get something out of it even if you decide to leave.” 

She was right back to looking at him like he’d suggested something distasteful. “Do not offer me money.” 

He wasn’t sure what else he was supposed to offer her. Besides sex, but that was something he was smart enough not to bring up yet. “It’s what I have.” 

Her gaze softened. “You’re worth more than your bank account. I believe I told you that a long time ago.” 

He knew she meant it. It was precisely one of the reasons she was perfect. Despite her love of designer things, she would never use a man for his money. Of course, she might let her husband spoil her rotten. “I don’t always listen. But hey, if you say yes, you can work on my self-esteem.” 

Her eyes rolled. “Yes, it’s terrible to be rich and gorgeous.” 

At least she found him attractive. He could work with that. If she knew how meticulous he’d been with getting ready, she might understand how important this was to him. On several levels. It was obvious he needed more than his body to convince her. “I’ve given this a lot of thought, and it wouldn’t be bad for your political career to be associated with my family. We’ve got a lot of influence across the state. I would be willing to fund your campaign.” 

She snorted, a sound he wished he didn’t find adorable. “Like I need a campaign to win here. No one wants the job. If I have an opponent next year, it will likely be Herve from the mechanic’s shop. He warned me he would run against me if I didn’t talk to Armie about his tickets. I think I can handle him.” 

“Sylvie, you can’t stay here forever. You’re meant for bigger things. I was thinking of a run for a state seat first.” He’d sat up the previous night considering her career. She’d been on a track in DC, and she’d given it all up to come home and take care of her town. Someone needed to look out for her interests, too. “You could do a lot of good. Papillon’s never had a real voice there. When you’ve served a couple of terms and made a name for yourself, we can start talking about national office. I want you to interview campaign managers. I have some résumés for you to look through.” 

“You’re serious.” 

He was incredibly serious, which was precisely why he was frustrated by how poorly he was making his case. He should have asked her to dinner and done all of this over a four-course meal with wine pairings. “I am. There would obviously be a prenup involved, but I would be generous. And we would have to agree to share custody of any children we might have.” 

He should probably stop talking about kids. The idea seemed to disturb her. Should he tell her he only wanted one or two? He certainly wasn’t planning on keeping her barefoot and pregnant. And he was happy to take on at least fifty percent of the childcare duties so she could do her work. 

She shook her head. “No. No, I can’t do this. This is ridiculous. No one gets married like this.” 

They did it all over the world. “We would be helping each other out, but you should understand that I would prefer it if we tried to make it work. This doesn’t have to be temporary. I think we’re quite compatible. We value the same things in life. We both want a family, and we would both take that family very seriously. I’m attracted to you and it’s not simply because you’re beautiful. You’re intelligent and loyal. You’re kind. When I sit down and think about what I want in a life partner, in someone to grow old with, I think about you. I think in a lot of ways I’ve compared every woman I’ve dated to you for years, and they’ve all come up short. I’m actually happy Charles pushed me because why not go after what I want? Why pretend I’m going to be satisfied with anyone but you?” It was the decision he’d made yesterday when he’d come to the realization that he could truly lose the place his father had left for him. “Let me take you to dinner tonight and we can talk about it.” 

She seemed to think for a moment, and he was almost sure she would say yes before she straightened up again and he realized he was in the presence of the mayor once more. 

“No. This is not something I can do,” she said. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you and I have dinner plans.” 

She had a date? He was surprised at the way his gut took a deep dive at the thought of her dating. He’d been certain she didn’t have someone special in her life. Her brother had promised him she didn’t, but perhaps she hadn’t told Dre she’d started seeing someone. His mind started going through all the possibilities, and he forced himself to stop. “Oh. All right, then. I apologize for taking up your time. Forget I said anything.” 

“You don’t have to do this,” she replied. “You can save your company without sacrificing yourself.” 

“I don’t know about that. And I didn’t think it was much of a sacrifice. Not for me anyway.” He knew when it was time to fold a hand. He’d gone all in and she’d played the one card he couldn’t beat. She’d said no. “Thank you for your time, Madam Mayor. I’ll see you at the wedding celebrations. Tell your mother hello from me.” 

“Rene,” she said with a sigh. 

Luckily the door opened and Gertie walked in, her brows rising the minute she saw him. 

He tipped his head her way. “Gertrude, it’s nice to see you. You both have a wonderful afternoon.” 

He smiled and hoped it wasn’t as strained as he felt. He’d been sure he could talk her into it. 

But he’d failed, and it looked like he was going to fail his whole family, because he wouldn’t try this again. There wasn’t another woman in the world he could trust. 

He strode out of city hall, trying to think of a way out of the trap he found himself in. 

Copyright 2021 Lexi Blake