Rene shook his head. “That would take too long. I’m going to give him what he wants and then he won’t care about Sylvie anymore. The truth is, maybe leaving Papillon will be a relief. You should know I’ll make sure Sylvie and Lady are okay. Lady is the dog I recently gave her. I feel bad that I got her a dog and then it all went to hell.”

Dre’s eyes went wide. “You got a dog?”

This was what his best friend got excited about? “Yeah, we thought we should get one before we had kids, and then Zep showed up with the sweetest spaniel puppy. Sylvie always wanted a dog like that, and I couldn’t help myself.”

Dre threw his hands up. “You buried the lede, man. You got a dog. I’m a dog uncle. I need pictures.”

Rene sighed because it didn’t seem like Dre was going to take anything seriously. “The dog is not the issue.”

“Oh, I bet she is. Look, you do your mopey thing because somewhere out there my sister is solving all the problems, and you’re going to wake up tomorrow with your wife and your dog, and then next week you’ll still have your job and you’ll apologize to your momma, send her off with Louis, who will take care of her, and this time next year you’ll be all, where did that kid come from?” Dre stared at him. “Will I still be here waiting for pizza?”

Rene groaned and gave up. “I’m going. You are obnoxious.”

“I’m also right. Hey, put a lot of meat on it,” Dre said as Rene started to walk out. “And it really will be okay. She’s your knight in shining armor, you know.”

His heart clenched again because that was what she’d called him. Maybe after all this was done, they could try again. Maybe if he put some time and distance between them, he could forget what his mother had said to him and give her the apology she deserved.

He walked out, thankful at least that he still had his best friend.

*   *   *

Sylvie strode into the house, frustration welling inside because she knew what the problem was but not how to solve it. The afternoon had gone by in a flash, and her stomach growled because she’d missed dinner.

Rene was not at either of the two motels outside of town, nor was he at the B and B. She’d checked both motels and neither of the clerks at the reception desk remembered seeing him. A quick call to Seraphina had told her Rene wasn’t there but that the rumors were already flying.