Her morning had just taken a bad turn.

*   *   *

Rene felt better in a new suit, his armor back and fully in place. He’d had the shower he needed, though he hadn’t had the fun he’d hoped for.

He hadn’t even gotten the pancakes he’d been promised.

“Can they have the meeting without you? Sera said Roberta had been talking to family members. Could they make a decision?” Sylvie looked pretty in her yellow sundress, but then she was gorgeous in anything. They’d stopped by Darois House to change, and she’d smiled when she realized she didn’t have to send back anything. She’d happily selected her dress and a pair of kitten heels.

He moved around the car to open her door and help her onto the gravel lot in front of the Butterfly Bayou B and B. It was surprising how calm he was about this. For months and months he’d let worry gnaw at him, but now that he’d talked it out with his mother and wife, he was practically sanguine. What he’d learned was that sometimes the best way to win a fight was to not fight at all.

“Technically, no, but they can decide what they’re going to do at the actual meeting. The only reason we’re here is because Seraphina is worried. We’ll walk in, make sure everything stays civil, and then go about our day. I thought it would be fun to take Lady to the park this afternoon. And then we can buy some groceries and take inventory of what we need for the new place. I’ll have the movers in tomorrow.”

Her lips quirked up. “The same movers who moved me out a couple of weeks ago?”

He shrugged as they moved toward the front of the house. “They’ll be thrilled to move us however many times it takes.”

The door came open as though someone had been watching for them. Seraphina stood there, her blond hair around her shoulders, and she waved for them to come in. “I’m sorry to interrupt your morning, but I didn’t know what else to do. Don’t be mad at me, Rene. Your aunt is incredibly intimidating.”

“She is that. I promise this is the last time she’ll darken your door. I can assure you that once Charles becomes the head of this family, he won’t have reunions here in Papillon.” His cousin had already told other family members that he considered it tacky and would have had the whole thing in New Orleans or Houston.

“Normally I would do anything I could to get a guest to come back, but I think I’ll let this one go.” Sera let them in. “I made breakfast sandwiches this morning. I made my own croissants and had a selection of top-of-the-line bacon or ham with all kinds of cheeses, and your aunt said if she’d wanted fast food, she would go to McDonald’s. Those freaking croissants took three days.”