Rene sighed. “I’m sorry.” But it did solve one of his problems. “You still have some?”

Sylvie sent her best friend a huge smile. “Please tell me you have some.”

Sera finally grinned. “You two are the ones who actually paid, so I will make you a big old basket. And I’ll pop in a bottle of champagne. You’re going to need it. Also, Charles is in there. You should know he’s been talking crap about you both all morning.”

That didn’t surprise Rene, but he didn’t want his wife subjected to it. He turned her way. “This won’t take long. Why don’t you help Sera and then we’ll go and pick up Lady and go to the park?”

His wife simply stared at him.

“Or you could come with me.” He knew when his protective nature was not welcome. His wife wasn’t a delicate soul who would cry if Charles made some nasty comment. She was tough, maybe tougher than him. “I might need to hide behind your skirts.”

She went on her toes and gave him a kiss. “See, I told you he was a fast learner, Sera.”

“He’s a good tipper, too,” Sera said. “I’ll make you a big thermos of coffee. Apparently your aunt doesn’t appreciate that, either.”

Her loss, because Sera’s coffee was heavenly. “I think you’ll find I’m in an excellent mood today, and that makes my tipping even better. And you write down the name of that car seat Hallie wants. Are they in the parlor?”

Sera nodded and promised to slip the car seat info into their breakfast bag.

Rene was looking forward to breakfast, looking forward to sitting in the park on a lovely day watching Sylvie and Lady.

“You do not have to buy Hallie a car seat. She knows you’re sorry,” Sylvie insisted.

But he knew how hard Johnny worked and how Hallie clipped coupons to break even. “It would make me feel good.”

Up ahead he could hear the sounds of people arguing. Ah, the dulcet tones of his biological relatives.

“But if Charles can sell the company, we get the money, right?” a feminine voice asked.

“I never said I would sell the company.” Charles’s voice was a low growl.

“But that’s what you’re planning. You’ve been trying to take it apart. I should know because I helped you do it. I stole those bids for you.”

Sylvie stopped, her eyes going wide. “Is that Gabriel? I thought you let him off the hook. Why would he be in there confessing?”

They’d talked about how he’d handled his younger cousin the night before. Sylvie had been angry that Gabriel had betrayed him, but eventually she’d come around to his way of thinking. It was a good thing Sylvie wasn’t in charge of revenge, because she had some very specific things she’d wanted to do to Gabriel.