Sera leaned in, her voice going low. “She’s never going to be ready because she’s in love with Rene and she always has been. Ever since we were kids. She needs to go after that man and go hard.”

“No, I am not.” She wasn’t in love. What she felt for Rene was a combination of the old feelings she’d had for him and the weirdness of being the only one not getting married and settling down. “I admit I used to have a thing for him, but I’m over that.”

A lie, but a necessary one.

“I’m glad to hear that you’re over him because I heard a big old rumor this afternoon.” Hallie looked around and then she, too, was lowering her voice. “I think he’s getting married soon.”

He’d already found someone else? It had been mere hours since she’d told him no. “To who?”

“I didn’t know Rene was seeing anyone,” Sera said.

“He isn’t.” Hallie sat back, obviously satisfied no one was listening in. “He’s spent the last couple of years working, updating things at the company, and taking care of his mom.”

Cricket Darois had battled cancer the previous year and was only now starting to get back on her feet.

Sera looked at Hallie over the rim of her margarita. “Then how is he getting married? Is this one of those arranged marriage things rich people do?”

“Sort of, but not really. The way my mom told it, his cousin Charles is forcing him into a position where he could lose his place if he doesn’t get married,” Hallie explained. “It’s like a law or something in the company.”

Hallie did not understand how private businesses operated. “No, Charles wants to challenge him for the CEO seat,” Sylvie said. “The company is completely family-owned because they’ve never taken it public. The family votes, and Charles is telling the older members of the family that Rene can’t steer the ship because he’s not a true family man. It’s the business version of mean-girl bullying, but it could potentially work.”

If the rumor was already out there, then she should at least set the record straight.

“I’ve heard those aunts and uncles of his can be ruthless. His dad used to keep them in line, but it’s been hard since he passed,” Sera said. “Cricket recently started going to book club, and I hosted them last month out at the B and B. She was talking to Celeste Beaumont about how hard it’s been on Rene. Celeste told her she had the name of a good assassin. I think she was joking. I hope she was joking. I can never tell with Celeste.”