“She’s a good one, sweetheart. You don’t have to keep quiet around her. And she’s excellent at finding out information, although you know I can do that, too.” Her mother moved to the big leather couch that dominated part of the office. “Sit with me. You ran out of the house last night like it was on fire. I should have chased after you, but you needed time.”

Time was the one thing she definitely didn’t have. In some ways that was a good thing. “If I think about it for too long, I might not do it, and I can’t be the reason they lose the house.”

“First off, you are not the reason the house is in jeopardy in the first place, and it is not your responsibility to fix the situation.”

“It wasn’t their responsibility to rebuild the library when it burned,” Sylvie pointed out. “It wasn’t their responsibility to fund a whole lot of Lila LaVigne’s clinic.”

“Baby, this isn’t money,” her mom pointed out and patted the spot beside her. “This is far more important. Tell me you haven’t loved that boy most of your life.”

He was a man, but she suspected that to her mother they would always be children. Her mom still pointed out to anyone who happened to be around that her “baby” was the mayor of the town.

“I’m not in love with Rene.” What she felt for him was nostalgia and a little lust. A lot of lust. Friendship was in there. “I do care about him, but I know what I’m getting into.”

Trouble. She was getting into trouble since she’d spent a full half hour this morning trying to figure out what to wear to her wedding. She should have simply put on the next suit in line, but she’d stood there trying to decide if she should wear white. She’d settled on a sheath she’d bought for its elegant lines and the contrast it made to her skin.

A brow rose over her mother’s eyes. “I can’t decide if you’re lying to me or to yourself, but I wasn’t saying you shouldn’t do this. Rene is practically a member of our family, and he’s never once hesitated to help us out. You’ve always had a thing for Rene. You used to light up when he walked in a room.”

“Yes, well, I was Andre’s bratty kid sister and he was nice to me.” Her brother had always been the life of any party he was at. Smart, outgoing, ambitious—her brother had been a force in the town when they were growing up. “Is it surprising I would have a crush on him? Were you able to get in touch with Dre?”