Sera frowned her way. “No, but you know how these things go. I didn’t invite Herve, either, but he showed up an hour early asking where the beer was. Luckily my brother is a generous man. He’s got plenty of food to go around. I think this is why he laughed when I told him to be ready for twenty people.”

Sylvie was fairly certain Rene would end up paying for all of this. She should have known that the small reception would turn into a big to-do. It wasn’t like there was much else to do in Papillon. That was all right, but Rene was having to deal with his family, and that was stress she’d hoped they could avoid. “Well, thank Remy for me. I thought this would be a much quieter affair.”

She’d hoped for some dinner and maybe a bit of dancing, and then they would take Cricket home and finally be alone and able to talk.

He’d kissed her again. At the end of the ceremony, the judge had said the words you may kiss the bride and she’d seen a look of deep satisfaction cross Rene’s handsome face right before he’d leaned over and brushed his lips against hers.

It hadn’t been enough. She’d wanted more, but she’d forced herself to smile and hold his hand as they’d walked over to the café for brunch.

“You know how weddings go in this town.” Sera sipped her champagne. “No one wants to miss out on a party. It can actually be a little chaotic.”

That summed up life in Papillon on the best of days. At least for the mayor. She hadn’t been married for two hours before she’d gotten called into an emergency budget meeting, and then she’d had to meet with a City Council member who was demanding funds the parish didn’t have.

When Gertie had shown up at the cafe to get her, Rene had kissed her forehead and promised he would pick her up for the party. When she’d been late, he’d merely sat in her office and showed not a single sign of irritation.

He was practically perfect.

So why wasn’t she sitting there beside him? When his cousins had descended on the party, Rene had politely asked her to give him some space to deal with family business.

She wasn’t sure why he’d shut her out. Wasn’t handling his family exactly what he’d wanted her to do? Wanted hadn’t been the first descriptor she’d thought. She hated that she’d thought the word hired. She hadn’t been hired to play a role.

Except she kind of had.

Sylvie glanced over and Rene was frowning at one of his older relatives, giving the uncle that look she’d always associated with a Rene lecture explaining how something had to go.