“Oh, god, if I don’t understand the romance thing, I definitely don’t get the kids thing. I will get these back to Lila.” He stopped at the door. “I shouldn’t ask this, but I am confused. So you wanted her to have a relationship with Noelle? Or you didn’t?”

“Of course I wanted her to have a relationship with Noelle. I can’t be with a woman who doesn’t have a relationship with my daughter. I guess I thought Lila would want to be a mother figure to her. I was wrong.” Because mothers weren’t tough on their kids.

His had been. His had been a righteous warrior woman, raining hell down on him when he’d needed it.

But she wouldn’t have said those things to him if he’d been in a wheelchair. If he’d had everything taken from him, his mother would have been loving and kind.

Zep leaned against the door. “Oh. So she ignored Noelle? That doesn’t seem nice.”

“She didn’t ignore her. She was mean to her.”

“That also doesn’t sound like Lila,” Zep mused. “She’s sarcastic and a little cold, but she’s not even mean to me. Oh, she’ll offer up an ass kicking, but she’s only watching out for me. Doctors can be that way. I have found that the entire medical profession can be way too honest with a man. Not always easy to hear, but necessary. But what do I know, man? Hey, I’m going to a friend’s bachelor party next Friday. Could you stock up on Dr Pepper? I need one in the morning, and we both know I’ll end up in jail. Night, Sheriff.”

Zep closed the door behind him and Armie was left knowing exactly how alone he was.

chapter sixteen

“I got a call and the sheriff is bringing in someone,” Mabel said four days later. “Apparently there was an incident on the highway and he needs a blood draw. The driver won’t take a breath test. He did, however, fail the field sobriety test by falling into the bayou and twisting his ankle.”

Her gut clenched, but she’d known this would happen. She’d known eventually she would have to confront Armie. They were both first responders in a tiny town. It was inevitable they would work together at some point.

What was shocking was what she hadn’t been forced to face. She’d expected a flurry of gossip to surround them. Everyone in town knew she’d moved in with Armie and Noelle. A couple of people had already started gently prodding her about when the wedding was. Of course, those people were the town florist and Dixie, who was already planning to cater the reception.

No one had said a thing to her. It was like they didn’t know she was no longer the potential future Mrs. LaVigne.