I would still prefer to keep my appointment. I have lady things to ask about.

How hard had it been to raise a teenage daughter for the manly sheriff? He was kind of a jerk, but she’d seen how much he loved his daughter.

Lisa smiled at the sound of the girl’s name. “Noelle is a sweetheart. I’m glad she’s coming in. She’s not going to be your problem child. I can think of several others, though.”

“Why?” This was what confused her. The sheriff had mentioned it. Lisa had been worried about it. “Why won’t they give me a chance? They gave you a chance.”

“Who won’t give you a chance?” Zep Guidry stood at their table, a notepad in his hand and a roguish look on his ridiculously handsome face. “Because whoever won’t is an idiot. I’ll give you a chance, chère.”

Chère, she’d learned, sounded more like sha. And she was sure Zep would give her the same chance he seemed to give everyone, according to her sister. Well, everyone with breasts. “I think I’ll pass. Why don’t you give me the chance to drink? Bring me a New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Nothing too pineappley, though.”

Zep stared at her. “I thought wine was made from grapes. I don’t think we have any pineapple wine. Is that possible? And our wine comes from New Orleans. We get a shipment every couple of weeks.” He gave her his movie-star smile. “It’s fresh today.”

Lisa groaned. “Tell the bartender to bring my sister a glass of the new Marlborough. I’ll take a beer. And stop hitting on my sister.”

“Well, she was saying no one is being nice to her. I could be real nice, Lis.” Zep winked her way. “Real nice.”

He was gorgeous and such a child compared to Armie LaVigne. “When was your last STI test?”

Zep frowned. “Why you gotta go be like that? Fine. I’ll go get your drinks. But I still don’t understand what pineapples have to do with anything.”

Lisa shook her head as her brother-in-law walked off toward the bar. “Sorry about that. He’s an idiot, but he’s also family. We have a surprisingly large wine selection. And a delicious muscadine sweet red that is the best. It’s like dessert in a glass. Some of the locals make it.”

She was not in Dallas anymore. “You used to be a wine snob.”

“Not really. I just acted that way when you or Will were paying for dinner,” she replied with an impish grin. “Most of what I drank came straight out of a box. Hey, don’t look like that. I was a poor college kid. I took what I could get. Let’s talk more about how today went. You know it’s going to take some time.”