“He can try,” Lisa said. His ex-wife had been calling him? Seraphina tracked his phone. It was time for Remy to get a new damn number.

“Maybe some other time,” he replied politely. He glanced around, seeming to understand that they were drawing a lot of curious eyes. “I probably need to get this one back to the wharf. Rene gave us some of his grandpere’s strawberry wine. You know how hard that can hit you if you’re not used to it.”

She smiled, a wistful expression that belied the watery look to her eyes. Shimmering. Tears shimmered in her eyes. When Lisa cried nothing shimmered. She went red as a tomato and her nose turned Rudolph shiny, but Josette managed to shimmer.

“Yes, I remember many nights sitting with you on that big front porch and drinking strawberry wine until you carried me to bed,” she replied. She put a hand on his arm. “Remy, I was wrong. I know that now. Please let me talk to you. Away from your friend.”

Oh, that was not happening. “Hey, hands off.”

“Lisa, maybe I should handle this,” Remy said, getting in between them.

“Do we still have a contract?” Lisa asked. In the moment it seemed like a really smart thing to say. They had signed a contract.

He leaned over, whispering in her ear. “What happened to you never trusting me again?”

“Do we have a contract?”

“I did not tear it up and have been keeping up my responsibilities,” he replied. “I want that contract and you know it.”

Miss Too-Pretty-For-Words put a hand on her slim hip. “Who is that, Remy? I’ve never seen her before. She is not from around here.”

“Her name is Lisa,” he began, his voice wavering a bit. “She’s…”

“I’m his fiancée so you better back off or you’ll find out how Texas women deal with poachers,” Lisa promised. Yeah, that felt right in the moment, too. No one here would understand the Dom/sub thing, and Remy needed to look respectable. Engaged was respectable. Right? The wine was totally with her. The wine thought it was a brilliant idea.

“Fiancée? You aren’t wearing a ring, fiancée.” Josette seemed to drop the fragile act, her voice losing the ethereal tones.

Oh, she knew she was in trouble, but the words kept coming out of her mouth. “Well, that’s what happens when wife number one is a skanky bitch who steals her husband’s hard-earned business and runs out on him, and now he can’t afford an engagement ring.”

“I can totally get you an engagement ring. I want it to be special. That’s all.” Remy’s hand was suddenly in hers. “Baby, you should calm down and maybe think about this.”