“I don’t know what happened from when she left town to coming back last year, but she’s living out at her daddy’s.” Jean-Claude leaned back, looking thoughtful. “She wouldn’t do that if she still had enough money for a motel. That girl fell on hard times. I guess when you’re hurting, it’s easy to go back to what you know. She wasn’t counting on you finding a new love. Or that she would be so very forceful about your monogamy.”

Zep laughed. “I hope someone got that on tape. I’m going to hit the head. Be right back. And I’m a little short of cash, brother. I thought I’d take a couple of shifts this week.”

He disappeared into the back of the bar.

Remy groaned. “He spends all his time flirting with whoever’s in front of him. Trying to get any work out of him is completely impossible.”

“He’s better than he was.” Jean-Claude shifted in his chair as though trying to fortify himself for what was to come. “I’m sorry I pushed you the way I did. I’m sorry I blackmailed you.”

“Why did you?” It had been plaguing him since Jean-Claude had reached out months ago with his demands. They’d been friends as well as family once.

“I have to get out of here.” Jean-Claude stared out the big bay windows. “You know I never wanted this place. I did it because I didn’t know anything else. The truth of the matter is I’ve been a terrible cousin to you. I could have bought out exactly what you needed to pay off Josette, but I forced you to sell me the whole thing or nothing. It was out of spite, and I hate myself for making you make that decision. I was jealous and mean spirited and I need to be more. I’m thirty-four years old and I’ve been waiting all my life for one woman to wake up and realize I was always the man for her. I can’t be here with her back in town. I can’t spend one more minute of my life pining over what I can’t have.”

Remy sat back, shocked. But it explained so much. “Josette?”