Not that Rene wanted Lila. Or Lila wanted Rene. Damn rumors.
“She’s having his baby soon,” Remy said with a grin. “Hey, it got them to stop talking about how your vehicle was seen here in the early-morning hours, though they’ll probably start talking about how you’re trying to break them up since your vehicle is right back out there this morning. And might I mention I called this one? Lisa wanted Lila to fake date Rene, but I knew she’d be real dating you in no time at all.”
At least someone believed in him. “I’ll put those rumors to rest.”
“I only thought she should fake date Rene because he fit more with the kind of guy she liked in Dallas.” Lisa shrugged as she found a carton of eggs in the fridge. “Except for the part where Rene is a nice guy.”
“She didn’t like nice guys?” It occurred to him that he could learn a little more about her from her sister.
Lisa frowned at the stove. “Well, she thought they were nice. They were good at pretending to be nice, but they were often assholes. I’m afraid to turn this thing on.”
“I fixed it.” He grabbed the bread. The toaster looked like it was new, so Lila had probably brought it with her. “It works, and so do all the lights. I’ll check out the plumbing next. Now tell me why she dated assholes.”
“Because every man Lila has dated since college has been the right kind of man. At least in her head. She dated a couple of doctors, and then there was Brock. He was the CEO of a fairly successful company back in Dallas. I think in her head she believed he could give her the life she thought she was working for. He was incredibly supportive of her career, wouldn’t ever tell her what to do. In fact, he pretty much did what she wanted him to do. She was almost one hundred percent in control of that relationship.”
“And the percentage she wasn’t in control of?”
“That was the part where he hit on anything with boobs, including her sisters.”
“Lila only thinks she wants to be in charge,” Remy pointed out. “Don’t get me wrong. She’s a strong-willed woman and she’s smart as a whip, but I think she picked men who didn’t challenge her so she didn’t have to get close to them. She’s got serious intimacy issues, but she’s better now.”
“Well, nearly dying will do that to you,” Lisa said, her voice somber. “I think she had to face a whole lot of reality that day.” She took a deep breath and nodded, obviously choosing to be positive. “It was a good thing for her to get out of her comfort zone and come down here.”
“The question is what happens when she’s healed,” Remy said, concern in his eyes.
“What do you mean?” Armie asked.
Lisa waved him off as she started cracking eggs in a bowl. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing,” Remy replied. “What happens to this town when she’s feeling better and realizes she needs more than this place can give her? Lila likes nice things more than you do. She likes the theater and fancy restaurants.”
“New Orleans isn’t that far away.” He’d lived in the city for years, but when he’d needed to, he’d settled back in. Lila could do the same. She hadn’t grown up wealthy. Of course, didn’t that mean she would want all the things she’d worked so hard to have? Wouldn’t she want educated conversation? Not that there weren’t educated people in town. There were plenty. And they had plays. Twice a year, Alma Hannaford and her Papillon Players put on a show at the rec center, and the local high school had a band concert he was forced to survive.
She might get bored.
A knock on the door sounded through the house and then there was a deep bark.
He rushed to the door because that could only mean one thing.
Noelle was on the porch, having used the ramp Bill had put in when his wife had gotten so sick. Noelle grinned his way and pointed to a big box emblazoned with the local donut store logo. “Morning, Dad. Beth had to help her mom with the church’s pancake breakfast so Roxie came over and gave me a ride.”
His deputy gave him a nod as she opened the driver’s side door of her SUV. “Morning, boss.” She shook her head. “How could you come between two new lovers? Rene is going to be so sad.”
Armie groaned. “You know she met Rene when she was putting a damn tourniquet on his leg. Don’t let that rumor get out there.”
Roxie shrugged. “I don’t think that’s my job, boss. Good luck.”
Noelle grinned as Peanut lumbered in around Armie. “I heard Lila is my new mommy.”
He grimaced for more than one reason. He was never going to be able to get Noelle’s chair through the hallway because they hadn’t moved all the storage boxes out. “The chair’s going to have to stay on the porch.”