It had felt like more than caring. It had felt like love. “Will your mom do it? Will she go after Sera?”
“I suspect she will,” Angie said before taking a long swig of beer. “You have to understand Wesley was her chief concern in life. He was sick for a long time. Then he proved to be the smartest of all of us, and Dad decided to hand him the keys to the kingdom because Cal wasn’t serious enough and I was born with ovaries. And I think in some ways you were right about what you said to her. She can tell herself she wasn’t close to her sister because her Texas relatives were poor and that they might embarrass her, but I think she was ashamed of what she’d become. She complains about losing a few years with Luc. I got to meet my aunt and uncle once. Once. Isn’t it funny how the things we’re most outraged by are the things we do ourselves? We are born into a state of hypocrisy in this family.”
“So Sera wanted to tell them?” He tried to put himself in her shoes. She’d been young and alone and scared.
“She didn’t realize how bad it would be. Wes had talked to her about how our dad treated us all. He never hit me, but he would slap Cal and Wes from time to time when they annoyed him or he thought they needed to toughen up. We never told Mom.”
“Why?”
“What would she have done?” Angie asked, sounding weary. “That’s the sad part. I do understand her position. She was right about one thing. Dad would never have allowed her to have custody, and Mom couldn’t trust anyone at the time. Armie is a great sheriff, but he’s only been here the last couple of years. The sheriff before would have told my mom that it was a family matter and she should deal with it herself. I do understand her. I also know I should have told her after Dad died, but I didn’t. I didn’t because I knew what would happen. If I’m honest, part of it was selfish of me.”
“You wanted her attention.” It wasn’t a question. Everything he’d learned about his family in the last few weeks had taught him how hungry Angie was for someone to see her. But then he thought Cal had some issues with that, too. Being a Beaumont, he’d discovered, wasn’t as easy as it seemed.
“Like I told her, it was good to have her with me. I know she loves me. Honestly, I know this whole ‘I’m disinherited’ thing won’t last all that long. My mother shoves all her anger down. It was what she was taught to do. But she never, ever vents it, so every now and then it explodes. That’s what you saw today.”
“You think she’ll forgive you soon?” He hated the thought of them feuding. “The real question is, can you forgive her?”
“I don’t think she’ll frame it as forgiveness. She’ll wake up tomorrow and realize what she’s done and then she’ll call me. She’ll tell me she’s going to let the wedding go through because there would be a lot of talk if we didn’t. And everyone knows she doesn’t like talk.” Angie sighed. “I understand that, too. I remember hearing my grandmother tell me I had to be better since half my DNA wasn’t up to snuff, as she would put it. Anything my mom did was criticized. She’s got her reasons.”
“There’s no reason for her to threaten Sera like she did.” He wouldn’t listen to any excuses about that.
Angie reached out and put a hand on his. “I know.”
There was the sound of a car pulling into the lot and slamming into a parking spot. He recognized his cousin’s Benz, though Cal wasn’t the only one who got out of the car. Zep Guidry was with him, and his stare went right to Harry as he slammed the car door.
“Angie, is what Zep is telling me true? I got a call from Quaid Havery asking me to talk to Mom.” Cal was still in his suit, as though he’d driven straight back from New Orleans. “Has she lost her damn mind? Should I call a doctor? Quaid said she was suing Sera for custody of Luc and that you’re not welcome in the house anymore. I stopped by to talk to Sera but got him instead. Zep says it’s true. Luc is Wes’s kid.”
Angie offered him a beer. “Yes, it’s true, and it’s true that I’ve known all this time and I kept it a secret. Even from you.” She turned her eyes to Zep. “Is Sera okay?”
Zep’s hands went to his hips, his whole stance aggressive. “She’s crying her eyes out.”
His stomach clenched. “I would like to talk to her.”