The crowd started to argue about how to deal with the teenage wannabe auteur, but Sylvie stood with the microphone in her hand. “All right. We can now safely say we caught the rougarou and move on with life. We hope to have the animal services department up and going as soon as possible, and until then, if you have questions about any animal issues, contact the sheriff’s department and talk to Mr. Guidry. Momma, you better still have some booze because I’ve had a day.”
The meeting was over and Zep had survived. Survived and thrived since apparently he was going to have a job at the end of all this. A low-paying civil service job.
A job he might love.
Sometimes life flooded in, obliterating everything in its path, but what he’d come to learn was that dreams could change. Life wasn’t some concrete thing that became useless if it lost a piece. It wasn’t a puzzle that couldn’t be complete without one specific thing.
He could have a new dream. A good job where he could make a difference. A happy home. A family.
Simple dreams, but ones that would make him whole.
Roxie turned to him with a brilliant smile on her face. “And she would have gotten away with it if wasn’t for this meddling deputy. We solved the case.”
“Yes, and that means you get to do the paperwork,” Armie said with a shake of his head as he joined them. “I’m going to have such a talk with those kids. Every single one of them is having the lecture of a lifetime tonight.” He looked toward the back of the building. “Don’t you leave, Austin. Yeah, I’m talking to you, son. I’ve already called your dad.”
He stalked away, and Zep did not envy those kids. They were about to be treated to a whole lot of Armie’s frowns.
Roxie was still grinning. “I don’t even care about the paperwork. That was fun.”
“Oh, my new baby is so smart,” his mother said, joining them.
“I helped,” he said, though he didn’t really mind giving Roxie all the credit.
“Yeah, what I saw was Roxie here saving your butt from having to spend every night prowling around looking for werewolves,” his brother said, reaching a hand out.
He started to shake Remy’s hand, but his brother pulled him in for a hug. “You’re not upset I’m not taking over the shop?”
“I’m happy you’re going to get to do something you love, brother. That’s all that matters. And you should never let that one go. She’s good for you,” Remy said before stepping back.
“Uncle Zep, is there tigers out there?” Luc stared up at him, his eyes wide.
He reached down and lifted his nephew up. He’d given up one dream for his sister, and this kid had been the product. Luc was healthy and happy and so sweet, it hurt his heart sometimes.
It had been worth it. It had all been worth it.
“Nah, but even if there were, Roxie here would track ’em down, and I would make sure they got someplace safe,” he promised. “You’re in good hands, buddy.”
Luc leaned over and put his arms around Zep’s neck and sighed like he had when he was just a baby. It was a sigh of comfort, of trust.
It made him look over at Roxie, who was talking to his mother.
All he needed was time and she might discover she could find her dreams here, too. With him.
“Zep, did you hear what they said?” Archie was dressed in his Sunday best, slacks and a short-sleeved button-down, a bow tie around his neck. “I’m going to be in a movie.”
“You are not going to be in a movie,” his wife insisted. “I’m going to sue that girl. She took pictures of you in your shorts.”
“I want to be in the movie,” Herve said. “How do I get in on that?”
Roxie strode over to him and held out a hand. “I’m sorry. I’m going to need Mr. Guidry here to help me with some paperwork. He’s a very important member of our department.”
He passed Luc off and let her lead him out.
She’d saved him again since Archie was arguing with his wife.
He walked with her toward the door to the auditorium, perfectly happy with how the day had gone.* * ** * *
Roxie held Zep’s hand and started to drag him through the crowd. If they stayed, they would inevitably be pulled into some big family thing where they all went back to Guidry’s for dinner, and she wanted him to herself.
All to herself.
Like right now.
Her heart thudded in her chest. It had been a weird high to figure out how to handle all her problems in one go. Maybe not all her problems, but a couple of them.
“When did you figure out it was Ashlyn?” Zep asked as they made their way through the crowd.