Bayou Sunset (Agents of HIS #4)

Chapter Four

DAISY MAE REMOVED her baseball cap, revealing a mop of unruly blonde hair. With deft fingers, she carefully threaded her tousled locks through the small back loop of the cap. After securing her hair, she firmly replaced the cap on her head, the worn fabric feeling familiar against her fingertips. She knew he would eventually return. How could he not when his father had a heart attack? Well, he'd waited way too long to return. She was over him.

Her anger stemmed from the pain of his constant absence, which caused his mother great emotional distress. Yes, that was it.

Groaning at the lie she told herself, she started her pickup truck and left the hospital parking lot. If things worked out, she wouldn't have to run into him again. She didn't need to visit Barbara while he was in town. Barbara would have enough on her hands with her husband's health and her son's return.

Daisy Mae gazed off into the distance, her mind swirling with questions about the duration of his visit and the last time she’d seen him. Embarrassment flooded her system. She’d thrown herself at him to keep him from leaving or that he should consider taking her with him. That turned out beautifully. He’d left without a thought to her, and she’d remained stuck in their small town.

Realizing Steve would dominate her thoughts, she turned the truck toward her friend's house. At least there, she could talk it out. Shelly Tibidoux had been her friend since preschool. Her only problem with Shelly was that Shelly had asked Steve to Prom, and he'd said yes.

Daisy Mae had yearned to muster the courage to ask him, but her nerves always eluded her. She and Shelly hadn’t spoken for almost a year back then. Still, Daisy Mae hadn't tossed away their friendship over that since they'd been teenagers then, and Steve hadn't made any advances toward Shelly at Prom—not even a quick peck goodnight.

To avoid her thoughts on the long drive, Daisy Mae turned on the radio to her favorite country station. After a while, she turned the system off. She couldn't listen to one more sad love song when her life had turned to epitomize one.

When her phone rang, she welcomed the distraction. Pushing the hands-free button on her steering wheel to answer the call, she tried to sound happy to hear from her brother. “ Bonsoir , Pierre.”

“We like ta go out tomorrow.”

No “ Bonsoir , Sisit ” or “How you be, Deyzee Mè ?” It irritated her that they ignored her feelings, not that she shared her feelings with the two of them either.

Now that her plan to stay with Barbara at the hospital had been shot to hell, she decided to accommodate her brothers. Besides, she needed the distraction, and a useless treasure hunt would do it. “Dat be fine. I launch at huit wit or without ya.” She clicked the button to end the call.

Thinking about tomorrow, she smiled. She hadn't told Pierre that he and JP would act as her crew since she'd given her team the day off. Besides, they wanted to be secretive, which gave them the opportunity. However, her lazy brothers would surely protest.

Pulling into Shelly's drive, Daisy Mae realized she should have called first. With all the vehicles, it appeared Shelly had a class in the yoga studio attached to the house. Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, Daisy Mae decided to wait. This was too important.

Pulling up to the building, she noticed a group dressed in comfortable yoga attire exiting. She let out a sigh of relief and thought, Thank goodness. After Shelly, who owned the studio, waved the last person out, Daisy Mae exited her truck and approached the entrance.

As usual, Shelly was all smiles. “ Bonsoir , mon ami . What brings ya out tonight?”

“He be back,” Daisy Mae shot out.

Quizzically, Shelly looked at her. “Who?” Then, as if remembering some secret, her expressive eyes widened. “You no mean—”

“ Oui . Steve be here.”

“Help me straighten da studio. I'll call da girls. We'll have dem pick up ice cream.”

Ice cream sounded divine, but Shelly wouldn't eat any. As a health food nut, she ate plant-based foods, and the ice cream Daisy Mae and their friends ate was definitely not plant-based, although they undoubtedly had some substitute for it.

As the two women tidied up the studio, their friends arrived. Alice Fournier and her sister Marie joined them as they walked along the stone path to the home’s entrance. Once inside, Alice took a pint of chocolate brownie fudge ice cream and gave it to Daisy Mae. Shelly handed her a spoon.

Daisy Mae flopped onto the plush couch and wasted no time opening the ice cream. While the others were still juggling their pints, she dug in without bothering with a bowl. She believed that a woman nursing a broken heart could only find solace in scoops of ice cream straight from the tub. Perhaps it was an unspoken golden rule, or maybe it was just an instinctual craving for comfort.

Making herself a disgusting-looking, plant-based, post-workout shake, Shelly asked, “How he look?”

Daisy Mae hesitated, the spoon poised near her lips, as she contemplated Shelly’s potential pursuit of him again. With her single status and striking beauty, Shelly overshadowed Daisy Mae. While Shelly embodied undeniable femininity, Daisy Mae projected the image of a seasoned charter boat captain, often seen sporting a baseball cap. It was common for the men to favor Shelly over Daisy Mae whenever they gathered at the bar. It seemed that Daisy Mae’s grown tomboy persona failed to capture their attention. Which generally worked for her.

“ Bon .” Romeo looked incredibly delicious. He exuded a rugged charm in his well-fitted black cargo pants, snug black T-shirt, and sturdy combat boots. His attire perfectly suited her image of him at his job in Maryland. She couldn’t help but wonder whether he had rushed over directly from work or had any other clothing. Given his youth penchant for cargo shorts and T-shirts, his current outfit choice wasn’t far from what she remembered.

Alice shook her head, pointed to Daisy Mae's socks with a spoon, and laughed. “Why you no get a cat already?”

Daisy Mae wore cat socks because she loved cats. “Cats no like da water, and I be on da water too often.”

Shaking her head, Marie took another bite of ice cream. After swallowing, she said, “I see cats on da water on dat social media. Ya just have ta find da right one.”

“And how, oh wise one, do ya recommend I do dat? Ask the shelter for a tryout of each cat ta see who no go berserk aboard the bateau ?”

“Why not? Dey might even know which cats no be afraid of water.”

“Okay, so da cat no be afraid of water. Exactly how da ya ’xpect me to keep it away from da client's catch of da day?” Daisy Mae saw a fluffy cat trying to drag off a largemouth bass. She giggled at the thought. The others must have also because they all burst into laughter.

Sobering, Shelly stated matter-of-factly, “Train da cat.”

“Train it?” Daisy Mae sputtered. “Do ya even know da first thing ’bout cats?” Then she shook her head. “Why we be talking ’bout this? I be having a more serious problem.”

Shelly drank her shake and raised her eyebrows at Daisy Mae. “ Oui , ya do. Do ya still love him?”

“ Non ,” Daisy Mae blurted, knowing it was a lie. Yet, how could she love him when he didn't love her back? Why did life have to be so cruel?

Shelly smiled and winked. “Good. Maybe I go for him den.”

Daisy Mae could have punched her friend until she realized the woman was joking to rile her. And Shelly had succeeded. Daisy Mae put the spoon down on the ice cream lid on the coffee table. “ Oui , so I do. But it be one-sided, so what does it matter?”

Marie pointed her spoon at her. “It matters a lot if it be bothering ya.”

“ Mais non ,” Daisy Mae retorted, “he went to college, den FBI, and den take dat job up North. He no visit his family. He calls his mother on da video to keep her happy. It like he no want to come home.”

Once, she thought her love for Steve Smith was a childhood infatuation. Yet, as a teenager, it grew more profound. She knew it was more than that when he came home after graduating college. And he didn't seem to notice or care. He and her brothers, mostly Pierre, would hang out and exclude her.

At first, she thought because of how she’d thrown herself at him, but later, she realized he didn’t care for her at all.

Daisy Mae adjusted her ballcap. “He probably be embarrassed. We still be a bit of a backwoods parish.”

Alice smiled. “Dat we be, mais, we love it.”

Nodding, Daisy Mae agreed.

“Tell me, how be ya frerés ?” Alice, a sheriff's deputy, asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

Knowing Alice had a crush on one of her brothers, although Daisy Mae couldn't guess which one since Alice always asked about them both, Daisy Mae smiled. “They be up to mischief again.”

The ladies laughed as if that wasn’t an oddity with her brothers.

Patting her flat belly, Marie asked, “When dey not be? What it be dis time?”

She spilled the truth with her friends, not caring about her brothers' desire to keep it a secret. “Treasure hunting. Mais ,” Daisy explained, “they gots a new treasure map.”

“Which one dey be looking for?” Shelly gathered the spoons and picked up all the ice cream cartons. “Jean Lafitte's or da Bonafice Plantation treasure?”

“I know not where we be going. Mais , didn't someone find da Bonafice Plantation treasure already?”

“I think so. Be right back.” Shelly stood and returned to the kitchen with the ice cream and spoons.

Reentering the room, Shelly said, “Wow. It be sounding mysterious.” She sat at the other end of the couch, leaned back, and put her feet on the coffee table, crossing them, showcasing her “ “Yoga is my life” socks.

“It definitely be.”

Alice startled Daisy Mae with, “ Mon Dieu! Dey stole it.”

“What ya be talking about?” Daisy Mae asked. Her brothers were many things, but not thieves. At least, she didn't think so. She prayed not.

“Antione Rousseau, in da next parish—”

Daisy Mae waved her on. “ Oui , we knows who he be.” Who didn't? He was the wealthiest treasure hunter in these parts. He'd made his fortune on Jean Lafitte's smaller treasures.

“Well,” Alice continued, “I read a report dat someone had broken into his home and stolen a map. One he reported as authentic.”

Daisy Mae's hand flew to her mouth. Mais non! Could her brothers have done it? No. She trusted her brothers had a few morals. “Somehow, I doubt dis map be authentic. It probably be another money scheme someone has sold dem.”

“I hope so,” Alice said, all sheriff's deputy.

Changing the subject, Marie asked, “Do ya need an extra hand? I be free tomorrow.”

Daisy Mae considered it. Marie, a part-time bartender at Duke's, was a good deckhand. She knew how to throw ropes, tie up the boat, and all the other tasks the captain couldn't do while steering. “I'd love to have ya come, but me brothers said only da trois of us.”

“Do ya brothers realize they be deckhands on da bateau ?”

The four women looked at each other and busted out laughing. They knew how lazy JP and Pierre were.

“ Mais ,” Shelly said, “ya have to let me know how it goes.”

Daisy Mae nodded. “ Mais oui! Mais ,” she smiled, “I could be calling ya to bail me out of jail for strangling mon frères , me.”

“Okay,” Alice said, changing the subject away from the law, “let's get to ya real problem.”

Leaning back like Shelly, Daisy Mae crossed her feet on the table. “I no want to care ’bout him like I do, but I no can help it.”

“Ya need a man who can spark ya interest and distract ya from Steve, who, by da way, left our parish without a backward glance.”

“It's not like I told him I loved him,” Daisy Mae said. “He didn’t know when he left.” This wasn’t true, but Daisy Mae had never told a soul about that night before Steve left. How would she have endured the shame?

“ Chère ,” Shelly said, “ya were his best friend's sister, and Steve is full of southern honor. Mais oui , he wouldn't have gone after ya.” Shelly tilted her head and grinned. “Now, though, dey no be best friends, do dey?”

“When he come home from da college, he all but ignored me. He and Pierre weren't close den.”

Alice scratched her head. “Maybe it's time ya told him ya love him.”

Daisy Mae dropped her feet off the coffee table and leaned forward. “Have ya lost your ever-loving mind?” The last time was still fresh in her mind, even though it’d been years. That hadn’t worked, so what would make her think it’d work now?

Alice smiled and nodded. “Possible. But it would help move tings forward. There's no telling how long he be here dis time.”

Daisy Mae dropped her shoulders and sighed. “It do matter. I still be angry at him. Plus, I won't leave here and da family business. Steve couldn't get out of here fast enough.”

“Well then, what are ya going to do? Dis may be ya only chance.”

Daisy Mae realized that but knew it wouldn't work in the end. She wanted to remain here and rebuild the family business. Daisy Mae chose to be on the water instead of at home waiting for her husband to return from work.

“I be avoiding him and eventually find someone who heals me broken heart. And I will help find a treasure and put me business back on da map.” Now, if it all worked out like Daisy Mae wanted, she'd be completely and utterly surprised. However, she had hope, which had gotten her far. Deep inside, Daisy Mae still hoped that Steve would declare his undying love for her. Knowing that wouldn't happen, she had to focus realistically.

Treasure hunt, it was.