Going Home (The Green Bayou Novels Book 1)
Page 22
The last woman holding out for a rose is on the hood of the ambulance. She grips onto the windshield wipers and gyrates like she’s on a strip club stage.
“Remember, I worked in New Orleans. Been there, done that. Three, two, one.”
As soon as I say it, the woman raises her top over her head. The deputies yank her off the hood and cuff her. Connie digs around in her pocket and slips me a five dollar bill.
After all the floats, bands, trailers, horses, and emergency vehicles pass our location, we gather all of our loot and place it into bags. We repack everything and make our way to Greenleaf where we find Bert waiting for us. Since he patrolled an area near the beginning of the parade route, he was able to leave as soon as the parade passed his area. Connie runs out to greet him, jumping into his arms. I invite them inside.
“Hey, Em. Would you mind if I change into street clothes?” He has his duffel in hand.
“Not at all. Go on upstairs and pick a room.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll help you pick a room,” Connie says. “Hey, did you happen to bring me some pretty beads?” she asks, following him up the stairs. I chuckle.
When they rejoin us downstairs, we’re starting on a batch of coconut margaritas. Pete walks in and is greeted by a chorus of hellos. He quickly changes his clothes and meets us in the den, where I thrust an icy margarita into his hand.
I walk over to where Mom and Connie are going through the bags of beads and trinkets. Connie hands me a bag to paw through.
“Did you guys hear that Alphonse is getting a commendation for the heroism he displayed during the whole Kent incident?” Bert asks.
We stop examining our treasures to look at him.
“Good deal,” I say enthusiastically. “That little sucker did his best to give it to Kent when he jabbed that glass into his chest. He helped save me from Kent’s wrath.” I shudder when recalling the beating.
“We knew a general location of where you might be, but we had no real clue of where to look. When Kent started shooting at Alphonse, we followed the sound of the gunshots,” Bert says.
I never thought to ask Pete how they’d discovered our location. Hearing about it brings back some of my insecurities. I long for the safety of Pete’s strong arms, so I encircle my arms around his waist.
“Wow, I guess I never realized how much of a part fate played in our rescue,” I say, quietly.
“Fate may have helped, but I’d have found you, regardless. I wasn’t about to give up on you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Emily.” He kisses me on the top of my head.
“I need a tissue. Don, get me a tissue. We’re having a December wedding, right?” Mom asks. Pete and I both nod.
“Oh goody!” Mom squeals. “The plantation will be gorgeous when we decorate for Christmas! Dad and I have been thinking that maybe we should move back to Louisiana. I can help you with all the wedding stuff!” she says, giddy as a schoolgirl.
Dad rolls his eyes as he hands her a tissue. “She likes Louisiana; she doesn’t like Louisiana. I just go wherever Celeste tells me.”
“Don, after the wedding, grandkids may follow, and you don’t want be in Maine while our grandbabies are down here in Louisiana. Do you?” she questions.
“I think you’re getting way ahead of yourself, Mom,” I say. Pete’s face turns four different shades of red.
“Oh pish posh!” she exclaims. “You’ll have beautiful children.” I look to Bert and Connie for help. Bert laughs.
“Oh no! Don’t look at us! We get it from our own parents,” Bert says, knowingly.
“About that, Bert,” Connie interrupts. “We don’t have to worry about that anymore,” she says. He looks confused at first.
“What do you mean? Did our parents change their minds? Wait! Connie, are you pregnant?” Bert exclaims.
She nods, and he picks her up to twirl her around. We take turns congratulating them, and once we finish, Bert puts his hands on her stomach.
“We’ve been trying for a while. We want you and Pete to be the baby’s godparents,” Connie says. Pete and I look at each other, and I answer for the both of us.
“We’d love to!” A new chorus of congratulations goes around the room. Mom interrupts the noise by clanking her glass.
“To Connie and Bert! May you have a healthy and happy road to parenthood.” She then turns to face Pete and me. “To my daughter,” she pauses for a moment, “and my son.” She nods her head to Pete, and he grins back at her. “May your future hold nothing but joy! It makes my heart happy to know you all are such good friends, and that you’ll be there for each other’s life changing events. My love to you.”
She raises her glass and takes a sip. Everyone starts talking at the same time. We ladies eventually break off to talk about wedding plans and babies. Connie stresses about how she will have just had the baby by the wedding date.
“I’ll probably look like a cow in my matron of honor gown!”
“Nonsense!” Mom says.
“You’ll be beautiful,” I assure. We talk about flowers and wedding colors. Finally, Mom speaks up.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something that’s been bothering me, Emily.”
“What’s that, Mom?” I ask.
“Whatever happened to that Brad guy you had all the trouble with? You know, your ex-partner? The one who tried to break into the house?”
Pete and I look at each other, and I shrug my shoulders.
“I honestly don’t know, Mom. That’s a question we might need to answer. Pete, do you know?”
“I don’t, but I’m not going to worry about it tonight. The only things on my mind tonight are you, me, and our future. Now tell me again that you’re going to marry me.”
I put my arms around his neck and look him in the eye. “I can’t wait to marry you, Pete Bergeron. I have a feeling we’re in for a lifetime of happiness.”
I may have spoken too soon.
The End.
by THE AUTHOR
The Green Bayou Novels
Going Home(2nd Ed)
Awakenings
déjà vu
unforeseen
deceived
vengeance
the green bayou Novellas
*Second editions for all other novels available soon.
magnolia blossoms
yours always
BROKEN BAYOU