Degrees of Darkness, page 75
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Grass spiked between clumps of gravel in the drive that ran parallel to the paved driveway blocked with a line of vehicles. So many vehicles. It looked like everyone was here.
Mon Dieu, how many kids did his sisters have? Was his baby brother married?
A tremor of fear rolled through Remy.
Cody parked the Charger and turned off the engine. She cupped his cheek, the warmth of it against his chilled skin startled him. He looked at her.
“I’m here with you,” she whispered.
On the drive to Houma, he had told her the events that led up to him leaving home and his père’s threat that if Remy ever left the family, he’d be disowned. Would Adrien LeBeau hold true to his vow?
Remy reached up with his good arm, clasped Cody’s hand in his, and kissed her knuckles. “Allons, ma chèrie.”
Together they exited the car. Remy noticed Cody gaping past his shoulder. He slid his sunglasses on. “What?” he asked and turned.
“You told me you had no experience around horses.”
Four horses with swishing tails stood in a pasture that bordered his family’s property. He chuckled, turning back to Cody. “Chère, those weren’t here fifteen years ago. In fact, we didn’t have neighbors then.”
“Oh.”
The clap of a screen door brought him around. A dark-haired, middle-aged woman wearing a billowing white blouse and jean shorts wandered across the front porch and paused next to one of the white columns. Remy’s heart lurched into his throat. She was older than the memory he kept of her. He inched around the front of the Charger, resisting the urge to take off running.
“Angelique,” he muttered.
His sister’s face crumpled, and she pressed her hand to her mouth. Suddenly, she flung her arm down and yelled at the house. “Mama. Papa. He’s home. Remy’s home!” She jumped off the porch and ran across the yard.
Ignoring the pain in his body, Remy broke into a run and caught his older sister halfway across the yard. Angelique threw her arms around him and squealed.
“You’re home,” she cried in his ear.
The screen door screeched, pulling Remy away from his sister. Céline LeBeau appeared, wiping her hands on a towel, followed by his other sister with a baby in her arms. Remy blinked back the tears as the two cried out and hurried down to join Angelique.
“Cher ti nègre,” his mama kept repeating as she threw her arms around him.
Remy kissed her wrinkled cheek and gathered Gwendoline and her baby in with his mama.
Another clap of the screen door revealed Remy’s baby brother preceding a frailer, battered version of Adrien LeBeau. Remy’s body turned cold at the site. Here was where the verdict would be handed down. Would his père turn him away?
His mother and sisters parted, letting Remy slip between them as he made his way to the porch. His boots sank in the saturated ground, helping to slow his leaded steps, but he kept his gaze zeroed on his père’s impassive face. Worry twisted his guts into knots. Remy mounted the steps, removing his sunglasses. At the top he hesitated, glancing at his brother, Marc, then crossed the porch in three strides.
Adrien reached up, his old eyes glinting, and cupped Remy’s face with trembling hands, a joyful smile drawing up the corners of his mouth. “Mon fils est retourné à moi.” My son has returned to me.
Joy exploded inside of Remy at those simple words. His papa dragged him in for a hug.
Squeals in the yard dragged him away from his papa’s arms. The sight of his sisters swarming Cody—who looked terrified by the over-zealousness of the women in his family—made Remy chuckle. Now that she’d been properly introduced to those three, it was time for her to meet his père. Remy moved to the end of the porch, caught Cody’s attention, and beckoned her with a crook of his finger.
Cody sidestepped the women and strode across the lawn. Seeing her coming his way, knowing she was all his, was a sight to behold. After she climbed the steps, Remy met her on the porch and offered his hand like a gentleman. When she took it, he winked at her, then led her to the patriarch of the LeBeau family.
“Père, c’est ma belle dame, Cody Lewis.” Father, this is my beautiful lady. Remy glanced at her. “Cody, Adrien LeBeau, ma père.”
Adrien took Cody’s hand in his calloused one and bent over it. “Bienvenue, cher.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“And this,” Remy said, moving around behind her, “is my baby brother, Marc, all grown up.”
Marc caught him up in man embrace, slapping Remy’s back. “You look like shit,” Marc said as he pulled away and patted Remy’s cheek.
“Marc, language.” Céline mounted the steps, both sisters following—Gwendoline was minus the baby now.
“Oui, Mama,” Marc said, then winked at Cody. “Nice meetin’ ya, cher.”
Ahh, Marc had inherited the LeBeau charm. Remy elbowed his brother. “Watch yourself.”
Céline butted her baby boy aside and cupped Remy’s face. She beamed up at him. “Praise la Sainte Mère, je me réjouis que vous veniez à la maison.” Praise the Holy Mother, I rejoice that you came home. She pulled him into another hug, tears glistening on her cheeks.
“I’m glad I came back, too, Maman. Could you speak in anglais? For Cody.”
She held him out at arms’ length and smiled at him. “Of course. Adrien, our family is whole again.”
“Mais oui, Céline. Mais oui.”
Chapter Thirty-seven
Dusk blanketed the sky, casting longer shadows of the live oak across the yard. Remy stared up at the huge tree, running his hand along the lone limb that draped to the ground. He’d used this tree to climb out of his bedroom window and escape whenever he and Papa had one of their knockdown-dragout fights. Back then, the limbs didn’t hang so far down to the ground. Remy doubted his nieces and nephews got the same chance. Squeals of laughter caught his attention. Dragging his gaze from the tree, he turned to the back yard where a birthday party for his twin nephews was taking place. Cody had one of the boys pinned to the ground, tickling him. The rest of the kids descended on her like a horde of wasps, tackling her under a dog pile. She hadn’t laughed like this in the whole the time he’d known her. On the other end, he hadn’t laughed so much since Marie’s death.
Leaning against the oak’s trunk, he hooked his thumb in his belt loop and watched Cody wrestle with the kids. They took to her, thrilled to meet someone who lived on a huge ranch and owned tons of horses. The kids were already demanding their parents take them to see Cody’s home.
His parents’ approval of Cody showed in their nods and smiles. Almost everything was set; he just needed to have one more conversation before he moved forward with his plan.
“The bébés love her, oui?”
He glanced to his left as his papa hobbled up to the tree. Time on the oil rigs had damaged his body to the point he appeared twice his age and walked like a cripple. Regret churned inside Remy. He should’ve been here to help, not off burning a bunch of teenage angst.
His gaze landed on Cody and the kids again. Then how would he have met her?
“Oui, they do.”
Papa made a noise in his throat, a sound of approval. He shifted and settled his body onto the hand-carved bench, patted the spot next to him, and then flicked his hand for Remy to join him.
Pushing off the trunk, Remy sat beside his father, his still tender body sighing in relief. Guess he wasn’t quite ready for a long day of fun.
Adrien patted Remy’s thigh and sighed as he rested against the bench back—a bench Adrien had fashioned with his own hands. The same trade Remy learned as a child.
“She’s very beautiful. Inside and out,” Adrien said in French.
Cody managed to settle the kids down long enough to talk with them. Her hand gestures and beaming face told Remy she was discussing her favorite topic, cutting horses. He really hoped when she got back to Fort Worth she’d join her daddy with his training. The woman was a natural and loved it more than barrel racing.
Remy scooted forward to brace his one elbow on his knees. “She’s that and more.”
“You love her?”
He looked back at his father. “With every fiber of my being.” His gaze slid back to Cody. “She saved me in many ways.”
“And you want to make her your wife?”
A smile danced along Remy’s mouth. “Oui.”
Papa chuckled. “Why wait?”
Remy grunted and sat back. “One thing stands in the way of that and he carries a scary gun.”
His father’s laughter attracted the women’s attention. Remy grinned at them before they went back to their chatter.
Adrien smacked the bench. “Call him.”
“I’d like to get a ring first.”
“Solved. Your mawma’s ring is waiting.”
Remy frowned. “I thought that was for one of my sisters?”
“No, it was meant for the first son.” Adrien squeezed Remy’s hand. “That’s you.”
The strum of a guitar and the whine of a fiddle drifted from the deck. Both of Remy’s brother-in-laws settled on chairs and warmed up their instruments.
Adrien clapped his hands. “Ahh, the fun starts.” He eased onto his feet and motioned for Remy to follow. “Those two can make magic.”
Magic. Remy peered up at the sky and spotted the twinkling stars between the leaves. Magic about summed it up. He rose from the bench, watching his papa navigate the yard to Cody—abandoned by the kids when their fathers started playing. Adrien held out his hand and spoke to her. Cody nodded and took his hand, allowing him to escort her to the large brick patio.
Remy’s brothers-in-law struck up a waltz. While the nephews took their mothers and grandma for a spin, Adrien led Cody around in a slow shuffle. Back in the day, Adrien LeBeau could sweep any woman off her feet. Despite his crippled body, he managed to lead Cody well enough.
Inching closer to the makeshift dance floor, Remy followed their movements. The lone source of light for the dancers came from the winking string of lights draped in the trees and a few well-placed citronella candles. Cody’s laughter touched Remy’s heart. His papa was charming her.
She was beautiful, with her humidity-frizzed hair twisted into a messy bun and grass-stained jeans with scuffed boots. Contentment and joy filled her face. Dancing around with his papa was a woman Remy had never seen before. A happy woman.
The waltz ended. Stepping back, Adrien bowed. Cody tilted her head to the side and dipped down in a curtsy. Bon Dieu, where had she learned to do that? Suddenly, the musicians struck up a jaunty tune. One of the nephews slipped in between his grandfather and Cody and reeled off with her.
Why wait? Sighing, Remy reached into his jean pocket and withdrew the cell phone. He backtracked to the bench as he pulled up Logan Lewis’ number and called.
Sitting, he kept his attention on the dancers as he waited for Logan to answer.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting you to call, Cajun.”
“Evenin’, Logan.” Damn, he wished he wasn’t one handed.
“How’s Cody?”
“Enjoying the company of a young man as he twirls her around a floor.”
Her father cleared his throat. “I take it that young man ain’t you?”
“Not at the moment.” Remy closed his eyes and relaxed against the bench. “I needed to ask you something.”
“Do I need to sit down for this?”
“I am.”
Logan chuckled and grunted as if he was truly taking a seat. “Son, I think I know why you’re calling me. I’ve known for a while to expect this. Probably since the moment you lit a fire in my daughter.”
“I had hoped to do it in person. Though I think I’ll take a few hundred miles of space between me and that thirty-aught-six.”
Logan laughed. “I only need that to run off the rotten apples. You’re the type of man I want my girl with.”
An odd kind of warmth spread through Remy. No man had complimented him that way. It was a little unsettling to hear it.
“I don’t have to ask if you love her. I saw it. And I know she loves you. She proved it by going after you. Her momma did that.” Logan’s tone dipped with sadness.
“I meant what I said earlier. Cody is one in a million. I would like your permission to marry her.”
Heavy silence filtered over the connection. When Logan spoke, Remy heard the emotion in his voice. “You have it.”
Chapter Thirty-eight
Cody spun under Marc’s arm. She was enjoying all this attention, but where was Remy? While she’d danced with Adrien, she spotted him hovering on the fringes of the patio. After one of the twins cut in for the next dance she’d lost sight of him. Was he feeling okay? It had been a long day, and by now his body must be tiring. She should find him and check.
Her swirling thoughts caused her to misstep and she stumbled, falling against Marc’s chest.
“Easy there, chère.”
Righting her body, Cody stepped back, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Sorry.”
“Hey, we just keep going.” Marc held out his arms, inviting her to return to their two-step.
“Maybe I should take over from here.”
Cody peeked over Marc’s shoulder and her heart stutter-stepped. Remy stared at her, his dark eyes reflecting the lights dangling from the trees. He’d unbuttoned another button on his white shirt and was missing his sling.
Planting her fists on her hips she scowled at him. “Where’s your sling?”
Marc snickered and stepped aside to let his brother take his place.
With his right hand, Remy lightly touched the exposed skin on the back of her arm, and his fingers trailed down to her forearm. Cody resisted the urge to let her eyelids flutter shut, but she couldn’t stop the tremors his feather-light touch invoked. He smiled, inching closer, the warmth of his body drawing her in.
“The strap was hurting my neck. Thought I’d give it a break.”
Shaking lose from his spell, Cody huffed. “Don’t whine to me when you ruin all the work the surgeon did to reset it.”
His hand took hers and pulled it free from her hip. “I’ll be careful.” Slowly, he slipped his left arm around her waist and settled it there. The back of her jeans shifted as he tucked his fingers inside the belt loop. “No sudden movements.”
She chuckled softly, allowing him to guide her closer until their bodies melded together. Their joined hands pressed between their shoulders. How convenient that the next song was a slow waltz.
“Somehow I think you had something to do with this song being played,” she said as they settled into a simple rhythm.
“It’s one of my favorites,” he said, his voice taking on a husky tone.
Cody closed her eyes and gently laid her cheek against his chest, the brace cradling her head. She drew in the faded scent of spice and held it in her lungs a moment, letting it create a new memory to hold onto later. This had been an unforgettable day. Dancing with Remy now was a fitting end. The contented noise she made sounded more like a purr. His chuckle rumbled in her ear.
“Remy, I love your family.”
“I’m glad,” he whispered. “They love you, too.”
Her heart fluttered in her chest. She lifted her head to look at him. “They do?”
Smiling, Remy brushed back a stray coil, his knuckles grazing her cheek. “Is that doubt I hear?”
Cody blinked at the sudden wetness. This all seemed surreal when she considered how close she came to losing him forever. But she hadn’t. He was here, holding her in his arms, and his family circled them—she did a scan and found everyone watching them. She sighed and bowed her head. Pleasure stirred in her soul at the warm press of his lips against her forehead. Could it be possible to love someone too much?
The last melodious strains of the waltz faded. They stopped dancing and just stood there. No one spoke, and his brother-in-laws didn’t resume playing. Cody listened to the hum of the frogs and insects and Remy’s steady breaths.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet his. That was when she noticed they were alone.
“Where’s everyone?”
“Giving us some privacy.”
She wanted to ask why, then thought better of it. They hadn’t had a moment to themselves from the minute they’d exited the car.
Remy twined his fingers with hers and brought her hand up to brush a kiss on its back. Cody swallowed against the tightness in her throat.
“The first time I met you, I was floored.”
“You thought I was a guy.” She smiled.
Clearing his throat to cover up his chuckle, Remy released her hand and placed it on his shoulder. “I did. You quickly proved me wrong. On so many levels.” He caressed her cheek. “We haven’t exactly had the most romantic of relationships, with sociopaths and assassins trying to kill us.”
“Understatement.”
“For true.” His fingers trailed along her jawline to her neck. “You made one thing very evident to me, Cody. No matter the threat to your life, you won’t back down. I truly believe that whatever my job throws at me, you’ll be able to face it with me.”
She stiffened at his words. Her breath locked in her lungs. What did he mean?
“Breathe, Cody.”
She gasped and nudged him when he chuckled. “What are you doing, Cajun?”
He slipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew something small. The candlelight made it glint.
Cody’s muscles went lax when her brain registered what he held.
“What I’m doing, Cody Samantha Lewis, is hoping my question will change both of our lives.”
Her mouth turned dry, and she stared at his hand as it rose between them.
“Will you marry this shattered man and make him whole again?”
The tiny emerald shimmered and swam in her sight. She squeezed her eyes shut and then snapped them open. Yep, still there. Her gaze darted from the ring to his expectant face.
A small cry managed to escape, and she buried her face in his chest. Remy wrapped his arm around her, hugging her tight.
“Not quite the response I expected.”
