The Road to Bayou Bridge. Liz Talley

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СКАЧАТЬ “Yeah, life’s tough.”

      Annie rolled her eyes, settled the kid on her hip and regarded her husband. “It’s your turn to change Pax.”

      “Come on, hon, I’m hanging with my little brother.”

      “And that gives you reason to shirk your duty? This is an equal partnership, bud.” Annie’s gray eyes were sort of shardlike. He could see former FBI agent written all over her.

      Darby struggled up from the depths of the recliner. “Give him here. I’ll do it. Been wanting to spend some time with my nephew anyway.”

      His new sister-in-law raised her eyebrows. “You know this is a poopy diaper, don’t you? Might ruin the relationship before it’s out of the gate.”

      Darby set his beer on the table. “How hard can it be? I’ve had plenty of practice.”

      Nate’s bark of laughter startled Pax, who started fussing again. “On who?”

      “Myself.”

      Nate rose and shook his head. “Totally not the same thing. Trust me.”

      His brother held out his hands and Pax sort of fell into them with a drooling grin behind his enormous pacifier...and that’s when Darby got a whiff.

      Dear God.

      His nephew smelled dead.

      “Um, on second thought, I’ll keep Annie company. Haven’t had the opportunity to spend much time with her, either.”

      His brother frowned but dropped a kiss atop the baby’s head. Yeah, Nate knew when he’d been suckered, but he didn’t say anything more as he left the den, noxious fumes trailing behind him.

      “You’re good.” Annie smiled as she sank onto the couch adjacent from the recliners and propped her bare feet on the ottoman. “Almost as good as me.”

      Darby shrugged. “I’m the baby of the family—we’re born knowing how to manipulate the oldest.”

      “So does the wife. It wasn’t even his turn to change the baby.”

      Darby laughed. He liked this new addition to the Dufrene clan. Spunky might have been Annie’s middle name, something she’d need when up against his headstrong, set-in-his-ways brother. “Nate’s happy finally.”

      Her eyes darkened. “Yeah, so am I.”

      “I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the wedding.” Darby had felt guilty about missing his brother tie the knot, but could do nothing except send a nice gift since he hadn’t had enough leave to head stateside.

      “He missed having you there, but he understands. That’s the good thing about Nate. He’s reasonable, otherwise, he wouldn’t be here at Beau Soleil.”

      “Mother?”

      Annie laughed. “She’s hard to live next door to at times, but we love her. She’s a good mother even if a bit, um, managing.”

      “You mean Attila the Hun tries to control your life?” Darby shook his head. “Give her an inch of rope, she’ll take a mile, truss you up and drag you screaming and kicking behind her.”

      “She’s not that bad. Just always at war with herself. She professes to allow life to take its course, but like those engineers who control the Mississippi River levee, she wears herself out trying to steer it to come out the way she wishes.”

      Darby shifted in the recliner and took another slug of beer. His brother’s wife had Picou pegged, but she seemed remarkably tolerant of the interfering woman. He glanced at his sister-in-law and she stared back, an almost odd probing in her gaze. She shoved a brown curl behind her ear and sighed. “You’re her logjam in that river.”

      “Huh?”

      Annie shook her head. “Nothing. Never mind. Tell me about Spain. Did you enjoy living there?”

      He didn’t want to talk about Spain. He wanted to talk about what Annie meant, but she’d closed that chapter. Something told him not to try and go backward with this woman. So he didn’t. Instead he chatted about the country he’d left behind—the food, the culture, the really bad drivers.

      Nate walked back into the room during a story about getting lost when out on his motorcycle. He was Pax-free.

      “Where’s the kid?” Annie interrupted.

      “Left him in his crib gumming that toy you bought him. Turned on music to stimulate him.”

      “Classical?”

      Nate smiled. “Classic rock.”

      Darby vaguely heard Eddie Van Halen’s infamous guitar licks coming from the hallway. “Nice.”

      “We want a well-rounded kid,” Annie said, patting the spot next to her. Like a spaniel, Nate went to her. Bet she scratched his belly regularly. Of course, Darby understood the appeal of belly-scratching from a woman who had a vibe like Annie—that sort of vibe would have a man happily doing as bidden.

      It made him think of Renny.

      She had that vibe. Or she had at one time. Beautiful golden skin, tumbling caramel hair and a soft laugh that made a man twitch thinking about her hands on him. But she’d changed. Her laugh wasn’t easy, her disposition more guarded...even if some remnant of the past lurked in her eyes, in her voice. It was like a promised resurgence.

      He wanted to make her laugh again. To watch her glow in the light of the sun sinking over the Atchafalaya. To tangle his hands in that hair and make love to her under the full moon just as he’d done so many times.

      Hunger clawed at him.

      “Darby?”

      He blinked. “Huh?”

      “Want another beer?”

      “Sure.”

      Nate stared blankly at him. “Grab me one, too, when you come back.”

      Checkmate. Older brothers always had the last laugh. Darby huffed and got to his feet, heading toward the kitchen. “Annie?”

      “Me, too.” She nodded. Nate hooked her around her neck and kissed the side of her mouth. Darby made a face but smiled as he turned toward the kitchen. Seeing his brother happy satisfied him on a lot of levels. Nate had suffered through so much guilt regarding Della and had shouldered much of the burden of dealing with the estate and their mother that Darby figured the man deserved some peace with his woman.

      The kitchen was clean and modern with the smell of rich wood and laundry soap, and it had a specialty fridge built in for beer and wine. He grabbed three Abita Turbodogs and started back toward the den, wondering if he should confide in Annie and Nate about his strange marriage and ensuing divorce.

      Nice to share a burden, but did he want the drama?

      Because Picou would find out.

      Maybe.

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