“Doubt it.”
“How was the jambalaya?”
“Delicious, as usual.”
“I’m glad. So, the entire dinner was simply a business meeting?”
I didn’t reply right away, which turned out to be a big mistake.
“It wasn’t,” she concluded. “That’s good. You’re keeping things from me. That’s exactly what I was hoping for.”
That caught me by surprise. “Really?”
“I never really want to know details, just that my grandkids are happy. And full disclosure, fennel has aphrodisiac properties, as you call it.”
“Fennel is a plant.”
“Oh, don’t you lecture me. I know what it is. I’m a chef, remember?”
A superstitious chef, but I didn’t say it out loud. Besides, there was a nagging doubt at the back of my mind. Lilac or not, they’d been right in the past about my brothers and their better halves. What if they were right now as well? Piper was… Well, it didn’t matter. Even if she was right for me, the timing couldn’t be worse.
“Right, this conversation is going nowhere. I only wanted to tell you about Charlotte. Your tips are good.”
“See, you should give me more credit.”
“I am, Isabeau. Trust me, I am.”
After we hung up, I started cleaning the kitchen. Damn it, how did I end up kissing Piper tonight? I’d gone from seriously considering celibacy to not even being able to keep my hands off her.
I was usually very clear about my goals. For my entire adult life, I’d wanted two things: to expand The Orleans Conglomerate, and to have as much fun with women as possible. I’d never wanted to settle down. The prospect didn’t appeal to me. My parents and grandparents all had happy marriages, but I’d never seen the benefits of settling down. Now I realized I’d simply been a selfish bastard.
Fucking hell.Isabeau was right. Something had changed fundamentally inside me. I loved being at home with my little girl and planning what my future would bring.
Good God, what if Isabeau was right about everything else too?
CHAPTER 13
PIPER
“Mom,you should try the LeBlanc-Broussard pralines,” I said on the phone the next morning on my way to work. I’d planned to call her last night after I got home, then decided not to. I’d needed some time to myself so I could process the kiss and everything Beckett said. Honestly, I still hadn’t thought it all through. “I’ll bring you some this evening.”
“Where did you get them? They’re very hard to come by. But they are truly the best in New Orleans.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I meticulously hoard them around Christmas. I visit some of their establishments and always grab a package of pralines on my way out.” I was learning new things about my mom every day. I had no idea she was such a praline hoarder. “Where didyouget them, Piper?”
“I’m working with one of the companies in The Orleans Conglomerate. They make them.”
“Oh good! That means we can get as many as we want, yes?”
I hesitated before answering. “I’m pretty sure we can.”
“Who are you working with?”
“Beckett LeBlanc. He runs all the bakeries.” Taking a deep breath, I added, “Mom, I’ve done something silly.”
“My dear, what’s happening? Tell me everything.”
