Page 56 of Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat
She never hesitated to spell out her opinion in her plain-spoken way. Tom sighed and gave in. He launched into the whole sorrytale minus the motel incident.
‘I don’t get it, Mee Maw.’ He couldn’t hide his frustration any longer. ‘Fee agreed she didn’t believe in long-term commitment. She’s lived a nomadic life and has no desire to change. I told her I had my own reasons for not intending to marry again and she appeared to understand. I thought we were both good with being adult about the relationship.’
His grandmother shook her head. ‘You’ve got no more sense than a bag of rocks. Which one of you put all that nonsense into words first anyway?’
‘I guess I did.’
Betty Mae leaned back in the chair with a satisfied smile. ‘Enough said. She told you what she thought you wanted to hear and you fell for it like a typical dumb man.’
‘What am I goin’ to do?’ Tom pleaded and a broadgrin spread across her face. There was nothing Mee Maw loved better than beingaskedfor advice instead of having to force it on her stubborn family.
The morning went well but Fee missed having someone to talk to about how it’d all gone.Be honest. You miss Tom, not just some random person to talk to. She’d taken a ton of great photos along the back roads between Pine Ridge and Norrisand uploaded them to her laptop back at the cabin. She’d been particularly lucky and met a young couple at one of her stops. They’d bought the derelict building in an auction and shared with her their plans to renovate the old tobacco barn. The photos she’d taken of them in front of their future home were really eye-catching. Fee loved the contrast between the vibrant, attractive couple and the grey,worn-out building.
She’d checked her emails at the cafe where she’d eaten lunch and received another from Allain with her flight details. Her misgivings about going to New Orleans were growing deeper at the idea of meeting Allain face-to-face. What could they possibly have in common? The few nights he spent with her mother forty years ago might have resulted in her birth but that hardlymade him her father. Despite Tom’s irrational reaction Fee didn’t consider herself to be taking a big risk. She kept coming back in her mind as to why Allain was so keen to meet her but suspected she was overthinking the whole thing. Of course he was curious – who wouldn’t be? She’d done her research and there’d been no red flags surrounding Allain Dupre. He owned several high-end restaurants includingthe world-renowned Bayou Blues on the Louisiana Gulf coast, devastated by Hurricane Katrina but now back at the top of its game. He was a wealthy philanthropist and a member of one of New Orleans’ oldest families. He’d been recently widowed after a long marriage but she hadn’t seen any mention of children. She’d scrutinised several newspaper photos of him but they hadn’t told her much.
They were both tall with lean, muscular body types but Fee didn’t have Allain’s startling emerald eyes. Her straight black hair was identical to her mother’s so his silver blonde waves hadn’t staked a claim there. Fee suspected she’d hoped to see either an unequivocal mirror image of herself or a man so radically different there was no way they could be related. Instead it was as ambiguous as thesethings usually were. Allain must want to know for certain as much as she did, but it was what they’d do with the knowledge that’d woken Fee up over the last few nights drenched in sweat.
She needed Tom’s calm, quiet presence to help reassure her although yesterday he’d been far from his usual laid-back self and she still wasn’t sure what had set him off. Fee thought it might’ve been hercomment after they made love. Like so many men he wanted things both ways: to mean something to a woman without meaning too much. Negotiating relationships was like tightrope walking without a safety net which was why Fee usually stuck to keeping men as good friends instead. If occasionally she chose to add “benefits” to the package it was her decision. She’d seen her mother fall in and out of lovequicker than most Hollywood celebrities and had been determined not to follow suit.
Fee calculated the time difference and picked up the phone.
‘Freebird!’ Her mother answered on the first ring. ‘Is everything alright?’
‘Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?’ There was a barely perceptible hesitation before Maddy spoke again.
‘You don’t make a habit of ringing me, do you?’
Fee wanted to be offended but it was the truth. ‘Can you tell me anything more about Allain Dupre because I’m flying to New Orleans to meet him tomorrow?’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, really. Okay?’ She resented being challenged as if she was still a small child.
‘I’ve been having second thoughts. Maybe it’s not such a good idea.’
‘Why not? You were encouraging me before.’
‘I suppose it’s me being silly. Anyway I told you everything.’ Maddy hesitated. ‘You go and enjoy yourself.’ Fee got the distinct impression her mother wanted to say a lot more.
After they said goodbye Fee plugged her phone in to recharge and walked outside to sit on the porch. She hoped she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself.
