Rue Toulouse (50 page)

“Shut the drapes, Caterine. It’s too damned bright in here. And why in the hell am I still in my clothes and sleeping on the floor?”

Caterine glared down at him. “Remi, you’re usually not a pleasant person in the morning, but with a hangover, you sound like a roaring alligator. You’re fully clothed and sleeping on the floor because after you passed out on top of me, I couldn’t move you.” She cocked her head. “How much of last night do you actually remember?”

He placed his hands back over his eyes and pressed hard. “I need hot coffee, a cold shower, and food. Don’t even think about having a conversation with me until I’ve had all of them.”

She smiled. “You’re in luck. The coffee is already made, and you can take a shower, but there isn’t anything to eat. So while you’re getting cleaned up, I’ll run to the little market around the corner.” She clapped her hands and twirled around. “Isn’t it wonderful, Remi? I can finally go outside on my own. I can go to work. I can drive my new car. I can go anywhere I please and no one wants to kill me.”

Remi gritted his teeth as he rose from the floor. “Caterine, if you don’t quiet down, I’ll be the one who kills you.”

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. “No, you won’t, because you love me and want to spend the rest of your life with me.”

He gazed into her happy smiling face. “Is that right, Princess? Says who?”

“Says you. Or don’t you remember?”

He ran is hands through his hair. “I seem to remember saying something like that. I also recall saying some really ugly things to you.”

“Yes, you did, and I’d better never see you like that again. You were kind of scary.”

The humor left his face, and he pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, Princess. You have to know I’d never harm you. I was hurt, angry, and very, very drunk. I know that’s not an excuse, and I normally don’t get in that condition. Actually, I’m usually a pretty friendly drunk. In fact, I usually find myself getting rather horny.”

She rolled her eyes. “If I had my choice, I’d take the horny drunk. Seriously, Remi, I’m sorry to be the one who caused you to get yourself into that condition. Years of doing what I thought was expected of me, and always wanting to please my grandmother, is why I hesitated when you asked me to choose.”

He sighed. “I should have never placed you in a position like that. I never wanted you to have to choose between me and your grandmother.”

She reached up and stroked his cheek. “I’m not going to choose. I love you both, and Grandmère is trying to accept that. She told me you’d make a good husband, but she’s afraid our relationship is built on nothing more than being brought together by intense circumstances and great sex.”

He rubbed her backside and grinned. “What’s wrong with a relationship built on great sex?”

She laughed and gently pushed him away. “Go take your shower, and I’ll go get us something to eat. Then while we’re eating, I’ll fill you in on what I’ve found out.”

After a handful of aspirin and a cold shower, Remi sat on the balcony drinking his second cup of coffee and began to feel somewhat human again. Watching impatiently for Caterine to return with food, he was surprised when she finally appeared hurrying down the street, not a grocery bag in sight. “What’s your rush,
cher
?” he called. “Where’re the groceries?”

“Oh, Remi, it’s for sale. Come quick. I told the man we’d be right back,” she said with excitement.

He frowned and leaned over the railing. “Caterine, what are you talking about? I’m starving. Where’s the food?”

“Remi, hurry up. I haven’t been to the grocery yet. I saw the For Sale sign and I had to go in.”

“What For Sale sign?”

“The For Sale sign on the house. Oh, Remi, it’s perfect and I absolutely love it. Please come down. We have to go quickly; there’re other people looking at it.”

“You want to show me a house? What about breakfast?”

She bounced up and down on her toes. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, forget about breakfast. You can eat later. We have to go now. Remi, please come on.”

Sighing, he did as she asked.

“Wait until you see it. It’s perfect,” Caterine said excitedly as they made their way along Toulouse. “It’s a fully renovated two-story Creole with a porte cochere leading back to a lovely courtyard. It has wrought iron balconies, three bedrooms, three baths, a wonderful modern kitchen, two fireplaces, and a cozy library. The master bedroom is huge with a private bath and French doors leading out onto a gallery overlooking the courtyard.”

As Caterine chattered on, dollar signs danced before Remi’s eyes. He knew damn well what houses cost in the Quarter and was sure he wouldn’t be able to afford the one she was describing. Not wanting to burst her enthusiastic bubble, he walked solemnly along beside her.

“Look, there it is.” She pointed.

He could understand why she was so excited. The tall, creamy yellow house with dark green shutters also appealed to him.

“Caterine.” He hesitated. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see how I could ever afford this house.”

Caterine, momentarily speechless, looked into his apologetic eyes and swallowed. In a soft voice she replied, “I can.”

He shook his head. “I won’t have you and your Doucette money supporting us. If I can’t afford it, we don’t get it. And that’s final.”

He knew it was his pride talking, but he couldn’t help it. If she married him, she’d damn well have to get used to living on his income.

Her mouth opened and closed, then she took a deep breath. “I thought when two people were married they shared each other’s incomes. It won’t be Doucette money I bring into our marriage, it will be money I’ve earned by working at my own business. Doucette money has nothing to do with Ma Chérie.”

Reluctantly, he knew she was right, but still he couldn’t bring himself to let her purchase the home they’d be living in. He looked into her eyes and she turned away, but not before he saw the tears she was trying to hide.

She took a deep breath and turned back to him. “Okay, let’s go get you something to eat.” Without another word, she began to walk away.

He put a restraining hand on her arm. “Are you really willing to give up this house, Princess?”

“If you say we can’t afford it, then yes.”

He put his hand under her chin and tipped up her face. His heart melted, seeing the tears she’d been trying to hold back brimming in her eyes. “You’d do that for me? You’d give up something you want this bad, just because I say so?”

She nodded. “I love you and I want our marriage to work. If my money makes you uncomfortable, we’ll live on what you make. I’ll put the money I earn into a trust fund for our children.”

Remi took a deep breath and sighed. “I suppose I should do this first.” He gathered her into his arms and kissed her. “Princess, will you marry me?”

This time, the tears that filled her eyes were full of happiness. “Oh, yes, Pirate, I’ll marry you.”

His devilish grin was back in place. “In that case, Princess, you can buy me a wedding gift. Let’s go see our new house.”

Epilogue

Toulouse, France.

Four months later.

A warm June sun shone down upon the little white rowboat as Caterine and Remi floated lazily through the city on the quiet waters of the Garonne River.

“Are you hungry?” Caterine asked. “Madame Laroche packed us enough food for five people.”

Remi yawned. “I’m always hungry. Especially when you keep me up most of the night making love.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, right. Just who was keeping whom awake?” Sighing happily, she lay back and enjoyed the beautiful landscape passing by. “I’m so glad we came here for our honeymoon. The Laroches seem to be nice people, and I love their inn.”

“Uh-huh,” Remi murmured. “Why don’t you open that basket, and let’s see what we’ve got.” He chuckled as she brought out bread, cheese,
saucisson
, fruit, wine, and juice. “With that much food, we could stay out here all day.”

“That’s fine with me. Isn’t it wonderful we can be here and not have any worries?” As his brows rose, she shrugged. “Well, not too many worries anyway.”

Remi couldn’t help but smile. “If you say so, Princess.” To himself he thought,
just a few little worries.
Such as Travis surviving the knife wound and suing the Doucettes, Markus divorcing Hyacinth while she and Paulette were locked away in a clinic, and Charlotte doing rehab in Switzerland. Not to mention the citizens of New Orleans, who were glued to the front page of the
Times-Picayune
, relishing all the scandalous details.

Remi chuckled. “No, Princess, there’s nothing to worry about.”

She gave him an annoyed glance. “You have to admit our lives are a lot calmer now. We had a lovely little wedding on the bayou, we’re in our new home, and Grandmère is happily spending the summer with Annabelle at Willows. Yvette will be coming to work for me and, wonder of wonders, Aunt Frances has done an about-face and is actually helping at Ma Chérie instead of obstructing me.

“With Ray turning Doucette Shipping over to Bobby and helping Randal run the High Roller, I’ll have my favorite cousin nearby and the family finances will be put back in order. So I’d say, all-in-all, things are going rather well. Even Antoine is going to settle down and marry Suzette.”

Remi grinned and leaned over, popping a chunk of bread with a slice of buttery cheese into her open mouth. “You’re absolutely right, Princess. Our lives are much calmer now.”

She swallowed the bread and leaned close. “You didn’t let me finish. I was about to say, ‘and there’s the baby.’ ”

Remi froze, his wineglass halfway to his lips. “What did you just say?”

She smiled triumphantly. “I said,
and there’s the baby.
”

“Whose baby?”

Her smile widened. “Our baby.”

“How did that happen?”

Caterine laughed. “How do you think it happened? I’m afraid during all the confusion, I ran out of birth control pills. I figured I’d been on them long enough that it wouldn’t hurt to go without them for a few days.”

Remi could only stare in shock and disbelief.

The smile left her face, replaced by fear and doubt. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy with the news?”

“What?” He shook his head, trying to clear it of the mental images of the woman he loved holding his baby. He saw her eyes fill with tears, and he reached out and pulled her close. “
Viens ici,
Princess. Of course I’m happy.
Je t’aime—
I love you, Caterine.” He kissed her long and tenderly. Exactly when will I be a papa?”

“Around Christmas. Oh, Remi, are you really pleased?”

He pushed the remaining food out of their way and pulled her next to him. “
Mais yeah,
cher
, I’m happy.” He brushed her lips with his. “I love you, Princess.”

Caterine smiled. “I love you, Pirate.”

Acknowledgments
 

I’d like to thank the ladies of my editing team: Andrea McKay, Allison Hoover, and especially my senior editor, Wendy Depperschmidt. You’re still the best!
 

I’d also like to thank The City of New Orleans and the people who live in that wonderful city for giving me the inspiration for this book. I fell in love with New Orleans when David and I went there for our honeymoon, and I never get tired of going back. Two years ago, I got the idea for
Rue Toulouse
while sitting on the balcony of our hotel on Toulouse. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Debby

About the Author

Debby Grahl lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, with her husband, David, and their cat, Tigger. When she’s not writing, she enjoys biking, walking on the beach, and having a glass of wine at sunset. Her favorite places to visit are the Cotswolds of England, Captiva Island in Florida, New Orleans, New York City, and her home state of Michigan. She is a history buff who also enjoys reading murder mysteries, time travel, and of course, romance. Visually impaired since childhood by Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), she uses screen-reading software to research and write her books. Debby belongs to Romance Writers of America, Florida Romance Writers, Hearts Across History, and Lowcountry Romance Writers. Her first novel,
The Silver Crescent
, was released January 2014.