Good Woman Blues (9 page)

“You need something?” Tyquiesha said loudly
“Ma’am?”

Erikka blinked out of her reverie. She
glanced around. Everyone in line it seemed had disappeared into
thin air. The woman wore a knowing expression. Tyquiesha had
obviously caught Erikka staring at Gabriel.

“I’m looking for Mr. Wilson’s office. I got
turned around.” Embarrassed, Erikka tried to keep her voice low.
The last thing she needed was another clumsy meeting with the
man.

“Go down that hall and take a right, then a
left at the water cooler.” Tyquiesha nodded as though eager to get
her moving.

“Thanks,” Erikka replied quietly.

Gabriel turned just as she started to slip
around the corner. “Hello again,” he called out.

Erikka paused, and then faced him. “Hi.”

“Erikka, right?” Gabriel walked toward
her.

“Yes. How are you?” Erikka decided to relax
and go with it. At least he hadn’t caught her gawking like a
fool.

“Good. We just keep meeting each other around
here, huh?” Gabriel’s full mouth curved up in not quite a smile.
Still, his golden brown eyes were friendly.

“Yeah, well the phrase ‘small world’ fits
Loreauville. Lafayette, too, as a matter of fact.” Erikka lifted a
shoulder. His gaze disturbed her, and she glanced away.

Gabriel gave a soft laugh and walked closer.
“I’m here to talk about doing some commercials.”

“Oh really?” Erikka pretended she hadn’t
overheard him talking to Tyquiesha. “That should go over well.
People love antiques around here.”

“Aunt Therese gets all the sales she needs
strictly from word of mouth. I have my own furniture business.
Here.” Gabriel took a card from the pocket of his shirt.

“Custom furniture for fine taste,” Erikka
read the card. “Cool.”

“Figure it’s time to put a little more into
marketing.” Gabriel lifted his paper cup. “Want me to pour you
some?”

Erikka shook her head. “I, uh, better get
busy. Thanks anyway.”

“You work here?” Gabriel came still
closer.

“I’m doing some contract accounting work for
Ryan Wilson. More like consulting actually.” Erikka studied the way
his muscular chest moved as he breathed. Even his mild interest
sent a quiver down her back.

“If you’re taking on more clients, let me
know. I could use some help setting up my books. My simple method
of using a legal pad and counting on my fingers won’t cut it.”
Gabriel tossed the paper cup in a nearby trash can.

“There are some fairly easy software programs
for small businesses, you know. In two hours you could be all set,”
Erikka said.

“I’m sure I could. Of course, a computer
would probably help.” Gabriel wore a shy smile. “Guess you can see
I need help bad.”

Erikka smiled back at him. Something from him
reached out to her. “Finding a computer at a reasonable price won’t
be hard. I can give you a list of software programs when you’re
ready. I mean, when you have the computer.”

“Great.”

“Just let me know.” Erikka backed up and
bumped into Ryan’s secretary. “Sorry.”

“Oops, my mistake,” Jocelyn said as she
grabbed Erikka’s arm. “I dusted your office and put supplies on the
desk. The phone line isn’t activated, but I’ll get that taken care
of tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” Erikka smiled at her, and then
looked at Gabriel. A wiry man in a suit came out and called to
him.

“Good to see you again, Mr. Cormier. Come
right this way.”

Gabriel shook hands with the account
representative and glanced at Erikka. “Give me your number.”

“I don’t have any cards.” Erikka looked at
Tyquiesha.

The receptionist looked back at her with a
blank expression.

“Use this.” Jocelyn hurried over and grabbed
a sticky notepad from the reception desk. She didn’t notice the
faint scowl Tyquiesha gave her.

Erikka wrote her aunt’s number down and
handed him the small square of blue paper. “Here you go. We’ll get
you straight in no time.”

“Look forward to it.” Gabriel pocketed the
note.

With a final wave to Erikka, he turned and
followed the rep through a glass doorway. The two men sat down in a
small conference room to talk. She studied Gabriel’s profile. He
definitely wasn’t her idea of a country carpenter. Remembering
Darlene’s strange reaction to him, Erikka found him even more
mysterious. Erikka would pry more details out of Darlene that
night. Erikka wondered just what she’d gotten herself into with
these two men. Ryan Wilson had the oily grin and sweaty hands of a
groper. Gabriel seemed harmless enough, but the quiet ones could be
just as bad.

“Ready?” Jocelyn said over her shoulder.

“We’ll see,” Erikka said. She turned and
smiled at the baffled woman. ‘Time to sort through those tangled-up
books.”

Chapter 5

Gabriel sat on the steps of his back porch
gazing out at the expanse of gray-brown water that bordered the
property that had been in his family for four generations. Sunlight
glinted on ripples in the lake. Cypress trees and stumps came up
out of the water. The distant chug of an outboard motor became
louder as a bass boat approached. His father steered his pride and
joy toward the wooden landing. Gabriel knew not to get up. Charles
Rudolphe Cormier was proud. He’d scowl at any attempts to help him.
Even at sixty-five and having suffered a heart attack, he insisted
on doing things as he had all his life. Still, to ease his wife’s
mind he agreed not to go out in his boat alone. Next to him sat his
oldest grandson. Brian dropped the anchor while his grandfather
tied a heavy nylon rope around one of the piles.

“Hey, Uncle Gabriel. Slim pickings.” Brian
sprang onto the dock. He had the stamina and energy of the typical
sixteen-year-old.

“I remember the time we would have needed
three boats to haul in all the fish,” Charles said, with a
frown.

“Maybe the fish have gotten smarter,” Gabriel
replied. They’d gone out at six that morning. Even in early May,
the midmorning heat drove them back to the shore.

“Never should have agreed to let in those
damn tourists. Three boatloads came out in one hour. All that
racket keeps the fish away.” His father handed Brian a large ice
chest that should have held the day’s catch.

“At least they pay for it.” Brian winked at
Gabriel. He steadied the boat.

His grandfather ignored Brian’s outstretched
arm and got out on his own. “Idiots gaping over the side of the
barges looking for alligators. All we need is for one of the fools
to fall in.”

Gabriel walked out to them. He took fishing
rods Brian handed him. “So far none of them have. Mr. Boudreaux is
an expert handler of idiot tourists.”

Loyd Boudreaux ran the tour service into the
nearby swamp. Lac du Cormier connected to Indian Bayou, which
emptied into a vast swamp. Gabriel’s grandfather had given Loyd’s
grandfather permission to include a part of the lake in his tours.
Back then the tourists had been few and far between. Most of his
customers had been avid fishermen from the North and Midwest.

“Yeah, well. One of these days,” Charles
grumbled. He picked up two wire fish traps, and then winced as he
straightened.

“You okay, Daddy?” Gabriel started toward
him.

“Course I’m okay. Just stiff from sitting,
that’s all.”

“I’ll carry that cooler for you.” Gabriel
grabbed the handle of it.

Charles took off his life vest. “You’re as
bad as your mama. One little heart attack and y’all act like I’m a
feeble old man.”

“You’re exaggerating as usual.” Gabriel
helped Brian load his father’s GMC Yukon.

“No, I’m not. My doctor says I’m doing great,
all things considered.” Still, Charles walked to the covered deck
and sat down in one of the chairs.

“He only got winded once or twice,” Brian
reported. He looked over his shoulder to see where his grandfather
had gone.

“Thanks for going out with him. He might not
say it, but Daddy enjoys spending time with you boys.” Gabriel gave
Brian an affectionate slap on the shoulder.

“My pleasure. Got an extra twenty to take my
baby out tonight. Friday night and I’ve got money in my pocket.”
Brian grinned and bounced off toward the house, whistling a rap
tune.

“Stop tapping your grandfather for money, you
little scam artist,” Gabriel said, but had to laugh. Brian looked
more like Vincent every day. Gabriel thought of his older brother.
Vince had swaggered just like that back in the day.

Charles stretched out his long legs and
watched Gabriel approach. “So, you got a good report on me?”

Gabriel sat down on the cypress chair across
from him and slapped his father’s thigh. “Brian says you were a
good boy.”

“Very amusing. I’m proud of him. Pulled his
grades up last year. Thank God his mother has sense.” Charles
frowned as he stared out over the water.

“Yeah.” Gabriel looked toward the house where
Brian had gone. Music blared from Gabriel’s sound system moments
later. “Vince is trippin’.”

“You know what Vincent has done now? Went on
a three-day drinking and gambling binge with some woman named
Trish. Met her in Lake Charles. I wouldn’t blame Sonia if she shot
him in the behind,” Charles barked.

“Come on, Dad. They’ve been divorced for two
years. Sonia has moved on,” Gabriel said.

Even so, Gabriel felt a spike of anger toward
Vincent. Lately, his older brother seemed bent on hurting everyone,
especially himself. Still Gabriel had done his share. Of the three
Cormier kids, his sister Toni had been the steady one.”

“Selfish, ungrateful—” Charles clenched his
right hand into a fist.

“Don’t get worked up.” Gabriel patted his arm
to calm him. He worried that Charles would make himself sick. ‘To
be fair, Vincent has been through a lot. He lost his business.”

Charles jumped in. “His fault. Stubborn as
ten mules. He wouldn’t listen to advice.”

“And the divorce was tough on him, too,”
Gabriel pressed on.

“His fault again. I can’t blame Sonia for
getting fed up with him.” His father dismissed any attempt to build
sympathy for Vincent.

“You’re too hard on him, Daddy. First,
Vincent put his blood into that business. You know everybody was
hit hard back in the eighties when the oil industry went bust. And
even Sonia says they both made mistakes.”

“Swimming in beer and having an affair didn’t
help,” Charles insisted.

“Vincent had the affair only after he and
Sonia were legally separated.” Gabriel shook his head when his
father grunted in disbelief. “Look, no matter what you think,
Vincent needs our support.”

“You’re just like your mother, always making
excuses for him. I—Shh, Brian is coming.” Charles put a smile on
his face. “Hey, son. Finally got tired of that ear noise you call
music, thank God.”

“No. I fixed you a glass of lemonade.
Grandmother said to make sure you don’t try to sneak a wine
cooler.” Brian put the tray down with two glasses on it. “Cool CDs,
Uncle Gabe.” He trotted back in the house.

“Ridiculous. Your mother gets a baby to
babysit me,” Charles complained. “I can’t have the simple pleasure
of drinking what I like once a week. At least Vincent doesn’t
flaunt his crazy new lifestyle in front of Brian.”

“For all his craziness Vincent loves his
kids. He’s just going through something right now. Vince is going
to turn around. He’d probably do it faster if you reached out to
him. And I don’t mean to lecture or say ‘I told you so,’ ” Gabriel
added quickly.

“I’ve more than reached out to him. Vincent
needs to straighten up. I’m through holding his hand.” Charles
frowned.

“Speaking of stubborn. Vince gets it honest.”
Gabriel crossed his legs at the ankle and drank a sip of
lemonade.

“And why are you hiding out in that workshop?
It’s time for you to stop being such a hermit. Your mother agrees;
wonders never cease.” Charles stabbed a forefinger in Gabe’s
direction.

“Great. Now you’re going to be tough on me
instead,” Gabriel muttered.

“Your mother worries about you, son. Between
you and me, she wants more grandchildren.” Charles nodded at
Gabriel.

Gabriel laughed out loud at his serious
expression. “She doesn’t make it a secret. She drops hints every
chance she gets.”

“Your sister is buried in the business. Not
that I’m complaining. Thank God Toni took an interest, what with
you building chairs and Vincent working for someone else.” Charles
shook his head slowly and drank more lemonade.

‘Toni is great at what she does, and she’s
happy.” Gabriel wondered why that wasn’t enough for parents when it
came to their children.

At twenty-seven Toni was busy managing the
family assets. She’d not only studied land management, but also had
degrees in marketing and business. Gabriel was even more grateful
to her. She’d taken the pressure off him to run the family business
when their father became ill.

“Your mother says she needs a life. I say
she’s got time. I’m just happy at least one of my children took
control. The Cormier land should be owned and handled by a
Cormier.”

“The one thing we all agree on. Even Vince
thinks Toni is doing what she was meant to.”

“Yeah. My father would have turned six shades
of red at me letting a woman take over. Hell, she’s got the brains
and the common sense. My girl grabbed the bull by the balls,”
Charles said with pride.

“That’s one way to put it,” Gabriel said with
a grin. He could imagine his mother’s reaction to that
description.

“Back to you.” Charles turned toward Gabriel
and put his glass down.

“Oh, Lord.” Gabriel slumped in his chair.

“Your mother knows a young woman she’d like
you to meet.” Charles held up a palm to cut off Gabriel’s protest.
“Normally, I’d try to talk her out of it. But Natalie Morales is a
wonderful young woman. We’ve known her family forever.”