Chapter 9
Bernie’s gaze went from Gisele to Gerard.
The man was frowning at something Gisele had said.
Bernie leaned close to Gisele. “What did you say to him?”
Gisele hugged Bernie. “Just that we love you, sweetie.”
Bernie bet that wasn’t all she’d said.
Mimi, Felina and Shelby joined them at that moment.
“We all love you,” Shelby said. “I just feel like we haven’t done enough.”
Bernie laughed as her eyes filled with tears. “You’ve done more than enough.”
Mimi shook her head. “Maybe. But I’m sure there’s more that can be done.”
“No. Really.” Bernie looked around at the women who’d joined forces for her. “I’ve been a terrible friend these past few years, and you still came out to help. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
“You’ve always been there when someone needed extra food on their table, offering fresh produce and meat from your freezer,” Mimi said.
“And you’re kind to animals,” Felina said, “taking in strays, big and small, finding loving homes for them either here on the farm or with other people who care.”
Bernie’s cheeks heated, and her heart swelled at the outpouring of love. “I don’t do any more than anyone else. And lately, I’ve been so busy I barely have time to wave hello. I’m sorry for being so preoccupied. You all mean so much to me. You’re my family, and I love you all.”
The women closed in for a group hug, laughing and promising to get together soon for drinks at the Crawdad Hole.
When they broke apart, Shelby waved Bernie and Gerard toward the truck with the loaded trailer. “Get going. If you leave now, you should be back before dark.”
Bernie thanked them one more time and climbed into the driver’s seat.
Gerard stepped up to her window. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?”
“I’m sure,” she said. “I’m used to driving this route with a trailer. You’d do fine, but I’d feel better in the driver’s seat. I have a lot riding on this load.”
Gerard walked around the front of the truck and climbed into the passenger seat.
As Bernie drove out of the barnyard, Gerard looked back at the people standing around.
Bernie glanced in the side mirror, expecting the crowd to disperse and head home. But they hadn’t. In fact, they were huddled together as if they were going to visit for a while before heading back to town.
Bernie smiled and wished she could have stayed and spent time with them. She needed to make time to be with her friends and neighbors. She’d forgotten how much she enjoyed visiting with them.
Bernie drove out the gate onto the highway, her heart full and almost right with the world after all that had happened. “I can’t get over everyone showing up to help.”
“They care about you,” Gerard said.
She smiled. “Yes. They do.” Her brow puckered as she recalled his conversation with her friend. “What was Gisele saying to you when I walked up?”
“Nothing important,” he said without meeting her gaze.
“Must’ve been important enough,” Bernie said. “You were frowning.”
His lips twisted. “Let’s just say she was showing her love for you.”
“Gisele is the granddaughter of Bayou Mambaloa’s Voodoo queen.” Bernie shot a suspicious look his way. “She didn’t threaten to put a spell on you, did she?”
Gerard clamped his lips shut and stared at the road ahead.
“She did.” Bernie laughed. “Did she threaten to turn you into a frog? Or to make you cross-eyed forever?”
“No,” he said. He shot a worried frown in her direction. “Has she done that to anyone else?”
“When we were in high school, a boy cheated on one of Gisele’s friends. After she found out about it, that boy mysteriously croaked like a frog for an entire week before he got his voice back.” Bernie shrugged. “Some say it was a coincidence.”
Gerard frowned. “What do you think?”
She gave him a pointed look. “I keep an open mind. And I’m careful not to piss off the Voodoo queen or her granddaughter.”
Gerard’s face blanched, and he laid his hand over his crotch.
Bernie glanced at him again. “She really got to you, didn’t she?” She touched his arm. “Don’t worry. She can’t hurt you. She likes to put the fear of Voodoo in everyone. It’s a wall she builds around herself to keep from being hurt.”
“Gisele’s afraid of being hurt?” Gerard blinked. “I’m sure most people are afraid she’ll hurt them.”
“Her evil Voodoo persona is just an act. She’s really sweet and has a big heart,” Bernie said.
“Unfortunately, someone broke it a while back. She hasn’t let anyone else close enough to risk it again.
It happened shortly after Ray died. She needed a place to get away for a few days.
I needed someone to think about besides myself.
She stayed with me for a week. We wallowed in sadness, drank wine and were there for each other. ”
“Well, she’s still there for you,” Gerard said, his tone flat.
“Ah. She warned you not to hurt me.” Bernie nodded.
“Don’t worry. You were upfront with me about your views on relationships.
I went into this with my eyes wide open.
Rest assured. I’ll be fine when you leave.
No broken heart. No throwing myself at your feet, begging you to stay.
I’ll consider you practice for when I really do get back out there and open myself up to dating.
” She gave him a brief smile. “So, you see, you’re doing me a favor by giving me a taste of what I’ve been missing and showing me it really is like riding a bicycle.
You never forget how to do it. You just get back on and ride. Right?”
“Right,” Gerard grunted. “Easy as riding a freaking bicycle.”
“That’s right.” Bernie nodded smugly. She’d been approaching Gerard wrong all along.
The man had convinced himself he wasn’t the right man for her.
She’d already proved they were highly compatible in bed.
She’d so convinced him that they were good in the sex department that he’d gone for morning sex with little encouragement.
She smiled to herself. A little reverse psychology might just do the trick. All the talk about her time spent with him being nothing more than a practice round would either get to him or prove he really wasn’t committed and never would be.
Based on how he was scowling, Bernie guessed he wasn’t thrilled with her talking about dating other men and having sex with them after practicing with Gerard.
Apparently, he was used to walking away and not looking back.
She had to make sure that when he walked away this time, he not only looked back but came back.
The drive to New Orleans went quickly. Since it was the middle of the day, the traffic was lighter than in the morning when everyone was hurrying to get into the city to work or in the afternoon when everyone was heading home.
They would arrive at the distribution center in time to unload the boxes and get back on the road home before rush hour.
Bernie’s distributor wasn’t happy that she’d only brought half the watermelons promised. And the price he paid was less than she’d expected. Definitely not enough to cover the taxes and put money aside to pay her personal income taxes in April.
Her only hope now was to sell a lot of produce at the farmer’s market over the next couple of weeks and to Broussard’s Country Store and the small grocery stores in the neighboring towns.
She didn’t sell a lot at any one location, which, in turn, meant she didn’t make a lot of money.
But everything would add up if she was very frugal with her spending, canned food to see her through to the next harvest and sold some of the pigs.
She might make it. If the trucks and tractor didn’t break down and the well pump limped along for another year and the weather cooperated.
She’d already canceled her cable, telephone landline and dropped down to the minimum she could manage on internet and cell phone service.
She could cut back on the air conditioning to save on her electric bill and burn wood in her fireplace instead of gas heat during the winter.
When they arrived at the farm, Bernie backed the empty trailer into the row of implements.
After Gerard jumped down to disengage the hitch and lights, Bernie pulled forward a few inches and parked the truck. She slid out of the truck and slung her purse over her shoulder.
Gerard met her in front of the truck and held out his arm.
She slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow and smiled up at him. “I’ll feed the animals and then whip something up for dinner.”
“ We’ll feed the animals,” Gerard said. “Then, either I’ll make dinner, or we’ll cook dinner together.”
Bernie leaned into him. “Mmm. I like that thought of us cooking together...naked. Do you know I’ve never had sex on a countertop? And this morning was the first time I’ve done it doggy-style.”
Gerard glanced over at her, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Are you serious?”
She nodded. “Serious as sin. I know you plan on bugging out when this assignment is over, but while you’re here, could we practice some of the positions I’m sorely lacking any experience with?”
Gerard groaned. “Keep talking like that, and I’ll introduce you to sex against the wall.”
She stepped in front of him, pressing her breasts against his chest. “Promise?” she said in her lowest, sexist tone.
“Woman,” he said, his jaw tight. “Not out here. We don’t know if the guy who’s been behind the attacks is watching us as we speak. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of a free porn show.”
“You do have a good point.” Bernie slid her hand into his back pocket and squeezed his ass. “But the cooking naked? We’re a go for that?” She smiled up at him as innocently as she could while talking about cooking in the nude.
“You’re on,” he said.