In Shining Whatever (Three Magic Words Trilogy #2)(65)

When the boat motors stopped on the other side of the island, Hart looked at her with a question in his eyes. "Is that what I think it is?"

She pulled an empty line up out of the water. "Let's go get our things"

Hart followed her, but his heart wasn't in it. Two days ago he would have given half his ranch for that boat to arrive. Yesterday he would have considered giving a fourth of his ranch. Right then, he wanted one more day with Kate.

Claud was sitting on the porch when they reached the house. His rain slicker was draped over the back of a chair, and the umbrella was in the corner. "Y'all both still alive?"

"Barely. Where's Bubba?"

"He's layin' low. Said Hart might still kick his backside all over Louisiana and he wasn't comin' out here," Claud chuckled.

"Wasn't bringing me out here that I'd kick him across the state for. What made me maddest was you bringing Kate and puttin' her here with me," Hart said seriously.

"Guess then in that light I shoulda sent Bubba," Claud told him.

"What're you doing out of school this time of day? Aren't you supposed to be teaching?" Kate asked.

"Took a personal day. Maw Maw said you two was comin' home today. Bubba, he said he wasn't goin' near Hart. Minnette said we have to do what Maw Maw says, so here I am.

"Y'all are alive, all right, but did you get anything settled?" He helped shut windows and rake ashes out of the stove.

"Ask Maw Maw. She's the one with all the answers," Kate said.

"Whew! Me, I'm just the delivery man. Don't be shootin' the messenger," Claud said slowly.

The rain stopped and the sun came out as if on cue, as they got into the boat. Hart found a seat and enjoyed the wordless tour all the way back to the marina, where Claud docked his boat and motioned toward his van. "I'll have you home in a little while."

Kate didn't think so. It would take all day and part of the night for her to get home, but she was on her way as soon as she could load her belongings in the truck. If Hart wanted to spend the rest of his vacation in Jeanerette, that was between him and Maw Maw.

She chose a backseat, leaving the front passenger one for Hart. He didn't take it, but crawled in beside her, making sure they didn't touch. Something had happened out there in the swamp. He wasn't sure what it was, and it might take several weeks to figure it all out, but he was damn sure doing it in Texas, not in Louisiana.

Claud started to help tote Kate's bag into the house but she stopped him. "Put it in the pickup. I'm going home."

Hart was on the porch and thought his ears had surely only heard what they wanted to hear. He jerked his head around to look at her, but she avoided his eyes.

Maw Maw slung open the door and smiled. Her old eyes, set in a bed of deep wrinkles, twinkled. "So y'all decided to come on back, did you, no?"

"You're in a heap of trouble, Maw Maw," Kate said. "I'm going home right now. I might not come see you again until it's time for me to put on my black suit, after the stunt you pulled on me.

"Chere, I don't give care. It'll be your loss, you do a t'ing like that" She reverted back to the deep Cajun accent that she used only when she was angry or in the presence of her dearest friends.

Kate stopped in the middle of the living-room floor, popped her hands on her hips, and glared at her grandmother. "Why'd you let Minnette haul me off to the swamp?"

Maw Maw folded her hands under her breasts and glared right back at Kate. "Mais, was you takin' care of the matter? I helped you, yes. You don't like the way I helped take your scrawny hind end back to Texas."

Kate bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling. "I'm half Cajun, so be careful"

"That's the half with some sense to it. Other half is cooyon," she said.

Hart waited in the doorway; Claud was on the porch.

"That means stupid," Claud whispered.

"You saying my momma is cooyon?" Kate asked.

"Your momma is a saint. She lived with my son, who was like his father, so she is a saint like me, yes. You got that stupid from your other grandparents. You get it settled. He's a good man, yes? He was a sorry boy, but sometimes they make good men," Maw Maw said.

"I'm not telling you one way or the other. After what y'all did, I'm keeping silent. And I'm taking my silence to Texas with me," Kate said.

"Then go get your stuff and get on out of here. Call me when the weddin' is set. I might come to Texas for that," Maw Maw said.

Kate blushed from her toenails to the tips of her hair.

"Hart Ducaine, you get your cooyon self in here," Maw Maw motioned.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I ain't trustin' her to go to Texas by herself in that big old truck. She's mad and she'll kill herself, yes. So you are goin' with her. Claud is takin' your car back to the airport, and Minnette can follow him."

The room went deadly silent.

Claud didn't mind a drive to the airport. He and Minnette could have supper in that little restaurant down north of New Orleans that they seldom had time to frequent. But right then, he felt as if he'd walked into the eye of something bigger than Katrina.

"Yes, ma'am, I'd be glad to drive her home," Hart finally said.