Cajun Justice(34)

“What do you mean? You just got back.”

“Bonnie calls practically every day, begging me to come out to Japan. She says there is a job waiting for me there if I want it.”

“Well, do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you want to move to Japan?”

“Not really. I like it here. What they say is true: there’s really no place like home. But it would be great to be closer to Bonnie.”

“If you were to stay, you could run for sheriff. You’d win for sure.”

Cain scoffed. “Oh, God. That’s the last thing I’d want to do. Way too political. I’d just enjoy flying some fertilizer runs. And speaking of flying, we gotta head back. We’re running low on fuel.”

“Perfect timing. I have to pick up Brandon.”

After Cain landed the plane, Elise exclaimed, “That was exhilarating! It brought back such great memories.” Then she added, “I’m putting together a little picnic next weekend, just me and Brandon. We’d love for you to join us.”

“That sounds nice. I’d like to be there. What can I bring?”

“Just yourself.”





Chapter 32



Basking in the rays of early-summer unemployment, Cain fell into an easy routine at home over the next few days. He was helping out his family around the house, and even flying some crop-dusting missions for his dad. Tending the garden, making house repairs, and tinkering on the airplane was tiring work, but it felt therapeutic to Cain. He was eating healthier and sleeping better than when he was on the president’s whirlwind schedule.

On Sunday morning, as was custom, the family gathered around the kitchen table to enjoy breakfast together.

As they passed around the plate of buttermilk biscuits, Seth kept staring at his brother. “What’s got you grinning like a Cheshire cat?” he asked.

Margaret and Claude laughed.

Cain spooned out some homemade mayhaw jelly from a glass jar and spread it on his biscuit before answering. “It’s certainly not you.”

The family laughed harder, and Claude even slapped his leg a few times while laughing. When the laughter subsided, Margaret spoke up. “Elise has invited him to a picnic today.”

“Oh.” Seth smirked and nodded his head. “Is that why you were out early this morning washing your motorcycle?”

“Nope,” Cain replied.

“I’d wash my bike if I had a date with Elise,” Seth said.

“My Harley needed it. It was a long road trip, and the bike’s caked with bugs.” He changed the subject. “Now that everyone knows what I’m doing today, what are you guys doing?”

“We’re going to mass at ten,” Margaret said. “Like we do every Sunday.”

A typical Cajun family, the Lemaires were devoutly Catholic, and going to mass every week was expected. But Cain wasn’t interested in going to mass, so he didn’t reply. Instead, he just continued eating.

To break the awkward silence, Claude spoke. “I gotta fix dat fence post on da east side of da property dis afternoon.”

“Pops, I’ll fix that for you tomorrow,” Cain said.

“Yeah,” Seth interjected. “Cain and I can fix that tomorrow. It’s Sunday. Just take it easy today.”

Claude shook his head. “Nah, tomorrow will have eets own problems dat need fixin’.”

After breakfast, Cain jumped on his Harley and rode out to Evangeline Oak Park, a small and peaceful patch of greenery near downtown St. Martinville. Elise had laid out a blanket on the grass, a perfect spot under the shade provided by the oak trees that lined the muddy waters of Bayou Teche. Brandon was nearby.

Cain thought about their lifelong friendship. He and Elise had been best friends throughout grade school. They had been inseparable and became high school sweethearts. They even kept dating for a little bit of his freshman year at USL. But Elise never went to college, nor did she desire to leave South Louisiana and explore the world like Cain.

“Twenty years and not much has changed in this old town,” Cain said.

“I like the routine of it,” Elise said. “It’s comfortable.”

“I’ll have to get used to routine if I decide to stick around,” he said.

“Well, maybe today’s picnic will help you decide,” she said.

“Maybe.”

“But you’re right,” she said. “Being out here does bring back such great memories. If I could only go back in time.”

“And do what differently?”

She smiled. “Make sure you didn’t get away.”

“I didn’t get away. You couldn’t make up your mind. So, I had to make up mine. Started hanging out more with Bonnie on the weekends in New Orleans, and then joined the navy right after college.”

“Your sister never did like me very much.”

Cain laughed. “Bonnie never approved of any of my girlfriends, at least not in the beginning.”

“Except Claire,” Elise said. Her voice showed that she had never really gotten over that.

“Well, Claire was her best friend, before she was mine.”

“Mr. Cain,” Brandon interrupted. “Can I check out your motorcycle?”

“You betcha.” Cain stood and walked over to the motorcycle with Brandon. “Are you going to ride a motorcycle when you get your license?”