The Pepper in the Gumbo (Men of Cane River #1)(81)
She rubbed her forehead. She’d been so focused on the mindless entertainment but it all went hand-in-hand. She wanted to ban one, without the other, and it didn’t work that way. It might end up sending Cane River back to the Dark Ages like Charlie had said.
She’d gotten what she’d wanted. Paul hadn’t seemed like he was going to hate her for it, if that kiss from the other night was any indication. But somehow, she hadn’t thought about all the other people involved. His mother, Bix, Charlie, the whole town. She’d won and there was no turning back now.
****
“We’re making an official statement later today. That’s all I have to say right now.” Paul tried to zip up his sweatshirt and wave the camera out of his face at the same time. Reporters crowded in, shouting questions as he power-walked down the sidewalk. He’d gone to Babet’s for a little breakfast and the reporters met him as he came out the front door. He hadn’t expected the news of Alice’s injunction to cause such a media circus.
“Is it true the lawsuit comes from an ex-girlfriend?”
“Is it true she’s your high school sweetheart?”
“Are you still living with her?”
“Who’s the other woman?”
“Did you promise to marry her?”
“Is there a baby on the way?”
Paul stopped short and turned so fast the woman tripped over the back of his feet. “This wasn’t personal. I do know the petitioner. It has nothing to do with us as a… as friends. Now, that’s all. You’ll have to wait for the official statement.”
He walked the block to By the Book, doing his best to ignore more and more absurd questions. Then he paused, undecided, a few feet from the front door. If he walked around the back, they’d camp out in the alleyway. He’d have to get a few of the security guards from the warehouse down there to guard the entrance to the apartments or they’d have reporters lurking in the stairwell. Going through the front, they might assume he was just visiting another store. He stepped forward, putting his hand on the knob, and then stopped.
Looking through the glass door, he saw Alice in the middle of the room. Her expression was one of shock and horror as she took in the madhouse just feet away. Her gaze locked on his. Paul saw clearly, for the first time, what his arrival in Natchitoches meant to Alice. Her life had been wrapped in peace and beautiful words, cushioned and protected from the ugliness of the world. It was a utopia and one he had never clearly seen, until now.
Paul dropped his hand from the knob, sourness rising in his throat. Involving Alice in his life had been a mistake. She had tried to tell him, tried to fight what he was bringing to her town. He hadn’t listened, just barreled through like he always did, so sure he was right.
He turned his back, pushing through the crush of reporters until he made it to the sidewalk. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Andy.
“We’ve got a problem.”
“Another one? Where are you? And what’s all that noise?”
“Reporters. You’ve got the rental car and I need to get out of here.”
“Okay, it’ll be a few minutes. You can’t get into the apartment?” He could barely hear Andy but there were thumps and rustling as if he were packing up his briefcase in the middle of the meeting. His voice was muffled, as he covered the phone. “Sorry, everyone. We’ll reschedule for this afternoon.”
“Long story. We may have to find another place.”
There was a silence. “Alice kicked us out?”
“No!” Paul nearly trampled a reporter trying to get his microphone near enough to Paul’s cell to hear the other side of the conversation. “I’ll explain later.”
“On my way.” Andy disconnected. Paul stuffed his phone into his shirt and kept walking. He’d loop around the boardwalk until he saw Andy. Pulling out his phone, he put in his earbuds and cranked up the volume on the music. Flipping up the hood of his sweatshirt, he could almost pretend he wasn’t being chased by paparazzi. It didn’t do anything to soothe the vicious ache in his heart. He’d been wrong to come here and Alice had tried to tell him. Now he understood.
****
Alice stumbled back to her desk as the reporters chased Paul down the sidewalk. She had done this to him. She had returned lawsuits for kisses, curses for blessings.
When he looked through the glass door, his face had borne such a look of regret. His dark hair was disheveled and he had circles under his eyes. He wore a simple black hoodie and jeans. When he’d first arrived she’d thought he was arrogant and showy, but the man on the other side of the door wasn’t much different than she was. He wanted to work, have friends, live in peace. Paul Olivier didn’t deserve that kind of treatment just for trying to open a store.
Alice wanted to protect the historic district and thought his store would hurt the people of Cane River, but she’d only seen good things come from it. The only person who’d been hurt was Paul. She’d been wrong. If she hadn’t been sure before, she was now. Her hands shook as she dialed the rotary phone, willing her heart to stop racing. Randy answered on the first ring.
“I’ve got to cancel the injunction,” she blurted.
“But our petition was approved,” Randy said slowly. “It’s natural to have second thoughts. Especially if you’ve had some negative reactions from friends and neighbors. But if you’re serious about this lawsuit, you can’t let them affect you.”