Page 132 of The Cajun Doctor

“Yes.”

“Do you have to go back to your house to get clothes?”

“No, I packed an overnight bag. And Lily Beth is there to take care of the animals.”

“You were that sure of me?”

“No. Only hopeful.”

“Speaking of bags . . .” He jumped out of the bed and went over to the dresser where he dug into the bag she’d brought upstairs with her. “Aha!” he said, holding up two objects. “What’ll it be, baby? Balls or vibes?”

“Aren’t you tired? Aren’t men supposed to be incapable of doing it more than once or twice a night?”

“It’s amazing how a little nap can energize a fellow.” He held up the balls, in fact jangled them in the air, then held out the object in his other hand which began to Bzzz.

She laughed and chose both.

Hail, hail, the gang’s all here . . .

Even though it was only four p.m. they were late for Tante Lulu’s birthday bash at Luc LeDeux’s luxurious home outside of Houma. When he’d seen Samantha come down the stairs at Bayou Rose in that strapless, green, satiny sundress, wearing those fuck-me black high heels with the little straps around her ankles, highlighting an ankle bracelet, he just had to show her how good she looked. Afterward, she’d had to repair her makeup, but did she look like she cared? Hell, no, and thank God!

He glanced at her and smiled. Little did she know, there was a sex flush on her chest and neck, and her lips looked kiss-bruised. She smiled back at him in a knowing way. He figured he looked as if he’d had his coals raked, too.

God, how he loved this woman! Wonder filled him, that he had fallen so hard, so fast for her. And even greater wonder, she returned the sentiment.

He linked his fingers with hers as they walked side by side. They’d had to park more than a block away because there were so many cars. Even though this was supposed to be family only, and a few friends, Luc had told them, when they called to say they would be late, that he had expected seventy-five people, but at least a hundred had shown up so far.

It always amazed Daniel that he had lived more than thirty years in Alaska without knowing he had such a large family here in Louisiana. Not just Tante Lulu, who was a great-great aunt (or something) to them all, but there was Luc and his wife Sylvie and their three daughters, Blanche, Camille, and Jeanette; René and his wife Valerie and their kids, Jude and Louise; Remy and his wife Rachel and their six adopted children, Rashid, Maggie, Andy, Evan, Stephan, and Suzanne, plus their natural-born son, Michael; John LeDeux and his wife Celine and their sons Etienne and Rob, and daughter Annie; Charmaine and her husband Rusty and their daughter Mary Lou; and LaVerne, Amelie, and Simone, whom he’d never met. And those were just the ones he knew about!

Missing from today’s party would be Valcour LeDeux, the father of them all. He and Tante Lulu were archenemies. If he came within twenty yards of the old lady, she would probably shoot him in the balls with one of her pistols.

“You look good today,” Samantha remarked, pulling him out of his reverie.

He glanced down at himself. He wore a navy sport coat over jeans with a blue dress shirt and tie. Samantha had helped him pick out the tie, which had given him more ideas. He was probably overdressed for a pool party, but he’d wanted to please Samantha, who’d said he should be as dressy as she was. Did he mention her sexy dress with the cleavage down to here, and those fuck-me black strappy shoes? She was wearing the nipple rings underneath, at his request. He’d probably have a half hard-on all night just thinking about them. She had sworn that she would buy him a penile ring in retaliation, but he didn’t know about that!

Once they walked up the driveway and skirted around the house to the backyard, they saw that half the people were dressed like they were, while the rest were casual, or in swim attire, especially the younger ones. The patio was converted into a dance floor for the music that was already being played by René LeDeux’s band, The Swamp Rats. Right now, it was a raucous version of “Diggy Diggy Lou,” a Cajun song about a man in the doghouse again. People were scattered around the huge lawn on folding chairs and chaises, or standing about in small groups.

A tent had been erected for food which smelled delicious, even from here. Another tent held an enormous cake, which Tante Lulu would have insisted on making. It appeared to hold only a few candles. The old lady had always been cagey about her age.

Even though she had insisted on a “no gifts” policy, there was a pile of gaily wrapped presents, just the same. Instead, Luc had asked people to send little memories they had of Tante Lulu, and the enormous album that held those notes sat beside the cake. In fact, there were two big albums.

Samantha’s grandfather Stanley Starr, who was a friend of Tante Lulu, came up and kissed his granddaughter, asking her if she was all right following the whole Nick Coltrane business. Stanley Starr was a character. Aside from being an astute businessman, he dressed in true Southern gentleman style (despite his Scotch heritage and other family members’ proclivity to kilts), complete with white suit, white hair, mustache, and goatee, and a straw hat, a la Colonel Sanders. They talked to him for several moments before an older lady, Fleur Robicheaux, Charmaine’s mother, called Stanley over. Fleur was more outrageous in attire and mannerisms than Charmaine, Daniel had learned soon after moving to Louisiana. Can anyone say aging stripper?

Tante Lulu saw them and waved. She was in rare form today, too, wearing a sleeveless pink dress, pink wedgie shoes, and even pink highlights in her gray hair. Her makeup defied description. Suffice it to say, there was pink lipstick. And pink dangly earrings. Samantha’s Aunt Maire would love her!

When she got closer, Tante Lulu looked at them suspiciously, as if she knew what they’d been doing, all night and all morning, even when Edgar arrived to work on the cabin. Then Tante Lulu smiled widely and said, “Thank you, St. Jude! The thunderbolt has done its work again.”

Samantha blushed, but he gloated. Let the old lady have her fun. He had the prize, and for that he could put up with her taking all the credit.

“Daniel, come with me. I jist remembered somethin’,” Tante Lulu said.

He glanced at Samantha who was now talking with Charmaine, who matched her aunt in a matching pink dress and pink wedgie shoes, but on her they were hubba hubba hot (Yes, he’d been hanging around Tante Lulu too much and picking up her expressions.) He squeezed Samantha’s hand and said, “I’ll be right back. I’ll bring some drinks with me.”

She nodded and blew him a kiss, just to tease.

He blew one back, just to tease.

Tante Lulu watched the byplay and smiled as if she’d invented love. She took his arm and walked with him toward the house, speaking to family and guests along the way. When they went through the sliding glass doors into a den, she went straight for her big carry bag and pulled out a small box. “I finally remembered where I put yer Grandma Dolly’s gift.”