Marie was healing nicely physically but emotionally she wasn’t so well.   Renee asked Nell to go home to Houma with him to help take care of Marie.  She was happy to do it.  After a month of seeing Renee every weekend and sometimes during the week Nell had grown quite fond of the sheriff.  He was kind and caring.  She had not been accustomed to his type of man.   Renee had inherited the Duhon Mansion after the death of his wife and father-in-law and was glad to have someone to share it with.  It had been lonely in the huge rambling home.

Nothing else had been heard about  Gator Terrebonne.  It seemed he had vanished into thin air.  He was a master of the swamps and Renee knew he was just bidding his time playing with them.   That bastard likes the game about as much as the kill.  Renee thought.

Renee had set up a twenty-four hour watch on his house and Sarah Terrebonne’s. He was not about to let anything else hurt this girl.    He had failed his wife and now Marie.  He would NOT fail again.
 
Days rolled into weeks and it seemed every day Marie got stronger and her anger got deeper.  She began dressing in mens’ shirts and pants and wearing her hair down loose on her back. She covered all the mirrors and windows in her bedroom and kept to herself most of the days and nights. She also kept a knife on her at all times.  She slept with a loaded rifle under her bed.   She  would not  find rest until that evil man was dead.  Her thinking was so mixed up she had began to think ALL men were evil.  She had a hardness about her birthed by fear and pain.   Nell and Renee were both worried about her and tried to have her talk about what had happened.  The only response either of them could get was ‘that she didn’t want to talk about it.’

Renee liked to sit out on the veranda in the evenings after work and smoke and watch the sun go down over the tall cypress trees.  The heavy moss laden live oaks gave him a strange peaceful feeling. 

“Hey Nell, come and join me,” Renee shouted from the veranda.

“Okay, I think I will,” Nell replied.
 
“How was your day?” Renee asked
.
“Not bad, Alice Crockett, came by today.  Do you remember her? “

“No, I’m afraid I don’t”

“She was one of the girls that worked for Madame Gigi.  In fact, she’s the one who was in jail with Marie and introduced her to Miss Gigi.”

“You don’t say.  Why did she come by?”

“It seems the Rosewood House got closed down.  Alice was on her way to Shreveport to look for work and just wanted to check in and see how Marie and I were doing.  She also said she couldn’t wait to tell me the news.   It seems that Miss Moselle turned Gigi in to the police.  Oh, not for the torture of Marie; Miss Moselle told Alice she would find another way to get Gigi for that.  She didn’t want her sister to go to jail…only pay for her part in doing Marie so much harm.   Miss Moselle told the Chief a colored woman was running a white bordello.   Miss Gigi had paid the New Orleans Chief of Police protection money for years to keep her place open but when he found out that Gigi was Octoroon, a Colored person he was furious that he had been deceived.   She was told she would never work in New Orleans again.”

“Well isn’t that about the best news I’ve heard lately,” Renee smiled.  “What about Miss Moselle?  She seemed like a kindly sort, totally different than her sister.”

“Alice said Miss Moselle just laughed and said ‘ I’s the best cook in New Awwleans, I’ll have no problem finding myself a job but that no good bright baby sista she gonna find it hard to find customers at her age.  She’ll probably go back to California.  This time she not goin’ to have me along to wait on her sorry ass.” Nell laughed and slapped her thighs.  “Can’t you just see Miss Moselle standing up to Gigi like that not caring if it hare-lipped every cow in Texas.”
 
Renee burst out laughing.  “Nell, where in the world did that expression come from?  I’ve never heard anything like that.”

“Well, if you were a Texan you sure would have heard it before.”  Nell smiled.  “Marie smiled a little when I told her about Miss Gigi.  It was good to see a little of the spark coming back.”

“I miss that in her.  I think it’s going to take time but she’ll come back to us.  A lot of times the heart remembers what the mind cannot.  Now her spirit and soul have left her for a safe place but someday she’ll come home to Houma where she belongs.”

“ Renee, that is the most precious thing I’ve ever heard a man say.”

“Gosh, I wouldn’t want you to think I’m not a MANLY man.” Renee teased.

“Oh, I think you’re plenty of man.”  Nell smiled.  “Next to my brother I haven’t met a better one than you.”

“You flatter me.” Renee grinned.  “What’s your brother like?”

“He’s stubborn, like me, got the McDonald red hair, too.  We’re both tall; he’s over six feet five inches.  His name is Sam…Sam McDonald.  Only kin I got here in the states.  Both our parents are dead.  Rest of the kin still live in Ireland.   Married to a sweet little girl and got a boy and a girl. He joined the Army right after the war began but got part of his left leg shot off and ended up back home after a year and a half.   He owns a thousand acres of prime cattle land in Canyon, Texas.  I’ve been saving up to go back and buy the six hundred acres next to him and start my own ranch.  Finally, I think I have enough.  Rosewood House closing down is probably the best thing that could have happened.  Now, I don’t have any excuses.”

“When you planning on going back?”

“Soon, I guess.  As soon as Marie doesn’t need me anymore.”  Or unless you ask me to stay, you fool.  Nell thought.  At that moment she realized she didn’t want to leave.  She had fallen in love with Renee in the short time she had known him.  But could he ever love her.  His wife, Evangeline, had been a beauty.  She was just a plain old Texas girl.

Renee took a sip of his coffee and didn’t say a word.  Like a bolt of lightning he just realized he didn’t want Nell to leave.  He had been happy with her these past few months.  No, she wasn’t beautiful like Evangeline but she felt comfortable and stable. She was a solid foundation to build a family.  She had a glow about her and laughter in her eyes.  He needed her more than anything.  Renee got up walked over to Nell and leaned down and kissed her.

At first Nell was a little taken back then it dawned on her.  He’s kissing me.  She stood her entire six feet up and planted one right back and gave him a big Texas hug.  “I thought you’d never do that.”  Then she grinned from ear to ear.

Renee grinned, too.  “Well, I was waiting for some kind of signal from you.”

“Man, don’t you ever wait again.” 

Renee kissed her again.