Page 4 of Jacques

Not wanting to interrupt, Danny headed back toward the bar.

“Yo, Hank Patterson, you old son of a bitch,” boomed a voice behind her.

The sound triggered

Danny spun so fast that the tray of empties shook violently, tipped, and the mugs and bottles dropped to the ground. She stood, transfixed, staring at the people entering the tent. A couple, two strange men wearing lineman uniforms for one of the utility companies that had come to help restore electricity to the area, and three more men dressed in khaki slacks and polo shirts.

The linemen took a seat at one of the empty picnic tables, the couple joined people at another table and the three men in khaki crossed to where Hank Patterson and his wife stood talking with Remy Montagne, the man in charge of the Bayou Brotherhood Protectors.

A small dog darted between the legs of the group, followed by a little boy.

“Banjo!” the boy called out, pushing his way through the men.

“Easy, soldier,” one of the men said.

Danny gasped, her glance searching the faces for the man who’d spoken. They were too close together, and their backs were turned to her.

But that voice, the tone, those two words...

Danny’s knees buckled. She sank to the ground.

Jacques appeared at her side, squatting to his haunches. “Hey, are you all right?”

She gave him a tight smile and gathered empty bottles and broken glass, pretending she’d meant to drop to the ground to clean up her mess. She didn’t want him or anyone else to know her legs had given out over a single voice.

“I’m fine,” she lied softly. “I must have tripped or something.” Like an automaton, she gathered the pieces, all her attention on the voices around her, not the broken shards.

When Danny reached for a jagged piece of glass, Jacques’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before her fingers touched the sharp edge.

“I’ll get it.” Jacques carefully lifted the broken glass onto the tray and finished cleaning up the pieces. When he’d found all that he could, he rose and drew Danny to her feet.

Her gaze turned toward the men wearing khaki. She swayed.

Jacques slipped an arm around her waist, gently lending his support. When she stood steady, he lowered his arm to his side. “Steady?”

She nodded and bent to retrieve the tray of glass.

Again, Jacques stopped her before she could and lifted the tray.

“I can do that,” she whispered.

“I know you can,” he said and grinned. “It’s just that my mama taught me manners, and I can’t help myself but show off how well they took.”

Danny stared at the man for a long moment before she gave him a quirky smile. “She would be proud. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

He gave her a single nod and stood back.

Danny hurried away, dumped the broken glass into the trash and set the good glasses in the sink.

Lissette appeared at her side. “I’m here to help. Where do you need me to start?”

Danny pointed out the tables she’d been covering and told her who needed what. “I need to take a break for a minute. Can you handle it?”

“Sure,” Lissette smiled. “You’re kind of pale. You should sit and let someone else serve you for a while. Go on. Find a table. Do you want beer, wine or a soda?”

“Nothing,” Danny said. “I just need to step out for a minute.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this,” Lissette insisted.