Bayou Paradox Read Free Page B

us permission to be here.”
    Tara sucked in air. His smiling really got on her nerves. “Consider this my revoking of that permission.”
    â€œNow, now, little lady, we’re just gathering some plants and will be on our way. What’s the harm?”
    Little lady? Chauvinistic cooyon! She gripped the flashlight tighter. “Besides the fact that you’re just asking to get bit by a snake or gator?” She shook her head. “Never mind. I’m telling you to get off my land one last time.”
    â€œSnakes?” The woman in the group sidled up beside him. Her chic hair shimmered in the near darkness. “Maybe we should leave.”
    â€œYeah, maybe you should.” Tara flashed her beam of light to the other two men. They held little cloth bags with leaves peeking out. Desecrating her bayou. She curled her free hand into a tight fist. “Now would be smart.”
    â€œI think we have enough anyway, boss,” one of the other men mumbled.
    Tara shot her light to the leader’s face—what was his name? “Why are y’all out here at night, anyway? What are you hiding? What’re you really doing?”
    â€œCome on, Vincent. Let’s just get out of here.” The woman clung to his arm, her red polished nails glimmering. A model lookalike was part of a pharmaceutical research team?
    Vincent—that was his name—shrugged off the woman’s grip. “Like I told you, we’re just gathering some samples to run a few tests.”
    â€œMmm-hmm.” Tara ground her teeth. “You have to just go.”
    â€œNo need to be rude.” The woman tossed her blond hair defiantly.
    â€œHannah.” Vincent took the woman’s elbow and nodded at Tara. “Forgive us. We’ll head out now.”
    â€œAnd don’t come back again or I’ll call the police.”
    He stared at her for a long moment before giving her a curt nod and leading the others through the bayou toward the canal. Interesting that they didn’t come into the offshoot the way they had earlier. Were they sneaking in? What were they really up to? Reputable research teams didn’t skulk around the swamp at night.
    She waited until the roar of their boat engine grew faint and then headed back to the house. What had Grandmere been thinking, granting them permission? It was that new religion stuff. Three months ago, Grandmere would’ve protected the plants in the bayou like a lioness protecting her cubs. Now she wasn’t even concerned about what she once cared most about.
    All due to the meddling of her sisters.
    The moon rushed from cloud to cloud. Too bad the billows weren’t heavy with rain. Lagniappe needed rain something fierce.
    Tara wiped her feet on the rug before entering the kitchen. She eased the screen door closed, not wanting to disturb Grandmere if she’d gone back to bed. She treaded lightly across the wooden floor, which creaked, anyway, into the living room.
    â€œI called the hospital to check on Tanty.”
    Tara jumped at her grandmother’s voice. “I thought you’d gone to bed.”
    â€œ Non, not with my friend in the hospital, ma chère. ”
    â€œWhat’d they say?” Tara plopped on the threadbare couch beside her grandmother.
    â€œJust that her condition hasn’t changed. She’s still in a coma. René’s with her.”
    â€œWho’s René?”
    Grandmere chuckled. “The sheriff.”
    Tara snorted. Big macho cop stuck with such a feminine name, even if it was a throwback to his French ancestors. “No wonder everybody calls him Bubba.” She couldn’t help but recall how the pain had flickered in his eyes when he’d talked to her about Tanty. Kind. Caring. Gentle. Wait a minute, she didn’t want to think of him like that. Her voice lost all trace of laughter. “Grandmere, I don’t want those people on our land anymore. Respectable research teams