False Pretenses by Kathy Herman

eatery. In fact I opted not to go to college so I could work at Etienne’s, this incredible Cajun restaurant owned by a couple at church. I learned everything I could possibly take in, including how to make authentic Cajun food and what makes it taste really good.”
    “How long did you work there?”
    “A couple years. The time flew by. I never stopped learning new things.”
    “So why’d you leave?”
    “Something awful happened.” Zoe stared at the wall without blinking until her eyes had watered sufficiently. “Our house burned down. My parents were killed. The fire marshal said it was arson, that someone had doused the outside of the house with gasoline. But the police never discovered who was responsible or why they did it.”
    “Where were you when this happened?”
    “At the restaurant. We didn’t close until eleven, or I would’ve been home. Maybe if I had been, I could’ve warned them and gotten them out. Maybe they’d still be alive.”
    “Or maybe you would all be dead, Zoe.” Pierce gently squeezed her hand. “I can’t imagine how horrible it must’ve been to lose your family like that.”
    “The worst part”—Zoe made her eyes water until a single tear trickled down her face—“is wondering why I lived and they died.” Was she really telling him this pack of lies without even flinching?
    “You’ll drive yourself nuts trying to figure that out. Maybe God has something special for you to do.”
    Zoe looked into his compassionate dark eyes and continued the story, almost believing it herself. “I moved in with the Thibodeaux family next door, and they treated me like a daughter. But after a few months I couldn’t bear to be in that neighborhood anymore. Everything and everyone reminded me of what I’d lost. After my parents’ estate was settled, I moved to Morgan City and went to work at Jourdain’s, a really upscale Cajun restaurant. I made friends with the owners’ daughter, Annabelle, and eventually we rented an apartment together. I worked at Jourdain’s a couple years until I discovered Les Barbes. From the moment I set foot in this gorgeous little town and the Roux River Bayou, my Cajun roots went down, and I knew it’s where I belonged.”
    “It must have been great to feel at home again. So how did Zoe B’s come about?”
    She took a slow, deep breath. Pierce was such a nice guy. How could she tell him such blatant lies? “I had tucked my inheritance away, hoping someday I’d open my own eatery. I started looking around and saw a sign that this building was for rent. Monsieur Champoux let me sign a lease to rent just half of the first floor and remodel it the way I wanted.” At least that part was true.
    “It looks great,” Pierce said. “Very inviting.”
    “Thanks. I did the painting and refinished the floors myself. I made the curtains and the tablecloths and found an unbelievable closeout sale on the French country furniture. It took everything I had to get Zoe B’s going. And all those years of restaurant experience paid off. The place was a hit and just took off. The locals love it, but I get a lot of tourist business, too.”
    Pierce moved his gaze slowly around the room. “I just live a couple miles up the bayou, but I didn’t realize Zoe B’s was here until a month ago. Discriminating Cajun that I am, I’m impressed with the cuisine. Your crawfish étoufée is the best I’ve tasted. You’re doing a great job here. I admire you for following your dream. I love to cook and have always wanted to be a chef, but I have neither the credentials nor the experience. The fact that I’ve taught history at Roux River High School for seven years means nothing on a résumé for a wannabe chef.”
    “Pierce, for heaven’s sake, you’re only thirty-one,” Zoe said. “Don’t give up on your dream.…”
    A screechy, scraping sound brought her back to the present, and she realized the rain had stopped and her wipers were still on. She turned them off and