Leaving Houma: A Sweet Southern Romance

By Akaysha Mynes

Schoolteacher Azalea LeBeau hasn't left the state of Louisiana since an incident as a child left her fearful and untrusting of the unknown. She is content with her boring life reading and hanging out with her cat, never needing to leave her hometown of Houma. When her best friend convinces her to follow her husband's band on a tour of Louisiana, Azalea hesitantly accepts.

Up-and-coming country music star Theo Monroe has no room in his life for romance until a sweet and shy teacher walks in and steals his heart. All he wants now is to show her how much she means to him, but their drastically different lives keep getting in the way.

When a hurricane threatens her hometown, Theo cancels shows to help her and her family get prepared for the storm. This budding relationship will have to find the calm in the eye of the storm or risk being lost forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Akaysha Mynes
• Release date: Jul 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223354369

Akaysha Mynes

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Akaysha Mynes

Leaving Houma

A Sweet Southern Romance

Copyright © 2023 by Akaysha Mynes

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

First edition

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

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For my Louisiana family who provided inspiration for this book.

Thank y’all!

Contents

1. Chapter 1

2. Chapter 2

3. Chapter 3

4. Chapter 4

5. Chapter 5

6. Chapter 6

7. Chapter 7

8. Chapter 8

9. Chapter 9

10. Chapter 10

11. Chapter 11

12. Chapter 12

13. Chapter 13

14. Chapter 14

15. Chapter 15

16. Chapter 16

Epilogue

About the Author

Also by Akaysha Mynes

One

Chapter 1

A soft breeze drifted in the open window, bringing a serene mix of scents from the flowers planted just below the window. Azalea worked to quickly prepare her dinner of Cajun grilled shrimp Alfredo so she could get out of her hot kitchen. It was the beginning of June in southern Louisiana, and the heat was a constant force to battle. Especially since her old air conditioning unit had suddenly decided to stop working. Her tiny house had a lot of windows, so she could at least get some reprieve from the heat whenever the wind decided it would pass by her home. At night, she attempted to keep the heat at bay by deploying fans all over her room. It mostly just blew the hot air around more, but the noise did help to soothe her to sleep.

The scent of the Azalea shrub held most of her attention from her small garden outside. Her mother had planted it for her last year for her twenty-fourth birthday. She coaxed Azalea out of the house for the day and planted it while she was away. The woman adored the flower, hence why her only daughter was named after the plant. At her parents’ home, the flowers were everywhere on the property. Her mother would find a new spot to add to her collection each year. Azalea assumed that was why she had started at her house since Mamma had started running out of space at her own home.

The radio played quietly in the background, filling the lonely silence around her. Azalea lived alone. Well, alone, except for her overly large tabby cat named Huckleberry. She lived in the town of Houma on the coast of Louisiana. This was where she had been born and raised. It was everything she loved, and she couldn’t imagine her life anywhere else. At least since the incident she had endured as a child, leaving her stuck inside an invisible shell.

Azalea was a high school English teacher. The most traveling she ever did was through the pages of all the books she read. Even when she attended college, she never left the state, attending Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, only a few hours away from home. She and her best friend from junior high, Hannah, had gone to college, attained their teaching degrees, and settled back down in Houma. Hannah was the free spirit in the relationship. She wore outlandish clothes, her hair was constantly changing color or length, and she always had some grand new plan for her life. She was a music teacher but dreamed of being a gypsy musician traveling across the country in a van. Azalea was content staying in her little house, cuddled up with her cat, reading a book.

Hannah’s husband, Bobbi, had been touring the country over the last year as a bass player for a new up-and-coming country music star. On the previous trip he had made home, he talked about the two of them moving to Nashville since that was where he spent most of his time anyway, and he hated being away from Hannah so much. It would break Azalea’s heart if they moved away. Hannah was the only person who could get Azalea out of her shell to occasionally taste what life had to offer.

Hannah’s name flashed across her cell phone as if she had felt Azalea thinking about her.

Hey, I was just thinking about you.

"Big news, big, big news Zae!"

Uh-oh, should I be worried?

Bobbi said they are doing a big tour of Louisiana for Theo’s anniversary of signing his record deal. They are starting in Baton Rouge in two weeks! The excitement her friend felt was evident even through the phone. She could imagine her friend bouncing up and down on the other end.

Oh, how exciting! I would assume that you are going to be traveling with them?

Yes! Daddy is letting me bring his camper, and Bobbi and I are going to travel behind the tour bus. I am so excited! I haven’t seen Bobbi play in person in so long.

"Well, this is very exciting news. I was worried that you would tell me something crazy like you sold your house or something." Silence stretched across the line. Azalea’s pulse quickened.

"Did you sell your house?"

"No, we haven’t sold it."

Are you at home? I’m coming right over!

Yes, Ma’am, I’m home.

Did you make supper yet?

I was going to have a sandwich—

I’m bringing some Cajun shrimp Alfredo. Start toasting p some garlic bread. Or, never mind, I will start it once I get there. I don’t want you starting a fire again.

It was one time!

"Once at your house now. Remember in college when you started a dorm fire over ramen noodles?"

Okay, okay. I will see you in a few minutes. Bye!

Azalea hung the phone up and quickly finished the dish, then fished out a to-go container from her bottom cabinet that would fit all the food in it. Huckleberry meowed at her loudly from his spot on the windowsill.

I will be back soon, Huck. Be a good boy while I’m gone. She gathered everything up and dashed out the door.

Hannah met Azalea on her front porch and helped carry in the food. Azalea started some garlic toast in the oven before she began to grill her friend to see what exactly was happening?!

Now, Zae, before you freak out on me. Hear me out. Bobbi has been away most of the last year, and we don’t know if we can continue this lifestyle, she paused. Zae, I’m pregnant. Azalea thought her eyes might pop right out of her head. She had no idea her friend was even trying to get pregnant, let alone that Bobbi had been home enough for something like this to happen. Her head swelled, and she quickly searched for a seat before passing out.

I know what you’re thinking, Zae, and no, we weren’t exactly trying. It just happened. Everything in Hannah’s life just happened. The woman never planned a thing. She and Bobbi had met during their senior year of college, and they married after knowing each other for only six months. They eloped in Las Vegas, and when Hannah got home and told Azalea the news, she had said it just happened.

"Wow, Hannah. That’s a lot. So, you are pregnant, and you two are moving?"

Yes, and yes. I don’t want to raise a newborn without Bobbi, and he loves playing for Theo, so it’s what’s best. I’m sorry I threw it all at you at once. Are you okay?

"Am I okay? Are you okay? How are you feeling? When did you find out, and why, on

Earth, am I just now finding out?" Azalea rose from her chair, now able to stand again, and grabbed the toast from the oven. She was grateful Hannah’s house had a wonderfully working air conditioner and could actually turn the oven on in her house in the summer.

"I’m feeling great. I only found out yesterday after I had gone to the doctor. So, it hasn’t been that long since you were in the dark. I told Bobbi this morning, and we planned everything out today. We are putting the house up for sale and are going to buy an RV." Hannah began spooning the Alfredo onto plates while Azalea cut up the bread. They had always worked well together despite their many differences. The two women made their way over to Hannah’s kitchen table, which was a horrible shade of bright yellow, and began eating their meal.

You don’t suppose an RV will be too small for a baby?

Babies don’t move much in their first year. At least I won’t have to chase them all over a house, and baby-proofing will be a breeze.

What if you two have more kids? Azalea pondered.

Hannah rolled her eyes. Zae, all these what-ifs don’t matter. We will figure it all out later. Quit your worrying and be happy with me!

Azalea’s heart sank to her stomach, I’m sorry, Hannah, I am happy for you! I, well, you know how I think sometimes.

"Too much, you think too much about things, you worrywart!" Her eyes danced with laughter. Azalea smiled softly, then scrunched her nose at her friend. It wasn’t the first time she had been called that. Hannah called her that quite often through the years. Her mother started calling her that as well.

Well, the trip with Bobbi should be fun, though. Where are they going?

"They start in Baton Rouge on Thursday and Friday, then go to New Orleans on Saturday and Sunday. They come here to Houma the next week on Thursday, so we can spend a little time together at home in between those shows. Lafayette Friday, Alexandria Saturday. The last bit is the following week up in Shreveport, Thursday and Friday, and then it all ends in Theo’s hometown of Monroe on Saturday and Sunday. Did you know that’s where his stage name came from? Since he was from Monroe and nobody could pronounce his actual name, he decided on Theo Monroe."

Hmmm, I never would have guessed.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the competition.

You remember how excited all the kids got when he announced that competition. We learned more about him from the kids than we would probably have learned from the man himself. Azalea thought back to the beginning of the previous school year. Hannah had announced that Theo Monroe was holding a nationwide competition for high school students to write a song he would release as a single. Hannah had roped Azalea in to help with the lyrics portion, assisting the kids who wanted to submit a song, while Hannah helped them with the music portion. So, they met after school and on weekends while the ten kids worked on the songs they submitted for the competition. The kids had fallen in love with the process, and even though none of their students had won, they all had a new dream and passion to follow.

Suddenly, Hannah’s eyes grew as wide as a saucer. Her hands began waving around frantically. Azalea was worried for a moment that the woman was choking, but it turned out she was just excited.

Ooo, I have an idea! Genius, it’s pure genius! Hannah announced enthusiastically. Azalea laughed. Hannah’s ideas were always at a genius level in her book.

What is it?

You should come with me! The words exploded out of her mouth.

Go with you? Hmm. I don’t know, Hannah. I’m not much for traveling, and I’d hate to impose on you and Bobbi. Plus, I don’t know what I’d do with Huckleberry.

Uh-uh. Now, don’t start with all the excuses, Zae. This will be a great way for us to spend time together before I move and you go back to school in the fall. It won’t hurt you to travel some. You aren’t leaving the state, for crying out loud. It won’t be imposing on Bobbi and me, and you can keep me company while he is rehearsing and during the shows. And as far as Mr. Huckleberry, you know your Mamma will come to feed the beast while you are away. You gotta get out and do something, Zae! Please, please come with me? Hannah broke out her best set of puppy dog eyes.