Love returns to Louisiana's Butterfly Bayou in a new small-town contemporary romance sure to charm hearts, from  New York Times  bestselling author Lexi Blake.   Sylvie Martine was prepared to take Washington D.C. by storm, but she put that dream on hold when her beloved hometown of Papillon, Louisiana, needed her most. Now Sylvie's the mayor of the tiny town on the bayou that holds her heart. But for Sylvie, this can only be a pit stop on the way to bigger and better things. The last thing she needs is an old love to resurface and threaten her goals. Rene Darois’s whole life has been about serving his family—no matter how much it hurts. He’s used to sacrificing for his large extended family and the company his grandfather created. But he can’t believe the latest demand: he needs to find a wife and quick or he could lose it all. It would be a horrible situation. But he has just the solution: his high school sweetheart. Sylvie is everything he wants in a wife—smart, funny, and caring—and he planned to woo her anyway.   Now he just has to convince Sylvie that their love is worth it all, or he and the bayou will lose her forever. “Lila’s strength and vulnerability are balanced by Armie’s intelligence and humor, making them an easy couple to root for. Blake captures the flavor of her colorful Southern town with a vividly drawn cast…. This charming series opener hits all the right notes.” — Publishers Weekly , on Butterfly Bayou Praise for the Butterfly Bayou series “Blake has created a couple to root for, along with memorable supporting characters and story lines with depth. Readers will be eager to visit Papillion again.” — Library Journal "Southern delight awaits in Bayou Baby ....This charming small-town drama is as smooth and sweet as a Louisiana drawl." — BookPage “Romance blooms between a former big-city cop and a small-town bad boy in Blake’s sweet and sexy third Butterfly Bayou romance. The vivid bayou setting is as charming as ever and the well-drawn characters will have readers hooked. This cozy romance is sure to please.” — Publishers Weekly Lexi Blake is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventy titles. She lives in North Texas with her family and two of the most adorable rescue dogs ever. She's a big-city girl who married a small-town boy and loves visiting his hometown. Except when the bears show up on the porch. chapter one   Papillon, Louisiana   Sylvie Martine sat in the small conference room and reflected on her life choices. It was barely noon, but it had already been a long day. "He had no right to do what he did," Leonard Denmore said, anger in his tone. "That was my friend he evicted. And with no cause." Justin Hardy's eyes narrowed. "I had plenty of cause. Let's talk about your friend trashing my property. Have you even read the lease you signed?" "I signed that for your daddy, who would never, ever have forcibly evicted a good friend," Leonard retorted. They continued on, but the world had sort of faded into the background because she had bigger problems, and they all had to do with the upcoming wedding of her best friend's brother. Seraphina Jefferys was one of her two best friends in the world. Her younger brother, Zep, was getting married in less than two months, and Sylvie didn't have a dress or a date. How many weddings had she been to since she graduated from college? Seven. She'd been to seven weddings. She'd been a bridesmaid four times. She hadn't even come close to putting on a wedding dress, hadn't gotten a hint of an engagement ring. And Zep Guidry . . . Papillon's player, never-kiss-the-same-girl-twice . . . was getting married. Sylvie was facing down thirty. All her friends were married and having babies and building their families and she . . . she was stuck. "You still have to do things right," Leonard insisted. "There are protocols for eviction. I should have been able to hire an attorney." "Like you have money for an attorney," Justin replied with a huff. "You can barely pay your rent. You're lucky I'm not trying to evict you." People were starting to notice. If she'd stayed in DC, she would be just one more ambitious woman trying to make her way in the world. No one would question her single status. In fact, they would consider her young to think about settling down. Here in Papillon, she was practically an old maid. Which shouldn't matter. But it did. Sometimes she wondered if she should run. Pack a bag, catch a plane, and disappear. Her momma would worry, but she could send her a postcard every now and then, letting her know she was all right and sane. "How am I supposed to present a raccoon with an eviction notice? It can't read," Justin replied. "I would love to see you get that raccoon a lawyer. That would go over great with the judge. Although, who knows, maybe you people have raccoon court. It wouldn't shock me." Sane was important. Sane would be nice. Sane was hard to find here in Papillon. Somewhere outside this little bayo