The Captain and the Queen is a celebration of all that is New Orleans. This is not just a sweet romance, but a glimpse into the very heart of the Crescent City and gives you a chance to experience the inner workings of Mardi Gras. Baxter Edwards, the captain of a Mardi Gras Carnival krewe struggling in changing economic times, selects a celebrity, Lyle Alexander, to serve as its monarch. Baxter is convinced his choice will infuse the club with much needed vitality. But when he chooses his best friend’s college-age daughter, Claire Boudreaux, to serve as queen, Baxter is surprised when he and Claire develop feelings for one another. Their love for New Orleans unites them but their age difference threatens to keep them apart as the disapproval of family and friends presents obstacles for the cross-generational relationship. Should Baxter leave Claire alone to graduate and begin her career without the pressure of dating a man in a different phase of life? Come to the Big Easy and let the good times roll.

EXCERPT

Nancy Lynn directed Claire’s attention to their left, where a group of people stood observing the musician from steps leading over the levee to the Moon Walk. It didn’t take long for her to spot him. He was leaning on the railing with his hands in his jacket pockets. The full moon loomed large behind him.
“I see him.”
“You should go to him, Claire.” She poked her sister’s rib cage, causing her to flinch.
“Stop it. If he wanted to see me, he would have said so.”
“How do you know that? Who’s he talking to?”
Baxter stood straight as he spoke to a young couple. He waved one arm left and right and then pointed to the Andrew Jackson statue.
“Tourists, I presume. It’s a little thing he does.”
“Isn’t he afraid they’ll rob him?”
Nancy Lynn began waving her arms in the air to get his attention.
“What are you doing?” Claire faced her sister with her back to Baxter. “This isn’t the right time.”
The crowd started the countdown. “Ten…nine…eight…seven…”
Nancy Lynn shrugged. “I don’t know, Claire. Looks like this is the perfect time.” She pointed past her sister’s shoulder.
“Six…five…four…”
Baxter approached Claire and grabbed her right arm, spinning her into a tight embrace. Their eyes met before their lips joined in a long-awaited, sensual kiss. Her hands traveled up his arms to the back of his neck and into his hair as his firm hands grasped her hips and made their way to the small of her back. Their bodies pressed together, at once joined, the couple melting into each other’s arms and shedding the awkwardness of previous encounters.
“Three…two…one…Happy New Year!” the crowd roared.
Lyle Alexander began playing “Auld Lang Syne” as a dazzling array of fireworks blasted across the sky above, illuminating Jackson Square and the river with vivid color. The sounds of the joyous celebration around them heralded the anticipation of an exciting new year for the captain and his queen, and the future, for this one exhilarating night, seemed bright and promising.
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