Caroline sat outside in an adirondack chair by the duck pond reading the information she had gotten from the courthouse. Eddie had spent a few hours of quality time with her this afternoon and gave her an official tour of the house where she learned his and April's room was on the second floor. Seemed appropriate that they would be in the center of the house, the heart of the structure.
Caroline was perfectly happy in Rachel's room on the third floor. She shared a connection with that room, unsure why, exactly, but she'd been drawn to it from the moment she arrived here. And, though she didn't believe in ghosts, Caroline couldn't help but feel Rachel's presence. A purpose for coming down here. She didn't believe for a second that Rachel had killed herself. Of course, she made that assessment purely based on her crazy dreams, but her gut told her there was more to the story.
Nothing she'd witnessed in those dreams could be proven, so she would certainly be committed if she tried to tell anyone about them. She needed to glean hard evidence from her dreams.
Finding Rachel's journal would help. She'd been about to hide it somewhere before Caroline woke up. Then in the next dream, after she'd overheard an argument between a man and woman and turned to leave the scene, the journal was mysteriously lying on the ground at Caroline's feet and she nearly stepped on it. Was Rachel trying to tell her it was some sort of answer to her mystery? The key to a door that had been slammed shut and locked before its time? Caroline needed to find it.
Why, after all this time, did Rachel care for people to know her story? Maybe she's haunting Caroline's dreams because she's stuck on this earth until the truth comes out. Then maybe she can finally rest in peace.
Now Caroline knew she'd boarded the crazy train. She acted as if Rachel was really a ghost that was haunting people. Haunting her.
She just didn't believe in ghosts. She believed in Demons and Angels, things she'd rather not investigate, but not stranded spirits. Maybe Google could provide some answers to the unexplainable things she'd experienced lately. After all, some of the television shows she used to watch while burning the midnight oil studying mentioned Louisiana being one of the most haunted places in the world.
Surely she wasn't the only skeptic out there. Maybe someone else had witnessed similar happenings in the area and debunked the spooky tales, proving them as myths created to scare people. That would confirm she really wasn't crazy. There had to be some reasonable explanation.
"What a pleasant surprise."
A familiar masculine scent and smooth voice interrupted her intense thoughts. She closed her eyes, ignored the flapping butterflies in her chest, and pretended not to be attracted to the source.
"I'm not used to finding such beautiful women lounging around this old place."
She'd never been a good pretender. A gigantic smile engulfed her face as she turned to see Cade's muscular arms leaning on the back of her chair. He was gorgeous.
She tried to play it as calm and cool as she could. "Well, if it isn't the Jack-of-all-trades. What's up? Not working any of your twenty-five jobs today?"
He smiled with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, as if he knew something she didn't. "No, I decided to take the day off to prepare for a hot date I have later tonight."
"Hot date, huh? Maybe I should go inside so she won't be jealous to find you talking to me?"
His smile faded a bit. "I sure hope not, I'm not really into jealous chicks."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Everybody has a little jealous streak in them, it's human nature. The trick is how you handle it." She added with a mumble, "Some people don't know how to control it."
"Ah. . .so the Prince is jealous." A statement more than a question.
Caroline hesitated.
He chuckled. "Hmm, I hit a nerve?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm just thinking."
"What is going through that mind of yours?"
Her eyes popped up to meet his. "I was wondering how well you control your jealousy?"
Cade laughed boisterously. "Sweetheart, I don't get jealous. If a woman doesn't want me that's up to her. I figure if somebody wants all of me, she's going to lay claim and stick to it. I don't like to play games."
"So you like to be chased then? I see, too lazy to do the chasing yourself?"
"In your case, cher, I'm up for the challenge. You are definitely worth the chase."
Caroline quietly stared at her papers, not knowing how to respond.
"You don't think you're worth chasing? Worth fighting for?"
When she didn't respond a second time, he squatted down in front of her. "You don't have a clue how amazing you are, do you?"
She scoffed and focused on her fidgeting hands, "Amazing. Hardly. You don't even know me. I have my issues, trust me."
He chuckled at her reaction. "Don't we all?" He waited for her to look at him before he stood, leaning forward, bracing his hands on the arms of her chair. She was locked in position, caged by this wall of muscled chest, biceps and broad shoulders. Mere inches from her face, Caroline held her breath as he quietly spoke.
"I wonder," he mused and his eyes flickered to her slightly parted lips, "what it would take to convince you just how incredible you are?"
His intensity had her heart doing flips and Caroline struggled to remember how to breathe, much less speak. Then he glanced at her left hand and his smile faded. He sighed and straightened back up. Caroline instantly missed his warmth. "I see you decided to put the ring on." Cade cocked his eyebrow and smirked. "So you won't forget again?"
Her brow furrowed and she spoke sternly. "I didn't forget." She narrowed her eyes, "You're the one who seems to forget."
"What, that you belong to someone else? I haven't forgotten, cher. I just don't care. When I see something I want, I go after it." His molten eyes ignited her core, and she forced herself not to squirm beneath his hypnotic focus. "If you were my girl, I'd make sure your body and soul was so in love with me, you'd never want to take my ring off your finger." He shrugged and cracked his knuckles. "You haven't said those magic little words yet, which technically means you're still on the market."
Caroline huffed, the smoldering tingles low in her belly quickly replaced by her flaring temper. "I am not on the market! Technically or otherwise! I'm not some heifer up for auction at your local sale barn. I am a grown woman quite capable of making my own decisions, and I've willingly accepted a marriage proposal which means I am officially off the market. I made the decision of my own free will. I don't belong to anyone."
"That's more like it." Amused, he moved slowly, leaning down to cage her again. His face level with hers as he stared intently into her eyes effectively causing her anger to fizzle. Slowly and deliberately, he leaned closer. Caroline froze, sure he was about to kiss her, and her heart skipped a beat. . .or three.
She couldn't believe his arrogance, his bravery, or his blatant disregard of her relationship status, but, strangely, she didn't want to stop him. She couldn't. Her defenses were weak around Cade Beauregard. She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes expectantly. His soft lips pressed against her cheek.
"Don't forget, six o'clock, my place." She heard him chuckle, and when she opened her eyes he'd already headed toward the house. Slightly disappointed, she studied his smooth, confident stride. Something about him, Caroline wasn't sure what exactly—Trevor exuded the same confident sex appeal, kindled a fire from deep within. A fire she'd only ever before felt with Trevor. Whatever power that cocky Cajun had over her, she needed to ignore it and get her feelings in check. Forbidden thoughts and images of another man bouncing around in her head would bring nothing but trouble. Unfortunately, checking those feelings proved to be extremely difficult.
Cade fascinated her, and she couldn't help but succumb to his gravitational pull whenever he was near. He invaded her personal space, her bubble, and, for some crazy reason, she didn't mind. Normally, she would step back and cross her arms to promote more space in an uncomfortable situation with strangers. However, Cade's invasion was intoxicating.
Her heart flipped with a simple look, or brush of his hand as he passed, and Lord help her when he kissed her cheek just now. From only the few minutes she'd just spent with this handsome stranger, she felt her traitorous body giving in to the desire. It scared her to death.
Caroline closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of the weathered chair. She wondered where they would go or if he would get take out so they could eat in the privacy of his cabin. She smiled, giggly with excitement.
I shouldn't be doing this. Trevor would have a cow if he knew my plans for the night.
His goal in sending her down to Louisiana was to build a relationship with her father, not make a new male friend—one intent on stealing his fiancée. Maybe the simple fact she shouldn't be doing it was what had her so excited. Rebellious Caroline instead of scared-to-break-the-rules Caroline. It felt really good. And crazy. She'd only known this guy for a couple of days, yet a giggly inner-adolescent had taken over her ability to reason and act responsibly.
Completely out of character, Caroline couldn't understand where her newfound attitude had developed. It must be this whole mystical, spooky swamp town. Surrounded by the spirit of the bayou, and temptation lurking around every corner—well, from a log cabin, at least, Caroline was clueless how to handle this entire situation.
Her dad's truck pulled into the driveway and she gathered her things. Heading toward the house, Caroline glanced up at the third floor window from which Rachel had allegedly jumped. It was a long way to the ground and the statue she must have hit was no longer there. Caroline still believed someone pushed Rachel. She wished she'd paid more attention and made a stronger effort to remember the details of her dreams. She'd had no idea those crazy dreams would come into play later. Some details, however, stood out more than others, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't scrape them from her memory.
She met her dad at his truck and he gave her the standard hug and a kiss on the cheek. She really liked this greeting. Very welcoming and personable, it made her more comfortable.
He kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked in, and she saw something move in the second floor window. He must have seen it, too. Caroline noticed his eyes trained in the same direction. As they approached the porch, April came out to greet them. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and then a hug. As April hugged him she glared at Caroline over his shoulder. For a second those fierce blue eyes reminded her of Trevor's. However, unlike Trevor, it was blatantly obvious April hated everything about her. Caroline quickly looked away avoiding any kind of confrontation.
Delia met them just inside the door. She wore a worried expression on her face. "Sir, there was an accident in the kitchen." Eddie's brow furrowed with concern. "No one was seriously injured," Delia quickly added. "We're all okay, it was just a scare."
"What happened?"
She smiled sheepishly. "Well, sir, as Delphine was warming the oil to fry the fish, it seemed to burst into flames, like a gas leak or something. We were able to put the fire out quickly enough, but not before Delphine burned her arm. I rushed her to the emergency room, dropped her off, and came back to clean up the mess."
"Is Delphine okay?"
"Yes, sir, she will be fine. She had a nasty second degree burn on her left arm, but she seemed in good spirits. I'm very sorry, Mr. Fontenot, the kitchen suffered some burn damage on the backsplash of the stove and some of the cabinetry. I'm afraid we won't be able to cook supper here tonight."
"That's okay, Delia. We can all go out to eat somewhere. Thank you for stopping it as quickly as you did. This could have been so much worse. You are welcome to take the rest of the day off and tomorrow as well."
Not wanting to be around April, Caroline quickly asked Delia if she could ride with her to the hospital to visit Delphine.
Eddie didn't hide his disappointment. "How long will you be at the hospital, Delia?" April sighed in frustration and turned to go back into the house.
"Oh, I don't plan to be long, Mr. Fontenot. I'm just going to check on Delphine and see if she needs a ride home. I'm sure she's stoned on pain pills right now." Delia chuckled.
"Caroline, please—" Eddie shifted his stance and glanced in the direction April went. "Please, don't feel as if you need to leave because of. . .this. I—we want to spend more time with you. We can all go out for dinner if you'd like?"
Caroline seriously doubted April cared to spend a millisecond longer with her, but it was sweet of him to say that. Since she'd arrived, April dominated Eddie's time and Caroline hadn't had the chance to spend much quality time with him. Thankfully, she had a few distractions to keep her busy. "No, it's okay, Dad. Really."
"Caroline, I'm not—"
"I have dinner plans already anyway, but thank you."
He grinned. "Dinner plans? Anyone I know?"
She blushed. "Relax, it's just dinner with Ca—um, I mean. . .Beau."
A big toothy grin erupted across Delia's face. "Oh, Miss Caroline, you need not waste your time with me! Go get ready for your date tonight."
"It's not a date. And I'm not meeting him until six."
She giggled. "Go rest up then, doll. You might just be needing all your energy with that hunk o' burnin' love." She walked off the porch and mumbled, "I know I sure would." Then she laughed aloud the rest of the way to her car.
Her dad looked pleasant. "Beau, huh? He's a great guy." He winked.
Caroline closed her eyes and shook her head. "Dad—it's just dinner. I'm engaged, remember?"
"Yep, I remember. You're not married yet."
"Gah! What is it with guys? Having an engagement ring means nothing unless there's a wedding band with it?" She stomped away shaking her head in disbelief. She'd always thought when someone accepted a proposal, he or she made a promise to marry that person. Yes, promises were easily made and easily broken, but they weren't something she took lightly.
Caroline trudged up the stairs and rounded the corner toward her room as a chill crept up her spine. A cold tingling sensation similar to her foot falling asleep. She slowed her pace and her eyes shifted around the hallway. She inspected corners, creaky floorboards, shadowy doorways, and anything else that could possibly prompt this uneasy feeling. Nothing. Her stomach rolled letting her know she hadn't eaten all day. The queasiness it induced didn't help with being spooked. She hurried her steps and slipped into her room.
It was frigid, much colder than the rest of the house. Perhaps because her room faced east, hindering the sun from warming the space. Either way, the goosebumps on her skin protested the freezing temperature so she brusquely rubbed her arms. She shivered, hoping her overactive imagination was merely working overtime.
Caroline looked around the empty room before she strolled to the window. She considered opening it to let the summer heat inside, but opted against it as she brushed her finger across the initials again and gazed out over the duck pond. She imagined Rachel standing here long ago, etching those beloved initials into the glass, and wondered what Rachel's view had been like. Caroline doubted it was quite as nice then as it is now.
Cade did a beautiful job with the landscaping. The azalea bushes were blooming and the majestic water feature to the side of the pond had tropical plants and lily pads all around it. Caroline smiled as she pictured him slaving away to create this masterpiece. He had skills. She wondered what other talents he possessed, then shook her head to erase the sinful thoughts creeping into her mind.
Trevor, Trevor, Trevor. All things Trevor.
She had to admit to herself, she was a little. . .unsure if she was ready to get married. Her frivolous, unpredictable feelings around Cade made her uneasy and caused her to doubt everything she thought was solid in her life. To be completely devoted and in love with Trevor, how could she justify the butterflies and heart palpitations, and turning every shade of red on the color wheel simply from Cade's proximity?
While Caroline admired Cade's work and forced herself to focus on her fiancé, she heard something behind her—a
chair dragging across the hardwood floor.
She whirled around to see who was in her room, halfway expecting it to be Cade since she was just thinking about him, but no one was there. However, the old chair at the dressing table now sat by the bed. She hesitated while reality sank in, and a lump of terror squeezed her throat. Fighting the instant wave of nausea, Caroline rushed to the door to see if someone might have pranked her and could still be retreating down the hall, but the eerily quiet vacancy of the third floor confirmed her suspicions.
No way. It's not possible. She surveyed the hallway while rubbing her upset stomach, and solid fear crept up her spine. She zipped down the stairs and rushed outside for some fresh air before she lost it. She was thankful her lungs were busy gasping for air so she couldn't release the bloodcurdling scream that threatened to escape from her core.
Thoroughly spooked, she rocked slightly as she sat hugging her bent knees on the front steps and searched all possible explanations for how that chair moved. It certainly wasn't an earthquake. She would've felt a tremor or something, plus, she didn't know if earthquakes even existed in the marshy swamps of southern Louisiana. The floor wasn't sloped, and the closed window allowed no draft, not that a slight breeze from that solitary window could move a heavy wooden chair anyway.
So how did the chair move—rather, drag itself halfway across the freakin' room? Caroline buried her face in her arms which were now folded on top of her knees. There had to be some logical answer. She simply couldn't accept the ghost theory. Yes, she believed in the possibility that Rachel had somehow invaded her dreams. The scenery and furniture were too exact for it to be a similarity or coincidence. But Rachel's ghost physically haunting her? No. No way. Simply too unbelievable. Right?
"Ridiculous. I'm losing my mind," she mumbled and rubbed her face.
"Talking to yourself?" Standing behind her, April taunted Caroline by clicking her tongue. "People may think you're crazy if you keep that up." She sauntered down the steps and stood in front of Caroline, noticeably sizing her up from head to toe. Caroline suddenly felt very insignificant under her scrutiny. April mockingly tilted her head to one side. "Awe, what's wrong? Not feeling well? Judging by your pale, washed out appearance, you look like you've seen a ghost."
Caroline narrowed her eyes, not yet sure how to read this woman. When in doubt, politeness always took precedence. She pasted on a smile and squared her shoulders as she stood. "I'm fine. Thanks. Just getting a little fresh air." She gave April a quick nod and turned her back to the woman who probably continued to inspect her like a diseased specimen. She tried not to care. A menacing chuckle followed her inside, and she wondered if April's words were deliberate, or simply coincidental. Either way, Caroline received the crystal clear message of April's dislike for her. She just didn't understand why.
Thirteen