LaCasse Family Series

by Ju Ephraime

  Speaking of the devil, Foxx walked in just as she was about to go in search of him.

  “Were you asleep?’

  “Just for a little while, but I had the most disturbing conversation with Earline.”

  “Who’s Earline?”

  “One of my alumnae sisters.”

  ”You mean the women who talked you into leaving me without any explanation?”

  “Yes, don’t blame them. I was partly responsible for my actions. After all, no one forced me to act so irresponsibly, although the pressure was unbearable sometimes.”

  Pulling her to him, he enfolded her in his arms, kissing her on her head. “You poor baby.”

  “I just don’t know why any one of them would appoint themselves my keeper, least of all Earline. We didn’t get along. We fought all the time. She was the most vocal when I was down here.”

  “Which one is Earline?”

  “She was the tallest in the group and wore her hair in a short cut.”

  “Was she the one who wouldn’t talk with me, no matter what I did?”

  “That’s the one. At the time, I didn’t pay her any mind because I didn’t take her seriously. But in retrospect, I’m beginning to wonder if I wasn’t a bit too hasty.”

  “You bet you were too hasty. You didn’t give me a chance. Did you doubt I cared enough to keep you safe, then and now?” He was clearly upset.

  “I told you, Foxx, I wasn’t thinking. I was scared out of my mind. And with three of them going at me, I caved. Can you forgive me?”

  “I have already, Therèse. It was very difficult, but I believe I’m getting there.

  “I didn’t want to say anything to you before, but I’ve asked Clayton to keep an eye out to see if he spots anyone following you. He works as a private investigator as well as manages the café on the pier.”

  “Clayton is a PI? I know Clayton. Truth be told, Clayton is the only one I truly know on the island besides you. I used to spend a lot of time in the café. How does he have time to do his PI work if he manages the café?”

  “He has two young men who work for him. When I approached him about you, I thought he would’ve recommended one of his employees, but he offered to do the job himself.”

  “I like Clayton, and I’m glad he’ll be the one doing this and not some strange man.”

  “Would you like to meet with him to discuss things? I can arrange for him to meet us here tomorrow, if that’s okay with you.”

  “I’m okay with whatever arrangements you’ve made. I don’t like not feeling safe.” That was one of the things she most admired about Foxx; he was always a very thoughtful person. He went out of his way to help. She was so overcome that she was having a hard time keeping her hands off him. She’d wait until they were in private to thank him properly.

  “Foxx, do you have anything I can do while you are here?”

  “Are you bored already?”

  “Foxx, I’m not bored, but I could do something to keep myself occupied. I was thinking maybe you can bring the dinner napkins in here and I’ll fold them. I’m a great napkin folder.”

  “Okay, I’ll have Mark bring you in the napkins. I still have quite a few things to take care of before we can go. I plan on leaving here about 3:30. That will give me enough time to take you to your hotel and get to Wolfe and Daphne’s by 6:00. Is that enough time for you to freshen up?”

  “Yes, I’ll be quick. Now go do what you have to so we can leave on time.”

  chapter

  SEVENTEEN

  The rest of the afternoon went by very quickly, and soon they were saying goodbye to his staff as he hurried to beat the afternoon rush hour.

  She got to her hotel about four with just enough time for a quick shower and a change of clothes. Foxx offered to wait for her in the hotel lobby, thankfully, as there was no way they would leave the hotel on time if he had come up to her room.

  On more than one occasion, they had plans to go out and ended up never leaving because of Foxx. Once he got started, he didn’t stop. One kiss led to the next and so on and so on. But she couldn’t lay all the blame on Foxx because she was just as guilty, just as insatiable for him.

  She dressed with care in a navy and white outfit. It had a short bolero top with three-quarter sleeves that gave her a youthful appearance, but she wanted to look calm and collected when she met Wolfe’s wife. Generally she didn't wear a lot of jewelry, but tonight, she dangled some gold earrings because she wore her hair up and away from her face.

  Stepping into some gold sandals, she glanced at the gold clutch bag she planned to take.

  She gave herself a dab of Lancôme Trésor Eau de Parfum spray on her pulse. Foxx didn’t like her wearing perfume; he liked her body’s natural scent. He was very animalistic that way. He reacted to her natural scent powerfully, as if he were a wild animal responding to a mating call. She was ready. After one last look around, she grabbed her cell phone and took the elevator down to the lobby.

  She had time to observe him before he became aware of her. He was sitting at the bar, nursing a cognac, in a heated debate with the bartender about soccer, Foxx’s favorite topic of discussion. He was forever debating soccer with one person or other. If she didn’t interrupt him, he could go on for hours.

  “Here I am. Are you ready to leave?”

  “Yes, I’m ready. Take care, man,” he said as he took her hand and stood there just staring at her. “You look like my favorite dessert.”

  “I do? I thought your favorite dessert was double chocolate.”

  ”Well, you thought wrong. My favorite is standing next to me. I’m going to eat very little tonight. I’m saving room for my favorite dessert. Let’s go before I’m tempted to have my dessert before the main course.”

  “You do have a one-track mind.”

  He placed her arms around his waist and proceeded to nuzzle her neck. “What are you wearing?”

  “Trésor.”

  “What the hell is Trésor? You need not worry with you wearing Trésor. I’ll leave the two of you alone until all trace of Trésor has evaporated. All kidding aside, in case I hadn’t said it before, you look wonderful.”

  “Thank you, kind sir. I aim to please.”

  “Don’t start those double entendres. We have to maintain a certain level of decorum.”

  “Who’s talking about decorum? We’ll not go there.”

  They continued kidding until they pulled into the driveway of Wolfe’s house. She’d been to the house before when she was on the island, but now it appeared much bigger than she remembered.

  “Did your brother enlarge his home? I don’t recall it being so big.”

  “Yes, he put a whole new wing on it for Daph and the baby.”

  “Wow, it looks wonderful. I’ll try not to gawk, but if you see me doing it, please poke me in the ribs.”

  “Therèse, are you certain you want me to poke you? I don’t think I want to do my poking in your ribs, however, but we’ll see.”

  He walked into the lobby, and the elevator opened to take them up to the main floor of the house. That feature of the house appeared to be unchanged. She remembered going up in an elevator that opened into the living room. This was the only familiar thing about the house. Everything else was brand-new with such an air of opulence that, had she not known differently, she would have thought she was in the home of a major celebrity.

  The home was beautifully decorated, and she was gawking. Foxx had to nudge her for her to realize Daphne had entered the room by way of the kitchen.

  “Hi, Daph, how are you feeling today?

  “Hello, Foxx, I feel great, but I’m counting the days when I’ll have my body back. This must be Therèse?”

  Daphne welcomed them to her home, giving Foxx a kiss on the cheek and doing the same to her. This took her back a bit because it was so French. She was still trying to get used to the French way of greeting. They made everything so passionate and personal. It appeared that Daphne had adapted well.

  Daph
ne looked the picture of health; she was positively glowing. Therèse, on the other hand, was droopy by the middle of the day. The heat sapped the energy out of her. She didn’t think she could stand being pregnant in this heat, but it seemed to have no effect on Daphne. She couldn’t help commenting on it.

  “Doesn’t the heat bother you, Daphne?”

  “Oh, the heat doesn’t trouble me anymore. I’m used to it now, and I really don’t go out unless I absolutely have to. The heat is at its worst at noon, so I stay put in the cool air conditioning.”

  “Yeah, thank God for air conditioning. I don’t know what I’d do without it. I still wilt in the heat. I do the nap thing in the afternoon.”

  “Can I get you guys something to drink?” Daphne asked.

  “Do you have any rum punch?”

  “I sure do!”

  “I’ll have some over crushed ice.”

  “That’s the best way. Let’s move to the verandah. Wolfe is putting the finishing touches to our dinner. I try, but I’m not in his league when it comes to cooking. Come to think of it, I’m not in any of the LaCasses’ league. They are all excellent cooks. I believe they were born with cooking in their DNA.”

  Foxx headed for the kitchen, and then he turned to Therèse and gave her a wink. “I’ll leave you two women alone while I supervise Wolfe in the kitchen. You all know I’m a better cook than he is, right?”

  “If you say so, Foxx,” they both responded in unison.

  He stood there for a minute, taking in the sight of the two women together, amazed at how easily they connected. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn they knew each other before. They were laughing and talking like old friends.

  Shaking his head, he continued into the kitchen where his brother was having a difficult time controlling himself as he looked at the soufflé his wife had in the oven.

  He looked at Foxx, and Foxx looked at him, and they both burst out laughing. It was just too much to hold it in. Struggling to control himself, he called his wife into the kitchen.

  “Daph, sweetheart, can you come in here a sec?”

  “Are you coming out here? I can’t leave our guest unattended. Where’s Foxx?”

  “Foxx is in here with me. Bring Therèse in with you. I want you to take a look at the soufflé you made. It has collapsed, so now we have to improvise.”

  Walking into the kitchen, Daphne was unperturbed. “I’m sorry, honey, what would you like me to do? Are you going to rush in and rescue me from my faux pas? I’m sure Therèse won’t mind if you prepare the entire dinner. I was only trying to contribute my effort to it. Do you mind, Therèse?”

  “I most certainly do not,” Therèse responded as she followed Daphne into the large commercial-looking kitchen.

  Wolfe and Foxx were trying hard to keep straight faces.

  She thought Daphne would be upset, but soon all three were holding their sides because they were laughing so hard. Even she had to join in the laughter because the soufflé was sitting in the middle of the kitchen table, as flat as a pancake.

  Wolfe was holding on to his wife laughing into her neck; it was obvious these two loved each other very much.

  “Sorry about that, Therèse. I’ll whip something up in no time,” he told her. “I tried salvaging it, but there was no saving it.”

  “That’s okay, you don’t have to apologize. I’m sure Daphne didn’t intend for the soufflé to flop. I’ll eat whatever you prepare; I’m not fussy.”

  “How was your drive up here?”

  “Uneventful. You know Foxx. He is an excellent driver, and with the powerful engine in the truck, the miles went by very quickly.”

  “That’s good to hear. We’ll have dinner in fifteen minutes, tops.”

  “You don’t have to rush on account of me. I don’t mind waiting, and I’m not very hungry. I’ll hang out on the verandah with Daphne while you guys work your magic in the kitchen. I know whatever you two prepare will be great.”

  “Who said I was cooking? I’ll watch Wolfe; he’s the gourmet chef. Me, I’m just mediocre,” Foxx responded.

  “Says who? I think you are both excellent. But then again, I’m biased, and I apologize,” Therèse said.

  “Oh, please don’t apologize. I think Wolfe is the best also. So we’ll agree to disagree,” Daphne responded.

  Walking over to his wife as she took Therèse’s hand, Wolfe leaned across to place a kiss on her mouth. It was obvious he loved his wife very much, and she him. It was there in her face for everyone to see. Therèse felt as if she were intruding. They looked so good together. She wondered if it could be that way with her and Foxx.

  Once upon a time, they had been like this, but she supposed they had to get back there. Therèse had no doubt they would. She loved Foxx with every fiber of her being, and she knew he cared about her, but understandably, he was a bit cautious this time around.

  She just had to make him realize she was here to stay, if he wanted her. But she didn’t want him doing anything until he was comfortable with his decision. She intended to give him all the time he wanted because, while she was ready to commit, he evidently wasn’t.

  From the first time she’d met Foxx, she had envisioned herself as his wife, Mrs. Therèse LaCasse. That was how strongly he’d impacted her.

  Prior to her meeting Foxx, at twenty-five, marriage had been the last thing on her mind. She’d never even given it a thought. Her life had been about living the single life and having fun with her alumnae sisters. That was until she’d decided to open her own antique bookstore.

  She had always had an unquenchable love for books, especially the old classics. When she wasn’t able to get them in her hometown, she saw a need for such a business, and thought, why not?

  Young, she was determined to make her store a success and sank every last penny she had from her savings, along with a loan from her parents, into the business. To save money, she did a lot of the legwork herself; setting up the business plan, designing the layout of the place, purchasing the inventory, hiring an assistant, and going to the different book shows to hunt around for rare and classic books.

  It was the stress from working on overload, as her alumnae sisters had put it, was what had first brought her to Martinique. She was so tired all the time, and they thought she needed a vacation after the success of her grand opening. By mutual consent, they all got together and decided on a place that would be fun and relaxing for her to regroup. Having decided that, the four of them packed their bags and were on the next flight to Martinique.

  It was on her second day in Martinique that she’d met Foxx, and in the space of an instance, her whole life changed. She went from being Ms. Happy-Go-Lucky to having visions of being Mrs. Foxx LaCasse.

  In retrospect, she believed she’d been a bit overwhelmed by the strength of her feelings for a man she didn’t even know.

  She’d noticed him the moment he’d entered the coffee shop. Something about him had drawn her to him like a magnet. When she pretended not to notice him, she had overcompensated. When he’d said hi to her, she’d blown him off. But as luck would have it, she ended up colliding with him in the end and injuring herself with the hot coffee.

  When he’d come to her rescue and offered to take her to the hospital, Therèse knew her fate was sealed. She knew she’d suffered second-degree burns, but she’d felt no pain because her heart was rejoicing at being close to him. It was as if her heart recognized him, and she felt as if she had known him all her life. There was no explaining it.

  She didn’t try. None of her alumnae sisters could understand or accept the fact that she felt she belonged to Foxx and he to her. They thought she was in love with the idea of being in love with her hero, who happened to be super-hot, but it wasn’t that.

  It was as if the sun was not shining when Foxx wasn’t around. Her world had been dull and gray in the two years she’d been away from him.

  Her musings were interrupted by Wolfe hitting a gong, bringing her back to the present.
r />   chapter

  EIGHTEEN

  Wolfe poked his head out of the kitchen. “Ladies and gentleman, dinner is served.”

  “That took less than fifteen minutes, Wolfe. I’m in awe,” Therèse admitted.

  “Don’t be; wait until you’ve tasted the food. I prepared a three-course meal. We are having onion soup, stir-fry crayfish, and a vegetable medley. For dessert, we’ll have Daphne’s chocolate cake. It looks wonderful. How’s that for a quick meal?”

  “Thanks for saving the day, darling. I owe you one,” Daphne responded, giving her husband a kiss on the lips.

  “No, I believe you owe me more than one, but I’ll settle for two,” Wolfe replied.

  “Okay, two then.” Daphne laughed. “You are incorrigible.”

  Therèse realized Foxx and his brother were much alike. They acted silly all the time and seemed to say and give everything a sexual connotation, unless all Martiniquais men were like that. She couldn’t tell because she’d only really met the two of them in a social setting.

  The dinner was wonderful. Afterward they retired to the living room where she spent some time talking with Daphne while Foxx and his brother played and joked around like two kids. Foxx and Wolfe remained in the living room while Daphne took her to show her the nursery she and Wolfe had prepared for the baby.

  There was beautiful instrumental music being piped throughout the house. It was very relaxing and added to the ambience of the home.

  “What is this arrangement, Daphne? It’s very relaxing.”

  “Would you believe I’ve no idea? Wolfe gave it to me the day after we found out we were having a baby. It’s just in a plain CD with no label, and he has refused to tell me who the musician is.”

  “Really, I was going to try to find it in the store. It’s powerful music. It feels as if the artist is playing just for you. Isn’t that funny?”

  “I know exactly what you mean, but after repeatedly pestering Wolfe, I’ve left it alone and I just enjoy the music. I believe that’s what he wanted because he just gives me his secret smile every time he hears me playing the CD.”