Deadline

by Judy McDonough

Maybe it was sneaky, but with the ambience of the spooky woods, Cade kept his arm snugly around Caroline, relishing the curve of her hip and sway in her hurried steps. As they reached the drive, Eddie pulled up.

  "Hey, guys, did you have a good time?" His suggestive smile made Cade chuckle.

  "Um. . .yeah, Dad," Caroline said. "It was great." She frantically tried to change the subject. "Where did you go so late?"

  Cade couldn't get over how cute she was. So sweet and innocent. His ability to make her blush with a simple compliment was adorable. . .and fun.

  "I ran over to the hospital for a while."

  "Why did you go to the hospital? Is Delphine okay?" Caroline had switched into nurse mode. Cade wondered if her fiancé really knew what a treasure he had in her. Cade wasn't sure, and Caroline didn't offer any clue to why she'd broken down crying when she first got to his place. Could be the ghost thing, but he'd bet his truck it was the controlling bastard who put that ice on her finger.

  Sure, the ring was huge, but did Trevor truly appreciate her? Cade seriously doubted Caroline's shallow prince was very charming. He didn't know much about Trevor, but from everything he'd heard about him, putting the pieces together wasn't difficult. A cookie cutter dick head. He'd seen plenty of the type.

  "Yeah, she's fine, she's resting in her room, all doped up on pain pills." Eddie laughed. "She was talking crazy. So funny. Anyway, I went down there to pay her hospital bills. It was an accident that happened in my house, and her insurance will pay most of it, but I think it's only right that I pay the rest."

  Caroline tilted her head slightly, the corners of her eyes crinkling a bit with her genuine smile. "That's very sweet and thoughtful of you." Cade fought the urge to wrap her up and run away with her. This woman had bewitched him and he was in big trouble. Falling hard for any woman, especially one he barely knew anything about, was not on his agenda, nor had it been for years. Their chemistry was undeniable, but the fiancé was a big issue. Cade needed to figure out how to remove him from the equation.

  Eddie faced Cade and folded his arms across his chest. The unspoken cliché—what exactly are your intentions with my daughter—loomed in the air around them. Caroline stifled her laughter as she led them both inside the house. In the foyer, Eddie continued to stare at him expectantly.

  Cade sensed the silent questioning. "Caroline asked me to walk her home."

  Eddie smiled. "That was very chivalrous of you." Awkward silence followed. "She's home now. You're free to go."

  Damn. I don't wanna leave yet. What should I say?

  Cade noticed Caroline pucker her lips attempting to hide her amusement with his squirming under Eddie's intense scrutiny. She finally spoke up, easing the spotlight off of Cade.

  "Dad, I actually asked him if he would come up to my room for a while. . .just to talk. If that's okay with you, of course?" She smiled innocently and apparently tapped his soft spot.

  He hesitated for an instant then pointed his finger at Cade, his voice somewhat jovial but packing a solid warning. "Okay, but no sneaky stuff, zinger. I'll be right down the hall." He winked and chuckled as he walked up the stairs.

  She whirled around, eyebrows raised. "Zinger?"

  He chuckled. "He just called me a swamp rat."

  She slowly nodded. "Touching. Nice to see you two have an amicable bromance. Makes for a comfortable, not-awkward-at-all working relationship." Her sarcasm wasn't convincing, but amused Cade just the same.

  She started up the stairs as he followed, but then she shot off in a sprint. Cade chased her, curious to see what sparked the burst of energy. When she got to the top she spun around, putting her hand on his chest to stop him, quite shocked to find him right behind her. She obviously underestimated his abilities. There was much more about him that would surprise her, she just didn't realize it yet. Her breathless anxiety intrigued him.

  "I need a minute. . .to. . .make sure my room is, um. . .tidy." She grinned, the tinge of embarrassment coloring her sculptured cheekbones. Cade smiled and nodded fully intending to break this little agreement. With four sisters, there was nothing about Caroline that could possibly shock him, and what was she embarrassed about? The woman had seen him naked, for Pete's sake. In all his glory, and he never saw it coming. A rare occurrence for him. His instincts usually took over and gave him a little warning. One thing's for certain, the next time this angel saw him naked he'd be sure he was prepared. He just needed to make sure there would be a next time.

  She rushed down the hall to her room with no clue Cade followed close behind her, and scooped up the dirty clothes. Cade leaned against the door frame and smiled at her modesty as she quickly snatched a pair of pink panties from the bed and threw the clothes in the hamper. Without looking, she called for him to come in. When she noticed him already there watching her, the blood rushed to her cheeks. He grinned and shrugged not understanding why she let this trivial stuff get to her.

  She gave him a dirty look and exhaled. "I should have known you wouldn't listen."

  "I couldn't resist seeing the beautiful color rush to your face again."

  "Ugh! You are insufferable!" She lunged and missed as he dodged her attack. "You did that on purpose. Now you're fighting dirty, zinger!"

  Cade cracked up laughing as she gave him a playful shove, then he wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug, pinning her arms to her side preventing her from moving.

  "Okay, so you're freakishly fast and strong. I give up."

  He gave a crooked smile and playfully led Caroline backward bumping against the wall so she couldn't escape.

  "You can't give up. Where's the fun in that?"

  He measured her response. He didn't want to frighten her but desperately wanted to kiss her again. This woman had him acting completely out of character. He worried about moving too fast, but when her lids grew heavy and her breathing sped, his instincts took over as he placed his hands on the wall framing her face, and pressed his body against hers. Her hands stayed by her side, but she made no effort to move. She enjoyed his touch, a fact that drove him crazy with desire, but he reminded himself he was a still a gentleman.

  When she looked up, her exotic eyes weakened his knees, and his lips gently brushed her forehead. He slowly dipped his head lower, pausing to silently ask permission before making his move when he heard a throat being cleared. They jumped apart like teenagers. Cade fully expected Eddie to be there with his arms crossed and a disapproving look upon his face.

  It wasn't Eddie. April glared at them while communicating her displeasure without saying a single word. Her long fingernails drummed an angry beat on the tops of her arms. Even as he held his breath, he noticed her store bought tanned skin clashed with the bleached blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun. She looked every bit the regal plantation wife except there was no genteel southern hospitality written in her body language. Oh no, this was anger, borderline rage.

  "Caroline, as a guest here, you need to see that you're respectful to the rest of the household and avoid the stomping. I mean, really, were you raised in a barn? It sounded like a herd of elephants trampling up the stairs. And if you're going to invite boys to your room, have a little class. Down here your last name has a reputation to uphold, and I'll not have you tainting it with senseless promiscuity." Cade could see Caroline swallow her anger, but she remained quiet.

  "And this may come as a shock to you, but some of us actually have things to do." April's voice hissed and Cade wanted to ask her how the venom tasted. Disgusted, she glared at Caroline like she was a hooker before shifting her gaze to Cade and looking him up and down. Her voice raised an octave as she took a few steps toward him and asked, "Do you have something you'd like to say to me? Boy?"

  Boy? She wasn't much older than him. He did not like this woman. At all. Cade refused to play her little game and simply offered his best grin, wishing he could show her exactly what this boy was capable of doing. But it wasn't his fight, so he chose the high road hoping she would just leave.

 
; Apparently satisfied she put him in his place, she turned to blow back out of the room.

  "Sorry, April, you won't hear a peep from us again," Caroline called after her. Cade wished Caroline would've fired back, but understood why she didn't. There was no telling what this psycho woman would do. Pure sugarcoated evil, she made Cruella De Vil look like a sweetheart.

  April paused for a moment, and humphed before she walked out leaving the door open. Cade closed the door behind her holding his hand on it so she wouldn't open it again.

  He turned back to Caroline in question and shrugged his beefy shoulders. "What's her problem? Does she think you're a child?"

  "I don't know. Who cares?" Caroline sighed, "While the essence of evil is still lingering in the room, let's get this over with. How do we start?"

  Cade feigned a pout. "You in a hurry to get me out of here?"

  Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. He'd rendered her speechless. Cade laughed at her bravado, but sensed the fear underlying her words. He didn't know if it was Cruella De Vil she feared more or the ghost haunting her room. "Seriously, do you want to try this later? I could come back if you're not ready."

  "You know I'm not trying to get rid of you. I'm very grateful you are here to do this because trying to contact a supposed ghost is definitely not something I would ever do on my own."

  Excited now, Cade set his push-button flashlight on the dressing table. He angled it toward the bed, turned the ceiling light off, and sat on the bed with Caroline. He heard her slight intake of breath when he inched closely to her. He smiled, taking a few deep breaths to get himself under control. His mind kept wandering to Caroline and all the ways he could take advantage of having her on a bed in the dark if only she was his woman and not someone else's. His focus centered when a heaviness crept over his shoulders, pushing on his chest and reminding him of his goal for the evening. He had a ghost to contact.

  Cade touched her hand. "I need you to try to control your laughter when I start talking to her because if she is a ghost, and if she is here, you will only piss her off by laughing at the very thought of that possibility. Okay?"

  She squeezed his hand. "Yeah, okay. I'll be cool. Just don't do anything too goofy so I don't blow it."

  He kept his voice calm, annunciating each word clearly. "Rachel? Rachel Beauregard Fontenot?" He could sense Caroline biting her lip to keep from laughing so he gently elbowed her. "Rachel, my name is Cade Beauregard and I'm here with your great, great, great granddaughter, Caroline. She was named after you, and you two share the same birthday. . .but you knew that already, didn't you?"

  Cade leaned back on the pillow propped against the headboard. Caroline's feminine smell wafted over him fiercely reawakening a long-dormant desire in his body. That combined with their kiss from earlier had his blood rushing to the southern parts of his body. It had been a long time since he felt this way about anyone, but he pushed that thought aside for now and rubbed his back against the linen. Maybe with his scent on her pillow she would smell him after he left. He was determined to leave a lasting impression on this beautiful woman and she would think about him whether she wanted to or not.

  The room eerily quiet, Cade kept talking. "If you’re in here can you give us a sign? A knock or something? We’d like to talk to you.” Much to his surprise, Caroline reached over and laced her chilled fingers through his. The temperature in the room had dropped to the equivalent of a meat locker, but her touch and proximity had the blood zipping through his body creating an inferno in his chest.

  "Rachel, I think you’ve been trying to send a message to Caroline, but she doesn’t believe me. She needs a little convincing. Can you help me with that?"

  Just as Cade grew comfortable with the feel of Caroline's hand in his, she abruptly tensed and pulled it away. He couldn't be sure, but the bed shook a bit, and, from the slight silhouette cast from the sliver of moonlight streaming through the window, he thought she was rubbing her forehead. Cade's heart threatened to burst through his chest as he remembered what she'd told him about her head aching between her eyes in all the dreams. Rachel was here. He could feel it. With wide eyes drinking up the dim room, and pulse thrumming with excitement, Cade carried on with his communication.

  "Rachel, if you're here in this room with us right now, I want you to do something for me. I placed a flashlight on your dressing table. We use these to see in the dark much like you probably used lanterns or candles. There is a push button on the end of it that turns it on. Can you press that button to show us you're here?"

  Caroline leaned forward and placed her hand on his leg causing him to flinch in surprise. His focus attuned to anything that hinted of Rachel's presence. He sensed Caroline's residual skepticism, but she at least seemed curious now. That was better than her boldfaced denial. Burying your head in the sand so you don't see something won't make it disappear. It was about time Caroline realized that.

  They sat in silence for a few moments staring into darkness. Nothing happened. Caroline broke the silence. "Well, I didn't think it would work. I told you this was a stupid waste of time. It's all just too impossible. This stuff isn't real. I must be hallucinating."

  Cade hadn't spoken, but the bed bounced when she jerked.

  "Ouch!" She smacked his leg. "What was that for?"

  "What?" He had no idea what she thought he'd done, but he hadn't touched her.

  "Okay fine! I'll be quiet, but you didn't have to pull my hair!"

  "Caroline! I didn't touch you. I swear I did not pull your hair." He couldn't hide the subtle chuckle with his next thought. “You'd know it if I did. Trust me.”

  "Seriously, it's not funny. You yanked it. That really hurt."

  Cade jumped up from the bed and turned on the ceiling light.

  She scowled and rubbed her head while he shook his. He wanted to kiss those pouty lips again, but she kept talking. "I honestly tried, but I'm not buying into all the ghost stuff. There has to be a logical explanation for all the freaky things happening to me, so you can stop trying to scare me into believing it."

  "Dammit, Caroline, listen to me! There is a ghost in your room. A ghost haunting you specifically. Believe me when I tell you, I did not touch your hair." He smiled slyly. "Trust me, if I was going to touch something of yours, in the dark on your bed, it would not have been your hair."

  She jumped up off the bed and scurried to the door. "Okay, that's enough ghost hunting for me tonight. I'm craving some chocolate. Let's go see if there are any brownies in the kitchen. We can check out the damage from Delphine's accident from earlier." Cade turned off the light and shook his head in frustration. As they made their way downstairs, he racked his brain for ways to convince this stubborn girl she needed to open her mind.

  ***