Deadline

by Judy McDonough

Caroline sprinted up to her room thrilled to be there again. For the first time in four years she was finally in a place she wanted to call home. She traced her finger over Rachel's initials etched into the window glass. On the drive back to Golden Meadow with her dad, Caroline mentioned she'd like to visit Rachel's grave. She didn't know if Rachel would ever come to her in her dreams again, and thought it would be nice to say thank you and goodbye. Eddie agreed.

  Caroline whispered a thank you as she lay a single red rose at the base of the regal angel-topped tombstone. Rachel had saved her life as much as Cade had, and for that Caroline would be forever in her debt. As the sun descended behind the tomb, shadows from the elevated angel's wings fanned across the ground creating a spooky pattern.

  A tremor crept up her spine. All this ghost stuff still freaked her out and she wondered if she'd have anymore unexpected visits from the spirit world. A little pep in her step propelled Caroline's return to Eddie's truck so she could get away from the cemetery before dark. Just in case.

  Caroline shivered again as she recalled her final visit with Rachel. She rubbed her finger across the initials once more before her gaze shifted out over the duck pond. The statue of the Virgin Mary that had been strategically placed close to the edge of the duck pond was now in dead center. She chuckled, certain Cade had been the one to move it.

  The door knob jiggled behind her and she made eye contact with the piercing blue eyes she had come to loathe during the past few months. Interesting that her eyes were the same exact shade of blue as Trevor's, which Caroline had loved so much until now. April's shocked expression amused Caroline.

  "What the hell are you doing here?"

  Caroline forced a grin. "Nice to see you, too."

  "Aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon?"

  "Nah, I changed my mind." She shrugged, nonchalantly.

  April flustered over the extreme change of plans. Her face crumpled into a confused frown. "W-what do you mean you changed your mind?"

  "That's exactly what I mean. I changed my mind. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get settled into my room, again."

  "Actually, I do mind. What do you think you're doing here?"

  As sarcastically as she could manage, she cheerfully answered, "I'm going to live here now. Aren't you so glad? We can be BFF's."

  Daggers shot from April's eyes. "Shouldn't you be living with your husband? What does your father say about this?"

  She clearly hadn't heard what happened at the wedding. "My father is the one who drove me back here. By the way. . .I missed you at the wedding."

  She stumbled over her words now. "Well, I-I had—where's Trevor?"

  "Tell me again why that's any of your business?"

  April stepped up to her and narrowed her eyes. "Listen here, you little tart! You should mind how you talk to people." Close enough to have a good look, she scrutinized Caroline's face, zeroing in on the place Trevor had struck her. "You never know what someone could be capable of."

  "Why, April, that sounded dangerously like a threat. Maybe it's you who should mind how you talk to people."

  "No, sweetheart. You have no idea who you're dealing with." She turned on her heel and headed out the door.

  Caroline cracked her knuckles. She'd like to show April what she was capable of. The days of shy, weak, too-afraid-of-confrontation Caroline were over. She'd turned a new leaf and things would be a lot different from now on. Better. She cradled her cheek, thankful the swelling went down quickly and the bruising minimal.

  She went back downstairs to see if Eddie needed any help with her things. Outside, her heart jumped into her throat when she saw the broad shoulders and gleaming face. Cade rushed up on the porch, and swung her around in a bear hug.

  "Hey, sweet girl! I'm happy to see you again!" He kissed her cheek, careful not to touch the tender area and admired her face. "You look beautiful. How are you feeling?"

  Trying to keep her cool, Caroline couldn't stop smiling. "I'm feeling great. Happy to be single." She took a step back and nervously fingered a lock of her hair. "Thank you so much for doing the research and making the effort to come all the way up there and enlighten me. You were right, that would have been the biggest mistake I ever made. And if you hadn't saved me, yet again, I would probably be attending my father's funeral right about now."

  Caroline fidgeted with her cuticles before stating the obvious. "I can't believe how quickly Trevor turned on me. Everyone tried to warn me, but I wouldn't listen. So, thank you for being persistent enough to finally get through just in time. I honestly don't know what I would do without you in my life."

  "Sweet Caroline, it is always a pleasure to come to your rescue. He's lucky he had so many witnesses present, that's all I gotta say about that." He stroked his finger along her jaw. "I'm just grateful you were willing to listen to what I had to say on such an important day. I can't tell you how excited I was to see your car here." Cade casually leaned against a large white column and crossed his ankles. Caroline admired his relaxed pose and billboard-worthy looks. So handsome. "So how long do you get to stay this time? When do you have to be back for class?"

  She smiled and looked down at her feet. Bashfully, she tucked her hair behind an ear. She hoped he hadn't caught her fantasizing about him. "Well, I was getting tired of living around a bunch of Yankees, so I thought I might stick around here for a while."

  Cade's jubilation was priceless. "Yeah? A while? How long is that, exactly?"

  "I was accepted to the nursing program at LSU. I don't start till the spring, so I have a little time off to take a breather and relax." She smiled sweetly. "You don't know anyone around here who could show me around, do you? Someone to teach me the dialect?"

  He smirked. "I'm sure I can dig up some poor yahoo to do the job." He gently kissed her cheek again and one corner of his mouth curved into a grin. He ran his fingers through her hair and cradled her face in both hands. "If it's too soon, let me know, but I heard you weren't engaged anymore and I've been dying to kiss those lips since you walked out that door."

  Caroline's cheeks burned prompting a playful grin from her real life hero. "That's the rumor. I am currently unattached and free to kiss anyone I'd like."

  "Yeah?" he whispered as he leaned in slowly.

  Caroline nodded, overcome with desire and unable to answer. Her eyes closed, lips parted, and all at once she was swept away with a sense of freedom and elation as Cade reminded her of his passion and feelings for her. When the kiss ended, Caroline's head buzzed with pheromones and she felt lightheaded, but Cade didn't seem affected. Disappointment struck thinking she didn't blow his mind the same way he did hers.

  "You hungry? I know a place that's got some really good gumbo," he said breathlessly.

  Never mind. Caroline smiled triumphantly and her mouth watered with just the thought of that savory gumbo. "Are you kidding me? I've been suffering withdrawals." She didn't mention he was part of those withdrawals.

  Cade drove them to Dupree's where they slurped down the scrumptious food, engaged in nonstop conversation. He explained how he found all the information about Kenneth Callahan and the family. Caroline told him about her amusing interaction with April that afternoon.

  "You know, the strange thing was her genuine shock to find me in that room. Forgive my pun, but she looked like she had seen a ghost."

  Cade let out a bellowing laugh. "That's a good one. I wonder why she was so surprised."

  "Well, she asked me why I wasn't on my honeymoon and didn't understand why Trevor wasn't with me. She then went on to threaten me after I got snippy with her. I told her it was none of her business, and she shot me a warning look as she said, 'You should mind how you talk to people because you never know what—" Caroline stopped mid-sentence with an epiphany. "No! I can't believe it! I can't believe I didn't see it earlier!"

  "What is it? What didn't you see earlier?"

  "April! She's the one! She's the one behind it all. She's got to be. She's the enemy right in front of
us that Kenneth was talking about!" Excited now, Caroline asked, "Do you know anyone on the police force here in town?"

  "Yeah, I have a few buddies from. . .a previous job who are on the force now. Why?"

  "Can you give them a heads up that we may need them on a moment's notice?"

  Cade smiled, accomplished. "I already did that, love. All I have to do is send one of them a text and they'll be on their way. You gonna tell me what's going through that crazy mind of yours, or are you gonna keep me guessing?"

  She stood and asked if there was a place she could buy a tiny voice recorder.

  "I have something like that. What are you up to?"

  She blinked at him. "You have something like that? Really? Just lying around?"

  He smiled and stared down at his drink. "I have some surveillance equipment on hand, yes. Why?"

  "I am going to try to bust April and get that lying heifer to confess her sins. I need to be able to inconspicuously record it though."

  Cade sounded skeptical. "Are you sure April has the intelligence it would take to pull off something that clever? Even if she contrived all this, what makes you think she's going to tell you anything? She despises you, she's certainly not going to trust you enough to confess anything."

  "I am pretty good at provoking her into saying more than she should. I'm going to try to make her mad enough that she blurts something out or incriminates herself in some way."

  Cade shook his head. "I don't know, cher. She just doesn't seem like the type that would be able to come up with an idea like that. She's kind of ditzy. Besides, why would she care about Eddie's inheritance? She signed a prenup."

  "You're right, she did. Even if she did want to kill Eddie off, she wouldn't get anything out of it but some money. Maybe Kenneth was willing to pay her some of what he got out of it?"

  "Now you're reaching for straws, love. I don't think Kenneth Callahan knows how to share money."

  Caroline shrugged. "Yeah, maybe you're right. I just wish we could figure out what Kenneth meant when he said Eddie had enemies all around him. Who?"

  Cade took a long gulp of water and leaned back in his chair. "Maybe he just said that to get the focus off of himself? Maybe he was simply trying to freak us out since we made a public spectacle of him and his son?"

  "Yeah, you're probably right." Caroline's shoulders sagged. She was sure she'd figured it out. "April is sinister enough, but I doubt she's smart enough to be the mastermind of any operation. She's just plain mean."

  Cade leaned forward and stared into her eyes. "Enough about her. Let's talk about you."

  "Yeah, because I haven't been in the spotlight enough over the last few weeks."

  Cade chuckled. "You've been through a lot this summer. How do you intend to spend your semester off?"

  Caroline stared at different focal points on the walls as she really thought about the answer to that question. "I'm not sure. I think I would like to learn everything I can about the area. I would love to learn the language you speak sometimes with your friends, that way I'll know when you're talking about me." She winked and he playfully shook his head, smirking. "I would also love to learn how to cook some of this delicious food you guys have down here, and I'm definitely in love with the coffee."

  Cade's eyes sparkled. "Sweet Caroline, I will make it my mission to see that you accomplish your goals." He smiled and kissed her cheek.

  Once the word spread Caroline was staying for the long run, Eddie hosted a party in her honor. He called it a Fais dodo and said it's a southern Louisiana tradition anytime there's a celebration. The house overflowed with people she'd never met, but somehow they all seemed to know her. Cade stayed by her side the whole night. April opted not to attend Caroline's homecoming party, most likely because she was anything but excited about her return. She claimed to have not been feeling well and stayed in her room.

  Claire was surprisingly the life of the party. Eddie had rented a karaoke system, and Claire quickly became the entertainer of the evening. Her beautiful voice prompted massive applause in which she relished after each song she sang. Cade stayed true to his word and brought his cousin, Josh, to meet Claire and they immediately hit it off.

  Eddie kissed Caroline's cheek. A handsome man, he had a very distinguished look about him, especially when dressed nicely in this relaxed setting. He practically glowed with happiness. "How are you enjoying your party?" Cade excused himself so she and Eddie could talk.

  "It's lovely. Thank you. I can't get over the lights and decorations. It's a great surprise. I am feeling very special."

  His infectious smile lit up his whole face. "That's what I was hoping for. You are very special to many people around here."

  She raised her glass to her lips. "Yeah," she mumbled, "except April." Listening to Claire sing a Faith Hill song, Caroline had at least four different people she didn't know approach her and ask if she and Cade were a couple. One elderly lady even asked if they'd set a date yet! Caroline wouldn't mind being his girlfriend someday, she looked forward to it, in fact, but frankly she was perfectly happy to be single and free for a while and able to do whatever she wanted. Caroline was in no rush to jump into another serious relationship.

  Cade sidled up beside her and whispered in her ear. "Need some fresh air?"

  "You have no idea."

  The fresh air was thick with moisture, but a revitalizing breeze rustled through the trees. They strolled to the duck pond. Chirping crickets harmonized with the bullfrogs and lightening bugs blinked across the lawn.

  "You okay?" Cade asked.

  "Sure."

  "That's convincing," he said as he kissed her hand before helping her off the path to cross the grassy area.

  "Why does everyone think I have to be with someone to be happy? Why can't I just be single for a while without someone poking a nose in my business telling me about a friend or cousin they can set me up with? I've been through enough mistakes and drama lately."

  Cade's eyelids flickered with disappointment.

  "Present company excluded," she mumbled.

  He grinned. He enclosed his comforting arms around her and gave a little squeeze, but didn't let go. "I know you've been through hell, and, believe me, I wish there had been something I could have done to make it easier for you."

  With one finger he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. "I also know that you are in no rush to jump right into another relationship." She nodded, and, when he didn't continue, she looked up into his eyes.

  "What I want you to know is that I am a very patient man. I will be here for you always, for anything you may need or want. I want to be with you, together, as a couple. But I want to make sure you're ready before it happens. I'm here for the long haul, so don't worry about me. I'll be around whenever you're ready. In the meantime, I will thoroughly enjoy spending quality time with you as your friend and nothing more. Well, I may steal a few kisses every now and then if you'll let me."

  She laughed, and he smiled, playfully kissing the tip of her nose. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a soft slow kiss. Gradually, the kiss deepened, turning hot and passionate. She'd forgotten how good he was. He ran his fingers up through her hair, squeezing the tendrils and tenderly cradling her head in his palm.

  She wanted Cade and everything he had to offer, but she needed a little time to adjust to being without Trevor. Guilt about leaving him at the altar riddled her, piercing gaping holes in her heart. She'd never intended to end her relationship with him, only postpone the wedding until she could learn more about Kenneth's plot. Although Trevor helped her feel better about that decision when he slapped her in front of a hundred and fifty people.

  Cade reached into his pocket. "I have something for you."

  Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the little box in his hands. She wasn't ready for what she thought it contained. "What is it?"

  "Open it. Trust me, you need it." He smirked.

  She opened the package revealing a lovely wristwatch. Sh
e couldn't help but laugh aloud. "You're right. I desperately need one of these. It's beautiful!" Involuntary tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you. I love it."

  He grinned. "It's not just any watch. It has a GPS in it so you will never lose your way as long as you're wearing it. I can't have you wandering off in the woods and getting lost." He chuckled. "With your luck, you'd get eaten by an alligator."

  "You're probably right. That's awesome! I didn't know they even made watches like this."

  "They don't. I special ordered it." He shrugged. "I know a guy." They laughed and then his face fell serious. "Believe me, cher, you're worth it."

  "Thank you. You're amazing."

  "You're welcome." He helped fasten the watch onto her wrist and lavished her with another kiss. He was incredible. So thoughtful.

  They should rejoin the party before she was tempted to ravish Cade.

  Movement from the corner of her eye caught Caroline's attention. Two people, a man and a woman, sneaking on the fringes of the shadows of the nearby gas lamplight. Instinctively, she crouched behind the bushes.

  Without a sound, Cade squatted next to her and whispered, "What are we doing?"

  "I see someone, a man and woman, in the shadows. They're talking, but I can't make out what they're saying. Can you see them? Can you tell who it is?"

  Cade peeked over the bush and squinted. "It looks like April, but I don't know who the guy is, his back is to us."

  April. Figures. Such a hypocrite! Jealous of Eddie showing any kind of affection for her, his daughter, yet slinking around with another man while pretending to be in her room with a migraine. What a conniving, trifling, two-faced tramp. Caroline grabbed Cade's hand. "Well, that's not surprising, the hussy. Come on, let's go back to the party."

  He hesitated, trying to get another look at the guy.

  "We're wasting our time on her, he's probably one of her booty calls. He must like cold fish."

  Cade's eyes widened and he made a disgusted face. "Ew. That's just gross."

  Claire had taken a break from singing to dance with Josh. They were dancing so closely, they could've been mistaken for a couple already. Caroline was tempted to yell "Get a room,” but thought better of it. Cade looked at Caroline and smiled.

  "Looks like I chose the right cousin for Claire."

  Caroline stroked his ego. "Yes, Mr. Beauregard. You are quite the matchmaker. What do you say we show them how it's done?" She held her hand out to dance. A circle formed around the two dancing couples and Caroline's cheeks flushed from all the smiling eyes upon them.

  Cade never took his eyes off Caroline through the entire dance. Once the song ended he didn't let her go. Instead, he lowered his lips to her and reminded her again of his love for her. His kiss literally took her breath away. . .again. Like magic, they were the only two people in the room, and Caroline couldn't have cared less how many people watched them. For this moment, in her mind, they were the only two people in the world. She moaned in approval, and he reciprocated.

  In an extremely sultry, incredibly sexy voice, Cade softly spoke the most romantic words Caroline had ever heard. "Mi aime Jou."

  Dazzled but confused, she leaned back to question him. An enchanting smile stretched across his handsome face. "It's Cajun. It means, 'I love you.'"

  "Wow. Those words have never made me feel quite like that. I'm in love with the dialect down here." He briefly looked wounded, but recovered quickly. "Caden Luke Beauregard, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I am so in love with you."

  He squeezed her closer. "I'm glad you broke into my house that day and caught me naked. Otherwise I may not have ever met you, and that would truly be a tragedy."

  Caroline rested her head on his broad muscular chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. Not one for tragedies, she could totally get used to Cade and his bayou paradise.