Caroline shook her head to clear her thoughts. Focus. Besides, if she hadn’t wanted to be with him in the first place, she’d surely been strong enough to resist him.
Bonnie and Auntie closed their eyes, faces upturned in the firelight, muttering words Caroline didn’t even recognize as a known language.
The fire rose, seemed to burn hotter. Caroline turned her face from the heat, felt the racing of her heart. She glanced at Gavin feeling a pull so strong she wanted to release Bonnies grip and go to him.
Bonnies hand tightened on hers.
“She’s a wicked little thing,” Auntie looked at Bonnie, narrowing her gaze. The pair began to recite again the strange words—louder this time, with greater conviction. Thunder rolled overhead and lightning stuck the ground so close Caroline felt the hair rise on her neck.
“Yes,” Miss Bonnie grinned. “You listen now. No more of your chaos is needed or wanted here. We banish you as before—but in stone this time—where you cannot escape.”
A flash exploded in the can, a single flame rose from its center. Caroline swore in the din of thunder and fire she heard the shrill sound of a woman’s scream.
A jagged crack of lightning fell as a harpoon from the heavens, piercing the slender flame and like a conduit, sent the flame straight into the marble fountain at the center of the garden.
Caroline’s gaze met Bonnie’s. The fire subsided, its fire burning low over the remnant boxes.
Auntie Iris swiped her hands together, then patted her curlers. “Should bury these ashes, too. Just to be safe.”
Patrick nodded.
Auntie looked at the group. “Well, I need my beauty sleep. Got church in the morning. Wouldn’t hurt any y’all to be getting there, too.” She pursed her lips primly and nodded to Miss Bonnie. “See you in church, Miss Bonnie.” She toddled off as she’d come, her driver in tow.
“Uh, we should maybe go check on Nash and Somer. I’m guessing they’re going to need a little help explaining a few things.” He put his arm around his wife walked disappeared through the maze.
Caroline stood staring at the ashes, then glanced up at the sky, suddenly clear and filled with stars.
“I’ll go tell Nash what he needs to do with these ashes when they’ve cooled. ‘Sides, I think its time I get to know my new neighbors better.”
Caroline hugged her arms. “Storms gone,” she said looking up again at the heavens.
She heard Gavin’s chuckle. “Storms are like that around here. One minute sweeping in, the next minute, you’d never know it was there.”
She turned her gaze to his.
“I should see to Miss Bonnie getting home,” he said, staring at the residual flames.
“Yeah, I have an early flight in a few hours.” He nodded, his hand brushing the small of her back as he ushered her to the house.
Little was said as he stopped to make sure Miss Bonnie was safely tucked in her home. A short distance later, he pulled in the drive next to the cottage, shut off the truck and walked her to the door.
Caroline opened the door, grateful that Louise had chosen to leave it open. It would make this a lot easier. “She’s probably upstairs awake. She says she’s not staying awake, but I know she will.” There was a notable awkward sense between them. Goodbyes were hard enough, but it seemed as they’d both accepted Rhianna might have had a greater influence on them than either wanted to believe. And the truth was, she liked him. But that didn’t give her any guarantees that he felt the same.
He reached up, tucking her hair over her ear. “You have my number?” he asked, searching her eyes.
She nodded. Maybe it was better this way. Like Vegas, what happens in the bayou, stays in the bayou. “Sure, I’ll call you,” she lied, though she would start to a million times in the next few weeks.
He smiled, lowering his gaze, as though trying to come up with something that would make everything all right.
“Don’t try to find the right thing to say, Gavin,” she said. “Let’s just see where things go.”
He nodded, cupped her face and kissed her softly.
Caroline’s heart stilled at how right it felt. How good he tasted. The night air cool on his lips. How easy it would be to go with him back to the boat. “I better say goodnight.”
He held her gaze, nodded, then trotted down the steps to his truck.
She’d been wrong. Louise was fast asleep. Caroline closed her friend’s door so she wouldn’t disturb her as she packed her bags and laid out her clothes for the flight back home. She’d just slipped under the covers, when her door creaked open. Gavin’s head peeked around the door.
“Extra key. May I come in?” he asked.
She sat up in bed, her heart taking a nosedive into the deep end at the sight of him in worn jeans and an old T-shirt. The man could look sexy in anything—or nothing at all. She sighed.
“I couldn’t just leave you like that,” he said. Taking off his glasses, he sat on the end of the bed, cleaning them with his shirt, then glanced up with those deep-blue eyes that had originally captured her heart.
“Do you usually sleep in your clothes?” she asked.
He grinned, slipping down to his boxer briefs and slipped in beside her.
Their love-making was unhurried, tender, something she would remember the rest of her life. Every whispered word. Every touch. It was theirs alone. No promises were made, so none could be broken.
Hours later, curled beneath his arm listening to his rhythmic breathing she allowed herself to imagine going to bed each night. Waking to his face each morning. Discussing their plans for the weekend.
But in the light of day as she dressed quietly, sneaking looks to make sure he slept, she left those musing on the nightstand, in a note.
Dear Gavin,
I cannot express what the last few hours after meeting you have meant. But as wonderful as this fantasy has been, the reality of leaving is harder to face. Call me a coward, if you must. I have realized that your life is in your work, so is mine. But it does not lessen how much I will cherish what we had here. Despite the stories, be they truth or legend, I cannot believe that any spirit could mask what resides in the heart. My best to you and your girls. Oh, and I still haven’t had beignets and café au ‘lait at midnight. Perhaps another time.~ With love, Caroline
“You’re out of your ever-lovin mind. You know that?” Louise looked at Caroline , then pulled her luggage to the curb-side check-in lane.
“I can’t do this, Louise. Please. I left him a note. I tried to explain. The reality of it is forty-eight hours isn’t long enough to create something that is going to last.”
“You are such a liar.”
Caroline dug for her ticket. “I’m realistic.”
“From what I saw, he seemed mad about you and I’m pretty damn sure the feeling was mutual. Am I wrong?”
She found her ticket. “It doesn’t matter at this point. I guess we’ll see what happens.” She pulled her friend into a warm hug. “I loved seeing you. Let’s not wait so long next time, okay?”
Her friend nodded and pulled Caroline into another quick hug.” Let me know when you’re back in Chicago,” she said, then pointed a finger at her. “More importantly, if you hear from Dr. Gorgeous.”
Caroline chuckled. “I will, but honestly I have so much coming up with finding put about my brother’s wedding. I’m fairly certain his fiancé is going to need all the help she can get.” Caroline shook her head. “Another story. Another time. I love you, my friend. Call me soon.”
“Love you more, I will.” Louise waved as she pulled into traffic.
Three months later
It was an exquisitely small-town affair. Gavin scanned the lavishly decorated barn. The equine rescue ranch owned by the three local brothers was spectacular, to be sure. One of the finest rescue operations in the state, they’d somehow managed to turn the old barn into a wedding reception from the pages of Town and Country. And he’d seen his share of luxurious to-do’s. Back home in Ne
w Orleans, he’d experienced the best of luxurious southern hospitality through the ties his father had as head surgeon and the social connections of his philanthropic mother. This, however, gave new meaning to down-home hospitality. It wasn’t that he was a snob. Not by any means. He’d traded out a cushy offer as head pediatric surgeon under his father’s watchful eye back home for a bachelor’s cabin outside of Billings. Finally, able to breathe from the stifling pressure of his father’s constant scrutiny. He was on his own, building a cliental and enjoying the solitude-mostly. Though he had had a difficult time dismissing the memories of a recent trip back home where he’d met a beautiful woman at a fundraising event for the preservation of Historical plantation homes.
His body tensed at the memories. What was to have been a simple there and back weekend to hang out with his good friend, turned into one of the strangest, most erotic forty-eight hours of his life.
The tropical storm that eventually blew inland had nothing on the passionate storm unleashed by means of which he still wasn’t entirely certain. He’d tried to call her, but it had gone straight to voice mail. She had his number. That’s how he’d left it. Between work, the plans to build a new home for him and his daughters, and convincing his daughters to move, he had enough on his plate that he dropped exhausted into bed each night. But now and again, at night when a stiff breeze rushed through the tall pine beside his home, he’d think of her.
Gavin swirled the ice in his bourbon, swallowing hard against the image of her dark eyes, and the scent of her satiny skin. He was not prone to having brief, torrid affairs, but somehow, perhaps under the spell of the old plantation home, he’d found himself in the arms of a stranger, doing things that even now caused his blood to heat. Preferring to sit away from the dance floor, he chose a table farthest from watching the guests meander in after the ceremony.
“Hey, glad you could make it.” The man who’d invited him raised his beer bottle to Gavin as he walked over and sat beside him. Gavin had delivered his twin girls last year, and cared for one who had a hard time out of the starting gate.
“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Gavin said. “Looks like pretty much everyone in town is here.”
His friend chuckled. “If there is one thing these folks around here know how to do-its throw themselves a great party.”
“Hey, I haven’t had a chance to ask. How’s that baby girl of yours doing?”
The man grinned, his face expressing the immense pride and joy in his twin girls and their beautiful mother, who was currently out with both on the dance floor. “Starting to get around now. Curious about everything. Her sister is the vocal one. We almost always know where she’s at. The other one, the one we were worried about? She’s the one you have to watch out for—climbing things. Taking things apart. I had to install kickplates on the lower half of the girls’ windows because my wife thought they’d shimmy out on the roof.”
Gavin laughed out loud at the image. It never got boring to hear what kids managed to achieve. It’d been one of the reasons he’d chosen the pediatrics. His gaze caught the bride and groom welcoming their guests to the reception. They were radiant. “Your sister is lovely, by the way.” Gavin said. “Sorry, I wasn’t able to get to the ceremony. Had an emergency at work.”
“That’s okay, man. Glad you’re here. Hope you can relax and enjoy tonight.”
Gavin glanced again at the happy couple. The couple it seemed, had spared no expense in the countrified party—from the chandeliers hanging from the rafter beams to the silk bows tied on every chair.
Gavin lifted the drink to his mouth, stopping short as a woman stepped into the room. She whispered something to the groom, then pulled each of them into a warm embrace.
“Dr. Beauregard,” his friend’s voice pulled through the hurricane wind swirling in his brain. “You okay, man?”
Gavin blinked, forcing the tongue from the roof of his mouth. He hadn’t seen her fully, only glimpses really. What were the odds it could be the same woman? “That woman who just came in. Do you know her?”
His friend glanced over his shoulder. “Sure, that’s the groom’s sister. She lives in Chicago. City girl through and through.”
Gavin stared openly, unable to pull his gaze away, observing her animated conversation with the bride, the way her soft pink dress followed every curve. Tonight, she had her hair swept up, tendrils teased her neck. His lips had rested there, breathing in her spicy, floral scent.
Caroline.
She paused then and as though in slow motion turned and met his gaze across the room. Lightning crackled. Thunder rolled through him.
Oh, hell yeah—it was hurricane season all over again.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amanda McIntyre’s storytelling is a natural offshoot of her artistic creativity. A visual writer, living in the rich tapestry of the American heartland, her passion is telling character-driven stories with a penchant (okay, some call it a wicked obsession) for placing ordinary people in extraordinary situations to see how they overcome the obstacles to their HEA.
A bestselling author, her work is published internationally in print, eBook, and audio. She writes steamy contemporary western and small town, sizzling historical romance and truly believes, no matter what, love will always find a way. Connect with Amanda and receive news of appearances, contests and more at:
Website: www.amandamcintyresbooks.com
Amazon author page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002C1KH2Q
Newsletter: http://madmimi.com/signups/110714/join
Amanda McIntyre’s Books
CONTEMPORARY WESTERN ROMANCE:
Worth the Wait (Last Hope Ranch)
Hurricane Season (Hell Yeah crossover/END OF THE LINE novella)
Georgia On My Mind (END OF THE LINE novella)
Lost and Found (END OF THE LINE novella))
Thunderstruck (Hell Yeah Kindle World)
Going Home (Sapphire Falls Kindle World)
All I Want for Christmas (Kinnison holiday novella)
No Strings Attached, Book I (Last Hope Ranch)
Rugged Hearts, Book I (Kinnison Legacy)
Rustler’s Heart, Book II (Kinnison Legacy
Renegade Hearts, Book III (Kinnison Legacy)
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE:
Stranger in Paradise
Tides of Autumn
Unfinished Dreams
Wish You Were Here
HISTORICAL:
Historical/Native American:
A Warrior’s Heart
Historical/Victorian:
The Promise
Historical/Time-travel:
Closer To You (formerly Wild & Unruly)
Christmas Angel (formerly Fallen Angel)
Historical Paranormal/Fantasy:
Tirnan ‘Oge
Historical/Erotic Thriller:
The Dark Seduction of Miss Jane
Historical/Erotic Romance:
The Master & the Muses *
The Diary of Cozette *
Tortured *
The Pleasure Garden *
Winter’s Desire *
Dark Pleasures *
*Starred titles available in audio and international languages
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Hurricane Season Page 9