Haunted (15 page)

Mrs. Boudreaux handed out plates with cake to everyone and Mackenzie and I clicked our forks together before we dug in. The cake was a chocolate buttercream with fudge filling and I thought I would pass out from the sheer joy it brought me. This woman had uncanny skills in the delicious food department! All of her cooking so far had been to die for! The look on Mackenzie’s face told me she completely agreed. She reached over to wipe off a smear of chocolate from my chin and I wiped some off her chest with a napkin. We both giggled around mouths full of the stuff and tried to bounce along to the music without dropping a morsel.

Devon looked my way a few times and gave me that devastating smile, leaving me breathless. After the first two songs, he took off his shirt and it was all I could do to keep to my feet. Mackenzie was having a blast, too, and when Star took off his shirt, she was done for. We were like two teenage girls together at a show, drooling over the rock stars and wishing they could be ours. In this case, could we dare hope that was possible?

Devon was a different kind of irresistible tonight. This morning he was god-like perfection. Tonight he was a sexy, bad-boy dream come true. It was overwhelming to say the least. I felt even more strongly that there was no way I was anywhere near his league. Not even the outskirts of the suburbs of his league. I’d enjoy my time here with him and try not to let my feelings get hurt when it was time to go back to reality. I thought about the spark I felt when his lips brushed mine in the courtyard, the thrill I felt watching him play, watching those unbelievable fingers run up and down the fret board, his well-sculpted muscles glistening in the lights from above the stage. That smile, the sparkle in his eyes...He might think he’s not up for staying in the limelight, but from what I was witnessing, he was made for this.

Soon they were taking a break and everyone was cheering loudly. Devon pulled up a stool to the microphone and grabbed his acoustic. He looked questioningly at Marcus, who nodded at him in encouragement.

My hand went to my chest. He was going to play his song. I looked over at Mackenzie, worried about how he was going to be after singing it. She took one of my hands and turned to watch him.

I wasn’t standing very close to the stage. There were several people in front of me. His eyes found mine and they showed fear. I smiled reassuringly at him, nodding my head. He looked down at his guitar and started to play the song. He didn’t look around. He either had his eyes closed or was looking down.

He very well could be the one singing in this band. He was that talented. However, I imagined that didn’t go along with his dislike of the spotlight. His voice was so pure, so full of pain. I noticed several people wiping their eyes and hugging each other. Then I felt my own tears. But they were tears of relief. Relieved that he felt comfortable enough to share with his friends and family how he was feeling. When it was over there was a very appreciative applause. Daryl and Mrs. Boudreaux stepped up on the stage and hugged him. His smile was gone and I thought I saw him wipe at his eyes once. Daryl was offering him encouragement and he was listening intently.

Mackenzie put her arm around me and I hugged her tightly. “That was about her, huh?”  

I nodded.

“Wow, he really loved her.” She didn’t say it, but I could see in her eyes worry for me.

I gave her a reassuring smile. “This is good for him. I’m so glad he did that.”

She raised an eyebrow in a look that told me she didn’t quite believe me, but she’d let it go for now.

By this time it was getting late, but they showed no sign of wanting to slow down. The guys from the Hellraisers got up on stage and the whole group of them played a bunch of crazy Cajun music. Mackenzie and I danced together with abandon. Devon was playing guitar along with Jade and the rest of Dwayne’s band. Dwayne and Marcus traded off vocals and harmonized together well. Marcus had more range than I thought he did. He slipped into a bluesy vocal like second skin. I was starting to let go of some of my apprehension about him. Didn’t mean he didn’t still push my buttons.

Daryl and Katie came by to say goodnight, claiming they needed to take Mrs. Boudreaux back to her place and pick up the girls from their gran’s. He promised he’d be back soon and made me promise to call if the boys got out of line.

I kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, “Thank you for making me do this. You’re the best.”

His return glance was surprised but pleased. “You take care now, dahlin’. Take care of my boys.”

I winked at him and waved to Katie and Mrs. Boudreaux. Mrs. Boudreaux was wiping tears away with a handkerchief but smiling at something Daryl said to her.

After another hour or so I was pooped. I grabbed two waters and told Mackenzie I needed to rest. She agreed it was time to call it a night. She and I headed upstairs to the rumpus room and flopped down on the couches. We laid up there and listened to the music, talking about everything and nothing like we always did. Before long I drifted off to sleep.

The next thing I knew I was moving and smelling something really good. I opened one eye and realized I was being carried. I sighed and tried to move.

“Shhh, I’m just putting you to bed. Go back to sleep.”

His voice rumbling in my ear was so comforting. My arms snaked up around his neck and I felt him hoist me up higher. I heard my bedroom door close and after a few steps more, he was laying me gently on the bed. I couldn’t make out his features in the dark. My eyelids were so heavy I couldn’t keep them open. I felt him take my sandals off and pull the covers over me. A dip on the mattress had me registering that he was sitting on the bed. I felt his hand stroke my hair and I must have sighed as I snuggled into my oh-so comfortable bed.

“Devon...” 

I felt his lips on my forehead and heard that exquisite voice whisper, “Sweet Dreams, beautiful.”

And then I was deep asleep dreaming about the divine way his lips pursed together when he played his guitar.

When I woke the next morning, still in my clothes, I had conflicted feelings. Last night was magical and scary. Exciting and confusing. I thought about the many conversations I’d had...with Daryl, Mackenzie, Mrs. Boudreaux and Devon. I felt like I was still missing a piece of the puzzle. I couldn’t bring myself to worry about it as I floated to the bathroom.

Once again Devon’s door was open and I couldn’t resist a peek. Seeing him sprawled across his bed with a smile on his face had my cheeks flushing and other parts of me warming. The idea of crawling in bed with him and curling up next to that piece of heaven was tempting. It was the same way a jewel thief might crave the crown jewels. Frustratingly close yet utterly unattainable.

I shut the door quietly and turned on the light. A note was taped to the mirror in a masculine scrawl.

“
Good Morning, Beautiful. Don’t worry about breakfast. Mama is bringing us beignets around 10. If you wake before then, please just rest your pretty self. We’ve got a long day planned tomorrow and we need your help. I hope you slept well. I know I will. ~D

I couldn’t contain the huge smile that broke out on my face. I stripped and got in the shower, taking my time to shave and exfoliate. I hoped the shower didn’t wake him, but it felt really good. I braided my hair and wrapped it up on my head. I went back into my room and put on a bra and panties and did some yoga stretches. I decided on a black tank with Motley Cr
Ü
e written in red and black shorts for the day, not knowing what was in store. I snuck out of my room and then panicked. What had happened to Mackenzie last night? I couldn’t believe I hadn’t made sure she had a place to sleep! I heard snoring from the couches and tiptoed over there, finding the cutest sight ever. Mackenzie was curled up on the couch with a blanket thrown over her, her head directed at the center of the two couches. Star’s head was inches away. He’d slept on the other couch and he was the source of the snoring. I giggled and came around the front, kneeling next to Mackenzie’s sleeping form.

“Hey gorgeous! You awake?”  

She opened an eye when she heard me whisper and then sat up quickly, knocking foreheads with me.

“Ow! Shit, Jay what are you doing?”  

We both burst out laughing and Star rolled over into the back of the couch, snoring louder. That had us giggling even more.

I took her by the hand and led her back to my room.

“I’m so sorry I left you, Kenz! I was so out of it. Devon must have carried me to my room and tucked me in. I didn’t wake up enough...” 

She shushed me. “I was fine, honey! Star came upstairs with Devon and I woke up then. Devon said he was putting you to bed, assured me it would be YOUR bed, and Star offered to walk me home or stay with me on the couch if I was too tired to walk. Then we just started talking and...Oh Jay, he’s just too precious! I hope I get to see him again!”  

She looked much younger without her makeup and with a little sleepiness hanging on. I hugged her and showed her the note.

“So what do you think,” I asked her.

She shrugged. “Um, besides the fact that he’s completely smitten with you? What else is there to tell?”  

I growled at her, frustrated. “But how? How could that even be possible?”  

She gave me her most patronizing smile, patted my leg and said, “Let me explain this in the simplest of terms. You are a gorgeous, talented, though sometimes dim-witted, blonde bombshell and he is rock n’ roll perfection who thinks you are the cat’s meow. Now, you can either remain clueless and make him work for it, which isn’t a bad option, or you can just give into your feelings and let things progress as nature intended. He is a boy, you are a girl...Do you need me to remind you how this stuff works?”  

I smacked her thigh and she giggled.

“C’mon Jay, relax! Just go with it! Let him woo you and if it feels right, let him in. I know it’s scary for you, I do. You don’t let people in. I know, I’ve had to work hard at it.” She looked a little sad.

I took her hand in mine.

“Kenz, I’m sorry. I know I’m a pain. It was just always easier to be alone before and now I just get overwhelmed sometimes. Not by you. You keep me grounded, dollface!”  

She hugged me and squeezed tight. “Well, now that that’s settled, I gotta get back to the shop. I have to open at 10 for a couple of clients and then I think I’ll go to bed until we open up again on Tuesday.”

We laughed together. I gave her a hoodie, a pair of my sweats and Vans to change into as she was in no shape to hobble the few blocks to our shop in her stilettos.

I walked her downstairs and we went out the back patio. I let her out the back gate, kissed her on the cheek, and told her I’d call her later. She waved, put her hood on and walked stealthily down the street. No one was out and about so I was sure she was safe.

I went back inside and started cleaning up the kitchen. Most of the dishes had been washed, but I wiped down the counters and then went out to the bar to wipe it down as well.

Star came down in a few and grumbled something about making coffee. I waved him on and walked around picking up plastic cups and napkins from around the room. Once things looked neat and orderly I went back into the kitchen and found Star resting his head on the counter next to the coffee machine. I tried to send him back up to bed, but he pointed to the machine, grunted, and laid his head back down.

I shook my head and went into the cold storage to put together another fruit platter. The door closed and arms embraced me from behind. I jolted and then relaxed as I took in a familiarly tantalizing scent.

“Good morning,” Devon breathed into my neck.

I put my hands on his arms and lay my head to the side giving him better access to my neck. His lips brushed the side of my neck, his teeth grazed my shoulder and a small moan escaped me. His hands wrapped around my upper arms and he turned me to face him. His head bent down to my throat and his thumbs grazed my jaw. His breath was hot and minty and my pulse sped up in anticipation.

“I thought I told you to rest this morning. This isn’t resting.”

He spoke against my neck, giving me chills and causing me to arch my back, further pressing my body closer into his. I held onto his biceps for dear life. It was his turn to groan, his hands now gripping my hips.

“I rested,” I said in a tight voice that didn’t even sound like me. I cleared my throat and whispered, “I had to see Mackenzie out since I was such a bad friend. I left her out on the couch all night.”

He laughed. “Star was there to keep her company.” The rumble from his chest made my skin break out in goosebumps.

I scoffed. “Hmm, I bet. It’s a good thing he’s a gentleman or I would be groveling for forgiveness with her right now.”

I could barely form a coherent thought with his hands on me. His lips grazed my throat once more and I thought I would probably have oxygen deprivation soon since I couldn’t breathe. I pulled back and looked up at him, his lips mere millimeters away and I sucked in a shallow breath, ready to finally taste his...

“Star do we have any more O-Shit. Good morning!” Marcus was grinning from ear to ear as he caught us in a most compromising position.

“You know, there are cozier places to make out in this building...Although, cold storage certainly has its perks.” He laughed at his own joke and turned around.

I looked down and saw just what he thought was so amusing.

“Ah, cold. Yes.” I tried to cover up the girls before Devon noticed, but judging by the wideness of Devon’s eyes and his attempt to rearrange something else that had come up, I had failed.

“I’m so sor...No. I’m not. I’m not sorry. That felt too good to be sorry for. It’s a shame we’ll have to continue this later.” He kissed me firmly once on the lips, grabbed a jug of orange juice and headed for the door, leaving me gaping at the sight of his retreating back and low-slung jeans.

He’d neglected to put on a shirt this morning. I was right about the name on his back. It was enough of a cold shower for me.

Fruit platter in hand, I emerged into the bright light of the kitchen to find the guys all huddled around the coffee pot, silently urging it to give up the goods. I hoped I wasn’t too red-faced and guilty looking as I hurried by and stepped out to the bar. Mrs. Boudreaux was just setting out the beignets with small plates and a can of whipped cream. She smiled cheerfully at me as I came in.

“Well, good morning, Jaylene. You look bright and shiny! I trust you rested well?”  

Gods, she could probably see right through me! For all I know my neck was still red from Devon’s stubble. Had he left any teeth marks?

“I slept just fine, thank you. How ‘bout you?”  

She nodded. “I sure did. It was a crazy night last night!”  

“You sure looked great dancing with that brother of yours.” It was her turn to blush.

“Mama used to be quite the dancer back in her day, didn’t you?” Devon carried two cups of coffee into the room and handed one to his mother, whom he kissed sweetly on the cheek. He walked around behind her and winked at me over her head. I turned and tried to hide my flushed smile.

“Oh, you! That was eons ago. I gave that all up for the love of a fisherman and a thriving business. Then along came two crazy kids and there went my dancing days.” She was teasing, but there was certainly a hint of sadness to her voice.

“Well, you were wonderful last night, Mrs. Boudreaux. You haven’t lost your touch.”

She thanked me and drank the rest of her coffee in silence.

I frowned at the beignets. I had chosen all black to wear today...with powdered sugar. Not the smartest plan, but I’d go with it. Perhaps that was why Devon was still shirtless and the rest of the guys were again just in their boxers.

Once they had some food in them, they started talking about the songs they played last night, which ones felt good, which ones still needed work. I listened intently.

“So let’s run through them again this morning after we get Jaylene started.”

I paused as Marcus said my name. “Get me started on what exactly?”  

The guys grew a little more serious and Devon’s smile was gone. When Marcus spoke again, it was with a somber voice.

“We asked Mrs. Boudreaux to bring her photo albums for you to see. She’s got ones of us as kids, ones of us getting started...and pictures of Maggie. We thought maybe you could go through them, and since they are all annotated with dates and places, you might be able to see a pictorial history of us.”

It was a great idea but none of them looked very enthused. Marcus pointed to a large table that had been set up last night and to the boxes on the floor next to it. “These are the important ones. There were others, but these cover the most important stuff. The wedding album has the best ones of Maggie I think.” He cleared his throat.

Any euphoria I had been experiencing was replaced with dread. I didn’t want anything to do with those pictures. I didn’t want to see wedding photos of Devon and Maggie. Especially after this morning. I looked at Devon and he was standing with his back to me, his arms crossed, talking to Jade. He hugged himself like that, I’d noticed, whenever he was feeling his grief.

“Ok. You guys go on with whatever you’re going to do and I’ll just get started.”

Devon glanced over and those damn blue eyes of his were back to their deeply sorrowed state. His look was enough to break through my dread and make my gut freeze up. It also told me that I needed to do this, that this was an important step in getting to the mystery of why Maggie’s life, and death, had affected them so.

They congregated around the stage and started warming up. I ran upstairs to get my sketchbook and to take a few deep breaths so I didn’t have a total freak out. Why couldn’t I be spending this time with Devon under different conditions? It just wasn’t fair. However, a temper tantrum wasn’t going to help me right now. A quick look at my texts had me giggling. Mackenzie had sent me a pic of her standing over Troy pouting, the text said,
“Wish you were here xoxo.”
I loved that girl.

I texted back,
“with what I’m about to do I wish I was too. muah”

I dropped the phone on the bed and went downstairs. They were just getting started practicing their new songs. They were taking them piece-by-piece and adding notes and changes as they went. It would grow a little tedious after a couple of hours of hearing the same parts over and over again, but I figured that was part of the program.

I picked up a book that was labeled “Middle School Graduation - 1998.” Inside were pictures of boys in their dress clothes next to girls in dresses. I stifled a laugh when I finally found Devon with the guys around him. He was already towering over them at 14. Then there was him with his mother and I was guessing his sister? I still didn’t know much about his family. She looked vaguely familiar, though. She was obviously older, wearing a class of 1998 tee in a few pictures taken after the ceremony. She resembled him, but there was no seriousness to her. She smiled widely in the pictures compared to Devon’s smirk and half smile.

The next album showed the guys with long hair and instruments playing in someone’s garage. They were such babies! One showed Devon with a cigarette hanging from his lips while he played, his hair pulled back in a ponytail. Not a bad look for him, but I preferred his current hairstyle. And there was the famous Marcus Lambert Mullet! I figured these pictures were probably worth a lot of money to their fans. Devon’s sister was back in some of these as well, but she looked way more sophisticated. She had an edgy haircut and she was dressed like a businesswoman with style. I definitely remembered her now. I’d tattooed her a few months back. Daryl had asked me if I would tattoo someone at his house. I showed up and she was there waiting for me, but Daryl and Katie were out. I thought I remembered her name was something Stone. Weird. Small world. I guess I had met Devon’s sister. I wondered why she wasn’t there last night?

I closed up the second book and saw that the wedding album was next. I felt a little sick to my stomach so I opted to go for a drink instead.