Going Home (The Green Bayou Novels Book 1) Read online

  “Whoa! 103.8. That fever needs to come down, sweetie.”

  He’s back in the bathroom rummaging through the medicine cabinet and returns with some pills and a glass of water, which I take without protest. Five minutes later, he has a bowl with filled with cool water and a sponge in his hands. The liquid soothes the burn as he slowly strokes it across my forehead, face, and neck. I’m a little embarrassed when he pushes aside the sheets to expose more of my body to the cooling caresses. Once I start to shiver, he takes my temperature again.

  “Much better,” he announces, giving the sponge one final wringing before setting it on the nightstand. “You stay in bed, miss. I’ll be downstairs finding something for you to eat.”

  I don’t argue because I’m so tired from the fever that I doze off for a little while. Jacob returns to the room sometime later in the day, and it startles me. He takes another temperature reading.

  “101.5. Getting better,” he says. “How would you like some gumbo?”

  “Jacob, stop. You’ve already done so much. All I need is some juice and some rest,” I insist.

  “Hush. Just tell me if you’ll eat it or not. Yes or no?” He’s relentless.

  “Yes,” I smile sheepishly.

  “Good. I’ll get started on it. Call down if you need anything. Stay in bed!” He kisses my forehead before going down the back stairwell. Obviously, he’s found the ingredients he needs because the distinct aroma of a roux wafts upstairs. I nap again, and it’s the doorbell that wakes me this time.

  Two different male voices are downstairs, one much louder than the other. Pete yells my name, stomping up every step it takes to get to my room. The door flies open, and Jacob is right behind a very angry Pete.

  “I told you she’s sick, and it would be better for you to come back later,” Jacob reasons.

  “If she’s sick, then I want to be with her. You can leave now,” Pete insists.

  “Stop it!” I say, grabbing my head. “Pete, this is my house,” I assert. “Jacob is going nowhere.” Jacob smirks, and I lower my voice. “But, I do want to talk to Pete for a few minutes, okay?” I look past Pete to Jacob.

  He nods, and before leaving to go downstairs, he stares down Pete. Leaning in close to my ear, he whispers, “If you need, just call for me. I won’t be far.” Then in a louder voice, he continues, “You need rest and no stress. Understand?”

  “Yes, Dr. Jacob. I promise.” He tousles my hair a bit. “Good to know, but I’m talking to him.”

  Pete scowls as Jacob disappears down the stairs, but then he turns to stare out of the window. After a few seconds, his face relaxes somewhat, and he pulls a chair to the bedside where he takes my hand in his.

  “You really are sick aren’t you?” he asks.

  “Obviously.”

  “I’m sorry; I thought Jacob was trying to keep me from seeing you because…”

  “Because what? I’ll have you know Jacob’s doing a good job of taking care of me,” I interrupt.

  “Yeah, I bet it’s a real good a job,” Pete antagonizes.

  “Stop it, Pete! I think there are bigger things you should concerned with, like why you never bothered to tell me you’re freaking engaged! ”

  Pete is quiet as his gaze returns to the window. “I should have told you about her,” he finally starts. I stay silent, so he continues. “Sarah worked as a medic at your station, and yes, we were engaged. About a year ago, she left a note at the station saying she was pregnant, and was sure the baby wasn’t mine. She couldn’t face me, so she left. That’s basically all it said.”

  Pete turns to make sure I’m listening. “Go on,” I encourage.

  “Emily, if she was pregnant, I’m pretty sure she was right that it wasn’t mine. I know accidents can happen, but I was really careful. Not to mention the fact I was devastated to find out she’d been sleeping with her partner. I thought her disappearance would be temporary, that she just needed some time to face me, but she’s never returned.

  “Frankly, I worry and have tried to track her down multiple times. Every now and then a report gets back here saying she’s been spotted with a man. See, the same time Sarah left, her partner, Walt, did, too. He said that he was tired of being a medic and was going to try to find a different profession. It’s all too coincidental, you know, them both leaving town at the same time and all.”

  Pete lets out a sigh.

  “The consensus is Sarah had an affair with Walt, and once she got pregnant, they decided to run off together.”

  “But not Cherie. Why does she think it’s your fault?” I ask.

  “Her family thinks I had something to do with Sarah’s disappearance because she hasn’t contacted them. Their version is I got jealous because of her infidelity and murdered her and Walt. Supposedly, I used my connections with the sheriff’s department to hide the crime. Em, you know me. I swear, I never touched her. I was devastated to lose her.”

  Pete puts his head on the bed, and I lightly stroke his hair. He looks up after a few moments, and his expression is tortured. “Em, I never wanted to hurt you, but I did. Please know I wasn’t trying to hide it from you; I just never found the right time to discuss it. I didn’t sleep at all last night because I was so worried. I tried calling, and you wouldn’t answer… ”

  I put my finger over his lips to silence him. “We can talk about this more later,” I say, looking at his weary face. “I need sleep, too. You aren’t the only one who was up all night, and now with this flu, all I want to do is rest. Call me tomorrow, okay?”

  “Tomorrow? Why tomorrow? I can stay here with you and take care of you. Just tell me what you need,” he offers.

  “No, Pete. Jacob’s already here. You don’t need to be exposed to this junk any more than you already have been,” I reason.

  He sets his jaw. “Got it. Jacob’s taking care of you now. Just that fast,” Pete says rather rudely.

  “You can march yourself right out that door if you’re going to talk to me like that. Jacob jokes around with me a lot, but he’s a good guy. Not to mention, his job is taking care of sick people.” Pete holds up a hand to cut me off.

  “Stop. You’re right. I brought all of this on, and I’m sorry for taking it out on you and Jacob.” He gives me one of his heart-melting smiles. “I’m telling you, he wants you, and I can’t help it if I’m jealous. There, I admitted it,” he says in almost a playful tone.

  “You can’t charm your way out of this one with a sexy smile and some cute words. I’m still upset, but regardless, my heart belongs to you. Obviously, I’m not going to work tomorrow, so swing by after your shift.”

  “I feel better knowing that,” he agrees, squeezing my hand. “But I don’t have to like leaving you.”

  “So you’ve said. Now go home and get some rest,” I teasingly fuss.

  “So, you’re sure we’re good?”

  “Pete, leave.”

  “You know I love you, right?”

  “I know you’re starting to aggravate the piss out of me,” I sing, which brings on a coughing spell.

  “Are you always this grumpy when you’re sick?” I lob a pillow in his direction, and he runs out the door. Jacob arrives to check on me almost immediately.

  “Pete’s leaving. Are you okay?” he questions.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.”

  He sits in the chair Pete recently vacated and looks over to me. “I’ll be leaving for a little while, okay? Just stay here, and I’ll bring up a tray as soon as I get back.” I give him a confused look. “Pete’s going to take me to get my truck. I shouldn’t be more than fifteen minutes. Do you need anything before I go?”

  “Wait. Pete’s going to bring you?” I question.

  “You seem surprised. Didn’t he tell you we’re best friends now? Oh, that’s true. He likes to keep secrets,” Jacob retorts with a wink.

  He’s being facetious, so I roll away from him and eventually doze off. An hour later, Jacob walks into the room with a steaming bowl of chicken and sau
sage gumbo, and every last drop of the delicious soup is heavenly. He takes the bowl from me and sets it on top of the dresser. I’m suddenly reminded of something. “I need to call Grant!” I exclaim, reaching for the phone.

  “Done,” Jacob announces, “I did it this morning.”

  The receiver is pressed to my chin. “You called Grant? Thanks. You sure are spoiling me. I might have to keep you around.”

  “I’m glad you said that,” Jacob says, lifting the edge of the sheets to slide into bed with me.

  “What are you doing?” I demand, thinking he’s repeating the night before. “I think I can manage falling asleep on my own now.”

  He rolls onto his side, props himself onto one elbow, and gently strokes the area along my collarbone. I’m about to sit up in protest, but he stops me.

  “Hear me out,” he whispers. “I’m wrong for doing this to you now, and I know it, but Pete’s going to be back tomorrow. If I don’t say this now, I may never get the chance again.”

  I open my mouth to interrupt, but Jacob shushes me.

  “Please, let me finish,” he pleads, so I stay silent. “The first time I saw you, I wanted you. To me, you’re perfect in every way. You’re beautiful, funny, thoughtful, smart—everything I could ever hope for. I really think we could have something special if you’ll give it a chance.”

  My breathing quickens. I knew there was an attraction, but this goes far beyond anything I ever imagined.

  “You have a decision to make about whether you want to stay with Pete or move on to something new with me. I want a fighting chance. Let me make love to you, Emily. If you choose Pete afterwards, I swear I’ll never mention it, and I promise to leave you two alone. Let me show you how good it can be between us, Emily. Let me worship you the way you deserve to be worshiped.”

  It shouldn’t, but everything suddenly gets very complicated.

  “Give me one night, Em, please,” he whispers, raising the edge of the sheet to place his body over mine. I’m utterly stunned and in shock. “Let me feel the softness of your skin.” His hand strokes my upper thigh, and I gasp. “Let me taste the sweetness of your flesh and feel your warmth,” he says, pressing his erection against my leg. He kisses me passionately, and I’m snapped back to reality.

  What in the hell am I doing? This is so wrong! Pete may have hurt me, but I love him. My body goes completely rigid, and Jacob rolls off to lie beside me.

  “I shouldn’t have pressured you,” he says, rubbing his forehead. He lurches from the bed and snatches up his discarded t-shirt.

  “Wait! Jacob, it’s not you; it’s the timing. I do have feelings for you, but they aren’t the feelings you’re hoping for.” I draw my knees to my chest. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  He lets out a heavy sigh and runs his hands through his hair. “Don’t be sorry. You can’t blame me for trying, can you? Just relax. No one has to know any of this happened, and I promise, it’ll never happen again.” He starts to walk off, but stops. “It’s obvious who you should be with. Pete’s a very lucky man, and he better treat you right.”

  Tears well in my eyes because Jacob’s sincerity tugs on my heartstrings. He stops to kiss my forehead on his way out.

  “Jacob, you are such a wonderful man. The woman who gets to spend her life with you will be incredibly lucky. I don’t want this to affect our friendship. Promise me.”

  “You don’t want what to affect our friendship?” he asks with a half-hearted smile. “Nothing ever happened.” He shrugs and disappears through the door.

  Pete lets himself in when he arrives the next evening. I’m still in bed watching a movie when he cautiously peeks into the room. “You look much better today. A peace offering,” he says, pulling a bouquet of flowers from behind his back.

  “That’s sweet of you. I feel much better. Thanks.” I take the flowers from him and give them a sniff.

  Yanking some silk flowers from a vase in the hallway, I replace them with the new flowers and set the vase on the nightstand. Pete’s made himself at home, kicking back on the bed while inspecting the program guide on the TV. He notices me looking at him and clicks off the TV.

  “Should we finish our conversation from yesterday?” he asks.

  “Yes, but let me talk first because I’ve been giving it lots of thought.” He nods. “You don’t have to explain anything more to me. I understand why you didn’t want to tell me, and it’s okay. The shock of hearing it that way was pretty overwhelming, but I don’t believe you’d ever hurt me intentionally. Let’s put all of this behind us, okay,” I say, smiling to show my sincerity.

  Pete looks like he wants to say something, but instead, he takes my face into his hands and gives me a long, lingering kiss. “Em, I love you so much,” he whispers against my lips.

  “I love you, too.”

  Kneeling to slide off his shirt, he glances over to the window, and his face suddenly shows alarm.

  “Emily, follow me to the door,” he says, jumping off of the bed and starting down the stairs.

  “You’re scaring me, Pete. What’s going on?” I cinch the belt of my robe tighter as I chase him down the stairs. He reaches for his gun belt sitting on a chair in the foyer and withdraws his weapon and a flashlight. My eyes widen when he chambers a round.

  “What the hell? Pete, answer me. What’s going on?”

  “Listen carefully. Lock the door, and don’t open it unless you’re sure it’s me. Somebody’s out there. Call the sheriff’s department and tell them to send a unit. Let them know I’m already out there, too.”

  “I’m scared, Pete. Just let the police handle it.” He gives me a look.

  “I am the police, Em.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  He touches my cheek. “I’m going to be fine. Just do as I say, okay?”

  I nod, and Pete quietly slips out the front door. As soon as it’s bolted, I’m back upstairs and on the phone with the dispatcher. I click off the bedroom light to peer through the window. My heart pounds while I desperately search for a glimpse of what is happening outside. At first, I can’t make out much because of the faint moonlight, but finally, movement catches my eye.

  Near the boat house crouches the silhouette of a man, and his frame is nothing like Pete’s. I breathlessly relay to the dispatcher what I see and remind her to warn the responders that Pete is armed. She assures me someone will arrive shortly, so I tap the end button on the phone.

  The trespasser doesn’t move and remains crouched in the far corner of the boathouse porch. Suddenly, he’s illuminated by the blinding beam from Pete’s flashlight, and though he starts to run, he stops and falls to his knees.

  Another beam of light bounces from the side of the house, and a deputy joins them. Pete pats down the intruder and accepts a pair of handcuffs from the uniformed man. The second cuff is almost around the trespasser’s wrist when the he spins around to escape. Pete grabs him by the back of the shirt, tosses him to the ground, and places a knee onto the back of the guy’s neck. A second uniformed deputy arrives and helps to secure the handcuffs. When I see them walking towards the front of the house, I rush downstairs and anxiously wait at the front door. Even though I’m anticipating it, I jump when there’s a knock.

  “It’s okay. It’s me.” I crack the door. “We need to see if you recognize this guy. He can’t hurt you, and I’ll be by your side the entire time. Will you come outside with me?”

  I nod and allow Pete to walk me towards the parked patrol cars. A light is shined directly into the intruder’s eyes, and the man squints, turning away from the beam. My jaw drops.

  “Oh, my god. Pete, that’s Brad Dautrieve, my old partner from New Orleans. I had to report him after catching him shooting up in the back of the ambulance,” I quickly relay to Pete.

  Brad must hear my voice because he whips his head in my direction. “Emily, you bitch! I lost everything because of you! You come here and start a new life while I’m stuck jobless and homeless. I’ll never forgive you for wh
at you’ve done to me! I swear you’ll pay for this, even if it’s the last thing I do, you fu--”

  Pete walks over and lands one solid punch to Brad’s gut. One deputy snickers, and the other, eyebrows raised, pretends to write on his clipboard when Brad doubles over.

  “You will not talk to her that way!” Pete demands through gritted teeth. “The only person to blame for your problems is yourself. She didn’t put that needle in your arm; you did!” Brad sucks in hard to fill his deflated lungs.

  “Shut up! I’ll say anything I damn well want. You should’ve stayed out of it, Emily, you nosey-ass bitch.”

  “This is your last warning. It would be wise for you to just stop talking,” Pete warns before turning to address the deputy closest to him. “We’re pressing charges for the damage he caused to the boathouse. He broke the lock and was hiding in there. If he comes near this house again, he may not live to be arrested a second time. Make sure he’s aware of that.” He shifts his gaze away from the deputy to glare at Brad. “You understand that, don’t you?”

  “Fuck you!” Brad answers, spitting in our direction.

  Knowing what’s about to happen, both deputies simultaneously turn away and look up into the trees. Pete gives Brad a shove while holding a foot out to trip him. Since his hands are cuffed, Brad face-plants.

  “Those damn porch steps are a bitch, man. Be careful you don’t trip again?” Brad’s on the ground moaning while Pete squats to get close to him. “I mean it. Stay far away from her or you’ll regret it,” Pete warns.

  Realizing that small town justice is swift, Brad decides to stay quiet. One of the deputies stands him up, and Brad spits a mixture of blood and teeth into the yard. Pete meets me on the top step and opens the door for me.

  “We’re done. You can get him out of here. Thanks for coming out so quickly, guys.”

  Once we’re inside, I practically climb into Pete’s arms, and he comments about my trembling.

  “It’s all over. He’s going to jail,” Pete says, rubbing my back to help soothe me.