Going Home (The Green Bayou Novels Book 1) Page 13

  “Maine is beautiful, but so is Louisiana. I didn’t realize how much so until coming back,” she says softly.

  “Well, you and Daddy need to visit more often,” I say, waiting for the big announcement that she’s decided to move back. My emotions are conflicted.

  “We plan on it, Emily. Now, we need to talk.”

  My eyes drift from the steaming rim of my coffee mug to settle onto her now serious face. Here it comes! I sit unmoving and uncertain of what she’s going to bring up.

  “Em, I worry about you. I do wish you’d reconsider your career choice,” she begins. I sigh.

  “Mom, I appreciate your concern, but I like what I do. I’ll probably go back to school for nursing or something eventually, but I’d miss being a medic too much if I left it now.”

  She takes a gulp of coffee. “Emily, we know the full story about the Halloween incident,” she blurts.

  My mind starts flipping through names and faces trying to figure out which old biddy had blabbed, and I settle on Constance Le Deaux! I picture the town gossip on the phone, spilling all the gory details of that night, plus a few extra she probably tossed in for added drama, to my horrified mother.

  “Mom, I understand your concern, but calls like that hardly ever happen. I’m fine. I promise. If the job ever gets to the point that it’s too dangerous, I’ll quit. Jacob’s a great partner, and the guys at Atchafalaya Parish Sheriff’s Department take good care of us. We haven’t had one incident since that night.” I try my best to reassure her.

  “Look, Emily. I can’t tell you what to do. I love you and want what’s best for you. The end.” I put down my coffee mug and put my hand over hers.

  “I love you, too. Thank you,” I say. We spend the rest of the afternoon silently sipping our coffee while watching the sun set on the bayou.

  It’s hard seeing Mom and Dad pack up to go. Always the worrier, Dad stops mid-goodbye to tell me he’ll have a better alarm system installed. I thank him and give him a long hug.

  “Now Pete, I want you to take good care of my little Doodlebug,” Dad requests. I huff.

  “I know! I know! You’re too old to be called Doodlebug! We’ve already been through it.” He tosses his hands in the air.

  “A lot of good it did!” I exclaim.

  “Doodlebug is an adorable name,” Mom comments.

  “Mother, please.” My hands rest on my hips.

  “You both know I’ll take good care of her, right? No need to worry about Doodlebug,” Pete answers, trying to suppress a laugh.

  Despite my glare, he hugs Mom and shakes Dad’s hand. One last round of goodbyes from me, and they wave and blow kisses as they drive away. They’ll return for Mardi Gras in a few months, and I’ll be thrilled to see them again so soon.

  Once inside, Pete leads me to the sofa where we quietly kick back while watching the roaring fire. Finally, Pete shifts so he can see my face.

  “I’m supposed to take care of you, right Doodlebug?” he begins, his fingers tucking a lock of hair behind my ears.

  “Stop! I hate that name. Don’t use it again, or you’ll be sorry,” I warn.

  “Oh, really? Sorry, you say?” He stops laughing, and his mood turns serious. My eyes widen when he drops to one knee. “Emily, something has always seemed to be missing from my life, and I finally realized what it was when you came back to town. You are the love of my life. Please, Emily, will you be my wife?” My breaths are shallow, and my heart nearly pounds out of my chest when he pulls a black velvet box from his pocket. The ring staring back used to belong to my great-grandmother, and tears instantly well in my eyes.

  “I had a ring all picked out, but your mom said you’ve wanted this one since you were a little girl.”

  I swipe away a few of the tears. “I have! Oh, my gosh! I used to aggravate my mom so much by constantly begging to try it on. It was my Gammie Emeline’s.” I sigh. “She was such a beautiful woman in every way. I got my name from her. Pete, how did you do all of this without me knowing?”

  “Wait, you didn’t answer the question.”

  “Oh, my god! Pete, I love you so much! Yes! Of course I’ll marry you!” I squeal.

  He embraces me in a bear hug and lovingly presses his lips against mine. My hand shakes when he slides the ring onto my finger, and I can’t seem to stop giggling.

  Pete and I decide to celebrate our engagement with a New Year’s Eve gathering, so we invite everyone we know to an evening filled with food, drinks, and even fireworks. The backyard soon overflows with partygoers.

  There is a bon fire near the bayou, and some of the crowd hovers near its warmth. Others dance to music played by DJ Smooth P, a friend of Bert’s. I’m busy playing hostess when I feel Pete’s strong arms encircle my waist. I lean my head back to nestle into his chest, but I quickly realize it isn’t Pete! I break the hold, spin around to see who grabbed me, and find a grinning Kent.

  “Kent, why would you do that? You scared the crap out of me,” I snap. He smells like a distillery. “Having a good time?” I ask, annoyed.

  “Sure am. Excellent party,” Kent says, taking a long drink from a dark bottle. “So you and Pete are getting hitched?”

  “We are,” I say, making sure to keep my answer short and sweet.

  “Good,” Kent says. “Pete’s a good guy. I heard about your ex-partner showing up. What’s his name? Shit, he’s sitting right there in the jail. I can’t think of his name. Anyway, I can make him disappear. Fucker will never mess with you again, guaranteed.”

  My mouth is agape with shock. I know Kent can be uncouth, but damn, he’s much worse with alcohol in his system.

  “You’re joking, right?” My response is clipped.

  Kent turns to me, staggering slightly as he does so. He reaches for a lock of hair that escaped my clip and tucks it behind my ear. “Of course I’m joking, Emily.” I begin to feel really uncomfortable, so I bat his hand away. He leans in closely, bringing his face just inches from mine. He extends the hand gripping the liquor bottle and taps his index finger against my chest.

  “If things don’t work out between you two,” he says as he stumbles backwards a bit, “you come find me.” He removes his finger from my chest and puts it onto his own. “Cause I can take care of you. Look at these.”

  He raises the sleeve of his t-shirt to expose a massive bicep, flexing it to bring home his point. I glance around to find any other place to be. After Bert catches my eye, he and Connie come over to join us, and he puts an arm around Kent’s shoulder.

  “Come on, man. Pete needs our help with the fire,” Bert says with one of his famous smiles. “You two will be okay here, right?” he asks, pointing back and forth between Connie and me. We nod, and he guides Kent toward the fire. I exhale a huge sigh of relief.

  “Oh, my god!” I say under my breath, finally giving my undivided attention to Connie.

  “What in the hell?” she asks, wide-eyed. I blow out a long breath.

  “I have no idea. He just grabbed me from behind and started saying weird stuff.”

  “Okay, then,” she says, chuckling. “At least he’s gone now. Bert will keep him busy.”

  “Good! I owe him.”

  “Oh, no. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of payment for you. He gets rewarded very well on a regular basis.” She gives me an exaggerated wink, and I practically double over from laughter.

  “Connie, you are too much, woman.”

  She grins while shrugging. “Hey, Em! I totally forgot! Congrats on the engagement. Let me see.” She reaches for my left hand, and her face lights up. “Oooh! It’s gorgeous. You’re so lucky!” she exclaims.

  “Thanks! It belonged to my Gammie Emeline,” I answer.

  “How sweet! I love jewelry with a story. You need to tell me all about Gammie Emeline the next time we have lunch.” We hear someone doing a Tarzan yell, and we know who it is right away. “What the hell’s up with him?”

  “I don’t know, but he creeped me out when he told me he could get rid of B
rad for me.”

  “What! Oh my gosh! I mean it’s obvious he has a crush on you, but why would he bring up the incident with Brad?” She lowers her voice to a near whisper, “And what did he mean by get rid of him?”

  “I have no idea! What I do know is he needs to back off some. Wait. What do you mean it’s obvious he has a crush on me?” I ask.

  “It’s a no-brainer. You’re hot, he’s male, and he’s breathing.” Connie laughs.

  “Connie! You’re crazy.”

  “Kent can be a weirdo. He cycles through girls like nobody’s business. Just try to ignore him. Look, let’s not talk about him. We need talk about more important things! Wedding things. I wish you and Pete lots of happiness, lots of cute babies, and lots of fun making those cute babies!” I blush, but Connie doesn’t even think twice about her comment. She’s incredibly outspoken, and her personality is very no-nonsense.

  I give a quick look around to make sure we’re still alone. “Connie, I know this might be awkward, and it’s probably not the best time to bring this up, but you guys have known Pete for a long time. Will you tell me what you know about Sarah?”

  Connie points to a patio table under one of the ancient oaks that dot the grounds, and once we’re seated, I’m mesmerized by how the candlelight makes her red hair glimmer.

  “I assume you mean Pete’s Sarah. I knew her okay, at least I thought I did. Anyway, the story goes…wait. How much do you know?”

  I tell her Pete’s version of the story, and she nods from time to time, acknowledging that what he told me is accurate.

  “Do you believe she ran off with her partner?” I ask.

  Connie leans in close. “Okay, this is the scoop. The night Sarah left, she and Walt got a rescue call. They dropped off their patient, and while at the hospital, Sarah asked one of the nurses to do a pregnancy test for her. The nurse was happy to help and was excited to tell her it was positive. Sarah wasn’t happy though. The nurse said Sarah walked down the hall towards Walt kinda in a daze, and when Sarah got to him, she nearly collapsed in his arms. They walked out of the hospital holding each together. That was the last time anyone local saw either of them.” Connie adjusts herself to sit back in her seat.

  “Really? That does sound suspicious. Is there more to the story? Why do people assume Walt and Sarah took off together?”

  “Walt called the supervisor and said he was done with the whole EMS thing and would find a job elsewhere. He refused to finish his shift, so he told the supervisor to send a replacement for him and Sarah right away because she was going with him. And that was that. They left right then and there, never to be heard from again. It caused a huge mess because there was no one available if there was an emergency. The supervisor finally found fill-ins for Sarah and Walt.”

  “That’s crazy! Didn’t someone look for them or anything?”

  “I heard that missing persons’ reports were filed after several days with no communication from them. Sarah’s family didn’t believe she’d run off with Walt. They started investigating, but the case was closed after a deputy or someone called to say a couple matching Sarah and Walt’s description was spotted somewhere in North Louisiana. I guess they just wanted to cut all ties and start over fresh, you know?” She shrugs her shoulders for emphasis.

  “How does Pete fit into all of this? I know he was engaged to her, but it seems like he’s a victim in all of this. Cherie treated him like a criminal.”

  Connie interrupts me. “Honey, Pete was totally devastated when she left. He confided to Bert that there was no way the baby was his, but he would still be interested in working things out with her if possible. I personally don’t know what she saw in Walt. I mean, I have a hard time picturing them as a couple, but to each his own, you know?” she asks, raising her hands in the air and shrugging her shoulders.

  I nod slightly while gazing at the flickering candle. Finally, I snap out of it.

  “Thank you for sharing all of that with me. Okay, onto less depressing things. How about we get a drink and find our guys?”

  “I’ll pass on the drink, but I’d love to take a spin around the dance floor with my husband.” I give her a look.

  “A New Year’s Eve party and you’re not drinking?”

  “I told Bert that tonight is his night to get plastered. Designated driver,” she says, pulling her keys from her pocket and dangling them in front of me.

  “Ah, gotcha. You two are welcome to stay the night if you want to join in,” I offer.

  “Thanks, but not a good idea. We can get really loud, and when Bert drinks, we get nas-tay. Yeah, we’re going to spare y’all.”

  I bust out laughing yet again because of Connie’s lack of a filter. Spotting Bert before she does, I point to where he’s huddled with a small group of people. He raises his hand to acknowledge he’s seen us.

  “Have fun, and if you need anything, be sure to find me,” I say, giving her a quick hug.

  “I sure will. Now you make sure to have some fun, also! Get your ass liquored up and let your freak flag fly, baby!” She throws her hand in the air and snaps her fingers, then leaves to meet up with Bert.

  He kisses her briefly on the lips, and they walk hand in hand toward the dance area. Such a cute couple! I look for my own Prince Charming, and I find him very animatedly telling a story to his own group of friends. I smile to myself when thinking about what Connie had suggested. Walking up to the bar, I fix myself a drink, get a beer from the ice chest for Pete, and make my way to him.

  His face lights up when he sees me, and he gives me a quick kiss when I hand him the beer. He’s telling war stories about some of the strangest calls he’s been on, and the others listen intently.

  This particular story involves a drunk man’s fed up girlfriend. Evidently, she waited for him to pass out, and then tied him, naked, to a mailbox in the middle of town. She was tired of his constant drinking and flirting with other women, so she decided to make an example out of him. He had a huge red bow taped to the top of his head, and the only thing that covered his male anatomy was a homemade sign that read, If you want him, take him! The group roars with laughter as they listen to Pete’s story. I’m enjoying myself, but round after round of drinks catch up with me. Not only am I incredibly tipsy, but I hope to make it to the bathroom in time. I quickly march toward the house with purpose.

  For a split second, I consider asking Connie to come inside with me, but she and Bert are swaying on the dance floor. I quickly slip into the bathroom under the stairwell. After finishing up, I check myself in the mirror and smooth the few curls that stray from my clip. Before I reach the patio doors, a very strong and powerful force yanks me into the darkened kitchen. I’m disoriented, unstable, and my heart pounds so hard I’m sure it’s visible through my clothes.

  My eyes adjust, and I see it’s Kent. He’s pulls me as close to his body as possible, and I can barely breathe. The room spins because of my inebriated state, and I close my eyes to make it stop.

  “Jesus, Kent! What in the hell are you doing?” I feel my buzz beginning to leave me.

  “I wanted to let you know I was serious earlier,” he begins. “If you decide to leave Pete, come see me.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Now let go of me, please,” I demand.

  He doesn’t, so I try breaking out of his grip. It gets me nowhere; fighting him is pointless. “Kent, stop. You’re hurting me,” I say, my wrists starting to register pain.

  His smile gets bigger. He bends to kiss me, and I turn my head to avoid it.

  “Kent, stop it! Let me go!” I yell.

  “Come on, Emily. Just one kiss so I can show you what you’re missing out on.” He tries for another kiss, and once again, I turn away my face.

  “It’s time for you to go home,” a voice calls from behind me. Kent releases me from the forced embrace, but he keeps one hand around my wrist. Jacob stands in the doorway.

  “I think it’s time for you to go back outside and mind your own business, medic man. Not
hing to see here, so move along,” Kent demands.

  “We both know that’s not going to happen. You need to let her go,” Jacob insists, very calmly. “You’ve had too much to drink. She said to leave her alone.”

  “Who the fuck are you? The alcohol police? I’m the police around here! I. Am. The. Law.” Using his fist, Kent pounds on his chest with each word.

  “Well, Emily is taken, and there’s a girl outside who asked about you. She wanted to know if you’re seeing anybody. I thought you might be interested.” Jacob works to diffuse the situation with words instead of brawn. It’s all Kent needs to hear. He relaxes his grip and practically runs to the door.

  “I’m too good for you, anyway,” he comments smugly. His gaze settles on Jacob. “Which girl?”

  “She’s right out there.” Jacob randomly points to the crowd standing around the fire. Kent opens the door and stumbles into the night. Jacob joins me in the kitchen.

  “Emily, you should let Pete know what happened so he can get him out of here.” He flips on the kitchen light as he comes towards me, and noticing my tear-streaked face, he slowly shakes his head.

  “Let me see your wrists,” he says softly, holding his hands out in front of him. I place my wrists in his palms, and he lightly strokes the red welts with his thumbs.

  “Thanks. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t come in.” I gently pull my wrists away to swipe at the few tears that remain.

  “No need for thanks, partner. Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks with a sympathetic smile. I nod.

  “I’m fine. I’ll find Pete and let him know what happened.”

  “Good, girl,” he says, giving my shoulder a rub. Jacob gives me a chaste hug before leaving to find Georgia. After I pull my thoughts together, I spot Connie standing by the bar and signal her over. She ends her conversation with the small group and is by my side in no time flat.

  “Connie, would you find Pete and tell him I need to see him right away, please?”

  “What the hell? Your eyes are red, and it’s not the drunk person kind of red. Have you been crying?” she asks.