by Caine,Ruby
"I'm getting close," she warned him. Usually, he took her declaration as a hint and reached between them to stroke her, adding to her climax. This time, he reluctantly stilled, as if trying to postpone his own satisfaction. Pulling away long enough to turn her around, he sat her on the counter again, kneeling between her legs.
"Oh, my goodness. Are you trying to kill me?" Sweat poured from her brow and between her breasts as she tensed tighter, struggling to catch her breath. Glancing sideways, she saw the reflection of Chance's face buried between her legs. The sight alone almost sent her over the edge. The guttural sounds escaping her mouth surprised her.
Her reaction put him over the top. Standing up, he lifted her into his strong arms and helped her straddle his waist. Bracing her against the wall, he pumped urgently into her heat, one finger reaching back to explore her back entrance. This time the entire digit disappeared inside, stroking her there until she screamed his name. Then he reached down to stroke between their bodies to her core, sending her on a second wave of fulfillment as he gave way to his own.
Collapsing in bed, they both fell asleep smiling. Chance only dozed off for an hour or so. The vibration of his cell phone on the nightstand woke him. Quietly dressing, he reached down to kiss Adrienne's forehead. "With any luck, I'll be back before you even wake up."
Ten
Cherice watched Adrienne sleep. Now that Chance was gone, she finally had her Mommy to herself again. Her mother's disguise did not fool her anymore. Mommy had come back to be with her, just like Cherice knew she would. Daddy was trying to keep them apart, just like that awful man. Her father would never look for her here. The trouble Cherice started at the big company near River Oaks would keep the man away, too.
Soon Mommy would be with her forever. Both Daddy and the man would not be able to take her Mommy away. Mommy and she would visit the riverboat tonight, just like they did all those years ago. Mommy had been so surprised when she had snuck aboard the boat last time. Only this time, Mommy would not get scared when the big boat headed their way. Cherice would not allow Mommy to throw her into the river to swim back to Daddy. This time they would perish together, and Cherice would never be lonely again.
The child went to check on the couple waiting down stairs. They were in the big room in the front. The man kept staring at the woman. Every time Cherice spied on them, the woman stopped talking and glanced around the room. The child worried the lady might be able to see her. Would she try to keep her and Mommy apart when they left the house? When it was time to lead Mommy away, she needed to make sure the lady did not see them. No one was going to stop them. Cherice decided she would hurt the lady if she had to, just like she hurt Chance.
Lenore had trouble concentrating on the questions Gene asked. The psychic was sure someone was watching them. She sensed danger, too. When her phone rang, Lenore flinched, and Gene gave her a reassuring look. The caller ID told her it was Chance. "Hello, Chance. Yes, Adrienne's still asleep; I could go check on her if you want. Okay, I won't disturb her... hang on, I'll ask Gene."
"Chance doesn't think he'll be able to get away before the Riverboat Race. Would you mind if I stayed here with Adrienne until he gets back? We could meet another day if you have any more questions."
"I'd rather skip the race and keep you company," the editor smiled. "How about I go pick up some take out, and we watch the race on the television?" Knowing Adrienne was still asleep, Chance felt it was safe to go back to dealing with the investigation into the issues at the plant. There was evidence someone, or something, had tampered with gauges and equipment. If he did not know any better, he would think old Stanislaus had been causing the problems at the plant.
But whatever form appeared to look like the former owner of River Oaks, it had not been solid enough to grab. Then another disturbing thought occurred to him. If old Stan was not solid, how did he manage to clobber Chance in the head? What if the old man wasn't his attacker after all?
"Wake up, sleepy head." Cherice stood beside Adrienne as she lay in the bed. One icy hand nudged her in the side.
Turning over, the woman fought coming awake. "I am too tired to make love again this soon, Chance. Give me a few more hours, then I'll be ready to go."
Cherice's giggles penetrated Adrienne's foggy mind. She bolted upright to face the child. "We have to go now or we'll miss it." The little girl smiled, touching Adrienne's hair.
Wrinkling her nose against the metal odor, Adrienne reached for her robe. She really wished she had taken the time to get dressed after making love. Eyeing Chance's side of the bed, she wondered where he had disappeared to at this time of night. It was almost midnight. Maybe he was downstairs, checking on things at the plant.
Being at Home Place turned out to be a blessing. Her great uncle had not shown up here. If she could keep Chance away from River Oaks, both of them might just escape the old man's fury. Of course, that meant denying Chance something he had wanted desperately for a decade now. Would he still feel the same about her if she kept him from something so important to his plans? Until the ghost of Stanislaus Hymel was laid to rest, she would keep Chance away from River Oaks.
"I figured out a way to stop Daddy from looking for me," the child announced, as if reading Adrienne's mind. "If you help me, I will be with my mommy again, this time forever."
"Let me guess," Adrienne pulled on some clothes. "All we have to do is go back to River Oaks."
"We cannot go there. Daddy is looking for us in the house right now. I want to show you where my mommy is waiting. You can help me get her to let me stay with her. She will protect me from Daddy. Please," she begged, pulling Adrienne's arm with her cold hands.
"Okay, let me get Chance. He'll want to come along to help."
"No! He will try to stop us, just like Daddy. We have to sneak out without anyone seeing. I am really good at sneaking around. No one sees me until I want them to. Follow me."
Adrienne was conflicted. Chance would throw a fit if she left without telling him. Then again, she did not want to drag him along just in case her crazy uncle decided he wanted to give him another whack in the head. At least she had never actually been attacked, yet. If she hurried, maybe she could reunite Cherice with her mother and be back before Chance even noticed she was gone. Her butt cheeks clenched, but she refused to heed their warning.
"Okay, I'll help you find your mother, but we have to hurry."
They left through the back door, Lenore none the wiser as she sat reading the final entries in Wynona's diary while Gene left to pick up food. Earlier that day Lenore had met with her grandmother and learned she had bought Wynona's necklace. At first Lenore started doubting everything she knew about her talent. Until now, she assumed she inherited her gift from her grandmother, the famous psychic who predicted the River Oaks tragedy.
Her grandmother took a long time to calm her down. She explained how she approached Wynona all those years ago, to warn her of a coming danger. Stanislaus' wife refused to listen to the warnings and tried to get the other woman to buy her necklace instead. In her grandmother's dreams, the woman perished in a boating accident. She bought the necklace hoping the money she gave Wynona would enable her to find an alternative way to escape River Oaks.
The visions of Wynona's death became more vivid after the purchase, only now her grandmother had visions that Cherice was in danger, too. She had gone to Stanislaus and warned him the little girl was in peril, but he threw her out. A few weeks passed and the visions had come true.
Pondering on the information her grandmother provided, Lenore pieced together what happened in those final days. Wynona and her lover planned to meet up as the Cajun Spirit passed through the parish. She would take one of River Oaks rowboats and wait in a safe area for her lover to come and get her. The diary detailed Wynona and her lover meeting by an isolated section of the river where they hid a rowboat to use when she was ready to escape. According to the diary, Cherice had secretly followed them and attacked the man, bashing him in the head wit
h a tree branch. At first Wynona was terrified her daughter had killed her lover, but he managed to survive.
The last few pages of the diary were meant for Cherice to read when she was older. She apologized to the child for having to leave her behind. Wynona expressed her sorrow of letting her stay behind, but knew it was best to leave her with her father. There was only one thing Stanislaus loved more than River Oaks, Wynona wrote. That was Cherice. If she took their child, she knew he would chase her to the ends of the earth. One day, Wynona had promised Cherice, you will be the mistress of River Oaks.
Lenore's talisman started vibrating. Picking up her cell, she called Chance. "You need to come home, now," she ordered. "I think Adrienne is in serious danger. Cherice's mother was planning on leaving the child behind. She chose her lover in the end."
Chance was already speeding home. "It's not Stanislaus we need to be worried about, is it? The few times I encountered him, he was just a mist. Adrienne told me she not only touched the little girl, but the child was able to touch her back."
Lenore froze, a vision crystallizing in her mind. Adrienne was sitting in a rowboat; the music from a riverboat was close by. By the time the riverboat would be able to spot her, it would be too late. "Cherice is going to try to kill Adrienne tonight."
Minutes later Chance raced up the steps of Home Place finding Gene holding a crying Lenore in his arms. "She's gone," the other man announced when Lenore could not find her voice. "We searched the whole house. There is no sign of her."
"Gone! How the hell could she be gone?"
"We need to figure out where Cherice and her mother died," Lenore cried. "The child is going to try to re-create their deaths, only this time she plans on latching on to Adrienne so she won't be alone anymore."
"If that's true, I know where they are heading. We'll take my speedboat. According to the article we read, they were in a small boat when they were struck by a passing Riverboat. Cherice has probably tricked Adrienne into getting in the water. Didn't you say that damn paddleboat race is tonight?"
*****
More than seventy years before, River Oaks boasted lots of rowboats. They had been necessary for crossing the river that separated St. Charles parish back when there was no bridge. Most had gotten rotten with time; one had been destroyed when Wynona tried to escape with her lover. Only one remaining boat was seaworthy, and Cherice was determined to lure Adrienne into it.
Pointing to the rowboat now sitting at the river's edge, Cherice told her they would find her mommy inside. Adrienne was smart enough to question the safety of the craft. The child disappeared as the woman nudged the vessel with the toe of her boot. A spider crawled out, and she took two steps away. Then the child's voice called from somewhere near the center of the river.
"Adrienne, help me. Daddy has my mommy, and he won't let her go."
Sanity demanded remaining on solid ground, but Adrienne could not ignore the pitiful cries for help. Keeping an eye out for other creepy, crawly creatures, she slowly sat in the boat and used two paddles she found there to push off. It took her a few tries to figure out how to get the paddles going in the correct manner. In the end, she had to row with her back facing the center of the river. It was easier to guide the boat that way.
"Cherice, where are you?" Adrienne called, starting to rethink this whole rescue mission.
It was so dark, she could not even see where her rowboat was heading. What the heck could she do even if she did manage to locate Stanislaus or Wynona? This was the stupidest thing she had ever done. No, sneaking out of Home Place was probably the stupidest. She wouldn't fault Chance if he took his hairbrush to her backside this time.
She was in the process of trying to turn around, when the music of two paddleboats drifted up river. The sound was getting louder, meaning she could end up in their path if she did not retreat fast enough. Here she sat in a rowboat without any lights, and two huge paddleboats were racing in her direction. A glittery spiral formed before Adrienne, and Cherice appeared in its mist.
"I tricked you again, mommy," she giggled.
Just like the first night she met the child, Adrienne found herself confused and dealing with things that defied logic. "Cherice, what are you talking about? I'm Adrienne, remember. I'm trying to help you find your mother."
"We are too far out this time, Mommy. I won't let you throw me into the water when the big boat is about to hit us. You promised Daddy would save me, but he didn't. I have been alone all this time because you would not let me stay with you. But now we will be together when we die. Does it hurt when the big boat slams into you? Will you hold me so I won't be afraid?"
The child's mother had thrown her in the river? How could any mother do such a thing? "Cherice, listen to me. I am not your mother. My name is Adrienne. We need to get out of this river before those paddleboats reach us."
The child started crying now. "I do not want to be alone anymore. I do not care if you think I need to swim back to Daddy. It was not safer. He could not save me last time. I want to be with you when the big boat hits you this time. Don't you love me more than that man?"
"Maybe your mother knew you would be better off with your father. Listen to me, you said your mother promised you your daddy would save you. He tried, Cherice. The newspaper said he almost died trying to save you. He was never the same because he could not get to you in time. Even after he died, he never stopped loving you. He's been looking for you ever since. He even attacked Chance because he threatened to keep you away from your father."
"Daddy did not hit Chance. I did. He keeps trying to take you away from me, just like that other man did. But I won't let him. He won't try to save you tonight. He is back at that big place with all the towers. I fixed it so he will not be able to leave there for a long time."
Adrienne edged back in the rowboat, the music coming toward them growing even louder. "You were the one who attacked Chance?" Realization dawned on her. "This was all a trap. You lied about your mother being here. How long have you been planning to lure me here?"
"I've been following you for a long time, Mommy. At first, I did not recognize you. Why were you pretending to be someone else? I bet I know. Were you scared Daddy would find you? You did not want to come back to River Oaks, but I tricked you anyway. Now we can be together forever."
The sound of a speedboat echoed in the distance, then a spot light shone in their directions. The other boat was moving faster than the paddleboats racing up the river. "Chance!" Adrienne screamed. Somehow he found her. Waving her arms, she called to him. "Over here, Chance. We're over here!"
"No!" Cherice screamed. "I won't let you leave me again." The little girl pushed Adrienne with all her might. The heels of the woman's boots caught on one of the wooden paddles, sending her falling backwards into the wooden boat instead of overboard. Adrienne pulled herself up and looked over the side of the boat. The child was struggling against the current. She reached out to grab her hand, but the wake of Chance's boat sent Adrienne slipping again as he pulled up alongside the rowboat.
Gene grabbed the wheel, while Chance reached inside to pull Adrienne into his arms. Then the editor hit the throttle, pulling away from the path of the racing Riverboats. A loud splash sounded in the distance, and Stanislaus' mournful wail pierced the air. Gene could not believe his eyes when he watched a shadowy figure carrying the body of what appeared to be a little girl out of the river to the grassy bank.
The sounds of rotten wood splintering barely registered as the lively music of the paddleboats moved up the river. Bits and pieces ripped toward the shore as the wreckage moved with the other boat's large wake. Lenore motioned for Eugene to steer toward the shore where the apparitions appeared, but the editor refused. Pushing past him, she pulled the wheel, edging Chance's boat closer to the riverbank.
Cutting the engine, she called out, "Cherice, listen to me. I read your mother's diary, honey. She wanted you to stay with your daddy, not because she did not want you, but because your daddy loved you enou
gh to put your needs first, no matter what. She did not belong at River Oaks, but you did."
"She's terrified she'll be alone again," Adrienne offered, shaking at her near miss and wondering if these two ghosts would ever find rest.
"Your father has been waiting for you all these years, Cherice. He sensed you were still around and wanted to find you when he passed away. Follow him into the light now. Neither of you belong in this world. You are both going someplace where you'll never be lonely again."
The shadow of the man holding the child knelt on the shore, calling his daughter's name again and again. A small hand reached up to touch his face, wiping a tear falling there. "Is she telling the truth, Daddy? Can we go someplace where I won't have to be lonely anymore?"
The man started shaking uncontrollably, standing up and shouting with joy. "Daddy's got you, baby girl. I have been looking for you for so long. It's time to go home, now. I will make sure you are never lonely again." Settling the child on his hip, he turned to face the nearby speedboat. "Thank you for giving her back to me." Then he turned and started walking away, disappearing into the night.
"Did I... Was that really a... Can someone explain what the hell is going on here?" Gene Zeringue demanded.
Lenore pulled him out of the way as Chance took the wheel. Pulling Adrienne to sit in his lap, Chance started the engine again and headed back to Home Place. "I hope you two did not finish off all the wine I left to help get you in a better frame of mind for hearing ghost stories. I think we'll all need something strong to drink while we try to figure this mess out."
"I can sit in the seat next to you," Adrienne blushed, embarrassed Chance refused to let her move even an inch away.
"You aren't going anywhere. Maybe once I get my ring on your finger, I'll let you out of my sight. Until then, where ever I go, you go, too."
