Kiss And Dwell (34 page)

Forever, as in, beyond Monique
’
s lifetime. Forever, never to experience pleasure
with a woman again.

And never to experience love.

Monique slowed the car and pulled over to the side of the road. What was she
doing? Going home to seduce a ghost away from his destiny? That was what she
’
d
had in mind, after all. She wanted him to see her, for him to know that she
liked him seeing her, all of her, and then, if all of her dreams came true, he
’
d
come back—to her.

For what? Another night of sex in their minds, without touching? How could she
do that to him?

Her eyes burned. One heavy tear pushed forward then trickled slowly down her
cheek. Then another. And another. Monique
’
s neck dropped back against the
headrest, and she let them all spill free. She couldn
’
t do him that way. She
wouldn
’
t. Sniffing loudly, she let her cries claim the darkness and sobbed so
fiercely that she didn
’
t hear the other car pull in behind hers, didn
’
t hear
footsteps crunching on the loose gravel.

“
Monique. Honey, you okay?
”
Nan asked breathlessly, opening the passenger door
and plopping into the seat.

Another sniff, so loud it was a snort, wedged its way in between Monique
’
s sobs.

“
Want to talk about it?
”
Nan asked.
“
I
’
m assuming Inez was right. You can
’
t get
over Ryan?
”

Monique nodded.
“
You want to kill me, right?
”

Nanette laughed.
“
No, silly, though I may make you finish my manicure when we
get home. Inez told me if I left I couldn
’
t come back, and she only got half
done.
”
She held up her hand, displaying fire-engine-red polish on three nails.

Amazingly, Monique laughed.
“
Sorry.
”

“
Don
’
t be. She
’
ll get over it. Besides, she isn
’
t happy unless she
’
s fussing
.

Part of her charm, I suppose.
”
Nanette twisted in the seat to face Monique,
drawing her legs beneath her then wincing when she noticed her nails.
“
Oh, she
’
s
really going to love me now,
”
she laughed, holding up her index finger to show
Monique the big smudge on top. Nan shrugged.
“
Did you have any idea she knew
about our ghosts?
”

“
She talks about ghosts all the time,
”
Monique said,
“
But she
’
s never associated
them with our family. I thought it was a part of her fondness for voodoo. Kind
of makes me wonder if the reason she works at the shop has anything to do with
our medium status. She lives in
Manchak
, and that
’
s a good hour away.
”

“
I
’
m guessing it does,
”
Nan said.
“
Not that I think it matters too much. Most
folks around here think she
’
s three crawfish short of a pound anyway.
”

Monique laughed.
“
She
’
s good at doing nails.
”

“
Yeah, when she finishes,
”
Nan said, again eyeing her two perfect nails, her
smudged one and the seven completely bare of polish. Then she grinned,
apparently happy to see the end of Monique
’
s
cryfest
.
“
Feeling better now?
”

“
Yeah. I was about to do something stupid, but I thought better of it.
”

“
Wanted to make it one more time with your ghost before he crossed, huh? A bit
more brain sex?
”
Nan asked.

“
Yeah, but I shouldn
’
t,
”
Monique said regrettably.

“
No, you shouldn
’
t,
”
Nanette agreed.

Nan held up her palms defensively when Monique
’
s jaw dropped.
“
Hey, I was just
stating the facts.
”
She slapped her right forearm.
“
Great. We probably look like
the main course to every mosquito for miles. Want to put the top up while we
talk?
”

“
Sure,
”
Monique said.

In the time it took the two of them to snap the convertible
’
s top in place,
Monique
’
s sadness subsided.
“
I
’
ll be okay.
”

“
I know that.
”
Nan picked up Monique
’
s purse from the floor.
“
Got your cell
phone on you?
”

“
Yeah, it
’
s in there. Who are you calling?
”

“
You
’
ll see.
”
Nan fished the red phone out of Monique
’
s bag with her
non-polished hand then quickly dialed a number.
“
Dax
? Hey, it
’
s Nan. Listen,
Monique is with me and wants to ask you a question about Celeste.
”
She handed
the phone over.

“
What do you expect me to ask?
”
Monique whispered, rather loudly.

“
See if the two ghosts have hooked up today.
Dax
will know, and you
’
ll stop
worrying about what
’
s happening right now in Florida.
”

Monique lifted the tiny phone to her ear, but didn
’
t even have to ask the
question. Evidently,
Dax
heard Nanette
’
s instructions.

“
Hey, I was wondering whether to call you or not,
”
he said.
“
But I figured if I
didn
’
t hear from you, then you really didn
’
t want to know.
”

“
I didn
’
t think I wanted to know, but Chloe and Celeste are only here until
tomorrow, right?
”
she asked.
“
The end of the week at the beach?
”

“
Yeah, they
’
re crossing, I guess, tomorrow. Gotta admit, I
’
m going to miss
them.
”

“
You care about Celeste?
”
Monique asked. Nan
’
s jaw fell open, and she mumbled,
“
Have mercy. Him, too?
”

“
I care about her, but I know she
’
s leaving so I haven
’
t let her know. But I
care about Chloe, too. She
’
s a sweet kid. You should
’
ve seen her light up when
she saw the beach. Really something.
”
He paused, then added,
“
Yeah, it
’
s going
to be tough to see them leave.
”

“
Will Ryan leave with them, do you think?
”
she asked, hoping he couldn
’
t hear
the trepidation in her tone.

“
I honestly don
’
t know,
”
Dax
said.
“
He and Celeste have spent time together and
have gone somewhere every day, while Chloe sticks around here and visits with
her folks. And they
’
re gone again now, so I guess everything is progressing for
both of our assignments to cross tomorrow. Actually, since Celeste was here most
every night, I thought maybe they hadn
’
t gotten, you know, romantic. But last
night, she wasn
’
t here. And tonight, she
’
s gone again. I
’
m certain they
’
re
together.
”

Tears found their way to the edge of her eyes again, burning as they
accumulated, then spilled over.

“
Monique?
”

Shaking her head, she handed the phone to Nan.

“
Sorry
Dax
,
”
Nan said.
“
She had to go. I
’
ll see you tomorrow night, right?
”
She
nodded.
“
Well, be careful driving back. Love you, too. Bye.
”
She snapped the
phone shut, dropped it back in Monique
’
s purse then leaned across the console to
wrap an arm around her.
“
You gonna be okay?
”

“
Yeah, I will. I need tomorrow to come and go, need Ryan to go. Then everything
will be okay.
”

“
Think you can drive home now?
”
Nan asked.
“
Or do you want to leave your car
here and ride with me?
”

Monique managed a smile.
“
No way would I leave my Mustang on the side of the
road, and I
’
ve never trusted your driving.
”

“
Hmph
,
”
Nan said, grinning in spite of the gibe. She climbed from the car and
before slamming the door, asked,
“
Wanna
race?
”

“
Sure,
”
Monique said, then before Nan even made it back to her
Camaro
, Monique
sped away, leaving a big cloud of smoke in her wake.

Nothing like driving a fast car to make you feel better.

Monique’s stomach
growled as she entered the
Vicknair
plantation and scents of
Jenee
’
s
gumbo drifted from the kitchen. But she didn
’
t want to eat. Her eyes,
feeling grainy from exhaustion, longed to close, but she couldn
’
t sleep, either
.

Sleeping would end with Sunday, and Sunday would end with Ryan on the other
side. Or not. And right now, she didn
’
t know which was worse.

“
That you, Monique?
”
Jenee
called from the kitchen.
“
I fixed a huge pot of
gumbo, and made enough rice and potato salad for an army. We
’
re the only ones
here, right now. Why don
’
t you come help me try to make a dent in this food? You
know you want some,
”
she coaxed, leaning her head into the hall. Then she
frowned and walked toward Monique.
“
You okay?
”

“
I will be,
”
Monique said, as Nan entered the house behind her.

“
Not going to eat?
”
Nan asked, a slight frown tugging her full mouth downward.

“
You really should.
”

“
Can
’
t,
”
Monique said, and blinked back her tears.
“
I
’
m going to take a shower
and go to bed.
”

“
Well,
”
Nan said, dusting her hands together,
“
everybody knows gumbo is better
the second day anyway, so you can have a big bowl for lunch tomorrow.
”

“
That sounds perfect,
”
Monique said, glad that Nan understood. She needed to be
alone, needed to ponder tomorrow
’
s possibilities, needed to have a nice, long
pity cry.

She started up the stairs, while Nan and
Jenee
went into the kitchen. She was
grateful the two of them didn
’
t try to force her to eat. There was no way she
could swallow one bite tonight. Her stomach was in knots, almost nauseous from
intense anxiety. She
’
d told them the truth. She wanted a nice, hot shower, and

then, if she could make her eyes close, she needed to sleep. Didn
’
t want it, but
needed it, nonetheless. Within minutes, she reached her room, entered the
bathroom and removed her clothes. Then she turned the shower on, as hot as it
would go, and stepped inside.

Hissing at the impact of the hot stream, Monique tilted her head beneath the
pulsing water and let it ease the pounding in her skull, the pressure that had
been building all day with each and every thought of Ryan
’
s potential crossing.