Page 17 of The Unseen

S EAN STOOD NEXT TO THE BOXING RING AS C OACH D EVEREAUX FINISHED giving Hugo his first boxing lesson. Hugo had always been sullen and bitter. Today, even with Hugo’s mouthpiece in and wearing his headgear, it was clear he was grinning. Sean could see his eyes shining as he danced around the ring.

After practice, both of the boxers removed their headgear and mouthpieces.

“You did good today,” Coach said. “I told you, you had a natural ability. You’re learning to make defensive moves that actually work. Like I said, you’re doing really well.”

Hugo’s eyes gleamed. “Think I could ever go pro?”

Hugo was a poor kid who came from a broken home. Sean knew Coach had brought him in on a scholarship sponsored by the center. Up until now, he’d been a real a-hole, but Coach had a way of reaching even the toughest kids.

Coach slapped Hugo on the back. “Life is full of possibilities, Hugo. You just have to be ready when an opportunity arises.”

Coach crossed the floor in Sean’s direction. “Soon as I shower and dress, we’re out of here.”

“Okay.” Coach would be driving him home and staying at Belle Reve for supper. Sean wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Lucas Devereaux was a real babe magnet, though he didn’t seem to get it.

Or maybe he just wasn’t interested. He was interested in Nicole.

Sean just hoped the other boys didn’t find out.

If they said bad things or called his sister names, he’d have to defend her, and though he was bigger than a lot of the kids, some of them were real badasses.

Worse yet, being around Coach made him feel guilty about the crime he was about to commit. He didn’t want to do it. He wasn’t the same kid he’d been before.

But if he refused, it was going to bring trouble to Nicole. If he did it and got caught, it was also going to bring trouble.

Maybe the boss will change his mind about me. Maybe he’ll decide to let it all just fade away.

Sean’s stomach knotted.

Yeah, and maybe pigs could fly.

Lucas drove the Jeep up the lane to Belle Reve. Several cars were parked in front of the big house; one was a truck with a HANDY DANDY PLUMBING sign.

“I wonder what’s going on,” Sean said.

The boy had been quiet during the whole trip from the youth center, and he seemed to have spent more time in his room over the past couple of days. Lucas hoped it wasn’t because he was seeing Sean’s sister.

He didn’t want to stop seeing Nicole. He’d been drawn to her from the start.

Her gorgeous red hair and sexy figure would attract any red-blooded male and he certainly wasn’t immune.

But it was more than that. She was a talented artist, one whose paintings moved him, gave him a glimpse of the woman she was inside.

Nicole was smart and talented. And the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her. He’d told her he didn’t enter into affairs lightly and it was the truth. He wanted more from Nicole Belmond than a one-night stand or a few nights in her bed. He hoped she wanted more, too.

Lucas had a strong feeling this was the path he was supposed to follow. He was determined to find out where it led.

They got out of the Jeep to the sound of hammering and occasional swearing inside the main house. The front door stood open, and he and Sean both headed in that direction.

Nicole walked out the door in a pair of jeans, wet above the ankles, and a paint-smeared T-shirt, her hair pulled up in a ponytail. She glanced down at her watch when she saw him and her cheeks turned pink.

“Lucas! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was getting so late.”

“What’s going on?”

“A water pipe broke in one of the upstairs bathrooms. It filled the room and leaked through the ceiling. The plaster fell down on the room below. It’s a real mess.”

“Anything Sean and I can do to help?”

Sean’s head came up. He seemed surprised he would be included.

“The plumbers are here. They’re working on it. We’ll have to get plasterers and painters out here next week.”

“Gonna cost a lot of money,” Sean said.

“Yes, unfortunately, it is.” Nicole walked over and hugged him. “You don’t have to worry. We’ll manage.”

“Where’s Aunt Rachel?” Sean asked as Nicole stepped away.

“She’s talking to the plumber; then she’s going upstairs to change for supper. She’ll be over as soon as she’s finished.”

Lucas made eye contact, silently asking whether she had told Rachel about the bones. Nicole faintly shook her head and started walking toward the carriage house.

“Sean, help me get the groceries out of the Jeep,” Lucas said.

The boy nodded. They each grabbed a bag and started toward the carriage house. Once inside, Lucas set cans of tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and angel-hair pasta on the kitchen counter. A few tins of spices, salad makings, and a bottle of Chianti came out of another bag.

Nicole surveyed the groceries and arched a dark red eyebrow. “Italian? From a Frenchman? I was expecting something more like coq au vin or beef bourguignon . ”

“Next time,” Lucas said, smiling as he looked around the kitchen for the pots and pans he needed.

“I love Italian,” Sean said.

Nicole smiled. “Me too.” She helped him locate the necessary cookware, then began setting the table with red placemats and colorful red-checked napkins.

“Mind if I go out to my shop till dinner’s ready?” Sean asked.

Nicole just smiled. “We’ll let you know when it’s time to eat.”

The boy slipped away as Lucas continued his supper preparations. “Anything going on besides household repairs?” he asked.

“Way too much at the moment. Or at least that’s how it feels.” They talked for a while about the sheriff’s visit and what to tell Rachel about the bones that had been found.

“It all fits together with what Aunt Rachel told us,” Nicole said.

“Which ties in with your painting. How’s that coming along, by the way?”

“I worked on it today before disaster struck at the big house. The easel is sitting in the living room. Come, take a look.”

He left the spaghetti sauce simmering and went into the living room. The face in the painting was clearer, an incredibly handsome man with high cheekbones and thick black hair.

He walked back into the kitchen, picked up the wooden spoon, and continued stirring his sauce. “You think the man in your painting is the guy they found in the cedar box?”

“I have no idea,” Nicole said. “If it’s Francois, maybe we could get the sheriff to let us bury him in his rightful place. I mean, if my aunt is correct and he isn’t already in there.” She sighed. “But I guess we’d have to dig up his grave to find out.”

“Even if we do all that and manage to put his bones in their proper resting place, that might not be enough to make him leave.”

“What? Why not?”

“I think finding the bones is what set all this in motion. Francois never haunted Belle Reve before. At least not that we know of. Right?”

“Right.”

“Usually, the spirit remains on the earthly plane for a reason. In this case, maybe he wants to know what happened to him. How he ended up forgotten in some wooden box. Or maybe he wants other people to know. Until he has the answers, he might refuse to leave.”

Nicole fell silent. There was just so much to take in. She finished setting the table and walked up to the kitchen counter. “Aunt Rachel should be here any minute. What are we going to tell her?”

“I’d say your best bet is to tell her the truth. As she said before, she’s a grown woman. I know she’s ill and physically fragile, but I think she’s strong enough to handle the information.”

“You’re right. We’ll talk to her as soon as it feels right. The news is going to upset her. I’ll tell Sean the whole strange story tomorrow. He already believes you can get rid of demons. Believing there’s a ghost haunting Belle Reve shouldn’t be much of a stretch.”

“How about you? How are you doing after your run-in with the spirits at Darla Robinson’s trailer?”

“I don’t know. None of it seems real.”

He walked around behind her, slid his arms around her waist, and pulled her back against him. “I’ll show you what’s real.” Pulling the rubber band off her hair, he pushed the heavy strands aside and kissed the nape of her neck. Lucas didn’t miss the tremor that ran through her body.

“Just something for you to keep in mind when Sean’s back in school and I call you next week.”

Nicole turned into his arms and looked up at him. “Maybe we should just be friends, Lucas.”

He leaned down and kissed her, didn’t stop until she melted against him, and her arms went around his neck. “Friends,” he repeated. “With benefits?”

“I … I don’t know. Maybe.”

“I’m already your friend, Nicole. I want more than that.”

A light knock sounded at the front door before she had time to reply. Lucas let her go and stepped away as her aunt opened the door and walked into the carriage house.

Rachel was a beautiful woman, Lucas thought, as he had before. Both Belmond women were amazing in more ways than just their good looks.

Lucas planned to find out a lot more about the younger one.

Rachel was exhausted. The bill for the water damage repairs was going to be huge. Even more upsetting, she had overheard the plumbers’ comment that it looked like someone had been messing with the pipes, loosening them under the sink so they would leak. Who would have done something like that?

Someone trying to force her to sell Belle Reve.

She couldn’t tell Nicole. It had to be Phillipe Villard, and the two of them were already oil and water. Nicole might do something rash and end up in trouble.

They already had enough trouble as it was.

She forced herself to smile as she walked into the kitchen of the carriage house.

Lucas Devereaux was there, the best thing that had happened to Nicole in years.

And to Sean. Lucas was just the sort of man both of them needed in their lives, a man who gave his support and affection easily, something Nicole desperately needed, though Rachel doubted her niece would admit it.