Page 19 of The Unseen

I T WAS M ONDAY NIGHT, ALMOST LIGHTS-OUT. S EAN WAS BACK IN school, hunched over his desk, trying to concentrate on his homework.

Yesterday was Easter Sunday. Sean, Nicole, and Aunt Rachel had attended the early-morning service at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a little white church, one of the oldest in St. Francisville.

Aunt Rachel usually cooked, but she wasn’t feeling well. Nicole baked a ham, served it with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and gravy, and Sean’s favorite chocolate cake with chocolate icing for dessert.

Aunt Rachel had left as soon as they’d finished eating. She seemed to be growing weaker right in front of his eyes. He and Nicole were both worried about her.

Sean thought of the story Nicole had told him: how out near Bayou Sara, someone had found in a wooden box the 150-yearold bones of a man. The weird part was his aunt believed the dead guy in the box was haunting Belle Reve.

The crazy story had distracted him for a while, but over the Easter weekend, he’d had plenty of time to think.

By the time Nicole had driven him back to Baton Rouge, he had made a decision.

He loved his family, even if sometimes they seemed a little crazy.

He wasn’t going to steal cars for anyone, not even for the boss.

Whatever it took, he would find a way to pay the man back.

Sometimes Coach helped kids get an outside job after school. A student had to have a spotless record, which, at the moment, Sean did. He’d stayed out of trouble, studied hard, and done his best to make his sister proud of him.

If he was caught stealing, all his efforts would go down the drain. He’d be in juvie, and Nicole would feel like it was her fault. He owed her too much to let that happen.

After his parents had died, Nicole was the only person who’d offered to take him in. His cousins didn’t give a big rat’s ass about him—and there was no one else.

He’d been a real dick at first, blaming everyone else for his troubles. He’d been a rude smart-ass, but Nicole had never given up on him. She’d helped him turn his life around, and he wasn’t going to fail her.

He went to see Coach the following morning, nervous by the time he knocked on the office door.

“Come on in.” Sitting behind his desk, Coach glanced up as Sean walked in. He rolled back his chair. “Sean, what can I do for you?”

“I need a job, Coach. I know you do that sometimes, help kids get after-school work.”

“Take a seat and tell me what’s going on.”

Sean sat down in one of the metal chairs in front of the beige metal desk.

A couple of metal file cabinets sat against the wall next to the brown leather sofa Coach slept on sometimes when he worked late, and there was a tiny bathroom with a shower.

A shelf filled with boxing trophies, along with pictures of Coach with some of his friends, lined another wall.

“So, why do you want a job?” Coach asked.

Sean didn’t want to lie, but he couldn’t tell the truth—that the men he’d worked for wanted him to steal two more cars.

“I want to help out at home,” he said. “The repairs on Belle Reve cost a lot. I want to be able to help.”

“Have you talked this over with your sister?”

“I was hoping I could just make some money and give it to her. I know I meet the criteria: no demerits, B plus average, no problems since I came here. What do you think?”

“I think you’d be a good candidate. I think you’d work hard and do a good job. I might be able to make it happen.”

“I’d really appreciate it.”

Coach propped an elbow on his desk. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll make some calls, see what I can do.”

Relief rolled through him. Coach rose behind his desk, and Sean stood up, too.

“Thanks, Coach.” Sean had a feeling Coach would find him a job.

As soon as he knew for sure he’d have money coming in, he’d talk to Mick.

It wouldn’t be easy to convince them. The boss would rather have the cars.

But stealing was no longer an option. Somehow, he’d find a way out for him and his sister.

It was Tuesday afternoon when Nicole got a call from Lucas, the first she had heard from him since last week.

“Am I catching you at a bad time?” he asked.

There was no bad time when it came to Lucas. “No, not at all.”

“I was wondering if you might be free tonight. I thought I could drive up and take you to dinner. I want to talk to you about Sean, but mostly I just want to see you.”

The words sent a little thrill buzzing through her.

“Is there a problem with Sean?”

“Not that I know of. Say yes and we’ll talk about it tonight.”

She wanted to go. Of course, she did. She told herself she was Sean’s guardian—she really didn’t have a choice.

“All right. Dinner sounds good.”

“You pick the place—somewhere nice where we can talk—and make a reservation. I’ll be there at seven to pick you up.”

“Seven’s perfect. I’ll see you then.”

Nicole spent an hour trying to decide what to wear.

It was ridiculous. It was only dinner, and Lucas was there to talk to her about her brother.

In truth, she was tired of lying to herself, tired of being controlled by the past. She was fiercely attracted to Lucas Devereaux.

She wanted to see where that attraction might lead.

She chose an off-the-shoulder dress made of soft, flowy fabric in a rich olive-green color. The belt at the waist was stretchy, with a small gold buckle. Gold hoop earrings and heeled gold sandals finished the look.

Lucas showed up right on time, as she had known he would.

She had made a reservation at the Saint, located in the St. Francisville Inn, one of the town’s historic homes.

The restaurant was quiet and charming, with high ceilings and antique furnishings, candlelight and linen-draped tables, one of the finest restaurants in town.

“Nice choice,” Lucas said as the hostess seated them in one of several intimate dining rooms and took their drink orders, a glass of Cabernet for each of them. “You look beautiful, by the way. In case I forget to tell you later.”

Later. A nervous twinge combined with a feeling of anticipation. Nicole smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

Lucas looked beyond gorgeous. Tall and solid, with a pair of wide shoulders and narrow hips that perfectly filled out the white dress shirt and black slacks.

“You said you wanted to talk about Sean,” Nicole reminded him as the drinks arrived.

“I do, but mostly that was an excuse to take you to supper.”

A slice of warmth curled in the pit of her stomach. The server returned with their glasses of wine and took their orders, steak for Lucas and redfish in cream sauce for her.

“Sean wants me to get him a job after school,” Lucas said.

“He hasn’t been in any trouble since he arrived, and he’s one of the center’s top students.

I have some contacts. I’d be happy to vouch for him.

It would only be a couple of hours a day during the week, but I’d like your opinion before I go any further. ”

Sean had a small allowance, the amount the youth center suggested. It never occurred to her that he might need more.

“Do you think Sean having money of his own could be a problem?” she wondered.

“If it is, it’s one he’s going to have to deal with after he gets out.”

Which was less than six months away.

“I think it might be good for him,” Nicole said. “Make him feel more independent.”

Lucas nodded. “That was my thought as well.”

Dinner was served and the food was delicious. They made light conversation and shared bread pudding for dessert. Nicole relaxed more and more as the evening progressed. Lucas had a way of doing that to people.

Now it was time to go home.

Nicole’s nerves built as the silver Lexus rolled back toward Belle Reve. Did she have the nerve to invite him in for a drink or a cup of coffee before he made the drive back to Baton Rouge?

Rachel would be in bed by now. The lights were all off in the big house as the car approached. Lucas parked in front of the carriage house. Rounding the vehicle, he opened the passenger door, then escorted her up to the front porch.

It was now or never. “I know it’s late, but would you like to come in for a brandy or a cup of coffee?”

Lucas’s gaze slid over the curves the soft material of the dress revealed, and his eyes turned dark. His hands wrapped around her waist.

“I don’t need brandy or coffee. I don’t need anything but you.” As he pulled her against him, his mouth came down over hers.

Nicole gripped his shoulders. For a moment, she stood immobile, then her body softened into his and her arms slid around his neck.

The kiss lengthened and deepened. Heat flashed through her, stunning in its force. Every synapse in her body was hopping, passing signals to other parts of her body. She was moaning, pressing herself against him, when Lucas gently ended the kiss.