Southern Secrets (The Southern Series Book 2) Read online

  Wandering through the house, I checked every door and window. Everything was locked up tight and secure. I couldn’t help the feeling I’d missed something, that I was vulnerable – here alone, the only one to protect my babies. They both lay sleeping on a pallet in the floor in front of the fireplace. Where was Banton? I paced back to the front door to watch in the darkness for the intruder who would surely come. He always did, never letting me rest. I began to cry, the tears falling unhindered from my eyes as the frustration flowed. He would never stop. I’d never know a minute’s peace. I didn’t care about my safety anymore, it was just my babies. They were so innocent, and I loved them fiercely. My adrenalin began to flow as I sensed his presence outside.

  “Chandler, sweetheart, you have to stop this.” My mother’s voice came to me from the staircase. I whirled, just as the scent of gardenias, her scent, enveloped me.

  “Mom? Is it you? I’ve…I’ve missed you so much! Oh, Mom, I’ve missed you!” I ran to her, and she embraced me, holding me tight against her chest, placing her cheek on top of my head like she always did when I was a little girl. “Mom, you have to go. He’s coming…” I glanced back to the front door, sensing him on the front porch.

  “He can’t hurt me, Chandler. And I won’t let him hurt your babies. They are safe with me. You have to quit trying to protect them. You have to quit staying here. You need to go, don’t fight waking up. I’ll be here, and they will be fine.” She pulled me over beside the pallet in the floor, gazing lovingly down at them.

  “Mom…”I began, not knowing what to say. I had a lifetime’s worth of emotions and dreams I wanted to share with her.

  “I love you sweetheart. I’ll protect the babies, they are safe. He can’t hurt them with me here. Go! Wake up!”

  I hugged her…

  I opened my eyes, and stared at the ceiling. Daylight was just beginning to lighten the room; Everett lay beside me, still cradling me against his body. I felt so peaceful, the remnants of the dream still drifting through my mind. I inhaled, taking in my mother’s scent lingering in the room. Tears glistened in my eyes as I thought of her; our conversation was so real, just like the attacks. She’d been there in my dream, I was sure of it. As I stirred, the motion alerted Everett to my wakened state.

  “Bebe, you slept well. I never sensed any unease, did you dream?” he asked as I stretched, testing my muscles. I winced, my ribs felt as though they had been cracked in a million places, my back was so sore; I could barely stand to lay on it.

  “Yes, I did dream. But it was all right,” I quickly assured him as he pushed up to look at me. “My mother was there. She woke me and told me she would protect the babies, for me to go.” My voice shook as I told him about my sweet visit with my mother.

  “I’m so glad, Bebe. Maybe she holds the key. She can protect you. Mr. Jackson assures us once he can be stopped he will quit trying to harm you.”

  “She was so real,” my voice broke as a sob escaped. “I didn’t want to wake up. I wanted to stay with her.”

  “I know. Shhh. It’s all right,” he soothed as he stroked my hair.

  “What’s wrong?” Constance turned over in a panic as we woke her.

  “Nothing, I just dreamt of my mother. It was so real. I could talk to her, touch her.” I wiped my eyes on the sleeve of my pajamas.

  She pushed up in the bed. “Oh, wow… I can smell gardenias, Andie. I can smell your mom!” She smiled at me through her tears and leaned over to kiss my cheek. Looking around the room and then back at each other, we laughed as we wiped each other’s eyes. “Well, I’ve got to get to class. Andie, do you want me to help you get ready?” she asked as I tried to move, pulling the covers back.

  “You’re not going anywhere, Bebe. You need to rest today, you’re too badly bruised, ribs and all. Dr. Renault checked on you in the middle of the night, he told me to bring you in to see him this morning, and to keep you down and quiet the rest of the day,” he commanded sternly, shooing Constance to the bathroom.

  “I need to go to class, Ev, I don’t want to get behind,” I objected. I could tell by the look on his face I wasn’t going anywhere. I sighed and gave in.

  Constance and Brie left for class. Claudia was already gone, having taken Ava to New Orleans when Will arrived a little after midnight. She’d begged me again to go, but Will agreed with Everett it was best I stay where I was, after Everett explained the situation to him.

  After a routine examination and sonogram, Dr. Lane and Dr. Renault were satisfied everything was still fine with the babies. Everett and I returned home; the house seemed lonely, even with all the Aldon protectors planted throughout the house.

  “Mr. Philippe called and he’s cancelled our photo session and get-together we’d planned. He said maybe we’ll try again later, give you a chance to heal,” Everett commented, after he woke me from an afternoon nap.

  “Who’s with Constance and Brie?” I asked, remembering they needed to be protected away from the house.

  “Olivia and Patrick went with them to campus, and then after dropping Constance back here, they will stay with Brie at her apartment.”

  Everett flitted about my room, straightening up, and then handed me my cell phone.

  “It beeped earlier, I think you have a message,” he commented as he paused by the bed.

  Flipping it open, I exclaimed, “It’s from Banton…”

  Going back out, will be away from phone

  and computer for unknown time. Ev

  texted you’re fine, large # of Aldon at

  house, well protected. Glad to know

  you’re safe for now. Rest, and I’ll call

  as soon as I can.

  I love you…B

  “How much longer could they possibly be gone?” I exclaimed as I flipped my cell shut. Every day which passed, I felt he was in more and more danger.

  “Bebe, be patient. It can’t be too much longer, he’ll come home,” he assured me as he cupped his hand around my chin.

  “Ev, you don’t have to stay around here and keep me company. I know you probably need to go to the shop.”

  “Nonsense. I’m not going anywhere. Now, here’s your laptop, get busy on some homework, or research, or whatever will take your mind off lover boy.” He grinned as he handed me the computer.

  “I know what would take my mind off my worries, sit down here and tell me a little about your love life. Tell me your story, Everett!” I could feel my eyes sparkling at the thought; I was still so intrigued about his personal life.

  “Good try, but nothing doing. I so looove being mysterious and unknown!” He flipped his hand dramatically over his shoulder, and I glared at him.

  “You’re my best friend, Everett! I can’t believe you won’t tell me,” I pleaded. He grinned at me.

  “I told you, you aren’t ready for my sad story. Now, get to work! I’m going downstairs to fix us a little dinner, so if you need me, call me on my cell, all right?”

  I hurled a pillow at him as he closed my bedroom door.

  I spent the remainder of the afternoon reading an assigned novel for one of my classes, and then searched on the internet for more about the DeLee family, but found nothing further than what I’d found the week before. After exhausting my search on line, I soaked in a hot tub of water to relieve some of the soreness, and then dressed to go downstairs. Two of Everett’s Aldon friends nodded to me as I reached the foyer downstairs.

  Constance bounded in soon after, and the three of us sat down for an early dinner.

  “I think I failed a test today, and the instructor has assigned some extra credit work, so I’m going upstairs to work on it,” she declared after we’d eaten in silence for most of the meal. “Chandler, did you hear from Banton today?” She rose to take her plate and mine to the kitchen.

  “He texted me, and told me they’d be away from their phones, they were going back out, and didn’t know how long they’d be gone.”

  “Yeah, Ty texted me too. He said to stay close to Ev
and the Aldon, and not go anywhere unescorted, and he’d call me as soon as he could.”

  I sighed as Everett rose to follow Constance. I’d never been so frustrated, or so lonely. Grant came into the dining room, having just arrived back at the house; apparently he’d drawn the evening detail today. He nodded as he crossed the dining room, and sat down across the table from me, flipping his laptop open. His presence always seemed to make me uneasy, he was so unfriendly. I felt guilty about my feelings. He was offering his services to protect us, but he was so cold, and aloof. I rose and made my way back upstairs behind Constance.

  I decided to pull the pictures back up on my computer I’d downloaded. Printing them out on the small printer on my dresser, I rose and walked over to retrieve them. I sat back down on the bed as I flipped through them; the pictures of Banton were so beautiful. I realized I had nothing framed of him. I picked a frame up off the nightstand containing a picture of me when I was a little girl, and took the back off, placing Banton’s picture over it and then replacing the back. Flipping it around, I stood it gently back on its perch, and then lay down on the pillows as I gazed at him. I still couldn’t believe he was mine, we were married, and he loved me.

  After I’d stared at the picture so long I could shut my eyes and see his outline, I sat back up and retrieved the rest of the photos. I picked a partially full picture album Aunt Sue had started for me, and turned to the first blank page. As I added the new pictures, I reflected on the last few weeks and how my life had changed. I studied the small scattering of photos Banton had taken for me of the last day of our honeymoon and laughed as I thought about how comical he’d been when he took them for me.

  “Knock, knock, are you decent? I’m coming in,” Everett peered around the doorway, and grinned as he pulled a box out into view.

  “I forgot this came for you this afternoon, while you were napping. I put it in the living room and hadn’t thought of it until now.” He walked over to the bed, and put it down in front of me. Glancing around at the photos on my bed, he picked up one of the photos I’d taken at the cemetery. A shadow seemed to cross his brow as he studied it.

  “It’s strange. The apparition we saw didn’t come out when I purposely took his picture, but he shows up in the pictures by the headstones. It’s creepy, huh?” I asked as I sliced through the clear tape on the large box with my fingernail. “I wonder what this could be.”

  Everett studied the photo a moment longer as he traced his finger around the headstone in the picture, and then placed the photograph back down on the bed with the others. It seemed to take an effort on his part to shrug the dark shadow off from around him.

  Abruptly, he appeared to come back to the present. “I don’t know. Maybe your Aunt found some more of your mother’s belongings.” He sat down on the bed next to me. Inside the brown cardboard shipping box was another box, wrapped in beautiful paper, with a large white bow on top. I pulled the second box out as I glanced up at Everett. He shrugged his shoulders, and then reached down in the shipping box, and retrieved a card.

  “Here, maybe this will solve the mystery.” He handed me the card. On the outside was typed simply “To Chandler”.

  I pulled the streamers to untie the ribbons and removed the lid. Mountains of cream-colored fur tipped with tan greeted me.

  “What on earth? What is that?” Everett exclaimed.

  I grinned and pulled the mass from the box. It was a large, five-pelt sheepskin rug, just like the one in front of the fireplace on our honeymoon.

  “It’s a gift from Banton.” A tear slipped down my cheek.

  “Nothing says I love you like a dead polar bear,” Everett quipped as he pulled the corner of the rug up to inspect it. “Something tells me there’s a story behind this little animal?” He raised an eyebrow at me as Constance entered the room.

  “What’s that?” she asked, crossing the room.

  I opened the card, and read his note.

  Place this in front of the fireplace, and take up

  all those keys, ‘cause I’m coming home soon,

  and we need to break this one in…It’s time to

  finish up where we left off in Aspen…

  Forever,

  Banton

  I handed the note to Everett to read. He shook his head and then handed the note to her.

  “Holy crap, Chandler,” she grinned at me. “Guess we’re all gonna have to clear out of here when he gets back.”

  “Bebe, there’s something else down in here, look.” Everett pulled another box out from under a piece of cardboard we thought was the bottom of the box. I grinned at him as removed the lid. There was another card lying on top of some tissue. I opened it and read aloud.

  I had to buy something for my babies, too.

  I saw this on the store website, and my

  little girls need the best!

  Love,

  Daddy

  Everett pulled the tissue back, and underneath there were two small sheared sheepskins to lay the babies on. I grinned, and pulled them out and laid them out on the bed beside the photo albums.

  Constance sighed, and rolled her eyes. “He’s eaten up with it. I’m going to finish studying. Night, all.” She kissed my cheek and Everett’s, and then retreated to John’s room.

  I placed the rug on the floor beside the bed, and then proceeded to clean up the wrapping and finish the photo album. As I flipped through the cemetery pictures, a close-up of the mother’s grave caught my attention. Marie Johnson DeLee…

  “That’s it! I can’t believe I didn’t notice this before…” I exclaimed.

  Everett jumped.

  “What on earth are you talking about, Bebe?” He came over to peer at the photo.

  “This is her! This is the daughter Judge Johnson built this house for! The soldier, he must have been her husband, that’s why I saw him in the house.” I studied the other photos.

  Everett took the photos from me, scanned them, and then handed them back to me. “That’s quite a coincidence, Ma Cherie. The history of your little house is coming together.” Everett hugged me. His smile never touched his eyes. It was so perplexing; it seemed as though he were acting, he was somewhere else.

  “Ev, what’s wrong?” I asked as I studied his face.

  “Whatever do you mean, Bebe?” He grinned at me, seeming normal again.

  “I…I don’t know how to explain it, but your reactions are funny sometimes, like the other day when we were in the cemetery, and when you asked me about the history of the house.”

  “Your imagination is running over time, Sister.” He touched the end of my nose, and bent to pick up the baby sheepskins. “I’ll just put these in the nursery.”

  I didn’t bring his strange mood up again. We settled in for the night, Constance fell asleep studying in John’s old room, and Everett positioned himself on his little mattress beside the bed to read as usual.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The last time I remembered glancing over at the clock, it glared back at me 2:00. This was getting to be a habit, but my mind wouldn’t let my body rest as long as there was a chance my cell would ring. I kept it beside my pillow in the bed, and my laptop plugged in on the floor by the nightstand. Every little beep signaling an e-mail or text message was opened immediately. As I drifted off, my last thoughts were always about Banton, and my daydreams of his homecoming. Tonight was no different.

  “You’re home!” I exclaimed as I ran down the stairs into his arms. He dropped his duffel, and swept me up, swinging me around until I was dizzy. The sun shone through the front glass, warming us as we kissed; warm, passionate, consuming. He held my face gently as he gazed into my eyes…I could barely see him, the tears were so thick on my lashes. “Chandler…”

  I woke with a start. Then, the sinking feeling as I realized it was only a sweet dream.

  “Chandler…are you awake? I’m home…” Banton’s voice came to me in the dark. I turned quickly, and I could smell him…his familiar clean, woodsy guy s
cent. My eyes struggled to focus in the darkness, and then someone flipped on the lamp beside the bed.

  He sat on the side of the bed, his hand lay gently against my cheek. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to startle you.” He grinned at me as the confusion began to clear in my head. I stared back at him as the realization came to me it was him, and I wasn’t dreaming. Banton was home.

  The tears threatened as I struggled to find my voice. He grinned, his dimple deep as he pulled me up into the circle of his arms. “Oh, you feel so good in my arms. I’ve waited so long for this. When we got through, the others just went to bed. I jumped in the truck and drove straight home. I couldn’t wait another minute,” he whispered as he pulled me back and gazed at me as I tried again to speak.

  “It’s really you? I’m not dreaming…I heard you in my dream, and when you spoke, I thought it was a part of the dream,” I rasped out as he hugged me against his chest.

  “Banton, Babe, I’m heading out. I’ll see you all later. I’m so glad you’re home!” Everett exclaimed from somewhere behind Banton, and then I heard the bedroom door shut. I couldn’t take my eyes from his ruggedly handsome face.

  “You’re home! Are you home to stay?” I asked, not believing my good fortune.

  “Yes. Barring anything unexpected, I should be here quite a while. Get used to it, sweetheart, you’re stuck with me.” He stood and pulled his jacket off.

  The fog had lifted enough in my brain to realize he was here, he was home, and we were alone after almost three long weeks of separation. I threw the covers back and jumped up, winding my good arm around his waist, just as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. Dropping it to the floor, he paused a moment to look at the cast on my arm. As he picked it up, his eyes darkened as he looked me over. After a tense moment, he raised his gaze to mine. My nerves were tied into knots as he wound his arms around my waist, pulling my gown up into his grasp. He kissed me softly, continuing up with the fabric until he had it under my arms. I raised them up so he could pull the garment free over my head, and it fell to the floor with his t-shirt. Pulling me back into his arms, he put his lips to my hair and inhaled as I did the same against his chest. I began to trace my lips across his chest…he tasted as good as he smelled.