“
Hi, Nan,
”
Monique said, barely casting a glance at her sister before filling
her hand with another creamy, apple-scented glob of shampoo, then lathering
LuAnn
Gissell
’
s
hair.
“
Just ignore her; she
’
s in one of her moods.
”
Monique bit
back a smile as Inez let loose with a stream of Cajun expletives that would
impress any sailor.
Monique hadn
’
t planned on working a fourteen-hour day, but since they
’
d had to
work on the house yesterday to beat last night
’
s storm, she
’
d had to reschedule
many appointments. Not necessarily a bad thing, since it
’
d somewhat kept her
mind off the facts. Ryan had one more day to cross, one more day with Celeste
and one more day until he could potentially leave Monique forever.
Yes, it was a good day to stay busy.
When Inez
’
s cussing spree finally subsided, Nan gasped.
“
Inez, I don
’
t even know
what most of that means.
”
“
Mais
jamais
d
’
la
vie!
”
Inez exclaimed.
“
It mean your sister been pouting all
day. And I
tink
she done fall for a man,
”
she said, then muttered,
“
or could be
a ghost?
”
Monique, in the middle of rinsing the shampoo from LuAnn
’
s thick black hair,
dropped the spray nozzle and barely noticed her customer
’
s yelp of protest when
it hit her forehead.
“
What did you say?
”
Inez, looking very smug, merely shrugged.
“
Sit down,
chère
, and give me dos
’
hands.
”
She took Nanette
’
s palms in her own, while Nan looked questioningly
toward her cousin.
“
Monique, something you want to tell me? I thought everything was taken care
of.
”
Still apologizing to LuAnn for the sudden attack on her skull, Monique merely
shook her head and wondered what in the world had caused Inez to spout that
ridiculous assumption. And where did she come up with a ghost, anyway? Why would
she think Monique was in love with a ghost? She didn
’
t even know Monique saw
ghosts, did she?
Or did she?
The voodoo charms hanging on Inez
’
s swing lamp jingled as she swung the big bulb
over Nan
’
s hands for a better look. Did Inez know about the
Vicknair
plantation?
Did she know about Monique? And why hadn
’
t she said anything before? Moreover,
why did she pick now, when Monique had a customer and Nanette had entered the
shop—Nanette, of all people—to make her suspicions known.
“
Zeerahb
, what ya do to
yo
’
hands?
”
Inez exclaimed, pulling Nanette
’
s palms
under the light and
tsking
loudly.
“
Poo-ye-yi
.
”
“
They aren
’
t that bad,
”
Nan argued.
Inez
’
s penciled black brows rose high enough to disappear beneath her uniquely
colored bangs.
Nanette scowled.
“
I helped roof our house,
”
she said matter-of-factly,
“
And we
did a damn fine job, I might add. Survived that storm without losing a single
tile, didn
’
t we, Monique?
”
Wrapping a towel around LuAnn
’
s head, Monique nodded.
“
Yeah, we did a good job.
”
She guided LuAnn to her station, as Nan added,
“
Even had a little help from one
of Monique
’
s friends.
”
Monique
’
s steps faltered, but she recovered quickly and adjusted LuAnn
’
s chair
to style her black mane. Black and shiny and dark, like Ryan
’
s eyes.
She swallowed hard.
“
I heard there
’
s another storm coming tonight,
”
LuAnn said, obviously unaware of
the other much more important conversation taking place between the other women
in the room.
“
That
’
s what I heard on the forecast,
”
Monique said, her mind miles away from
intense storms and focused on intense eyes.
“
We do need to talk,
”
Nan said to Monique, before turning her attention back to
the sassy Cajun still
tsking
at her cracked palms and broken nails.
“
And if you
can
’
t fix this, I
’
m sure I can go somewhere else for my manicure.
”
“
Phfft
,
”
Inez said, waving away Nan
’
s comment.
“
I can fix.
”
By the time Monique finished styling LuAnn
’
s hair, Inez had Nan
’
s hands looking
smooth again and was busily trimming away her cuticles. Since LuAnn was
Monique
’
s last appointment, she plopped in the chair nearest Nan and waited for
the questions to begin, though Nan
’
s first one wasn
’
t what she was expecting.
“
Did she get onto you about your hands, too?
”
Nan asked.
Inez grinned so broadly that her gold molar gleamed.
“
Did
‘
em the other day,
”
she said with pride.
“
Soft as silk now, dos
’
hands are.
”
Nan twisted in her seat and scanned the shop. No one was around, which appeared
to be what she wanted to verify. She leaned closer to Inez and asked, her voice
barely a whisper,
“
What did you say about a ghost?
”
“
Her ghost,
”
Inez said, indicating Monique.
“
She don
’
talk to me, but she has
one. And she knows it. Her
bahbin
been hanging all day.
”
“
My lip has not been pouting,
”
Monique protested, but Nan shook her head.
“
What do you mean, she has one?
”
“
He
’
s been here, watching. He was here
dis
morning, and I hoped he
’
d pass on by
.
But he ain
’
t passed. Not yet. He back. He back for her.
”
Inez paused, ran
glittering gold fingernails over her voodoo charms, then squinted around the
room.
“
Mamere
tol
’
me
‘
bout your house. She
tol
’
me
‘
bout your ghosts.
”
“
What about them?
”
Nan asked, casting a wary eye toward Monique.
“
Dat
dey
comes to visit
dem
Vicknair
place, but never stay. But not
dis
time. He
stays.
”
“
He
’
s been here?
”
Monique asked, as the meaning of Inez
’
s claims hit full-force
.
Ryan had been here? Today? Why? And why hadn
’
t she seen him?
“
Non,
”
Inez said.
“
Not really here. He
’
s watching you,
dat
ghost. He
’
s watching
from afar.
Dat
’
s
what I feel. Voodoo helps me know when I
’
m being watched. But
he not watching ol
’
Inez. He watching you, child.
”
Why hadn
’
t Monique thought of that? All day, she
’
d been miserable, knowing he
was in Pensacola spending time with Celeste, wondering if they had connected
emotionally. Physically. But he
’
d admitted to feeling something for Monique. If
he truly did, wouldn
’
t he still watch her, view her, while he was still on this
side and could? Monique could feel Ryan when he was present, or when he touched
her in his mind, but she hadn
’
t felt him today—because he hadn
’
t touched her;
he
’
d simply watched. She hadn
’
t felt him, but Inez had. And if Ryan was
watching, then maybe Monique could let him know that she didn
’
t want things to
end this way, that she wanted to be with him once more, to see him again, or at
least let him see her the way she wanted, before he left completely.
“
I don
’
t feel him. Is he watching me now?
”
she asked Inez.
“
Can you feel him?
”
“
Non,
chère
,
”
Inez said, as Nan pulled her hand from the woman
’
s grasp and faced
Monique with wide eyes.
“
What are you doing?
”
Nan asked her cousin.
“
If I call him, he
’
ll come,
”
Monique said.
“
But you shouldn
’
t do that. You know you shouldn
’
t.
”
“
I
’
m not going to,
”
Monique said, flustered.
“
But Inez is right. He
’
s watching
me. Maybe not right now, but he
’
s aware of what I do while he
’
s still on this
side.
”
“
You said he
’
d leave by Sunday,
”
Nan reminded her.
“
That you thought he
’
d learn
to love with Celeste and would cross on time, tomorrow.
”
“
I know. But while he
’
s still here, he
’
s obviously watching me.
”
“
So?
”
Nan asked.
Monique grabbed her purse from behind the counter and headed for the door.
“
You
don
’
t mind locking up for me, do you, Inez?
”
“
Non,
”
Inez said, grabbing Nanette
’
s hand again and holding her wrist in a death
grip while she continued to work on her cuticles.
“
Monique!
”
Nan screeched.
“
What are you doing?
”
“
He
’
s watching me,
”
Monique said.
“
So?
”
Nan repeated.
“
So I
’
m going to give him something to see.
”
Ignoring another healthy stream of
Inez
’
s Cajun expletives, this time conveying enthusiasm for Monique
’
s
feistiness, and Nanette
’
s shouted reminders of the
Vicknair
rules, Monique let
the door slam behind her as she rushed out of the shop and toward her car.
The night air was hot and thick, typical for late summer in Louisiana, but since
the sun had dropped completely, Monique let the top down on the convertible then
started the five-mile drive home. The heated air kissed her skin and Ryan
Chappelle
invaded her thoughts.
He
’
s been here
.
Inez
’
s words echoed in the night. Ryan had watched her today. What did that
mean? Had he left Celeste? Had he ever gone to see her? Or what if he had, but
he still thought about Monique? And if that were the case, did that mean he
wasn
’
t taking his relationship with Celeste past friendship, and therefore
wouldn
’
t cross over?
A wave of guilt flooded over her. She didn
’
t want him to fall in love with
Dax
’
s
“
stunning
”
spirit, but if he didn
’
t, he
’
d be trapped in the middle forever
.