Cajun Magic 02 - Voodoo for Two (24 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Pascal, could you please ring Eric’s office and ask if he has time to see me?” Lucie tapped her high heels on the smooth granite floor, her nerves screaming to get this over with.

Pascal jumped to his feet, knocking over a cup of pens and pencils. “Lucie, you can’t marry Eric. You should marry me and be my wife.”

“I don’t love you, Pascal.” She gathered the spilled items and placed them on the counter. She didn’t love Eric, either, and she hoped he didn’t love her. That’s why she’d come to see him at his office. She’d have gone to his home, but she’d been told he’d already returned to work.

“I won’t let you marry him,” Pascal said.

“Get over it, Pascal, you don’t have a chance with me. I thought I made myself clear back in fifth grade.” Why did men have to be so dense?

“You were nice to me then.” He reached across the counter and grasped her hand in his. “You have to have feelings for me.”

“I do. I feel like you could be a friend—nothing more.” Her heart squeezed tight in her chest, hating the hurt look in Pascal’s eyes, knowing the feeling of loving and not having that love returned. But she was tired of the same argument. With a yank, she pulled her hand free. “What do I have to do to get through to you? Now, will you get Eric or do I have get him myself?”

“Are you looking for me?”

Lucie spun toward the deep voice.

In his business suit, Eric looked elegant, incredibly handsome, and every bit the congressional candidate. The light-gray silk-and-wool-blend suit complemented his blond hair and blue eyes. He was as close to a Greek god as Lucie had ever come to marrying, and she’d given him up.

What kind of stupid had she become?

“Could we go to your office?” she squeaked.

“No! I will not let you take my Lucie.” Pascal came out from behind the front desk and cocked his fists at Eric.

To his credit, Eric didn’t show fear, he pressed his fingers to his temples and sighed. “Pascal, it’s okay. She already called off the engagement. Now, put your fists down before I have to fire you. Your threats are starting to get on my nerves.”

“You aren’t going to marry him?” Pascal looked to Lucie for confirmation.

She shook her head. “I’m not marrying Eric.”

“Then you can marry me!”

“No, I’m not going to marry you, Pascal. Not now, or ever.” She wanted to reach across and wring his idiot neck. She hooked her arm in Eric’s and pulled him toward the elevator. “Come on, before I inflict violence upon him.”

Eric chuckled. “Remind me not to make you mad.”

“I will.”

Once in his office, she didn’t know how best to ask Eric if he still loved her. He might answer yes to keep from upsetting her.

With a quick look toward his father’s office, Eric strode across and pulled the door closed, leaving a slight gap. “So, what brings you here today, Lucie?”

She could think of only one way to prove whether or not the potion had worked for him. She dragged in a deep breath and turned to face him. “Eric, kiss me.”

“Huh?”

She waved him forward. She didn’t have time to play around. “Kiss me.”

“I thought we were through. You said you didn’t want to marry me.”

She stomped her foot, frustration building by the moment. She had to know if the spell worked. “Humor me, just this once.”

Eric frowned but moved forward until he stood directly in front of her—within kissing range. “I don’t get it.”

“Just shut up and kiss me.” She grabbed the lapels of his tailored suit and yanked him toward her, her lips crashing against his.

Without hesitation, his hands circled her waist and pulled her against him.

To Lucie’s dismay, Eric deepened the kiss, until his tongue pushed past the barrier of her teeth and tangled with hers.

He didn’t push her back, didn’t stop the kiss until a full two minutes later. When he did come up for air, he rested his cheek against her hair and held her in his embrace. “Nothing?”

Tears welled in Lucie’s eyes. “Nothing. As much as I wanted to, I can’t love you like you deserve.” She kissed his lips gently. “I think you’re a special man and deserve someone who loves you with all her heart.”

“Well, thank you for your honesty.” Eric smiled down at her.

“You’ll be okay?” Lucie asked.

“I’ll be fine.” Patting his chest, he winked. “It’ll mend.”

“Thanks, Mr. Littington, I’ll just check Eric’s office—” The voice came from the connecting door Eric had closed only moments before. “Oh, excuse me.”

She jumped out of Eric’s arms and spun to face the intruder. She stopped short of smacking her forehead. Of all the people to witness her in Eric’s embrace, her luck would make sure it was Ben.

“Sorry to interrupt. I didn’t realize you had company.” With his hands shoved in his pockets, Ben stared at her, although his words were directed at Eric.

“Not at all.” Eric grinned. “We were through, weren’t we Lucie?”

Only she would know Eric’s crooked smile was a strained attempt at looking normal. Her gut twisted. Damn! Why hadn’t the spell worked? Then another thought occurred to her and she stared at Ben. Had it worked on him?

One thing was certain. She couldn’t conduct the “kiss test” on him here. Not in front of a heartbroken Eric. She may be stupid, but she wasn’t totally insensitive.

She touched Eric’s arm and smiled gently. “I’ll go.” Without a backward glance, she dashed for the elevator and punched the down button, praying the doors would open and swallow her before Ben or Eric could join her. Already embarrassed at being caught kissing, she didn’t have the heart to “test” Ben yet.

Or was she chicken? Did she really want the love spell to be broken for Ben? Had the spell worked for Ben, but not Eric? It hadn’t worked to undo Maurice and DeeDee’s match, nor Elaine and Craig’s problem with Larry. She just had to know about Ben, and the sooner she found out the better.

But not now.

The elevator slid open and she stepped in, collapsing with her back against the far wall.

A hand shot in when the doors were only inches from closing, forcing them open again. In stepped Ben, and all Lucie’s troubles seemed to multiply in intensity to screaming-meemie level.

They rode down in silence and stepped out of the building through the glass double doors.

When she should have been testing whether the undo spell had worked, she’d stood tongue-tied in the elevator. Instead of asking Ben if he still loved her, she’d walked outside. His bug truck stood next to her Mustang in the parking lot. It was now or never.

“Lucie.”

“Ben.”

They both spoke at once.

“Go ahead,” Ben told her.

“The other night.” She paused, her gut clenching in a painful knot. “When you stayed with me,” she gazed up at him, her eyes narrowing, “you never said you loved me. Do you?”

Ben pulled her into his arms and crushed her to his chest. “Oh Lucie, I thought I could love you no matter what. But I can’t. Not now, not with the situation the way it is.”

Lucie almost wept. The undo spell hadn’t worked for Eric, but had for Ben. Why? Was this fate’s way of fixing her mistakes by making her pay for them for the rest of her life?

For a moment she reveled in his embrace, loving the feel of his arms around her, breathing in the smell of him. She sniffed. What was that? Cheap perfume? Kinda reminded her of the stuff she’d used last night to attract every bug in the swamp. Why did Ben smell like perfume?

She pushed away from him.

“I can’t live this lie,” he said. “I can’t love you, knowing it’s wrong.”

Huh? “Why is it wrong?”

He turned away and shoved a hand through his hair. “Lucie, you have to make the decision about what’s important in life. Whether it’s money, position, love, or forgiving your mother—you have to do it. No one else can.” He spun to face her, his gaze boring into hers. “If you can straighten out your life and still have room left in it, come see me. Until then, I can’t love you.”

An emptiness so vast she couldn’t put her arms around it filled Lucie. Ben was telling her he didn’t love her. Or as he put it, couldn’t love her.

Well, that was that. The undo spell had worked for one out of the four hexlings.

She fought the tingling prelude to tears welling in her eyes. “Thanks, Ben. I understand.”

“Lucie—”

“No, Ben. You’re right. I have to fix my life.” With a forced smile, she climbed into her car and shut the door.

Ben stood where she’d left him, his gaze never leaving her as she cranked her engine. Couldn’t he get into his bug truck and out of her sight? He was done with her, why did he have to linger? Was it some grotesque kind of punishment?

Her entire body shook as if she’d been tortured. With her hand on the gearshift, she shoved it into reverse and slammed her foot onto the accelerator. She couldn’t get away fast enough. Unfortunately, she didn’t look in her rearview mirror in time to stop herself from slamming into Eric’s BMW.

Kaboom!

An explosion, of greater magnitude than merely bumping a car in the parking lot, rocked Lucie’s Mustang, throwing her against the steering wheel. Pain stabbed through her head before blackness darkened her vision.

…

The blast knocked Ben to the ground, the concussion reverberating through his ears. After several seconds, his mind reengaged. What the hell happened?

Flames leaped from the crumpled remains of Eric Littington’s BMW. In front of it stood Lucie’s little turquoise Mustang convertible pockmarked with shrapnel from the explosion.

“Lucie!” He shouted, and raced to pull her from the wreckage before the flames from the BMW could consume the Mustang.

Adrenaline kicked in as he lifted Lucie in his arms and carried her back into the building.

“Call 911!” he shouted at Pascal. “We need an ambulance.”

The Cajun stood there with his mouth open, staring at Lucie, making no move to do as Ben had told him.

“Do it!” he shouted.

The sharp order broke through Pascal’s shock and he fumbled through the call, before he hung up and joined Ben.

Gently, he laid her on a couch in the lobby, bending close to feel for her soft breath against his cheek.

Thank God, she was breathing. With a cursory glance all over her, he noted a few cuts and bruises, but nothing life-threatening. What he couldn’t see worried him more. She’d been unconscious now for several minutes and he couldn’t tell whether or not she had internal injuries.

He wanted to gather her close to him, but he was afraid of causing more injury. If not for the fire, he’d have left her in the car for the emergency medical technicians to handle. If she’d suffered spinal injuries, he could have exacerbated them.

“Wake up, Lucie,” he called out to her, pressing a kiss to her ear. “Wake up, sweetheart.”

“Oh my God!” Eric cried out from across the room. “What happened?” He strode across the granite tiles in the lobby, followed by his father.

“She backed into your car and it exploded,” Ben said, his voice flat, the gravity of what had happened not at all lost on him.

Eric sank into a chair across from the couch and dropped his face into his hands. “Oh, sweet Jesus. Lucie, what have I done to you? That explosion was meant for me.”

“I didn’t do it!” Pascal cried out, his eyes wide, his face pale beneath his Cajun swarthiness. “I only wanted Eric to leave Lucie alone. I never tried to kill him.”

“What are you talking about, Pascal?” Eric asked. “No one is blaming you for the explosion.”

“I didn’t do it.” Pascal dropped to his knees in front of Lucie. “I never meant to hurt anyone.”

Eric started to say something, but Ben put a hand out to stop him.

“Tell us about it, Pascal,” he said softly, when he’d rather reach out and wring a few answers out of the distraught man.

Pascal sobbed into his hands. “I threw the rock through the window, and I shot the light out when Eric was kissing Lucie. But only because I wanted him to leave.” He looked up, his face wet with tears. “I never wanted to hurt him and I definitely wouldn’t hurt Lucie.” He stared down at her, his face softening into a weak smile. “I love Lucie.”

“Seems like quite a few of us do,” Ben muttered.

Pascal’s brow furrowed and he stood. “I may not like Eric Littington,” he said, his mouth twisting into a snarl. “But I didn’t blow up his car.”

Ben stared up at Eric. “You need to have security sweep the compound. I’ll bet Davis is out there somewhere. He must have planted the bomb after you arrived this morning.”

Jason pressed a hand to Eric’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of it.” He strode to the communication console and radioed security. “Get everyone out there. I want that man caught.”

Not as much as Ben did. The man had hurt Lucie. Anger burned deep in his veins. If he could, he’d tear the bastard apart limb from limb. But first, he had to know Lucie would be all right.

Sirens could be heard through the thick glass windows, and moments later, emergency medical technicians rushed in, some carrying medical kits, others pushing a stretcher.

“Over here!” Ben shouted. He moved aside to let the professionals take care of Lucie. But he didn’t let her out of his sight for a second. He would be by her side no matter what. That’s where he belonged, not Eric. He looked across at his friend and noted a reflection of the anguish he felt himself. Eric really loved Lucie. But they weren’t married, yet.

Ben’s lips tightened. As much as he liked Eric, he wasn’t going to give up on Lucie without a fight. He loved Lucie enough to make the ultimate sacrifice. He wouldn’t be wearing that stinky love potion Madame LeBieu gave him for any other reason.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“I don’t know why I have to stay here when I feel just fine.” Lucie hated lying in bed and liked it even less in a backless nightgown.

“My, aren’t we the fusspot.” Alex slid down in the vinyl-covered seat next to Lucie’s bed and flicked the television remote. “Wonder if the news is on.” She flipped through the channels until she found the local newscast.

“That’s Eric!” Lucie leaned forward. “Turn it up!”

“In today’s news, congressional candidate Eric Littington is in New Orleans to speak with the Daughters of the American Revolution. Mr. Littington, tell us about the car bomb that exploded at the family refinery in Bayou Miste, yesterday.

“The bomber was taken into custody by the Louisiana State Police.”

“Thank God,” Lucie said.

The report continued, “Rumor has it the bomber was hired by your opponent, Dwayne Gasson. Do you have any comments on that?”

Eric chuckled. “Only that it’s a heck of a way to run a campaign. In most states, they let the constituents decide elections.”

“Sir, we heard your fiancée was hurt in the explosion.”

“Yes, she was.” The smile slipped from Eric’s face. “Only she’s no longer my fiancée.”

“What?” The reporter stepped back a moment as if shocked by the news. “Would you care to elaborate?”

“Miss LeBieu is doing much better, but we’ve decided not to get married after all.” His smile returned. “Which leaves me more time to handle the issues of the state.”

“Did she break it off, or did you?” the pesky reporter asked.

Eric’s lips thinned, but he never lost his very charming smile. “That’s up to the lady to tell. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a speech to give.”

Alex turned to Lucie, a frown between her brows. “I thought he was going to wait until after the election to announce your canceled engagement?”

Lucie sighed. “That’s just the great kinda guy he is. He’d sacrifice his chance to win to release me from the engagement.”

“You should have married him,” Calliope said. “I bet five bucks he’ll win anyway. Who wouldn’t vote for him? He’s so damned sexy.”

Alex tipped her head to the side. “Wonder what Ben will think about that.”

“Probably nothing,” Lucie said. “I told you, he said he didn’t love me.”

“
Couldn’t
love you,” Alex corrected. “There’s a difference.”

“Yeah.” Lucie lay back against the pillows. “Whatever.”

“I bet you five bucks you didn’t know he was here all last night sitting where Alex is, holding your hand.” Calliope rocked back on her heels, a smirk on her face.

Alex kicked her foot at Calliope’s shin. “Enough with the betting. Besides, you weren’t supposed to say anything.”

Lucie’s heart kicked into high speed. Ben spent the night here? Why hadn’t he said anything, woken her up, kissed her? Anything!

The redhead wrinkled her nose. “You know how well I keep secrets.”

“Yeah, not at all,” Alex grumbled.

Calliope took the remote from her and flipped through the channels. “Hey, I haven’t seen
I Love Lucy
reruns since I was in grade school.” She sat forward from her perch on the windowsill.

“Who cares?” Lucie smacked the sheets and blew out a huffy breath. She couldn’t get on with her life from a hospital bed. “I really need to see my grandmother.”

“And you will,” said a voice from the doorway. Lynette LeBieu stepped through, a little hesitantly. “Do you mind if I see you first?”

Alex popped out of her chair. “Here, you can have my seat. Come on, Calliope, we have giant-sized coffees with our names on them somewhere in this Popsicle joint.”

Calliope gave her a confused look. “Alex, you know I don’t drink coffee.”

Before Lucie could protest their desertion, Alex grabbed Calliope and they were out the door, leaving her stuck with the woman who’d ditched her twenty years ago.

Somehow, all the hurt and anger wasn’t quite as intense as the first time she had seen her mother. After all that had happened and the mistakes she herself had made, she wasn’t nearly as resentful. People made mistakes. Some bigger than others.

For a few awkward minutes, neither woman spoke.

Lucie grabbed for the remote and punched the mute button, silencing Desi Arnaz in the middle of “Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do!”

“How appropriate.” Lynette snorted softly. “That’s exactly how I feel. I have some ‘splainin’ to do. I don’t suppose you’d listen while I do it?” Hope shone from her eyes.

With a shrug, Lucie stared at the television without seeing it. “Might as well. I’m a captive audience until they give me my clothes and marching orders.”

Lynette’s smile slipped from her face and she laughed one of those laughs that conveyed little humor, but a lot of pain. “Now that I’m here, I don’t know where to start.”

“Try twenty years ago when you dumped me and Lisa on Gran LeBieu.” Her words were delivered with slightly less of the anger she’d felt a few days ago.

Her mother winced. “I’d rather go back a little further than that.”

“Suit yourself.” Lucie was listening, but she wasn’t feeling charitable enough to make it easier for the woman.

“I was seventeen when I met your father. He was eighteen. But we fell in love so deeply, we knew we had to be together, no matter what.”

Despite her reluctance to hear her mother out, Lucie wanted to know more about the mystery man who’d been her father. “So what happened to him?”

“We were on the way home from a football game when a drunk driver ran us off the road. We crashed into a tree. I was thrown from the car, and Richard was killed instantly.” Lynette looked away, but not before Lucie saw the tears trembling on her lashes.

“It was all so horrible,” she continued. “One minute we were planning a wedding for after graduation, the next I was going to his funeral.” She stared out the window, her gaze far away from the parking lot below. “I remember that day like yesterday. It rained. Not a surprise for southern Louisiana. I was so sad, I threw up on the way home.” She wiped a tear from her cheek and turned back to grimace at Lucie. “I didn’t know until later that I was pregnant.

“Your grandmother was wonderful. She helped me all along the way, even came with me into the delivery room. But I couldn’t get over your father’s death.

“I couldn’t go back to my old life. Everywhere I turned, I could see Richard there. I dropped out of high school and went to work to support you and Lisa. I didn’t want my mother to be burdened by me and twins. So I moved away, hoping it would make me stronger. I’d wanted to stand on my own two feet. We went to Texas, where I worked as a waitress in a bar. It was the only place I could make enough to support us and pay for a sitter.”

Lucie didn’t want to feel empathy for this woman who’d left her for so long. But her heart ached for the young mother desperately trying to make a life for herself and her children.

“I couldn’t make it on my own. Babysitting costs were too high, and I missed your father so much it hurt all the time. I started drinking to numb the pain. One drink led to another, and another, until I couldn’t climb out of the bottle long enough to care for the little girls I loved more than life itself.”

Tears welled in Lucie’s eyes as she remembered the little six-year-old she’d been, lapping up any crumb of attention her mother would throw her way.

Lynette kept talking as if the floodgates had finally opened. “One day, I was driving somewhere, I don’t remember where. You and Lisa were in the car with me. I was half-stoned from the liquor I drank at all hours. I didn’t see the car until too late. I broadsided it, killing the driver.” Lynette doubled over as if the pain was fresh. “She was just a teenager and I killed her! And I almost killed you.”

“Oh, God.” Her hand sneaked out and she touched her mother’s arm. Here she’d been feeling sorry for herself because Ben didn’t love her. How awful to know you’d killed someone out of your own carelessness and couldn’t give that person her life back.

“
You and Lucie went to live with your grandmother on that day. I was charged with vehicular manslaughter and spent six years in jail. I had time to dry up, but the guilt never went away.”

A deep well of sadness opened up and Lucie fell in. “Why didn’t you come back after you’d done your time in prison?”

“I couldn’t forgive myself for what I did. I didn’t want you and your sister to know what a horrible person I was. Believe me, I didn’t want to kill that girl. If I could, I’d give my life to bring her back.” Tears ran freely down Lynette’s face and silent sobs shook her frame. “I couldn’t face you two knowing what I’d done. I was better off dead.” Her voice faded away into a whisper.

Lucie remembered looking out at the swamp, hoping beyond hope her mama would come for her. All those years other girls had their mothers to love and be loved by. Not Lucie and Lisa. If not for Gran LeBieu, she would have died of loneliness. “Why now?”

Again, her mother laughed, more of a hiccupping sound of self-derision. “I needed so badly to see you, to tell you I was sorry, and that I never stopped loving you. I had to tell you…before the cancer takes me.” Her voice faded off into a room gone completely silent.

Lucie sat stunned, unable to utter a word. She’d just gotten her mother back. How could God take her away again?

“Look, I’ve said what I wanted to say. More than anything, I’d like to get to know you, but that’s completely up to you.” Lynette stood and slid her purse over her shoulder. “Your grandmother is waiting out in the hallway. I’m sure she’d like to see that you’re all right.”

With a numb nod, she stared after her mother as she slipped through the doorway.

Holy swamp turtle. She wished she could crawl under a rock. Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. After twenty years, her mother had come back to die. How unfair was that?

Gran LeBieu stepped into the room, her eyes filled with the pain Lucie was only beginning to feel.

“Oh, Gran!” she cried.

The old woman sank onto the side of the bed and gathered Lucie in her arms and together they wept.

“Why, Gran? Why?” Lucie sobbed into her shoulder.

“De magick works its own agenda, my girl.” She squeezed her hard and then set her away.

Gran LeBieu yanked a tissue from the box on the nightstand and dabbed at Lucie’s cheeks and her own. “Aren’t we a pair?”

Lucie laughed and the tears welled up again. “And I thought
my
life was a mess.”

“Sometimes it takes other’s troubles to show us de way with our own.”

Which brought Lucie back to her love spell dilemma. “Gran, the undo spell didn’t work.”

Her grandmother frowned. “Did not de ladybug stop glowing?”

Lucie nodded. “Yes, but Eric still loves me, Maurice still loves DeeDee, and Craig and Elaine broke up. The only one it worked on was Ben.” Her chin dropped. “He doesn’t love me, Gran.”

Her grandmother stared at her for a long time. “What did you learn about castin’ Voodoo spells?”

Lucie snorted. “Like you said in your spell, leave it to the pros.”

The old woman propped a fist on her hip. “What else?”

“You can’t make someone love you with a spell. If they don’t love you without the spell, it’s not real love and it’s not yours to keep.”

Gran LeBieu nodded. “Very good. Dat’s all you needed to know.”

“But what can I do to make the spell go away?”

With an upturned hand, Gran LeBieu smiled. “What spell?”

“The love spell I used on the love bug?”

“Oh, dat one.” Gran stood and straightened her muumuu. “Not to worry. It did not work in de first place.”

“What do you mean?” Her head reeled as if she were about to pass out.

“Jus’ what I say. It did not work.” Gran grinned. “You used de wrong bug. Every good Voodoo queen knows you have to follow all de directions or de spell doesn’t work.”

Lucie flopped back against her pillow. “You mean I didn’t have anything to do with Elaine and Craig splitting up?”

“Nope.”

“And the love bug didn’t make Maurice and DeeDee fall in love?” All this worry, all this time she’d thought she’s screwed up so many lives.

“Nope, again.”

“
Wooweee
! So Maurice and DeeDee found each other on their own.” She’d been lifted up by joy after all the sadness she’d been feeling, only to crash to the earth again. “Then Eric really does love me.”

“Dat’s right.”

“And Ben doesn’t and never did.” She sank even lower in the mire of anguish.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say dat.” Her grandmother smiled her wickedly mysterious smile that left people guessing.

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you know, Gran?”

The old Voodoo queen drew herself up to her full height and stared down her nose at her granddaughter. “What is told to Madame LeBieu in confidence, stays in confidence.” She winked. “But I know someone dat came lookin’ for a love potion of his own.”

Lucie’s eyes widened and her heart tripped several times before settling into a speedy pitter-patter. “Ben?”

Her grandmother crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not sayin’ one way or de other. But you best get yer heinie out of de bed. De doctor said you could go.”

She flung the sheets aside, jumped up and threw her arms around the old woman. “Thank you, Gran. Thank you!”

“Don’t be thankin’ me yet.” She handed Lucie a bag of clothes and
shooshed
her toward the bathroom. “Hurry up, dis ol’ lady and your mama will be waitin’ outside for you.”