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“What a jerk,” frowned Londyn.
“Yes,” laughed Suzette. “But so was I. Sly got diagnosed with cancer, and I went up to get him well again, knowing I would never leave without him.”
“I was married once,” said Camille. “He was a real asshole to me, and I didn’t even see it. He was intimidated by my family and was verbally abusive to me. Before the teams were all combined, John was on Ian’s SEAL team. They had been on a mission overseas, and a hurricane forced them to stop here in New Orleans.
“Gaspar and the others all knew them and, of course, welcomed them. Mama, she welcomes everyone. I immediately noticed how handsome, how beautiful he was, but I was married.”
“Did he notice you?” she asked, sitting on the edge of her seat.
“Oh, yes. I didn’t know it, but he saw the way my husband was talking to me and hated it. Five years later, I was going through my divorce. I’d lost about forty pounds, and we met up again. I made a real fool of myself at first. He was helping Ashley after her reconstruction, and I walked in on him massaging her breasts and putting ice packs on them.”
“Oh. No.”
“Yes,” laughed Camille. “We yelled at one another, then it was as if a light switch went off. I knew I loved him, and he knew he loved me. At the time, they were all stationed in Coronado. I was going back and forth to see him, but then, they were more or less forced to retire, and Nine and Gaspar invited them to join the team. There was never a doubt for me that I would be wherever Cruz was, but I was truly praying it would be here.”
“I guess you’re next,” smiled Londyn, looking at Claudette.
“Oh, mine isn’t quite so dramatic. I was married for thirty years. My husband decided one day he no longer wanted to be married to me. A woman.” Londyn’s mouth formed a perfect ‘O,’ and she nodded. “Our son was grown but had moved to Australia with his wife. He doesn’t really speak to me much, but I can’t control that.”
“Unknown to me, my father ran into an old high school friend of mine, Jake. I had the biggest crush on him when we were in school. But back then, white girls didn’t date black boys. My parents didn’t care, but Jake worried for me.”
“What a good man,” said Londyn.
“The best,” nodded Claudette. “He’d married after high school and had a family. His wife passed, and he retired from his job and was working for himself fixing up old cars and motorcycles. Pops, he knew what he was doing. He had Skull go by and test out his skills, and they offered him a job at the shop. I came home to find the love of my life living on my family’s property. We haven’t been apart a moment since.”
“You know my story,” smiled Rachelle. “I still think my mother put Mac in front of me, but she swears it was all accidental.” The sisters all burst into laughter, shaking their heads.
“I take it y’all don’t believe in accidents,” smiled Londyn.
“Oh, we believe in accidents. Just not on Belle Fleur property,” said Camille. She tilted her head at the young woman, then realized she didn’t know all the secrets yet. “Londyn? Have you met our ghosts?”
“Ghosts?” she smirked. “I’m not ten. I don’t believe in…”
Martha, Franklin, Nathan, Yori, Claudette, Grip, and Tony appeared, smiling at her. She scooted back in the chair, almost losing her balance and tipping backwards.
“They’re… they’re ghosts.”
“Yes, they’re ghosts,” smiled Claudette. “They’ve been on the property for a very long time. Some for more than two hundred years. They’re good and kind, wise and helpful. We adore them, and they are often looking out for us, even when we are not looking out for ourselves.”
“I don’t believe this. First, that mysterious pond, now ghosts. Am I dreaming?”
“No, hun,” said Marie. “You’re just at Belle Fleur.” Londyn stared at the images, and Martha smiled at her. The only thing she could think to say had the room erupting in laughter.
“For a ghost, you have amazing teeth.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Breakfast was being served at the Sugar Lodge when the men returned from Houston. Londyn smiled as women ran toward their husbands, fathers, and sons. Cam and Luke stopped to speak with the seniors, and then she saw Ty. He smiled at her, and she took off, leaping into his arms.
“You’re alright,” she whispered into his ear.
“I’m perfect now.”
“You’re not hurt? Everything went alright?” she asked, touching his arms and chest and back.
“I’m fine, babe,” he smiled, kissing her nose. “Everything went as expected. The barrio is destroyed, and Perez knows it. We called him out, but of course, he refused to meet us. He has no one left.”
“What was it like?” she whispered. “The barrio. I haven’t been back since I was seventeen. What was it like?” Bone thought about lying to her, but he didn’t want their life to start out that way.
