stood beside him, she winked at him. He hadn’t heard her come up, and what was with these Cajuns and the mind reading? She looked at him with amused, very knowing eyes. “I see what devil got into him last night. Oh don’t blush, sugar. I’ve known Caleb a long time. He’s a hard man to resist when he wants something.”
Darcy tried to pretend he didn’t know what she was talking about. But because he was here, wearing the same clothes as the night before he knew there was no denying anything. “Yeah, well. What’s going on there?”
“Caleb’s mama is dying. Breast cancer, she fought a long hard battle, Uncle Jeb won’t go see her and Caleb doesn’t like it.”
Drawn by their voices, the older man turned, his eyes settled on him with a mixture of sadness and anger. It was the bar owner, O’Doul. He was Caleb’s uncle?
“Oh, cher , why you done brought dat duck into this? I warned you to stay away from him.” The words washed over Darcy like a glacier. Caleb whirled around to face him, something dark passed over his face.
“Leave it alone, Uncle, it’s none of your concern.”
“You fucking him, boy, it ain’t natural. How long before he end up like the first one?”
Darcy heard Teela gasp, Caleb grew very pale, his eyes becoming brilliant fire as he bared his teeth. “Feet pue tan. Taut t’en grosse buche.”
“Viole merde.” His uncle sneered back at him, launching a flow of French which left Darcy confused. Caleb answered, his voice low, his words clipped but in French.
“What are they saying?” He asked Teela who looked just as confused as he was.
“Well, cher , Caleb called him a son of a bitch and told him to shut his mouth. Uncle Jeb told him to go to shit then I lost them. I don’t speak real French, just Cajun English like most of us do now.” She looked just as pale as Caleb and refused to meet Darcy’s eye.
“But you know what they’re talking about?”
“I know, cher , but it isn’t my place to tell Caleb’s business. His uncle shouldn’t have shamed him like that in front of you. Just because he, well, let’s just say Uncle Jeb isn’t a happy person and be done with it. I got to go now, cher . Caleb will have me fired if he knows I told you anything. It was nice meeting you, cher . I hope to see you again.”
She left him standing there watching as the two men shouted angry words at each other, O’Doul threw his hands in the air and then left. Caleb just stood there, his shoulders slumped as if he carried an incredible burden.
“You hungry, cher ?”
It took him a few seconds to realize Caleb was talking to him. “Not really.”
Caleb turned to face him, his shoulders high, his mouth hitched in a half grin, the sorrow in his eyes faded out as Darcy watched. Icy fingers gripped Darcy’s throat. He’d never seen anyone do that before. “That was my uncle, Jebadiah Lasseigne. You know him as O’Doul, he likes to pretend he is someone other than what he is. Don’t pay him no mind.”
“Sure.” The icy grip of fear became a hot tremble that slithered inside Darcy’s belly as Caleb drew near. He moved gracefully across the room, his bare skin golden under the dim lights, his eyes and his mouth did things to him, seduced him without even trying. He was breathless long before Caleb kissed him. Standing there in the middle of the bar with staff watching them, he kissed him and all Darcy could think was how far it was up to his bed.
“You want me to call you a cab now, cher ?” his voice trembled against Darcy’s cheek. “I will if you want me to.”
“Do you want me to go?” Unsure of himself, Darcy swallowed hard.
“Stay with me,” Caleb breathed, his eyes full of pain and doubt.
“Okay,” he said just as softly, letting his hands slide along Caleb’s back. He could feel eyes on them, others watching as Caleb pressed his forehead to Darcy’s. “Upstairs, this is too public.”
Fear entered Caleb’s eyes, real fear that had Darcy
Darcy tried to pretend he didn’t know what she was talking about. But because he was here, wearing the same clothes as the night before he knew there was no denying anything. “Yeah, well. What’s going on there?”
“Caleb’s mama is dying. Breast cancer, she fought a long hard battle, Uncle Jeb won’t go see her and Caleb doesn’t like it.”
Drawn by their voices, the older man turned, his eyes settled on him with a mixture of sadness and anger. It was the bar owner, O’Doul. He was Caleb’s uncle?
“Oh, cher , why you done brought dat duck into this? I warned you to stay away from him.” The words washed over Darcy like a glacier. Caleb whirled around to face him, something dark passed over his face.
“Leave it alone, Uncle, it’s none of your concern.”
“You fucking him, boy, it ain’t natural. How long before he end up like the first one?”
Darcy heard Teela gasp, Caleb grew very pale, his eyes becoming brilliant fire as he bared his teeth. “Feet pue tan. Taut t’en grosse buche.”
“Viole merde.” His uncle sneered back at him, launching a flow of French which left Darcy confused. Caleb answered, his voice low, his words clipped but in French.
“What are they saying?” He asked Teela who looked just as confused as he was.
“Well, cher , Caleb called him a son of a bitch and told him to shut his mouth. Uncle Jeb told him to go to shit then I lost them. I don’t speak real French, just Cajun English like most of us do now.” She looked just as pale as Caleb and refused to meet Darcy’s eye.
“But you know what they’re talking about?”
“I know, cher , but it isn’t my place to tell Caleb’s business. His uncle shouldn’t have shamed him like that in front of you. Just because he, well, let’s just say Uncle Jeb isn’t a happy person and be done with it. I got to go now, cher . Caleb will have me fired if he knows I told you anything. It was nice meeting you, cher . I hope to see you again.”
She left him standing there watching as the two men shouted angry words at each other, O’Doul threw his hands in the air and then left. Caleb just stood there, his shoulders slumped as if he carried an incredible burden.
“You hungry, cher ?”
It took him a few seconds to realize Caleb was talking to him. “Not really.”
Caleb turned to face him, his shoulders high, his mouth hitched in a half grin, the sorrow in his eyes faded out as Darcy watched. Icy fingers gripped Darcy’s throat. He’d never seen anyone do that before. “That was my uncle, Jebadiah Lasseigne. You know him as O’Doul, he likes to pretend he is someone other than what he is. Don’t pay him no mind.”
“Sure.” The icy grip of fear became a hot tremble that slithered inside Darcy’s belly as Caleb drew near. He moved gracefully across the room, his bare skin golden under the dim lights, his eyes and his mouth did things to him, seduced him without even trying. He was breathless long before Caleb kissed him. Standing there in the middle of the bar with staff watching them, he kissed him and all Darcy could think was how far it was up to his bed.
“You want me to call you a cab now, cher ?” his voice trembled against Darcy’s cheek. “I will if you want me to.”
“Do you want me to go?” Unsure of himself, Darcy swallowed hard.
“Stay with me,” Caleb breathed, his eyes full of pain and doubt.
“Okay,” he said just as softly, letting his hands slide along Caleb’s back. He could feel eyes on them, others watching as Caleb pressed his forehead to Darcy’s. “Upstairs, this is too public.”
Fear entered Caleb’s eyes, real fear that had Darcy
Similar Books
