Her Chance Encounters (13 page)

"No!" Cherice screamed. "I won't let you leave me again." The little girl pushed Adrienne with all her might. The heels of the woman's boots caught on one of the wooden paddles, sending her falling backwards into the wooden boat instead of overboard. Adrienne pulled herself up and looked over the side of the boat. The child was struggling against the current. She reached out to grab her hand, but the wake of Chance's boat sent Adrienne slipping again as he pulled up alongside the rowboat.

Gene grabbed the wheel, while Chance reached inside to pull Adrienne into his arms. Then the editor hit the throttle, pulling away from the path of the racing Riverboats. A loud splash sounded in the distance, and Stanislaus' mournful wail pierced the air. Gene could not believe his eyes when he watched a shadowy figure carrying the body of what appeared to be a little girl out of the river to the grassy bank.

The sounds of rotten wood splintering barely registered as the lively music of the paddleboats moved up the river. Bits and pieces ripped toward the shore as the wreckage moved with the other boat's large wake. Lenore motioned for Eugene to steer toward the shore where the apparitions appeared, but the editor refused. Pushing past him, she pulled the wheel, edging Chance's boat closer to the riverbank.

Cutting the engine, she called out, "Cherice, listen to me. I read your mother's diary, honey. She wanted you to stay with your daddy, not because she did not want you, but because your daddy loved you enough to put your needs first, no matter what. She did not belong at River Oaks, but you did."

"She's terrified she'll be alone again," Adrienne offered, shaking at her near miss and wondering if these two ghosts would ever find rest.

"Your father has been waiting for you all these years, Cherice. He sensed you were still around and wanted to find you when he passed away. Follow him into the light now. Neither of you belong in this world. You are both going someplace where you'll never be lonely again."

The shadow of the man holding the child knelt on the shore, calling his daughter's name again and again. A small hand reached up to touch his face, wiping a tear falling there. "Is she telling the truth, Daddy? Can we go someplace where I won't have to be lonely anymore?"

The man started shaking uncontrollably, standing up and shouting with joy. "Daddy's got you, baby girl. I have been looking for you for so long. It's time to go home, now. I will make sure you are never lonely again." Settling the child on his hip, he turned to face the nearby speedboat. "Thank you for giving her back to me." Then he turned and started walking away, disappearing into the night.

"Did I... Was that really a... Can someone explain what the hell is going on here?" Gene Zeringue demanded.

Lenore pulled him out of the way as Chance took the wheel. Pulling Adrienne to sit in his lap, Chance started the engine again and headed back to Home Place. "I hope you two did not finish off all the wine I left to help get you in a better frame of mind for hearing ghost stories. I think we'll all need something strong to drink while we try to figure this mess out."

"I can sit in the seat next to you," Adrienne blushed, embarrassed Chance refused to let her move even an inch away.

"You aren't going anywhere. Maybe once I get my ring on your finger, I'll let you out of my sight. Until then, where ever I go, you go, too."

*****

"It feels different now," Adrienne announced. "The metal odor and chill are gone now."

"Stanislaus and Cherice have crossed over," Lenore announced, as they visited River Oaks before going back to Home Place. "This is yours." She handed Adrienne Wynona's diary. As they walked around the old house, Lenore explained finding the diary and using it to help boost her knowledge of what happened all those years before. She was still confused by which of her visions came from her gift and which were triggered by the diary. She showed them all her talisman stone, explaining how her grandmother had come to own it.

"Maybe one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I got so wrapped up in proving my gifts and getting River Oaks, I forgot about putting honesty first."

Adrienne felt betrayed by the other woman, but Cherice's treachery had her even more upset. "I still can't believe the ghost of a little girl lured me here to kill me. Was there anything in this journal which hinted to the child being dangerous?" Turning to face Chance, she added, "She told me she was the one who attacked you yesterday. Believe it or not, I think she was also behind the trouble you had at the plant."

"I don't think she wanted to hurt you, babe. She was confused and lonely. In her mind, you were a way to have her mother back. I'm just glad we were able to stop her before it was too late. I don't know what I would have done if I lost you tonight."

"Someone mentioned something about wine?" Gene Zeringue interrupted. He had been waiting patiently for someone to explain what was going on. "I am thinking we'll need something a bit stronger, though. Lenore and I will take my car and stop to pick up some whiskey or scotch before we meet you back at Home Place."

"That gives us just enough time," Chance told Adrienne as they went back to his place.

Leaning close to lay her head on Chance's shoulder, Adrienne felt safe for the first time in a long time. "Planning on getting a quickie before they get back?" she giggled.

"Making love to you would never amount to a quickie, babe. I enjoy savoring each moment to the fullest. No, I was thinking about helping you get past some of your restless energy following tonight's excitement."

"But you just said we did not have time to make love."

Arriving home, he carried her up the stairs to their new bedroom. "Hairbrush or wooden spoon, babe? I'll let you have your pick."

"Now, Chance," Adrienne tried to reason.

"I think we'll use both. We have a few things to discuss about your lack of good judgment tonight. Leaving the house without telling anyone... getting into a rotten rowboat... paddling out into the middle of the Mississippi River... at night... with no damn lights... "

The customized airboat Chance piloted glided to a smooth stop atop a grassy area of the swamp behind River Oaks. Cutting the loud fan that powered the craft, he looked expectantly at Lenore sitting in the front seat. Adrienne grinned at her future husband's frustration. They were quickly reaching the eleven-year mark in his quest to get his hands on River Oaks. Adrienne had offered to turn over the property as a wedding gift, but he adamantly refused.

She almost chuckled aloud just remembering his reaction. "Like I told you before, our relationship is a separate issue from River Oaks. Besides, who wants to own a house infested with ghosts? When we get around to negotiating a deal for River Oaks, the house won't be a part of it."

A lot had happened since that fateful night when Adrienne almost perished in the river. Chance had discovered Adrienne was more important to him than his oil company or getting control of River Oaks. Chance still found it hard to let her out of his sight. He even made the time to drop her off and pick her up from her school now that the school year was back in session. They lived in Home Place now. Adrienne had moved in and taken over his master bedroom closet. Her boots alone took up half the available space.

Adrienne and Lenore had become thick as thieves in the months following the paddleboat race. Tenderhearted Adrienne found it hard to stay mad at the other woman. Lenore was a frequent visitor to Home Place. In a bid to come to turns with everything that had happened, the topic of Cherice and River Oaks often dominated the topic of conversation.

It was still hard to believe Cherice was the dangerous shadow Lenore had predicted was looming over Adrienne's life. Old Stanislaus was never really a threat, since his passing was so recent and he had yet to learn to control his power to appear to others. Father and daughter seemed to have moved on to a better place, according to Lenore. The cool drafts and metal smells plaguing Adrienne had vanished as mysteriously as they appeared.

Adrienne had asked Lenore why Wynona and her lover's ghosts had never appeared. Lenore felt the two lovers had perished in each other's arms and found their peace long ago. Cherice may have assumed her mother had lingered around, but she had not. Only her father refused to move on until he knew the child was safe.

Chance and Lenore had become good friends, too. As much as he hated to admit it, Chance realized Lenore's talents had helped him save Adrienne. It was only fair the other woman be rewarded. Chance suggested Adrienne consider leasing her house to the psychic. He certainly never wanted to go back there. Even with his own personal experience with the matter, Chance was still not comfortable with the topic of ghosts. If Lenore promised to give them a heads up if any other dangerous spirits had it in for them, he was happy for her to lease the house at Royal Oaks.

In the end, he had decided he did not want to own the property, either. The land belonged to their future children he had told Adrienne. They set up a trust ensuring Cherice's relatives would own the property for decades to come. Of course, this did not stop Chance from convincing Adrienne she should allow his company leasing rights to the land for their pipelines. Chance had been so thrilled not to have to put off those plans anymore. Yet, no pipeline plans had been contracted yet. This time Lenore was the one causing the delay.

Lenore was wearing a little green dress today with leggings and red boots. She stood up and closed her eyes, letting herself tune into the surrounding area. Awareness made her tense, not from fear of what she felt from the vibrations, but from what would happen when she shared them with the perturbed man piloting the airboat. Lenore really hated to disappoint him, especially after Chance and Adrienne overlooked her 'borrowing' Wynona's diary. She felt very close to the couple, and reminded herself she had their best interest at heart.

Chance decided he must be a bit psychic himself because it was evident to him the news was bad. "Dammit, what is it this time?" If Chance did not know any better, he would assume the other woman was still trying to fight him for River Oaks. Since Adrienne had leased the house to Lenore, he could not figure out why she would be so concerned about him using the back property?

Lenore turned to give him an apologetic smile. "I am very sorry, Chance, but you should not run your pipelines through this section of land either. It's an Indian burial ground." Lenore pretended not to hear the curse he muttered. "Before you argue, think about it. Now that you've helped Cherice and Stanislaus pass on, you don't want to stir up any more restless spirits. This is sacred land, Chance. I already pointed out a safe place for you to run your lines. Why don't you settle on that raised spot of land we checked out last week?"

Chance gave Adrienne a lustful look. The spot Lenore was talking about was where they had spent the night all those months ago. Even if old Stanislaus had showed up to mar part of it, memories of the place made him hesitate to disturb that section. He planned on bringing Adrienne back there every so often, so they could get close to nature again. Chance still had plans for making love to Adrienne before sunrise, now that old Stan was not around to interrupt them.

"Sit back down, Lenore. We'll keep looking. I've waited eleven years to find the best place to run this damn pipeline. There is no need to rush things now that we are so close to its realization."

"You might have all day," Adrienne yelled, as he started the huge fan up again. "But Lenore needs to get back before dark." Winking at her friend, she explained, "She has another hot date with Gene tonight."

Ruby Caine, author of Her Chance Encounters, learned to overcome her struggles with dyslexia by reading countless romance novels. As a mother of four, her life is full of its own drama. She loves incorporating her crazy experiences in her stories. Unfortunately, like her children, her characters have minds of their own and entertain her with their unexpected adventures. Caine and her family live in southern Louisiana, thirty minutes from New Orleans.

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