Jackson had dressed more appropriately for his trek into the swamp today. He was clad in a plain light blue cotton shirt and a pair of jeans, along with an old pair of boots he used to wear to construction sites.
Would she be there today? God, he hoped so. The lovely Josie had been in his thoughts all night long. He’d asked Peyton and Beau about her. “She’s an incredibly strong woman,” Beau had said. “She was very close to her parents before they passed but she seems to be making her own way just fine.”
“We don’t know much else about her personal life,” Peyton added. “She’s always friendly, but she pretty much keeps to herself.”
Thankfully, when he was finished visiting with Beau and Peyton, Peyton had then walked him out of the swamp and to his car. Now he was ready to go back in with hopes of meeting up with the lovely Josie again.
A sweet anticipation filled his veins as he parked his car in Vincent’s parking lot. There was no question that if she didn’t show up today, he’d be disappointed.
He stepped out of his car and into the noonday heat and humidity. He looked up the mouth of the pathway and into the thick foliage and murky waters.
There were many other trails into the swamp from all over the small town. What were the odds of meeting a beautiful woman on this particular path?
Even though it was still rather daunting for him to enter into the swampy interior, he wouldn’t have to go far before he would be at the place where he’d first seen Josie.
He began the trek in, feeling a bit more confident than he had the day before. He still watched every step he took in an effort to stay on the narrow path.
He hadn’t gone too far in when he saw her. She stepped out from behind a tree, a smile curving her lips. His heart beat just a little faster at the sight of her.
“You came,” she said.
He grinned. “And so did you.” He looked around. “Is there someplace we can go to sit and talk?”
“Definitely. Just come with me.” She turned and started up the trail. He followed right behind her, wondering if she was taking him to her place. He was definitely interested to see the place she called home. He was interested in everything about her.
She turned on a path he hadn’t been on before and then stopped abruptly. Ahead of her was a large downed dead tree trunk. She sat on it and then gestured for him to have a seat next to her.
Although he was surprised, he shouldn’t have been. She certainly didn’t know him well enough to take him to her house. “This is one of my favorite places to sit and think,” she said.
He sat next to her, not so close as to intimidate her, but close enough he could smell the scent that emanated from her. It was wonderful, a combination of mysterious flowers and exotic spices that instantly called to something inside him.
She looked beautiful in the pink blouse that seemed to pull a little color into her cheeks and looked gorgeous against her shiny black hair. Her jeans showcased her slender but shapely legs.
“Do you sit and think here a lot?” he asked.
“Whenever I need to,” she replied. “Where do you sit and think?” she asked curiously.
“I guess I do most of my thinking in my home office, although I don’t usually just sit and think.”
“Sitting someplace beautiful and just thinking is very good for the soul,” she replied.
He laughed. “Then I suspect my soul needs a little tending.”
She returned his laugh with musical tones of her own. “Then you’ll have to work on that.”
“I will. So, tell me about a typical day in Josie Cadieux’s life,” he said, wanting to learn everything he could about her. One thing he immediately noticed was her eyes were not jet black as he’d initially thought they were, but rather they were a deep gray with bright silver shards. Beautiful.
“I get up early and go out on the water to check my fishing lines and see what I’ve caught for the day. I bring what I caught back to my house where I put them in a holding cage and then just before sunset, I do that all over again. Once I have enough fish to take to market, I load them up in my truck and go into town.”
“Who do you sell them to?” he asked curiously.
“I sell some of them directly to Marie Boujoulais at the Black Bayou Café and I also sell directly to Tremont’s Restaurant. Then whatever is left over I take to Mike’s Grocery store.”
Mike’s was the grocery store in the center of town that served everyone while Tremont’s was a high-end restaurant where Jackson often ate with his friends.
“Sounds like a lot of work,” he replied.
She shrugged her slender shoulders. “It’s my life and I don’t find it difficult at all. In fact, I think I have a wonderful life.”
“What’s so wonderful about it?” he asked.
“I make enough money to pay for my needs. I spend a lot of time outside in the beauty of the swamp. I can run when I feel like running or visit with friends when I feel like talking to somebody. I rarely have a worry in the world.” She smiled. “Now tell me about a typical day in your life.”
Her world sounded incredibly free and uncomplicated. As he told her about meetings, both in person and over FaceTime, he realized how boring he sounded. He rarely took any time off and when he did, he spent that time with people who were exactly like him.
“Your world sounds very complex,” she observed when he was finished.
“I just now realized it is and maybe I need to make some changes. I’m certainly not enjoying my life much right now,” he admitted. The only other person he’d ever shared his general unhappiness with was his friend Peyton. He was vaguely surprised that he’d shared this so easily with Josie, a woman he barely knew but felt surprisingly comfortable with.
“Life is too short to be unhappy,” she replied.
“I agree with that. Sitting here and talking to a lovely woman certainly makes me happy,” he replied.
She laughed. “Jackson, are you flirting with me?”
He grinned at her. “Maybe a little bit. I won’t pour on the full force of my flirting power until I know for sure that you’re single.” He locked his gaze with hers. “So, have you decided yet? Are you single?”
Her lovely eyes drew him in as they sparkled brightly. Sure, he wanted to get to know her and there was no question that he was physically drawn to everything about her.
“Just for you, I’ve decided I’m single,” she finally replied.
He smiled at her once again. “Josie, are you flirting with me?”
“Maybe just a little,” she replied and then broke the eye contact with him. “So, tell me, are your parents still alive?”
“They are alive and well. I try to have dinner with them at least once a week or so,” he replied.
“That’s nice. Unfortunately, I lost my father two years ago and my mother a year and a half ago.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. Were you close to them?”
“Extremely close,” she replied. “In fact, we all lived together and they were my very best friends.”
He heard the sadness that had crept into her voice and he reached his hand out and covered hers. “I’m really sorry,” he said softly and then quickly pulled his hand back from hers, afraid of overstepping her boundaries.
“Thanks.”
“So, tell me more about you. What’s your favorite color? What sign are you? What’s your favorite food?” he asked in an effort to turn the direction of their conversation to something lighter.
“My favorite color is deep purple and I’m a Libra. Right now, my favorite food is fish, because that’s mostly all I’ve ever eaten in my life.”
“So, you’ve never had a big juicy steak?”
“Never,” she replied.
“Well, that definitely needs to be remedied,” he said.
“I’ll bet I can guess what your favorite color is,” she said with a teasing light in her eyes.
“What do you think it is?” he asked.
“Green for money. And I would also guess that you’re an Aries because they like to be number one and they’re very ambitious.”
He sniffed in exaggeration. “Uh, is that judgment I smell in the air?” he asked.
“No judgment,” she quickly replied. “It was just an educated guess.”
“I’ll have you know my favorite color is blue and I’m actually a Cancer.”
“A Cancer...hmm. Interesting,” she replied. “I guess I still have a lot to learn about you.”
He smiled. “And I want to learn a lot more about you.”
“Are you flirting with me again, Mr. Fortier?”
He laughed. “Absolutely.”
For the next hour or so, they talked about themselves and each other. He learned that she’d been homeschooled by her mother. Her mother must have done a good job for Jackson found Josie to be both intelligent and well-spoken.
She was quick-witted and had a wonderful sense of humor and he was positively enchanted by her. He’d never sat and talked to a woman before where he didn’t feel the need to try to be clever and superficially charming.
He’d never felt like he could just let his guard down and be himself, but that’s exactly what he was doing with Josie. She was wonderfully easy to talk to.
“I hope you’re keeping yourself safe while you’re out and about,” he now said.
“I’m assuming you’re talking about the Honey Island Swamp Monster.” Her eyes darkened slightly.
“He’s already killed three women,” Jackson said.
“Don’t I know it,” she replied dryly. “But he’s not a monster from the swamp. I believe it is a man from town who is somehow luring the women out of the swamp and to a place where he kills them and then leaves their bodies in an alleyway.”
He looked at her in surprise. “I know it’s a monster of the human kind, but I believe Chief Gravois thinks the killer is from the swamp.”
A dry laugh escaped her. “As far as I’m concerned, Gravois does very little actual thinking for himself. And, of course, he believes the killer comes from here. He believes everything bad, everything evil, comes from the swamp. I doubt if he’s even investigating the murders. After all, it’s only women from the swamp who are being killed.”
Bitterness was rife in her voice. She must have realized it for she laughed once again, the laughter now sounding a bit hollow and forced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to go on such a rant. But just don’t get me started on Gravois.”
“Don’t apologize for telling me what you really think, and I agree with you that Gravois isn’t much of a deep thinker. He’s definitely the laziest man I’ve ever met,” he replied. “I don’t think he ever leaves his office unless he’s going someplace where he’s getting a free meal.”
She laughed and then sobered, her gaze once again holding his. “So how much thought have you given to the murdered women?”
He thought about lying. He really wanted to put his best foot forward with her, but he suspected she’d see right through his lie. “Not much,” he admitted.
She nodded, as if she’d expected his answer.
“However,” he continued, “maybe it’s time me and some of my buddies put some pressure on Gravois about the murders.”
A slow smile curved her lips and heated his blood. Damn but she was beautiful. “I would really appreciate that,” she said.
“Consider it done,” he replied.
“Do you like to fish?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been fishing.”
“Really?” She looked at him in surprise. “Would you like to go fishing with me?”
He could think of a lot of things he’d like to do with her, but fishing certainly wasn’t at the top of his list. Still, he recognized that she was bidding him an entry into her life with the invitation. “Sure, I’d like that.”
“I have a sweet spot to sit and throw in a couple of lines and I’ve got a pole with your name written on it,” she replied.
He looked at her nervously. “Aren’t you afraid of the alligators?”
She laughed. “Let’s just say I have a very healthy respect for them. Besides, usually when I’m fishing in that particular spot, Gator Broussard is around.”
“He’s the man who helped save Peyton’s life.”
“He is. Have you ever met him?”
“No,” Jackson replied.
“Gator is older than dirt and loves catching gators. He even lost three of his fingers when he was fighting with one of the beasts.”
“He sounds like a real character,” Jackson said.
“Oh, he is. Maybe you’ll get to meet him tomorrow morning.”
He looked at her in surprise. “What’s happening tomorrow morning?”
Her luscious lips curved upward again. “We’re going fishing.” She rose to her feet. “Why don’t you meet me here around six thirty in the morning?”
“Okay,” he replied, wondering exactly what he was getting himself into and yet excited to have another opportunity to spend time with her. He just hoped he didn’t get eaten by a gator.
AFTER SHE LEFT JACKSON, Josie decided to pay Beau and Peyton a visit. She knew Peyton was good friends with Jackson and she wanted to know a little bit more about the man before she invested any more of her time with him.
Beau Boudreau and Peyton LaCroix shared a strange love story. They had been young lovers and then Beau, a swamp rat, had been accused and sent to prison for a murder he hadn’t committed. He’d spent years in jail and once he got out, he returned to Black Bayou to clear his name.
By that time, Peyton had become a criminal defense lawyer. He’d enlisted her aid and, in the process, the two had realized they’d never stopped loving each other. The real killer had been exposed and despite Peyton being a townie, she’d moved to the swamp to be with the man she loved. They now shared the best of both worlds, splitting their time between Beau’s shanty in the swamp and her house in town.
It took Josie only a few minutes to reach their place. She knocked on the door and Peyton answered. “Hey, Peyton, do you mind a visitor for a few minutes?”
“Of course, we don’t mind,” Peyton replied. “Come on in.” She opened the door and gestured Josie to the sofa. “Beau is off in town giving a bid on a deck.”
“I really just wanted to talk to you,” Josie replied as she sank down on the sofa. Beau had started his own carpentry business and, from what Josie had heard, he was doing quite well.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Peyton asked.
“No, thanks, I’m good.”
Peyton sat in the chair facing the sofa in the small room. “So, what’s up with you these days?”
“Not much, but I just got finished having a long visit with Jackson and I just wanted to ask you a few questions about him,” Josie said.
Peyton’s blue eyes widened. “You...and Jackson? Oh, that’s a lovely thought. I’ll tell you what you need to know about him. He’s a wonderful man with a soft, kind heart. He would never hurt anyone so you’d be safe with him.”
That was exactly the kind of information Josie had been looking for. “So, if the two of us were alone in my shanty, I shouldn’t be afraid of him.”
“Definitely not. I’ve known Jackson since we were kids and I’m positive he would never ever hurt a woman.” Peyton then laughed. “Don’t get me wrong, he isn’t a saint. Jackson can be sarcastic and superficial. He has a wicked sense of humor but he is also capable of making fun of himself.”
Peyton leaned forward. “So, do you have plans to see him again?”
Josie grinned. “I’m taking him fishing in the morning.”
Peyton’s eyes opened wide in surprise and then she laughed again. “Oh, I wish I could be a fly in the air to see him in your element. I can’t even believe it. It’s going to be so amusing.”
“We’ll see if he really shows up in the morning,” Josie replied.
“If he does show up, then it means he must like you a lot. I can’t imagine Jackson stepping so far out of his comfort zone for just anyone.”
“Thanks, Peyton.” Josie got to her feet. “You answered the major questions I had about him.”
Peyton stood as well. “Give him a chance, Josie, and try not to break his heart.”
“That’s certainly not in my plans,” Josie replied.
Minutes later as she made her way back home, she replayed the conversation with Peyton in her head. The real thing she’d wanted...needed to know was if she would be safe with Jackson. While she respected Peyton’s opinion, Josie wasn’t about to stop wearing her knife when she was around him.
Besides, it wasn’t just Jackson she had to worry about. There was a serial killer loose, and he liked young swamp women. The townspeople had deemed the killer the Honey Island Swamp Monster, which was a real legend but not here around the Black Bayou.
According to the local gossip, the three women had been stabbed in the stomach and then mauled to death by some sort of animal claws. The victims had either been killed in the swamp and their bodies carried into town, or they had been lured out of the swamp and killed in town.
Josie didn’t know anything else about the murders, but she knew enough to be wary when she was out and around. Hopefully, Jackson had been telling the truth when he’d told her he and his buddies would put some pressure on Gravois to solve the crimes. Three murders were definitely three too many.
According to Peyton, Jackson would really have to be interested in her to go fishing. It was going to be curious to see if he really showed up in the morning.
At six twenty the next morning, Josie sat on the dead tree trunk to await Jackson’s arrival. She had with her two fishing poles, a tackle box and a container of nice fat worms.
She’d already run her lines that morning and gathered the fish she’d caught. Either later today or tomorrow, she needed to head into town to sell all of them.
She hadn’t been sitting there long when she heard him coming. He crashed through the brush like a wild boar in a frenzy and she had to stifle a laugh as she heard a splash and then a deep string of curses.
He stepped into view and grinned at her with a shake of his head. “I can’t seem to keep my right foot out of the water.”
She laughed. “You’ll get better in time. At least you’re dressed appropriately for fishing this morning.” He wore a pair of jeans that hugged his long legs and a royal blue T-shirt that stretched taut across his broad shoulders. The blue of the shirt was a perfect match for his sparkling eyes. Overall, he looked casual and very, very hot.
“I’m learning,” he replied. “And you look very pretty today,” he said. There was a warmth in his gaze that reinforced his words. The heat in his eyes leaped right into the pit of her stomach. It had been a very long time since a man had told her she looked pretty.
“Thanks,” she replied and stood. “Are you ready to catch some fish?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied.
She heard the slight trepidation in his voice. Still, she grabbed the two poles and handed him one of them, then she grabbed her tackle box and the can of worms. “Just follow me,” she said.
“How long of a walk is it to your fishing spot?” he asked as they began the trek.
“About fifteen minutes or so,” she replied and turned her head to glance back at him. “Are you okay?”
He flashed her a bright grin. “Lead on, oh, beautiful wood nymph.”
She laughed and turned back around. The trail darkened and narrowed as they continued forward. She had to admit, he was a good sport to be doing this and she knew the only possible reason he would put himself through this was to spend more time with her.
He was looking like a live one...the perfect man for her to use in order to catch her assailant. Hopefully, he would eventually invite her outside of the swamp and into his world. But she didn’t know if he would actually do that or not. Only time would tell.
The trail widened out once again and ahead was a small clearing that led to the dark water’s edge. “We have arrived,” she said. He stepped up next to her and looked around.
“We just throw our line in the water and we catch fish?”
“That’s what we hope for.” She sat down her fishing pole and opened up the can of worms. “Do you need me to bait your hook?”
“No, I think I can manage a little worm.” As he stepped closer to grab the bait, his scent wafted to her. He smelled like minty soap, shaving cream and a fresh-scented cologne. It was a combination that drew her in.
They got their hooks baited, threw out the lines and then sat side by side on the ground. “Do you come here often?” he asked.
“About two or three times a week. I get most of my fish on the lines that I run. I just come out here to sit and relax.”
“I can see where this would be relaxing,” he replied. “You’re making me realize I need to work in more down time for myself.”
“What’s holding you back from doing that? Do you need to keep working so hard to make more money? From what I’ve heard, you’re already extremely wealthy.”
He laughed. “I guess the gossipers stay busy in this town.”
“Honestly, Jackson, I could care less about your net worth,” she said.
He held her gaze for a long moment and then nodded. “If I thought your only interest in me was because of my wealth, I wouldn’t be sitting here next to you right now.”
She smiled at him. “I’m glad you’re here.”
He returned her smile. “I can’t think of any place else I’d rather be. Actually, that’s a lie. I can think of lots of other places I’d rather be with you next to me.”
He jumped suddenly as the tip of his pole dipped. “Oh, I... I think I’ve got one.” He got to his feet and she did as well.
“Give it a little jerk to set the hook,” she said. “Reel it in, Jackson.” She laughed as he reeled as fast as he could and finally got a good-size catfish on the shore.
“I did it,” he said with a boyish joy. He set down his pole, grabbed her into his arms and spun her around. “I caught my very first fish.” He put her back down and took a step back from her. “I’m sorry. I got a little carried away.”
“It’s okay,” she replied and laughed once again. “I definitely appreciate your enthusiasm.” For just a moment, being held in his arms had felt wonderful. It had surprised her. She had thought she’d never want a man’s arms around her again. “Uh...let’s get that fish off the hook.”
They sat and fished for about an hour, talking about all kinds of things. She shared stories from her childhood with him and he did the same. There was no question that they’d had different upbringings, but the common element was how much love they’d each enjoyed from their parents.
He caught another fish and she caught two and then they called it a day. She put the four fish on a hook to carry back to her place and then they headed out.
“I have to admit, I was dreading this yesterday, but this has been very nice,” he said as he followed behind her on the narrow trail.
“It was nice to have your company this morning,” she replied. It was true; she genuinely enjoyed him. He was funny and charming and easy to talk to. She almost felt bad that she just wanted to use him. Under different circumstances, she might have allowed herself to really like him.
However, if history had taught her anything at all, it was not to give her heart to a man from town.