Page 86 of The Soul Never Forgets

Dawsey’s face is without expression, but I sense his excitement. “It’ll be a good start.”

I lick my lips and unbuckle my seatbelt, kissing his neck on the way down. “A blowjob is an acceptable apology for my bad behavior, don’t you agree?”

“Feel free to behave badly any time you like if this is how you apologize to me.”

He groans when my mouth covers the crown of his cock, and my lips slide down the shaft, the tip hitting the back of my throat. “Damn, Cara. That feels good.”

His praise spurs me on, making me want to take him into my mouth deeper, faster, harder. And I do.

“I’m going to come,” he says.

And then he does.

In my mouth.

Chapter21

Caroline Beaumont

Pascagoula,Mississippi

Present Day

The Seamark Inn.I haven’t been here, or in Pascagoula, in more than a year. The feeling that is spreading deep in my gut is a declaration that I’m coming home.

I’ve wanted to come back to this place, but Coco didn’t think it was a good idea. And I didn’t want to upset her by coming. This house frightens her, which I get, but that’s because she doesn’t understand it the way I do.

I’m not afraid of being here. My time as Augustina held some of the happiest days of my life, and this is one of my favorite places in the world.

Dawsey enters the passcode into the smart lock on the door.

“This was the staff entrance. It’s the door they used when Augustina sneaked Frank into the house. And Hank. We can’t forget handsome Hank.”

“Hank… the shop dog.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s weird how I know these things,” he says.

“What are you feeling right now?” I ask him.

“It’s a mix of emotions. A cocktail of familiarity, panic and dread, and the deepest love I’ve ever known. It’s hard to put a label on it.”

“I understand that more than you know. It’s the same for me.” But my panic and dread comes from almost being murdered on the grounds not twenty yards from here. Sometimes I can still feel Benjamin Lebeau’s hands around my throat.

We enter the kitchen and make our way to the front of the house. Dawsey stops at the bottom of the staircase and looks up at the landing at the top of the stairs. “Gussy made Frank close his eyes while she walked out onto the landing. She stood right there in her wedding dress, and he looked up at her from this spot.”

“You’re right, but I haven’t read that to you from a journal because I haven’t written that story yet.”

“Her dress was ivory satin and lace. She wore her hair up, and there was this netted veil thing over her face. It had a feather and flower on it.”

“That was it exactly.”

“He was wearing a white shirt and khaki suit with a white rose on his lapel. It matched her bouquet.”

“You’re giving me goose bumps.”

“He watched her as she came down the stairs, and he told her she was beautiful. He took her hand and twirled her when she reached the bottom of the stairs. He told her he knew she’d be a beautiful bride, and she took his breath away.”

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