“And he had a great girlfriend.” Simon stared down into her eyes. “Doesn’t make sense.”
“The curse,” Holly concluded. “A week later, I found another message drawn in the sand near my parents’ boat dock.” She remembered that day so clearly.
“What was the message?” Simon asked.
“The same one on my mirror in Atlanta and the tree at my parents’ house—SECRETS KILL.”
“Again, that sounds more like something written by a person, not a curse.”
“That’s what Gisele says. I found that message the morning my parents went boating and never came back.”
She stumbled a bit. Simon helped her regain her footing. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Their boat was found. It had capsized out in the Gulf. No bodies. Since the people I cared about most were gone and their only connection was to me, I knew I was cursed. I was afraid to stay in Bayou Mambaloa. I thought about my grandmother, cousins and friends. I couldn’t stay and risk the curse taking them from me. So, I left and moved to Atlanta, hoping that it was far enough away the curse wouldn’t continue to take more of the people I cared about. After six months, the official report on my parents’ accident was issued. It said they were missing, presumed dead.”
Simon stopped dancing in the middle of the floor. “I’m sorry.”
She looked up into his eyes. “It’s been six months, and nothing has turned up. No bones. Nothing.”
“Then you found the message in the mirror in Atlanta,” he said.
She nodded. “I had to come back. To warn my family members and friends. I don’t know who the curse will target next.”
“Have you thought that maybe you’ll be the next target?”
“I have.” Her eyes narrowed. “If I can’t figure out a way to vanquish the curse. I pray it comes for me. Not anyone else. Then, if I can’t fight back…if I die…maybe the curse will end with me.”
Chapter 3
Simon stared down into Holly’s moss-green irises, her pain evident in the dark circles beneath her eyes.
“You might believe in curses,” he said, “but I think the curse is someone targeting you and your family. I also think you need the protection you’ve rejected. Let me help you find the answers. Let me protect you from whoever is doing this.”
She leaned her forehead against his chest, her arms encircling his waist. “If only that’s all it took. My grandmother is busy ministering to the entire community. I’ve been waiting for her to free up some time for me. Once she does, I’m sure she’ll be able to help.” She leaned back and looked up into his eyes. “But thanks for the offer. I think I’ll be okay until then.”
“Like your folks and your boyfriend? You only had a couple of hours' notice. It’s been what, a week and a half since your last message? Are you sure you can wait for your grandmother?”
“I’ll make do,” she murmured. “Mémère usually knows how to handle situations, curse or no curse.” She gave Simon a weak grin and headed for her table of friends.
Gisele patted the seat beside her. “Sit. Spill. We want all the details while we wait for Mitchell to let Joyce off the dance floor.”
Still standing, Holly glanced over her shoulder at the pair laughing and kicking up their heels to a lively Cotton-eyed Joe. They looked adorable, and she was happy for them.
Her gaze slipped to Simon as he rejoined his buddies at their table. “I’m going to call it a night,” Holly said.
Gisele’s eyes widened. “You can’t do that and leave us hanging.”
“We want to know all about that dance with the handsome Simon,” Ouida Mae insisted.
Holly gave them a twisted smile. “It was nice. He’s a good guy, and his mother made sure he learned how to dance.”
“Props to his mom,” Gisele said. “You two looked like you belonged together.”
Holly frowned. “Oh, please, don’t go there. Save your matchmaking for the nice principal. Until I get to the bottom of the curse, I’m not looking for a relationship.”
Gisele touched Holly’s arm. “Oh, sweetie. Is that it? Are you worried that whoever you love will be affected by the curse?”
Holly sighed. “Precisely. And I’m worried about you, Mémère, my friends—everyone I care about.” She looked from Gisele to Ouida Mae and back. “Please, promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t know who the curse will target next.”
