Chapter Seven

He’s here! Oh, my God, he’s here!!

“Karen?” Celeste called, reaching a hand out.

Suddenly, Kara doubled over in front of Isabelle, seemingly wracked by a coughing fit. Celeste was worried sick.

“Karen, are you-”

“Need pills!” Kara choked out. “Headache…I-I mean, uh… cough! Look, a drug store!” Celeste and Isabelle watched in puzzlement as their Karen suddenly darted away to the left and into the drug store that, judging by the cages and leashes in the window, was really actually a pet store.

“I’d better see if she’s…” Celeste began, but was cut off.

“Celeste?” said a voice and she turned around to see none other than Lucas Cartier walking besides Raphaël Sauvage.

“Lucas,” she said and smiled. He didn’t smile back. He never did, but no matter how mean her brother-in-law wanted to seem, Celeste knew he had a good heart. “Hello, Raphaël.”

Raphaël smiled warmly and nodded at the lady.

“What are you doing here?” was Luc’s reply. His gaze drifted around warily, he hoped his sister-in-law wasn’t there with her husband.

Isabelle gave him a look. “She’s hunting for elephants, Luc,” she responded dryly.

Celeste smiled at their sibling rivalry and said, “Oh, just some shopping with a friend.”

Lucas nodded and remained silent, looking at Celeste and as clear as day, she read the question in his eyes. She smiled again and said, “Your brother is doing well, just busy as always.”

Seemingly nonchalant about that, Luc shrugged and looked away.

Isabelle and Raphaël exchanged looks, knowing all too well how rocky Lucas and François’s relationship was. Well, Raphaël knew all the reasons, but Lucas wouldn’t tell Isabelle. She reckoned it was because the whole thing was his fault and he knew Isabelle would call him out on his bullshit the moment he told her.

Celeste hugged Isabelle again and said, “I really would love it if you all came for dinner soon. I want to see my babies, Luna Luciana Sauvage and Liana Amber Sauvage.” Celeste stated the names with great pride and flamboyance, making Isabelle laugh.

“They're at home with Aunt Rosa, but don't you worry, I'll bring them over when we visit. And we will visit, Celeste,” she said, feeling a little guilty for not visiting her two friends lately.

“Promise? All of you?” Celeste asked, wanting to be sure.

“Absolutely,” Isabelle promised. “Right, Raphaël?” Her husband smiled tightly and nodded. He had no problem with François and Celeste, it was just that he knew Lucas would bitch about it. But, if it’s what Isabelle wanted then Luc could bitch all he wanted.

“Right, Luc?” Isabelle asked firmly, wanting Lucas to know he was included and there was no escape.

Lucas hadn’t even heard her. Something had caught his eye.

He’d glanced past the pet shop besides them and his eyes had caught a flash of green, staring at him from behind a shelf. He looked back and the eyes were gone. He frowned, staring into the store. He couldn’t even be sure if he really saw a person because all he’d registered was that green. And he knew that green.

“Luc?” Celeste called softly. Dazed, he turned to her.

“Yes.”

“You’re coming too, right? We’re going to have a dinner soon.”

Lucas inwardly winced. The last thing he wanted was to go to… that farm. Or to see his step-brother again. Then he looked at Celeste and her pleading grey eyes made him feel guilty. He remembered how he’d pointed a gun right at hers and François’s faces a couple of years ago and felt a stab of shame at how nice she still was to him.

“I’ll be there,” he finally said. Celeste smiled widely and nodded.

“Très bien, I’ll be expecting you then…tomorrow? Let’s lunch and carry the day all through to dinner,” she suggested.

Isabelle grinned. “That’s perfect. We’ll all be there.”

Celeste smiled. “Now, I better go and find Karen, before she gets lost.”

Saying their goodbyes, they went their separate ways. Lucas glanced over his shoulder to see Celeste going into the pet store to find her friend…Karen. A sudden feeling came over him, but he dismissed it when Rayan nudged his arm to show him the latest version of the smart-technology app, displayed on a large screen. He then went on to listen and discuss Rayan’s incredibly intelligent plans on how he’d develop a similar but far better app of his own.

Although engrossed in the conversation he was having with the kid, a single thought nudged its way through Luc's occupied mind.

When he’d walked in with Raphaël…from afar... had he not seen two women with Isabelle? There was a brown curled head, Isabelle’s. A blonde head, Celeste’s…and yet another. Thick locks of raven black hair. Was it not?