1
The Soul Never Forgets
CAROLINE BEAUMONT
New Orleans, Louisiana
Present Day
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop––I’m going back to the place where this adventure first began twelve months ago. It’s where we were when Teagan and Riley decided to get psychic readings, which led to a roller coaster of events… none of which have led me to finding my soul mate.
Where is he? The leaves on the trees turned fresh and green but are now back to red, gold, and brown again. Why have we still not found each other?
Miss Seraphine says that all is aligned and I must be patient, but I can’t help but wonder if she’s mistaken. I ask myself if my alteration of the past is affecting my present life. Yes or no, I wouldn’t change my decision to save Augustina. It was a sacrifice that I made with a happy heart.
I enter the candlelit bar and search the dark room, locating my friends at a table in the corner. I look at the four of them and see how happy they are. I’m not jealous. Well, maybe I am a little, but it’s only because I ache for what they have. Not because I would wish them to not be together.
Teagan appears cozy beside her boyfriend, Tanner, Landon’s friend who was with him the night that we met in this very place a year ago. He’s a nice person, as is Teagan, and they make a perfect match.
And then there’s Riley… who is with Landon. It’s fine, more than fine. Landon isn’t my soul mate. He and Riley should be together. He makes her happy, which makes her pleasant again. She’s back to being the friend I love and adore, the girl she was before her former boyfriend broke her heart and made her bitter.
Landon adores Riley, and he’s a great partner for her. But who is he to me? I still don’t understand what his role in my life is other than being my friend and my best friend’s boyfriend.
It’s been a year. Why haven’t I discovered the purpose of his presence in my life?
Meeting this man wasn’t a fluke, and neither is his persistence. He plays a significant role in your future. I don’t know what it is yet, but he’s important. Miss Seraphine was so sure. And still is. She insists that Landon is the key to something important in my life, but I’m beginning to have doubts.
Riley stretches tall in her seat when she spies me and waves. “Caroline! Over here.”
I wave, pretending that I’m only just now noticing them instead of the truth: I was standing here pining for what they’ve found in each other.
“Hey, everybody. The fifth wheel has arrived,” I say as I sit in the empty seat, the one they obviously took from another table and added to this table for four.
“Honey, you could never be a fifth wheel.” Teagan leans over and hugs me. “I’m so glad you came.”
“We’re all glad you’re here,” Riley adds. “It’s been too long since we got together.”
Tanner reaches for Teagan’s hand and smiles. “A lot has happened since the last time we were here together.”
“No kidding, right?”
Let’s make a list of the things that have happened since the last time I sat in this bar: I discovered that I have a soul mate, and we are not together because we’re star-crossed. I fell into a coma without any explanation as to how or why. I traveled back in time and experienced an entire lifetime as someone else over the span of three months. Somehow managed to change history. And spent the last nine months attempting to record as much of that lifetime as possible.
And that’s the short list.
“It was one year ago this weekend that we met in this place. I thought it would be cool to have a reunion here,” Landon says.
Riley leans over and kisses Landon. “I’ve never known a man who was so thoughtful. Isn’t my guy just the best?”
I’ve come to know Landon well since we met, and I can say without any doubt that he is special. Riley is lucky to have him in her life. I think he may be her person.
“We’re glad you could make time in your busy schedule for us, working girl,” Teagan says.
I’ve thrown myself into my restoration business and journaling. It hasn’t allowed for much personal time. “I’m thrilled to get out for a change. Catch-up at work has been hell.”
I lost the restoration job at the former Lebeau house on St. Charles. The Kincades hired someone else after I fell into the coma. But I’m glad. I don’t think I could have stepped foot in that house again after coming to know Benjamin and Marguerite Lebeau.
My workload with the restoration business has been crazy, but my assistant, Dee Dee, has been a priceless jewel. She kept my business afloat during my absence hence the reason I asked her to join me as a partner. Bringing her aboard has been one of my best decisions to date.
Landon chuckles. “You took an unplanned three-month vacation from work. Of course catch-up is going to be hell.”
“Haha. Hilarious.” I playfully nudge Landon’s leg with my foot beneath the table. “You need better jokes.”
He shrugs and takes a drink of whiskey. “Hey, what can I say? It’s hard to make jokes about someone being in a coma. I think I did pretty good considering.”
People worried about me, Landon included. “Okay, it was a good one. I’ll give you that.”
Everyone at the table has a drink except me. I look around the bar to see if there’s anyone taking orders. “Do we have a server tonight or what?”
Teagan holds up a full cocktail. “She brought a round of drinks right before you got here, so I’m guessing she won’t be back for a while. Service is slow tonight. You can give it a few minutes and see what happens, but you’ll be better off grabbing a drink at a bar.”
“Dammit.” Landon snaps his fingers. “I’m sorry, Caroline. I should have asked her to bring an extra Blue Label for you.”
Landon is always sweet and thoughtful like that. “No worries. I can grab a drink at the bar. Won’t take but a minute.”
I mix into the crowd of people in line for drinks, and the glow of the video poker game on the counter steals my attention. My understanding of the game and its rules are minimal, but the machine calls out to me. I want to play.
Is this Frank’s way of reaching out to me? It’s been a year. Is he finding a way to come back to me?
I poke some money into the machine, and I’m at a loss. There are so many buttons and options. I wait to hear Frank’s voice tell me what I should do. I. Get. Nothing. Not so much as a whisper.
The machine’s lights flash in the dark, pressuring me to do something. I press the Bet $1 button because it seems like the logical thing to do, and five cards appear: three nines, a queen, and a king.
Come on, Caroline. What would Frank do with this hand?
“You should hold the nines.”
For a moment I think it’s Frank’s voice, but it’s off. It’s too deep and lacks that charming southern drawl. And it’s also not in my head.
I glance over my shoulder and see Landon standing behind me. “Hold the nines,” he repeats.
“Is it so obvious that I need help?”
He leans closer. “Your intense stare at the screen is sort of a dead giveaway.”
“Learning to play poker has been on my bucket list for a while. I guess a video game in a bar probably isn’t the best way to learn.”
“There are much better ways than this to learn,” he says.
“I don’t know anyone who can teach me.” No one alive, that is. I’m irritated with myself for not paying more attention to Frank’s strategy.
“I’m no expert by any means, but I have a basic understanding of the game. Maybe I can help you.”
He isn’t Frank, but I’ll take help anywhere I can get it. “Tell me why I should hold the three nines.”
“You’ll have four of a kind if you get another nine. That’s the third strongest hand you can be dealt in poker.”
Man, I really don’t know what I’m doing. “How do I hold the three nines?”
Landon reaches forward and touches the three cards on the game’s screen. “Tap the cards on the screen like this.”
I’m an imbecile. “Okay. That makes sense.”
The two cards not on hold change to new ones. “A six and eight. That’s diddly-squat, right?”
Landon laughs. “Correct. That hand is diddly-squat.”
I press the Bet $1 button again and five new cards appear. “What about this?”
“More diddly-squat.”
We cycle through a total of five hands and my money is gone in under a minute. “Oh well. I only lost five bucks.”
“Are you going to give it another shot?”
“Nah. I’m done trying my hand at poker. At least the video kind. I think poker the old-fashioned way would be more fun. This kind sucks. It just feels like something to sink your money into.” Plus, this wasn’t Frank’s way of coming through to me.
“We should go to the casinos at Biloxi or Gulfport. You could watch me play and maybe pick up on the game.”
“I would love that. Hit me up when you and Riley are free, and we’ll make a weekend of it. Maybe Teagan and Tanner could go too.” And I can be the fifth wheel.
“I’ll bring it up with Riley. Maybe we can get away next weekend. If not next weekend, then maybe the next.”
“Sure, check with Riley and let me know what works for y’all.” Lord knows I’m free.
The line for drinks is moving at a snail’s pace. “They must be short-staffed tonight.”
All places are short-staffed these days. “It would probably be smart to get a couple of drinks… if we ever get up there to order.”
“Good idea.”
Landon rocks back and forth, foot to foot. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you how everything is going. I mean your life post-coma.”
I’m struggling but for reasons that Landon could never understand. “Life has been an adjustment.”
“I’m not trying to stick my nose into your business, but do you have someone you can talk to about what happened and how you’re feeling about it?”
No, Landon. I have no one to talk to. I can’t be honest with Coco about my true feelings. It would scare her to death if she knew how much I grieved my loss of Frank and Augustina.
“Teagan and Riley are great. I can talk to them about anything.”
It’s a moment before Landon responds. “I’m sure they are. I mean do you have someone you can confide in on a professional level?”
Oh, Landon. If you only knew how many professional-level confidants I’ve had over the years, each one of them worthless. Including the one I’m forced to see now.
My mother wasn’t even present when I woke from the coma, but she rode in on her broom as soon as she heard that I was awake and did everything in her power to convince the doctors that the coma was the result of a suicide attempt. She’d have probably been successful in convincing them if Coco hadn’t stepped in and quashed her claim.
“I appreciate your concern. Trust me when I say that it’s not misplaced, but I’m okay. Really. I don’t need to talk to anyone on a professional level.”
“There’s something I’m going to share with you because I consider you a good friend. One I trust. There are things in my life that I’ve battled for a long time. I’ve been in some dark places.” Landon takes my hand and runs his thumb over the scar on my wrist, its origin something we’ve never discussed. “For me, I find that talking to a reliable psychotherapist is essential for my mental health.”
I’m humbled that he trusts me enough to share this kind of personal information.
Landon and I are so much alike. We click in so many ways. Too often I wonder why he can’t be my soul mate. If I could choose the one who is intended for me in this lifetime, it would be him. But not because I lust for him. I don’t think of Landon that way. Sexual attraction has nothing to do with the connection I feel with him.
“Have you told Riley that you see a psychotherapist?” She hasn’t mentioned a word about it.
“I’m waiting. Please don’t think poorly of me because I haven’t told her yet.”
Landon is wise to not tell Riley this early in the relationship. If I’m being honest, I think she would run fast and far if she knew. “No, Landon. I don’t think poorly of you. Not even a little. Your secret is safe with me.”
“It isn’t a secret. I will tell her if our relationship continues to progress.”
Totally understandable. “All in your own time. There’s no rush.”
“Falling into a coma and waking three months later would be a traumatic experience for anyone. There’s no shame in needing to talk to someone about it.” Landon holds out a card. “This is Dr. Wescott’s information. He’s an amazing psychotherapist. I think you’d really like him and benefit from talking to him.”
I’ve seen a lot of mental-health specialists over the years, but Dr. Wescott is a new name to me.
Landon places the card in my hand. “His office isn’t far from your house. He accepts self-referrals and takes all kinds of insurance.”
“So you’re telling me there’s no reason for me to say no?”
“Go for one session. Do it for me. If you don’t like him or it doesn’t work out, then you don’t ever have to go back.”
Riley appears out of nowhere and wraps her arms around Landon. She’s never said so but I’m certain it still bothers her that Landon chose me and not her when we first met. “What’s taking you so long to get drinks?”
I shove the doctor’s business card into the back pocket of my jeans. “Oh, sorry. I’m afraid that’s my fault. I got distracted and started playing this stupid video poker game. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Landon was trying to teach me how to play so I didn’t lose my money.”
She looks at the poker machine. “Did you win any money?”
I shrug. “Afraid not.”
She taps the Bet $1 button. “That’s too bad. I hope you didn’t lose a lot of money.”
“Only five bucks. I saw quickly that I was no good at it.”
Riley gestures over her shoulder to the table. “The server came back. I ordered Blue Labels for both of you since it didn’t look like either of you were in line.”
I hear the suspicion in Riley’s voice. And it might be warranted if it were directed at anyone else, but there’s nothing but friendship between Landon and me.
Landon wraps his arm around Riley and kisses her forehead. “Good call, babe.”
Whiskey was once my go-to drink when I needed to clear my head of unwanted voices, visions, and thoughts. It’s been a year since I’ve tasted that fiery amber liquid and felt it flow down the back of my throat and burn my gut. Tonight, I welcome that burn for a different reason.
I want to forget how lonely I am.
I want to forget the emptiness in my heart.
I want to forget the empty space on the bed next to me
Present Day
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop––I’m going back to the place where this adventure first began twelve months ago. It’s where we were when Teagan and Riley decided to get psychic readings, which led to a roller coaster of events… none of which have led me to finding my soul mate.
Where is he? The leaves on the trees turned fresh and green but are now back to red, gold, and brown again. Why have we still not found each other?
Miss Seraphine says that all is aligned and I must be patient, but I can’t help but wonder if she’s mistaken. I ask myself if my alteration of the past is affecting my present life. Yes or no, I wouldn’t change my decision to save Augustina. It was a sacrifice that I made with a happy heart.
I enter the candlelit bar and search the dark room, locating my friends at a table in the corner. I look at the four of them and see how happy they are. I’m not jealous. Well, maybe I am a little, but it’s only because I ache for what they have. Not because I would wish them to not be together.
Teagan appears cozy beside her boyfriend, Tanner, Landon’s friend who was with him the night that we met in this very place a year ago. He’s a nice person, as is Teagan, and they make a perfect match.
And then there’s Riley… who is with Landon. It’s fine, more than fine. Landon isn’t my soul mate. He and Riley should be together. He makes her happy, which makes her pleasant again. She’s back to being the friend I love and adore, the girl she was before her former boyfriend broke her heart and made her bitter.
Landon adores Riley, and he’s a great partner for her. But who is he to me? I still don’t understand what his role in my life is other than being my friend and my best friend’s boyfriend.
It’s been a year. Why haven’t I discovered the purpose of his presence in my life?
Meeting this man wasn’t a fluke, and neither is his persistence. He plays a significant role in your future. I don’t know what it is yet, but he’s important. Miss Seraphine was so sure. And still is. She insists that Landon is the key to something important in my life, but I’m beginning to have doubts.
Riley stretches tall in her seat when she spies me and waves. “Caroline! Over here.”
I wave, pretending that I’m only just now noticing them instead of the truth: I was standing here pining for what they’ve found in each other.
“Hey, everybody. The fifth wheel has arrived,” I say as I sit in the empty seat, the one they obviously took from another table and added to this table for four.
“Honey, you could never be a fifth wheel.” Teagan leans over and hugs me. “I’m so glad you came.”
“We’re all glad you’re here,” Riley adds. “It’s been too long since we got together.”
Tanner reaches for Teagan’s hand and smiles. “A lot has happened since the last time we were here together.”
“No kidding, right?”
Let’s make a list of the things that have happened since the last time I sat in this bar: I discovered that I have a soul mate, and we are not together because we’re star-crossed. I fell into a coma without any explanation as to how or why. I traveled back in time and experienced an entire lifetime as someone else over the span of three months. Somehow managed to change history. And spent the last nine months attempting to record as much of that lifetime as possible.
And that’s the short list.
“It was one year ago this weekend that we met in this place. I thought it would be cool to have a reunion here,” Landon says.
Riley leans over and kisses Landon. “I’ve never known a man who was so thoughtful. Isn’t my guy just the best?”
I’ve come to know Landon well since we met, and I can say without any doubt that he is special. Riley is lucky to have him in her life. I think he may be her person.
“We’re glad you could make time in your busy schedule for us, working girl,” Teagan says.
I’ve thrown myself into my restoration business and journaling. It hasn’t allowed for much personal time. “I’m thrilled to get out for a change. Catch-up at work has been hell.”
I lost the restoration job at the former Lebeau house on St. Charles. The Kincades hired someone else after I fell into the coma. But I’m glad. I don’t think I could have stepped foot in that house again after coming to know Benjamin and Marguerite Lebeau.
My workload with the restoration business has been crazy, but my assistant, Dee Dee, has been a priceless jewel. She kept my business afloat during my absence hence the reason I asked her to join me as a partner. Bringing her aboard has been one of my best decisions to date.
Landon chuckles. “You took an unplanned three-month vacation from work. Of course catch-up is going to be hell.”
“Haha. Hilarious.” I playfully nudge Landon’s leg with my foot beneath the table. “You need better jokes.”
He shrugs and takes a drink of whiskey. “Hey, what can I say? It’s hard to make jokes about someone being in a coma. I think I did pretty good considering.”
People worried about me, Landon included. “Okay, it was a good one. I’ll give you that.”
Everyone at the table has a drink except me. I look around the bar to see if there’s anyone taking orders. “Do we have a server tonight or what?”
Teagan holds up a full cocktail. “She brought a round of drinks right before you got here, so I’m guessing she won’t be back for a while. Service is slow tonight. You can give it a few minutes and see what happens, but you’ll be better off grabbing a drink at a bar.”
“Dammit.” Landon snaps his fingers. “I’m sorry, Caroline. I should have asked her to bring an extra Blue Label for you.”
Landon is always sweet and thoughtful like that. “No worries. I can grab a drink at the bar. Won’t take but a minute.”
I mix into the crowd of people in line for drinks, and the glow of the video poker game on the counter steals my attention. My understanding of the game and its rules are minimal, but the machine calls out to me. I want to play.
Is this Frank’s way of reaching out to me? It’s been a year. Is he finding a way to come back to me?
I poke some money into the machine, and I’m at a loss. There are so many buttons and options. I wait to hear Frank’s voice tell me what I should do. I. Get. Nothing. Not so much as a whisper.
The machine’s lights flash in the dark, pressuring me to do something. I press the Bet $1 button because it seems like the logical thing to do, and five cards appear: three nines, a queen, and a king.
Come on, Caroline. What would Frank do with this hand?
“You should hold the nines.”
For a moment I think it’s Frank’s voice, but it’s off. It’s too deep and lacks that charming southern drawl. And it’s also not in my head.
I glance over my shoulder and see Landon standing behind me. “Hold the nines,” he repeats.
“Is it so obvious that I need help?”
He leans closer. “Your intense stare at the screen is sort of a dead giveaway.”
“Learning to play poker has been on my bucket list for a while. I guess a video game in a bar probably isn’t the best way to learn.”
“There are much better ways than this to learn,” he says.
“I don’t know anyone who can teach me.” No one alive, that is. I’m irritated with myself for not paying more attention to Frank’s strategy.
“I’m no expert by any means, but I have a basic understanding of the game. Maybe I can help you.”
He isn’t Frank, but I’ll take help anywhere I can get it. “Tell me why I should hold the three nines.”
“You’ll have four of a kind if you get another nine. That’s the third strongest hand you can be dealt in poker.”
Man, I really don’t know what I’m doing. “How do I hold the three nines?”
Landon reaches forward and touches the three cards on the game’s screen. “Tap the cards on the screen like this.”
I’m an imbecile. “Okay. That makes sense.”
The two cards not on hold change to new ones. “A six and eight. That’s diddly-squat, right?”
Landon laughs. “Correct. That hand is diddly-squat.”
I press the Bet $1 button again and five new cards appear. “What about this?”
“More diddly-squat.”
We cycle through a total of five hands and my money is gone in under a minute. “Oh well. I only lost five bucks.”
“Are you going to give it another shot?”
“Nah. I’m done trying my hand at poker. At least the video kind. I think poker the old-fashioned way would be more fun. This kind sucks. It just feels like something to sink your money into.” Plus, this wasn’t Frank’s way of coming through to me.
“We should go to the casinos at Biloxi or Gulfport. You could watch me play and maybe pick up on the game.”
“I would love that. Hit me up when you and Riley are free, and we’ll make a weekend of it. Maybe Teagan and Tanner could go too.” And I can be the fifth wheel.
“I’ll bring it up with Riley. Maybe we can get away next weekend. If not next weekend, then maybe the next.”
“Sure, check with Riley and let me know what works for y’all.” Lord knows I’m free.
The line for drinks is moving at a snail’s pace. “They must be short-staffed tonight.”
All places are short-staffed these days. “It would probably be smart to get a couple of drinks… if we ever get up there to order.”
“Good idea.”
Landon rocks back and forth, foot to foot. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you how everything is going. I mean your life post-coma.”
I’m struggling but for reasons that Landon could never understand. “Life has been an adjustment.”
“I’m not trying to stick my nose into your business, but do you have someone you can talk to about what happened and how you’re feeling about it?”
No, Landon. I have no one to talk to. I can’t be honest with Coco about my true feelings. It would scare her to death if she knew how much I grieved my loss of Frank and Augustina.
“Teagan and Riley are great. I can talk to them about anything.”
It’s a moment before Landon responds. “I’m sure they are. I mean do you have someone you can confide in on a professional level?”
Oh, Landon. If you only knew how many professional-level confidants I’ve had over the years, each one of them worthless. Including the one I’m forced to see now.
My mother wasn’t even present when I woke from the coma, but she rode in on her broom as soon as she heard that I was awake and did everything in her power to convince the doctors that the coma was the result of a suicide attempt. She’d have probably been successful in convincing them if Coco hadn’t stepped in and quashed her claim.
“I appreciate your concern. Trust me when I say that it’s not misplaced, but I’m okay. Really. I don’t need to talk to anyone on a professional level.”
“There’s something I’m going to share with you because I consider you a good friend. One I trust. There are things in my life that I’ve battled for a long time. I’ve been in some dark places.” Landon takes my hand and runs his thumb over the scar on my wrist, its origin something we’ve never discussed. “For me, I find that talking to a reliable psychotherapist is essential for my mental health.”
I’m humbled that he trusts me enough to share this kind of personal information.
Landon and I are so much alike. We click in so many ways. Too often I wonder why he can’t be my soul mate. If I could choose the one who is intended for me in this lifetime, it would be him. But not because I lust for him. I don’t think of Landon that way. Sexual attraction has nothing to do with the connection I feel with him.
“Have you told Riley that you see a psychotherapist?” She hasn’t mentioned a word about it.
“I’m waiting. Please don’t think poorly of me because I haven’t told her yet.”
Landon is wise to not tell Riley this early in the relationship. If I’m being honest, I think she would run fast and far if she knew. “No, Landon. I don’t think poorly of you. Not even a little. Your secret is safe with me.”
“It isn’t a secret. I will tell her if our relationship continues to progress.”
Totally understandable. “All in your own time. There’s no rush.”
“Falling into a coma and waking three months later would be a traumatic experience for anyone. There’s no shame in needing to talk to someone about it.” Landon holds out a card. “This is Dr. Wescott’s information. He’s an amazing psychotherapist. I think you’d really like him and benefit from talking to him.”
I’ve seen a lot of mental-health specialists over the years, but Dr. Wescott is a new name to me.
Landon places the card in my hand. “His office isn’t far from your house. He accepts self-referrals and takes all kinds of insurance.”
“So you’re telling me there’s no reason for me to say no?”
“Go for one session. Do it for me. If you don’t like him or it doesn’t work out, then you don’t ever have to go back.”
Riley appears out of nowhere and wraps her arms around Landon. She’s never said so but I’m certain it still bothers her that Landon chose me and not her when we first met. “What’s taking you so long to get drinks?”
I shove the doctor’s business card into the back pocket of my jeans. “Oh, sorry. I’m afraid that’s my fault. I got distracted and started playing this stupid video poker game. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Landon was trying to teach me how to play so I didn’t lose my money.”
She looks at the poker machine. “Did you win any money?”
I shrug. “Afraid not.”
She taps the Bet $1 button. “That’s too bad. I hope you didn’t lose a lot of money.”
“Only five bucks. I saw quickly that I was no good at it.”
Riley gestures over her shoulder to the table. “The server came back. I ordered Blue Labels for both of you since it didn’t look like either of you were in line.”
I hear the suspicion in Riley’s voice. And it might be warranted if it were directed at anyone else, but there’s nothing but friendship between Landon and me.
Landon wraps his arm around Riley and kisses her forehead. “Good call, babe.”
Whiskey was once my go-to drink when I needed to clear my head of unwanted voices, visions, and thoughts. It’s been a year since I’ve tasted that fiery amber liquid and felt it flow down the back of my throat and burn my gut. Tonight, I welcome that burn for a different reason.
I want to forget how lonely I am.
I want to forget the emptiness in my heart.
I want to forget the empty space on the bed next to me
Thank you for reading Chapter One of The Soul Never Forgets.
Campbell and Silas found each other again—but fate isn’t finished with them yet. As dark memories surface and danger draws near, the past and present begin to blur.
Ready to discover what happens when love refuses to die? Get your copy now.
Campbell and Silas found each other again—but fate isn’t finished with them yet. As dark memories surface and danger draws near, the past and present begin to blur.
Ready to discover what happens when love refuses to die? Get your copy now.