Going All Out Read Online Free PDF

wasn’t unhappy with the result—the chance to meet her.
    After pulling on a sweatshirt and shoes at the door, Lucas escorted her into a night where the moon hung low over Court du Chaud, tightly knit town houses that Captain Gabriel Dampier had built nearly two centuries before. The captain had been a comrade of Jean Lafitte and other privateers during a time when New Orleans had needed swashbuckling men who were bold enough to break rules and take chances. Men whose courage and disregard for the law had made them heroes.
    Court du Chaud was typical French Quarter, with metal filigree balconies and wrought-iron gates surrounding small front yards. Ornamental lamps spilled golden light into the night along a cobbled walkway.
    Neighbors often met in the gardened piazza, chatting around the fountain or relaxing on benches. Older kids tore through on their bikes and skateboards, while younger kids chalked up the cobbles with hopscotch and four squares.
    At Christmas the residents erected and decorated a towering tree. At the start of each new year they gathered to shoot off a dazzling display of fireworks. At Easter they hid colored eggs for the kids to hunt. On Fourth of July they picnicked and opened the fire hydrants to cool off.
    Court du Chaud was home to Lucas, and it was only now, after leaving for so many years, that he could see it with more objective eyes. A slice of another world in a city that had grown large and often dangerous around it, the court represented another era, a way of life that could feel simple and safe.
    Looping his arm through Bree’s, he led her down the walkway toward her house. “Josie mentioned that you and your sister had some work done on your place after you inherited it from your uncle.”
    “We separated the town house into two units. Seemed like the smartest thing to do. We had some friends who did the work. Turned out nice.”
    “The place is big enough.” Lucas knew that as Captain Dampier had built Number One for himself, the town house was larger and grander than the others. “I earned money mowing your uncle’s yard while I was growing up. He was a character. Used to tell stories about his life as a tug captain. We called him Old Man Guidry. He always said the place was haunted.”
    “To hear my sister tell it, the place still is. The ghost of our ancestor.”
    “Really?”
    “Don’t get too excited. My sister just got engaged. I think too many orgasms are frying her brain cells.”
    “I can think of worse things. But people have been saying this place is haunted for as long as I can remember.”
    “Have you ever seen a ghost, Lucas?”
    “No, and trust me when I say that my old friend Max and I spent our fair share of time looking for one. It’s a court tradition with the kids who grow up here.”
    “Chasing ghosts?”
    “And perpetrating the myth.”
    She smiled. “So that explains all the mystery around here.”
    “Some of it. Max and I were definitely on a roll for a few years. Came up with some brilliant stuff. But all the talk of curses started long before we came around.”
    “I’m surprised. I took you for Mr. High Tech. I didn’t think you’d believe in ghosts.”
    “Didn’t say I did.” Reaching for her front gate, he noticed the wary glance she cast around her yard, as if she expected someone to jump out from behind a tree. “Let’ssay I’m keeping an open mind. I grew up here, remember?”
    Bree didn’t reply as she reached inside her coat pocket and withdrew a set of keys. Lucas glanced at the house, at the dark windows. A coach lamp on the portico showcased them as they climbed the stairs.
    Plucking the keys from her hand, he only smiled when she gazed up at him and asked, “Still rescuing me?”
    He shrugged, not sure what he was doing. Bree was putting on a show for his benefit, but he got the feeling that there was more to her story than she had told him.
    Nothing seemed out of place in the court. He heard only the wind rustling the