Chaos in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law Mystery/Romance Series)

by Jana DeLeon

  “Can you put me in jail for the night?” Samuel asked.

  Colt stared. “You want me to lock you up?”

  Samuel nodded. “It will probably be the best night’s sleep I’ve gotten in twenty-nine years.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Jadyn pushed her untouched coffee aside and grabbed a bottled water from the refrigerator in Colt’s office. It had been an incredible, satisfying, yet equally horrifying day. She couldn’t remember a time she’d had that many guns pointed at her and hoped to never beat today’s record.

  She slumped back in her chair and sipped on the water. Colt had left a couple of minutes before to set Samuel up with the promised shower. She supposed she could leave and head for a shower herself, but her bathroom things were at Colt’s house.

  You can borrow some shampoo from Mildred. You’re stalling.

  She sighed. Leave it to her never-exhausted conscience to weigh in on her current state of flux. Her entire body ached. Her feet were actually throbbing with desire to be loose of the tightly laced boots. And she probably smelled. But none of that outweighed the one unresolved thing.

  The e-mail from Maria.

  She wished she could walk out of the sheriff’s department, head to the hotel for a shower, and sleep until she couldn’t sleep any longer, but Jadyn knew herself better than that. No way could she go about her normal life without knowing where she stood with Colt. And no way was she waiting for him to read the e-mail, then lounge around if he didn’t immediately make up his mind.

  It would drive her crazy. She’d be watching his every move, looking for a sign that he had made a decision to return to New Orleans. Or worse, taking every positive sign as an indication that he had decided to stay in Mudbug, but never knowing if that decision was permanent.

  Like it or not, she had to come right out and tell him what she’d read.

  The door opened and Colt walked back in. Jadyn sat upright and took another swig of her water, trying to grasp the words she needed to start the conversation. But nothing sounded right.

  “Some day, huh?” Colt said as he leaned against the desk in front of her.

  “Oh yeah.”

  “I’ll be doing paperwork and answering questions for a month. I’m glad there are plenty of quality witnesses to back me up on the ‘Sophia Lambert was a crazy person’ thing.”

  “It definitely helps, but I have to believe that others saw the real Sophia. Even a sociopath can’t hold their cover every minute of every day.”

  “Poor Samuel. What he went through to get away from her and protect his family. I hope the New Orleans police release him while they investigate. I want him to see his parents.”

  “It’s going to be quite a shock for them, but it’s a good one.” Jadyn couldn’t even begin to imagine what the now-elderly couple would think when they saw their long-lost son at their front door. It was movie-of-the-week material.

  “Well, I guess we are clear to get out of here. I’m sure you want a shower and food as much as I do.”

  Jadyn studied him for a moment. Was he suggesting she return to his place for a shower? Eat dinner together? Or was he suggesting she go to the hotel and resume her regularly scheduled program?

  Unable to stand all the unanswered questions any longer, Jadyn burst out, “I read your e-mail this morning. It was wrong, but I did it.”

  “Okay. Unless you deleted my renewal notice for Popular Mechanics I doubt we have a problem.” He smiled.

  “The e-mail came after you got in the shower. It was from Maria.”

  Colt’s smile faded to a frown and he stared at Jadyn for several excruciating seconds before responding. “What did it say?”

  Jadyn told him about the new division with the New Orleans Police Department and the job offer that was his if he just said the word.

  He shook his head. “I pushed for that division years ago but no one would listen. I guess it had to be someone else’s idea. Typical bureaucratic crap.”

  “That’s not all,” Jadyn said, her voice barely a whisper as she relayed Maria’s personal message to Colt.

  She watched him closely as she talked, looking for any indication that let her know where he stood, but his face may as well have been a block of stone. He looked directly at Jadyn the entire time she spoke. When she finished, he stared out the window at the bayou for what seemed like forever.

  “Shit,” he said and looked back at her. “I never intended to tell you about Maria—never intended to tell anyone. And she goes and sends that e-mail the morning after we…” He shook his head. “Years later and she’s still making a mess of my life.”

  He reached his hand out for hers and pulled her up from the chair to stand in front of him. Still holding her hand, he looked her directly in the eyes. “Maria is part of my past. A past I have zero intention of revisiting. Not the job and certainly not my relationship with her, or whatever it was.”

  “She seems so perfect. Did you love her?”

  “I thought I did, but getting tangled up with Maria was the worst decision I ever made. She’s beautiful and smart and an excellent detective, but she cares for herself first, her job second, and everything else in life falls far short of those two.”

  “She said she misses you.”

  He shrugged. “And maybe she does, but wanting me around when it’s convenient for her is as deep as Maria goes. That’s how I know now that I couldn’t have been in love with her. The idea of Maria, sure, but the person wasn’t available.”

  He reached his hand up to stroke her cheek. “I planned on avoiding women the rest of my life. Then I met you. You are the perfect one.”

  Jadyn’s breath caught in her throat, almost choking her. She sniffed and rubbed her nose with one finger, completely overwhelmed by his words. Words she never expected to hear.

  “I want you, Jadyn St. James,” he said. “I fought it as hard as I could and I know I confused you in the process, but all of that was my issues to work out. I was letting my past control my future, and that was stupid. You’re not only perfect. You’re perfect for me.”

  He lowered his lips to hers for a gentle kiss and Jadyn wrapped her arms around him, dizzy from the euphoria. Colt wanted her. He’d finally said the words she’d wanted to hear.

  And she knew he meant it.

  No more guessing about where they stood. No more wondering if there was a future or if it was only temporary heat. As she tightened her arms around him and deepened the kiss, Jadyn felt she’d finally found the place where she’d always belonged.

  Epilogue

  Two weeks later

  Maryse and Mildred stood next to Taylor’s sedan, looking down at Helena Henry, who occupied the passenger’s seat. “Are you sure about this?” Maryse asked.

  Ever since the ghost had declared her intention to move to New Orleans and assist Taylor with her investigations, Maryse had worried about the plan. Part of her mind yelled at her to celebrate the future lack of uninvited guests, particularly when Luc was showering, but then her conscience weighed in and she felt guilty about the trouble Taylor was most certainly in store for.

  “I’m sure,” Helena said. “I need something to do, and Taylor wants to explore her abilities with ghosts. Maybe we can both learn more about how ghosts work, me especially. And besides, I’ll have a new grandbaby soon, and I don’t want to bother you guys to make trips to New Orleans all the time.”

  Maryse glanced at Mildred, who didn’t look any more convinced than she was that this was a good idea, but both of them knew there was no changing Helena’s mind when she caught hold of an idea.

  “Okay, then,” Maryse said. “I’ll be in New Orleans in a couple of weeks for a meeting with a pharmaceutical company. I’ll drop by and see how you’re doing.”

  “You’re fussing like an old woman,” Helena said. “Close the damn door. The air-conditioning is getting out and it’s not all that great to begin with.”

  Maryse grinned and closed the car door. “I guess that is that,” sh
e said.

  Mildred nodded as Taylor walked out of the hotel, carrying her overnight bag.

  “It was great talking with you guys again,” Taylor said.

  “I’m sorry you had to come all the way out here for more police reports,” Maryse said.

  “No worries,” Taylor said. “It was a final sign-off, and I am happy to put all of that mess behind me.”

  Maryse nodded. The fallout from Sophia’s crazed rampage and the revelation of Samuel’s thirty-year plight had made national news. The New Orleans police scrambled to tie everything up in a neat, inarguable package. They’d found unexpected allies in Sophia’s family, domestic help, and coworkers. As Jadyn had suspected, Samuel hadn’t been the only person to witness Sophia’s evil insanity.

  Since no one with wealth or power stepped up to defend Sophia and insist that the legal system put the screws to Samuel, the district attorney’s office was more than happy to stay out of the mess entirely. It would have been a no-win situation and they knew it. The entire case had already played out in public opinion, and the public was solidly behind Samuel Perkins.

  Colt had insisted on personally delivering Samuel to the New Orleans police, but had deviated on the way and taken the man to see his parents. He confessed to crying at the reunion. Maryse would have paid money to see that.

  The final nail in the coffin had been when the DEA seized Vincent Brother’s Shrimp House and arrested several fishermen for drug trafficking. Luc said the case was as solid as they came, and no doubt Peter and Bobby would spend the remaining good years of their lives in federal prison.

  “I’m glad it’s behind all of you,” Maryse agreed. “And it was nice getting to visit with you again.”

  Taylor nodded. “I really appreciate all the information you’ve given me. I have a ton of questions, but I also have a ton of ideas about research. With Helena to help, I think I may finally get the answers I’ve always wanted about the spirit world.”

  “I hope she’s not too much trouble,” Mildred said. “Oh hell, who am I kidding? She’s going to be a whole mess of trouble. I hope it’s not more than you can handle.”

  “And if it is,” Maryse said, “don’t hesitate to bring her back here. Even if you need a temporary break, we’re happy to take her on again. Well, maybe happy is an overstatement.”

  Taylor smiled. “I know full well what I’m taking on, and I have zero expectation that Helena will make it easy on me. But I have the overwhelming feeling that it’s what I’m supposed to do. And after the fiasco with Sophia, I’m no longer going to ignore my feelings.”

  “Well, good luck,” Maryse said and gave Taylor a hug. “And keep in touch. We’d love to hear about your research.”

  Mildred hugged Taylor as well. “And stay safe with your investigations. No more working for sociopaths.”

  “I promise,” Taylor said and headed around her car to the driver’s side. “I’ll call you soon,” she said and hopped into the car.

  Maryse and Mildred waved as she drove away.

  “I don’t know whether to be worried or relieved,” Mildred said.

  “No doubt. But I am hungry, and Luc said the burgers were almost ready when I called earlier.”

  “Then what are we standing here for?”

  ###

  The barbecue in Maryse and Luc’s backyard was in full swing when Mildred and Maryse arrived. Maryse stepped onto her back porch and paused, taking in the scene in front of her.

  Her incredible, sexy husband was at the grill, arguing with Beau, Sabine’s incredible and sexy husband, over whether the burgers were ready or not. Raissa and Zach, who were packed up and ready for their own move to New Orleans the following week, sat in lawn chairs, drinking beer and grinning about the burger argument. Jadyn and Colt sat in lawn chairs on the other side of the grill, holding hands and whispering to each other. Maryse had little doubt what all the whispering was about. Both of them looked happier than Maryse had ever seen them.

  “It doesn’t get any better than this,” Mildred said quietly.

  Maryse squeezed the hotel owner’s hand. They’d been through so much together, but it had all been worth it.

  “No. It doesn’t.”

  The End

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  The Author:

  Jana DeLeon grew up among the bayous and ‘gators of southwest Louisiana. She’s never stumbled across a mystery like one of her heroines but is still hopeful. She lives in Dallas, Texas with a menagerie of animals and not a single ghost.

  Visit Jana at:

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  Books by Jana DeLeon:

  Rumble on the Bayou

  Unlucky

  The Ghost-in-Law Series:

  Trouble in Mudbug

  Mischief in Mudbug

  Showdown in Mudbug

  Resurrection in Mudbug

  Missing in Mudbug

  Chaos in Mudbug (coming June 2014)

  The Helena Diaries—Trouble in Mudbug (Novella)

  The Miss Fortune Series:

  Louisiana Longshot

  Lethal Bayou Beauty

  Swamp Sniper

  Swamp Team 3