The Miss Fortune Series: Undercover Bubba (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Miss Chance meets Miss Fortune Book 3) by Sam Cheever Page A
Authors: Sam Cheever
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She glowered in Gertie’s direction.
Gertie wrapped her arms around the purse as if she would protect it with her life. “Only by about five minutes. That doesn’t get you my blanket.”
“I’m frail.” Ida Belle tried. We all blew raspberries at that one. Including Ida Belle.
“What’s wrong with staying in a hotel?” Fortune asked reasonably.
I nodded enthusiastically. “I second that.”
Cal slowed as we reached the outskirts of Sinful. “You’re not going on the lam, ladies. Carter’s not happy but he’s not too broken up about Celia getting her granny panties in a twist either. He promised he’d cover for you if a new statue showed up in the next few days.” Lifting a sexy dark eyebrow in my direction he added, “By an anonymous donor.”
I sighed. “I guess that would be me.”
“You’re always whining about your inheritance. Here’s your chance to do something good with it.”
“Well I guess it would be better than a dimpled metal buttocks with a flower in its crack.” Though I scowled, deep down I was secretly pleased. I’d felt guilty about breaking Celia’s Madonna. Even though it technically wasn’t me who broke it. “Okay. I’ll have to send my solicitor in though. I doubt Gregor Pleece would sell to me after tonight’s fiasco.”
“I’ll kick in, Felly.” Ida Belle said, flinging a stern look toward Gertie.
Gertie lifted a hand. “Me too.”
Fortune was silent. When I looked at her I found her staring out the window, looking sad. I thought I knew why. She’d clearly been in love with Carter. It was just a shame they hadn’t found a way to make it work.
Ida Belle nudged her friend and Fortune blinked, turning to me. “I’m in. Of course.”
Though I had no intention of taking their money, the fact that they offered made me feel all warm inside. I gave them a smile. “Thanks.”
Cal pulled up in front of Ida Belle’s house and stopped. Fortune’s Jeep and Gertie’s Caddy were parked in the drive.
“The monastery tomorrow?” Fortune asked before climbing out.
I nodded. “My father has some ’splainin’ to do.”
Ida Belle scooted out behind Fortune, turning back at the door. “We can meet at Francine’s for breakfast and then go together.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Cal agreed.
###
Swamp Team 3 was already situated at their favorite table when Cal and I rolled up the next morning. Francine lifted a pot of coffee in our direction and we nodded.
“Mornin’ sunshine,” Gertie said to me as we approached the table. Her smile was warm and it made me happy. I was really starting to feel like the three women were friends and I was glad they seemed to feel that way about me. “Hey. How’d you sleep?”
“Like a baby,” Ida Belle said.
Gertie nodded as she sipped her coffee.
“Good,” Fortune added. But I took note of the shadows under her eyes. She hadn’t slept as well as she was pretending.
We ordered breakfast and then I turned to Cal. “Tell them what you told me.”
He poured a packet of sweetener into his coffee, stirring it with a spoon. “I think I have an idea on the middle man mystery.” He sipped and a look of sheer pleasure suffused his handsome face.
“What’s that?” Ida Belle asked.
“I saw somebody at the gallery last night who didn’t fit in. Unless you figure they have something to do with the business end of it.”
Fortune frowned. “Who?”
“Little Hebert.”
Our three breakfast companions stilled, their faces going slack with shock.
“Seriously?” Gertie asked.
“Are you sure?” Ida Belle added.
Cal nodded. “I’m sure it was him. He had that big guy with him. The muscle.”
“Mannie,” they all said at once.
Big and Little Hebert were Sinful’s version of mafia and, though they’d helped us out the last time I’d been in town, nobody at that table was foolish enough to forget how dangerous and corrupt they were.
Mannie wasn’t all that bright and his neutral opinion of us had taken a
Gertie wrapped her arms around the purse as if she would protect it with her life. “Only by about five minutes. That doesn’t get you my blanket.”
“I’m frail.” Ida Belle tried. We all blew raspberries at that one. Including Ida Belle.
“What’s wrong with staying in a hotel?” Fortune asked reasonably.
I nodded enthusiastically. “I second that.”
Cal slowed as we reached the outskirts of Sinful. “You’re not going on the lam, ladies. Carter’s not happy but he’s not too broken up about Celia getting her granny panties in a twist either. He promised he’d cover for you if a new statue showed up in the next few days.” Lifting a sexy dark eyebrow in my direction he added, “By an anonymous donor.”
I sighed. “I guess that would be me.”
“You’re always whining about your inheritance. Here’s your chance to do something good with it.”
“Well I guess it would be better than a dimpled metal buttocks with a flower in its crack.” Though I scowled, deep down I was secretly pleased. I’d felt guilty about breaking Celia’s Madonna. Even though it technically wasn’t me who broke it. “Okay. I’ll have to send my solicitor in though. I doubt Gregor Pleece would sell to me after tonight’s fiasco.”
“I’ll kick in, Felly.” Ida Belle said, flinging a stern look toward Gertie.
Gertie lifted a hand. “Me too.”
Fortune was silent. When I looked at her I found her staring out the window, looking sad. I thought I knew why. She’d clearly been in love with Carter. It was just a shame they hadn’t found a way to make it work.
Ida Belle nudged her friend and Fortune blinked, turning to me. “I’m in. Of course.”
Though I had no intention of taking their money, the fact that they offered made me feel all warm inside. I gave them a smile. “Thanks.”
Cal pulled up in front of Ida Belle’s house and stopped. Fortune’s Jeep and Gertie’s Caddy were parked in the drive.
“The monastery tomorrow?” Fortune asked before climbing out.
I nodded. “My father has some ’splainin’ to do.”
Ida Belle scooted out behind Fortune, turning back at the door. “We can meet at Francine’s for breakfast and then go together.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Cal agreed.
###
Swamp Team 3 was already situated at their favorite table when Cal and I rolled up the next morning. Francine lifted a pot of coffee in our direction and we nodded.
“Mornin’ sunshine,” Gertie said to me as we approached the table. Her smile was warm and it made me happy. I was really starting to feel like the three women were friends and I was glad they seemed to feel that way about me. “Hey. How’d you sleep?”
“Like a baby,” Ida Belle said.
Gertie nodded as she sipped her coffee.
“Good,” Fortune added. But I took note of the shadows under her eyes. She hadn’t slept as well as she was pretending.
We ordered breakfast and then I turned to Cal. “Tell them what you told me.”
He poured a packet of sweetener into his coffee, stirring it with a spoon. “I think I have an idea on the middle man mystery.” He sipped and a look of sheer pleasure suffused his handsome face.
“What’s that?” Ida Belle asked.
“I saw somebody at the gallery last night who didn’t fit in. Unless you figure they have something to do with the business end of it.”
Fortune frowned. “Who?”
“Little Hebert.”
Our three breakfast companions stilled, their faces going slack with shock.
“Seriously?” Gertie asked.
“Are you sure?” Ida Belle added.
Cal nodded. “I’m sure it was him. He had that big guy with him. The muscle.”
“Mannie,” they all said at once.
Big and Little Hebert were Sinful’s version of mafia and, though they’d helped us out the last time I’d been in town, nobody at that table was foolish enough to forget how dangerous and corrupt they were.
Mannie wasn’t all that bright and his neutral opinion of us had taken a
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