A Sinful Mistake Read online

  My great-aunt swept her good arm out. “We’re standing in the middle of a God-forsaken swamp. Both cell and radio reception dropped off a couple of miles from here. It was like looking for a toad in the bayou, I tell you.”

  “But you found us, thank heavens,” I said. “Can we go home now?”

  It was Gertie who answered. “I’ve had all the fun tonight that I can handle.”

  It didn’t escape my notice that she was carefully avoiding looking at Bull. But, however brave she was acting, I knew she was going to hit an emotional wall soon.

  Kase detached himself from a group of agents and came to join us. “I’m going to head back to New Orleans tonight with Jean-Claude, his wife, and son. We’re meeting a translator there and need to get them debriefed and looked at by a doctor.” His gaze swept our small circle. “Why don’t y’all head home?” His pointed look at me let me know that we had a long talk ahead of us when he was off duty.

  On our way over to the SUV that was going to take us back to Sinful, we stopped to exchange hugs with our Haitian friends. I didn’t bother to contain my tears as I hugged them goodbye. I don’t know that I’d ever been happier for anyone than I was for them, knowing they’d be heading back to Haiti soon.

  AS WE ALWAYS DID AT the end of one of our little adventures, we ended up sitting around Fortune’s kitchen table with a plate of Ally’s cookies in the middle of the table. Aunt Ida Belle threatened us with bodily harm if we dared ask her again if she was feeling well enough to be out of bed.

  “Keep in mind that I single-handedly rescued all ya’all from that cement box,” she growled.

  Well, she’d been accompanied by a cadre of armed law enforcement officers, but we let that slide.

  “I’m sorry about Bull, Gertie.” I bit my lip, unsure what else to say. I had no doubt that Gertie’s heart was aching far worse than Aunt Ida Belle’s arm.

  Gertie shook her head. “Don’t be. That critter was aptly named if anyone ever was. I wonder how his mama knew he’d grow up to be a pile of crap?”

  My great-aunt, Fortune, and I exchanged glances. What could we possibly add to that?

  “He made a fool out of me,” Gertie said, sounding more vulnerable than I’d ever heard her. “Aww, heck. I made a fool out of me.”

  Fortune reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Welcome to human race, Gertie. You were blinded by what you thought was love. Something every other woman has done or will do at one point in their life.”

  Gertie wiped away a tear. “I feel so stupid.”

  “I think your willingness to start a whole new chapter in your life is inspiring,” I said.

  Aunt Ida Belle cleared her throat. These types of discussions weren’t her forte. “Look at it this way, at least you were brave enough to give what you thought was love a chance. Some of us can’t even get that far.”

  Was she talking about her and Walter? Before I could ask, she shot me a warning glare. Clearly, she wasn’t open to the question. Duly noted. For now.

  “Looks like we’re a bunch of losers in love,” Gertie said. “Well, except for Fortune and Carter. Is he coming over?”

  Fortune shook her head. “He’s gone to arrest Harold Lisieux. But, yeah, love’s a landmine alright.”

  Gertie looked at me. “And you and Agent Hunky. You lovebirds are fine, aren’t you?”

  Were we? “I’m not so sure.” I reached for a cookie, broke a corner of it off, and stuffed it in my mouth. By the time I was finished chewing, they were all still staring at me. “There’s the little matter of our promise to the Heberts.”

  I’d forgotten that Gertie didn’t know about our visit to Big and Little until I saw her confused expression. Fortune and I took turns telling the story, complete with the part about my promise to betray Kase’s trust.

  Gertie gave a low whistle. “Whoa, that’s ten times worse than the time you and Fortune drugged him.”

  “That was all Fortune,” I protested. “I was an accessory after the fact.”

  “Just tell us you’re not going to go through with it,” Gertie persisted. “You could ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

  I sighed. Gertie was right. Meeting Kase was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I loved him. And I could say the same thing about meeting Aunt Ida Belle, Gertie and Fortune. Yes, even Fortune. I think I was finally seeing what my great-aunt and Gertie saw in her. She was a good person. Librarian or CIA agent, it didn’t matter. She was my friend.

  “I can’t try again, and not just because Kase is on to me now. It’s the wrong thing to do.” I said, my voice thick with emotion. I would never, under any circumstance, betray Kase’s trust by stealing classified information from him to give to the Heberts. “I just don’t know how to get him to forgive me for handcuffing him to a coffee table.”

  “We’ll think of something,” Aunt Ida Belle assured me.

  “We’ve got this.” Fortune gave me an encouraging smile.

  “We’ll feed Big and Little to the gators if it comes to that,” Gertie said.

  I looked around the table and laid a hand over my heart. “Thank you.”

  I didn’t kid myself that this was going to be an easy situation to wiggle out of, but it was clear that Swamp Team Three had my back. Bless them.

  A Note from Caroline

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read this book. I enjoyed writing it and hope that you enjoyed reading it enough to pick up the next in my Miss Prim and Proper Series, Bayou Spirits.

  Thanks to Jana DeLeon for her generosity in sharing her Miss Fortune world with other writers!

  To learn more about my other books, please visit my website -

  www.carolinemickelson.com

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