The Miss Fortune Series: Undercover Bubba (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Miss Chance meets Miss Fortune Book 3) Read Free Page A

somewhere in my brain but I couldn’t quite capture it.
    “Mary Magdalene,” Brother Todd said. He shook his head. “A strange thing for Mike to put into the hole don’t you think?”
    My father frowned. “You believe he intentionally left this figurine behind?”
    Cal stood up, brushing his hands over his jeans. “Why do you think Brother Mike put it in the hole?”
    Brother Todd pointed to the figurine I held. “That’s his work.”
    When Cal continued to stare, my father clarified. “He whittles things out of cypress.” Pointing to the bench he added, “This is…was…his favorite spot to whittle.”
    “Do you have any idea why he hid it under here?”
    “Not a clue,” my father admitted.
    “Actually it might be just that,” Brother Todd said, frowning. “I think he was trying to tell us something.”
    “Well, whatever it was,” Cal said, “I’m guessing it was the cause of his disappearance.” He took the figurine from me. “He must have known he was going to disappear and wanted somebody to know where he was.”
    “Makes sense,” I agreed.
    “Now all we have to do is determine what this means.” Cal held up the piece of wood.
    Unbidden, the memory I’d been trying to grasp slid into my mind. I blinked and looked up into the intrepid Cal’s handsome face. “I think I might know.”
    “What?” All three men asked in unison.
    I shook my head. “We need to go back to Sinful. It looks like my friends might be able to help us after all.”
    Cal’s jaw tightened but he refrained from comment. I knew he believed Swamp Team 3 was dangerous for my health and safety and of course he was right. But what he couldn’t know, because I’d never admit it to him, was that I’d never had more fun than when I was solving mysteries with the three Sinful sleuths.
    And even Cal had to admit, Fortune, Ida Belle and Gertie got things done!
     

 
     
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
    Cal dropped me off at the diner with the promise to catch back up with me in a couple of hours. He claimed he needed to check in at his office, return some emails, and talk to the local PD, a.k.a. Deputy Carter LeBlanc about the blood sample he’d collected. He also wanted to see if Carter had heard anything that might correspond to the case of the missing monk. I, however, knew that he was just putting off the reunion with Swamp Team 3. It wasn’t that Cal disliked my friends. He just had a healthy discomfort with what amounted to a group of unapologetic vigilantes.
    And I was pretty sure if he was honest, Ida Belle’s steely stare, Fortune’s cool assessment, and Gertie’s bumbling but strangely effective methods made his palms itch.
    I couldn’t really blame him. I mean…he was already dealing with me.
    A howl of welcome erupted from the back corner of Francine’s Diner when I opened the door. I couldn’t help it, my lips stretched into a happy grin as Gertie jumped up and hurried toward me, arms outstretched for a hug. Ida Belle smiled and waved and even Fortune looked pleased to see me.
    “Felicity!” Gertie pulled me into a surprisingly strong embrace and pecked me on the cheek. “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming? We could have planned an outing or something.”
    Ida Belle showed up at Gertie’s shoulder, her eyes sparkling with humor. “Yeah, maybe a nice soothing airboat ride out to Number 2 for a picnic.”
    I laughed, reaching to hug the ringleader of Sinful’s infamous Swamp Team as well as the Sinful Ladies Society, known locally as the Geritol Mafia. “I’m so glad I didn’t warn you then.”
    She chuckled good-naturedly.
    Fortune extended a hand and gave me a welcoming smile. “Nice to see you again, Felly.”
    I shook her hand, taking care not to squeeze it…just in case she might take that as a challenge. Fortune, a.k.a. Sandy Sue, looked like a beauty queen but I knew her to be tough as nails and sharp as a gator hunter’s favorite knife. “It’s nice to see you too.”
    “Come. Sit down.