Missing in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law #5)(51)

“I know,” Jadyn said.

Maryse released Jadyn and sniffed, then finally caught sight of Jadyn’s wardrobe. She stared for a moment, then turned to gawk at Colt, apparently struck speechless. Luc, on the other hand, had no such issue.

“Fancy uniform,” Luc said, grinning at Colt. “Is that the new sheriff department issue?”

Colt laughed. “I don’t think I’d want to work in the swamp wearing this getup.”

“I don’t know,” Maryse said. “You’d probably run into more trouble on Main Street with that getup. We saw your boat sunk next to the pier. What happened?”

As Colt filled Luc and Maryse in on everything that had happened, Jadyn reassembled their firearms. Luc occasionally stopped Colt to ask a question, but Maryse stood silently, her expression growing more and more troubled as the story progressed.

“Did you get a look at the shooter?” Luc asked.

“No,” Colt said. “It was too dark.”

Luc frowned. “You two were lucky—damned lucky. If you hadn’t moved just when you did or if he was a better shot, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“I know,” Colt said. “Man, you don’t know how happy I am to see you guys. We figured we were stuck here for the night.”

“Is it safe to leave?” Jadyn asked. “He could still be out there.”

“I think he is, or was,” Luc said and told them that he’d gotten a glimpse of a boat hidden close to the bank.

Maryse bit her lower lip. “Do you think he’ll try again?”

Luc shook his head. “He’s not going to get the chance. I’m going to radio all the others and get them over here. One man can’t take out a caravan. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Colt grabbed his clothes from the back of the kitchen chair and headed for the bathroom. “Let me throw on my clothes and I’ll be right behind you.” Less than a minute later, he was hurrying out of the camp after Luc.

“So,” Maryse said as she watched Colt shut the door behind him, “quite a body on our sheriff.”

Since Jadyn had just been thinking the same thing, she knew better than to look Maryse in the eye. “Aren’t you married?”

“Yep, as married as last time you asked me. And still not blind.”

Jadyn sighed. “Yes, he’s got quite a body.”

“It looks really good in a sheet. How does it look without one?”

“I don’t…we didn’t. Jeez, Maryse!”

Maryse shook her head. “That’s disappointing. In the movies the hero and heroine always have sex when they’re about to die. Hell, come to think of it, the first time Luc and I had sex we almost died right after.”

“Seriously? Now that sounds like a story worth telling. Much more interesting than Colt and I wearing sheets and eating ravioli while our clothes dried.”

Maryse grinned. “As soon as things are back to normal, I’ll tell you over dinner and a beer, but you’re buying.”

“It’s a deal. I guess I better go change myself.”

“Unless you plan on riding home like that.”

Jadyn headed to the bathroom and shed the sheet. The clothes were still wet, so she skipped the undergarments. She had some difficulty getting on her damp jeans but finally managed to pull on her clothes and boots. The rest she carried back into the main room and shoved into the trash bag along with the ammo and holsters. She picked out the driest of the rounds, reloaded magazines for both her and Colt, and shoved her firearm into her waistband.

“Do you think the rounds are dry enough?” Maryse asked.

“Yeah. They should be fine.”

Maryse started to say something but before she got a word out, Luc and Colt came back in the camp.

“Four boats were within twenty minutes of here. The first two are only ten minutes out. We’ll head out when they arrive. The others won’t be far behind them.”

Jadyn nodded, her desire to be back safe in the hotel with Mildred fawning over her almost overwhelming her. It was a strange feeling for someone used to being on her own, but also a welcome one.

“Can you ask dispatch to call Mildred?” Jadyn asked Luc.

“Already did it,” he said.

“Thanks,” she said. “I didn’t want her to worry any longer than she had to.”

“Ha,” Maryse said. “She’ll worry about us until we’re all back in Mudbug, showered and in our beds.”

A spotlight flashed through the doorway and three blasts from a marine horn sounded.

“We will be shortly,” Luc said. “Get your stuff and let’s get out of here.”

Jadyn grabbed the trash bag with their supplies, their ammo and some of their undergarments, and turned to follow the others out.

“Wait!” Colt drew up short. “The sample from the couch.”

He pulled out his pocketknife and cut the remaining bloody section off the couch, then grabbed a Baggie from the kitchen and locked it inside.

“What’s that?” Maryse asked.

“We found blood on the arm of the couch. We wanted to test it, in case…”

Maryse nodded but Jadyn could see how troubled her cousin was at the thought of something bad happening to Raissa.