Trouble in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #1)(10)

Maryse shook her head, then put on hand over her forehead and groaned. “No time. I have to be at this will reading this afternoon. I still need to send some samples to the state, change clothes, and pick up my spare cell phone. The old one took a dip with the truck.”

“The samples can wait. I’m pretty sure this rates a sick day.”

“Maybe, but the reading won’t wait, and I can’t exactly go looking like this. If you’ll just drop me off at the dock to my cabin, I’d really appreciate it.”

“It’s not a contest, Maryse. You don’t have to be present to win. I’m pretty sure the attorney can tell you about it afterward.”

Maryse gave him a withering stare. “Can you arrange to have my wayward husband served with divorce papers, too? I have to find Hank, and Helena’s death may be my last chance. There’s more at stake here than some inheritance. Besides, knowing Helena, she probably left me more debt or a pig farm or bubonic plague.”

“Fine. But as soon as you’ve showered and changed, I want to take you to the hospital.”

Maryse frowned. “I’ve already told you there’s no time. It’s a headache. I’ll have it checked out after the will reading.”

“What about your truck?”

“It’s not exactly going anywhere. It can wait until this evening.”

“You’ve got insurance?”

She gave him a dirty look. “Of course I have insurance. I also have smoke detectors and contribute to my 401(k).”

Luc held in a smile. “If you give me your insurance card, I can take care of the tow.”

“I can take care of the tow myself. I’m fairly certain no one’s going to steal it.”

Luc threw his hands up in exasperation. “Are you always this stubborn?”

“Are you always this bossy?”

He stared at her for a moment, then grinned. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Well, you’ve just run into a brick wall.”

No shit. He looked at her and shook his head. “At least let me drive you to your appointment in New Orleans. I need to run an errand there today anyway, and you can pick up a rental car in the city a lot easier than getting one delivered to Mudbug.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and stared for a couple of seconds, and Luc knew she was wondering what his angle was. He hoped to God she didn’t find out until he was gone, because if Maryse was this prickly when she thought he was trying to help, he’d hate to see her reaction if she knew he was actually in Mudbug investigating her.

“Okay,” she said finally, “you can drop me off at the attorney’s office.”

Luc nodded, and she pointed a finger at him.

“But I want to be very clear,” she said, “that the only reason I’m accepting your offer is because I’m down to one source of transportation and I don’t think I can get my bass boat all the way to New Orleans—at least not by one o’clock.”

Luc couldn’t hold back a grin. “You make me feel very special, Maryse. I’m so glad you’re going to allow me to chauffer you around.”

Maryse shook her head. “Don’t get any ideas. Just because I’m catching a ride with you doesn’t mean I’ve changed my mind about sharing an office.”

“Now, what in the world makes you think I would get any ideas?”

Maryse frowned and walked over to the passenger side of the Jeep. “I know your type, LeJeune. Technically, I’m still married to him. Guys like you are always full of ideas.”

As she climbed inside his Jeep, Luc took a peek at her firm, round bottom, every curve clearly outlined in her wet jeans. Maryse was dead wrong about him. He wasn’t full of ideas—he was overflowing with them.

Chapter Three

Maryse stepped carefully out of her bass boat, making sure one of her shiny, satin heels didn’t slip between the boards of the dock. Luc sat at the dock in his Jeep and stared at her with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Okay, so it probably wasn’t an everyday sight, but did he have to laugh? She glared at him as she climbed up in his Jeep. “What? You’ve never seen a woman in a dress before, LeJeune?”

Luc shook his head. “Mostly I see women out of dresses, and I’ve absolutely never seen a woman wearing fancy clothes in a bass boat.”

“You would if you lived in Mudbug.”

Luc smiled. “Aren’t you a little overdressed for a will reading?”

Maryse shrugged. “It was either this or jeans.”

“You need to get out more.”

“Just drive,” Maryse said, and reached over to turn the radio on—loud. Then she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, shutting out all images and sounds of Luc LeJeune. God knows she had enough to think about. She was about to come face to face with Hank Henry for the first time in two years. It was probably a good thing she was wearing a dress. It wouldn’t be as easy to kick his ass in high heels.

Luc pulled up in front of the attorney’s office fifteen minutes early, and Maryse felt her back stiffen as she picked up her purse and prepared to step out of the Jeep. Turning to Luc, she gave him what was probably a grim smile. “I really appreciate you giving me a lift. And I’m sorry if I was a big bitch earlier.”

Luc smiled. “You weren’t that bad.”