Resurrection in Mudbug by Jana DeLeon

that you’ve been cast into this drama. If you run into any problems—with anything—let me know.”
    He pulled a business card from his wallet and handed it to her. “I’m not always the easiest person to get a hold of, but if you’re in a pinch, it never hurts to try.”
    “Thanks.” Jadyn stuck the card in her pocket. “I really appreciate everything you, Maryse, and Mildred are doing for me.”
    He nodded. “If only we didn’t have to.” He looked over at Maryse. “Are you ready? I can drop you off at the café in the morning if you want to leave your truck here.”
    Maryse grabbed her purse off the counter. “Sounds good to me. Jadyn, we’ll catch up tomorrow.”
    Luc headed toward the front door as Maryse gave Mildred a hug, then dashed behind him. Jadyn watched as he walked out of the hotel and looked over at Helena. 
    “For the record,” she said, “I can’t really blame you for wanting to see him naked.”
    Maryse poked her head back inside and winked before shutting the door behind her.
    Jadyn and Mildred both laughed. Helena, who was apparently over her crush on Luc, didn’t even crack a smile. 
    “If you’re all done complaining about me,” Helena said, “I’m going to bed.”
    Jadyn watched as the ghost stomped up the stairs, then turned to Mildred. “What do you think it means…that Luc can see her again?”
    Mildred frowned and shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t even have a guess. It’s not something I expected at all. First thing in the morning, we need to sit down with Maryse and try to make some sense of this.”
    “Speaking of which, do ghosts sleep?”
    “With Helena, Lord only knows.” Mildred patted Jadyn on the arm. “You should try to get some rest. It’s been an eventful night, and morning will be here sooner than you think.”
    Jadyn started toward the stairs, then paused and looked back at Mildred. “They look good together—Luc and Maryse.”
    Mildred smiled. “Yes, they do. They fit in a way that’s rare to see.”
    Jadyn nodded. “I’ve only seen it a time or two, and never even come close to experiencing it.”
    “You’ve got time. And who knows, your perfect match could be right here in Mudbug.” She gave Jadyn a sly look. “You and the sheriff looked pretty good standing there together in Bill’s Bar.”
    “Oh no.” Jadyn shook her head. “Colt seems nice enough on the surface, but I get the impression he thinks I’m incapable of handling my job and has every intention of taking it over.”
    “He’s always had a bit of the white-knight complex, but he’s no fool. He’ll figure it out.”
    “Not my problem,” Jadyn said and gave Mildred a wave before hurrying upstairs. 
    Jadyn was no fool, either. She hadn’t missed how Colt had looked at her in the bar. She’d seen that appreciative look on the face of plenty of men looking at her and even more looking at her mother. Then she’d gotten old enough to buck her mother’s rules and advice on appearance, and the looks had lessened, but not disappeared. 
    Still, this was the first time in years that she’d donned that kind of getup to attract the attention of a man. The last time had been such a disaster, she hadn’t felt like revisiting it. Come to think of it, tonight hadn’t exactly been a roaring success.
    She turned on the television, shrugged off her yoga pants and climbed into bed. A feature on wildlife was playing, which normally would have interested her, but for some reason, she couldn’t get into the program.
    Finally, she clicked the television off and sighed. Colt wasn’t the only one who’d paid attention to how other people looked. With his worn jeans, T-shirt, and hiking boots, Colt had clearly been dressing for comfort, but even his obvious aggravation with his ruined night didn’t deduct from how sexy he looked. He had a slow, smooth way about him—like everything was under control—that made him even more attractive. 
    Like James Bond on the