by Jana DeLeon
Everyone I cared about was there and all in excellent spirits. Emmaline and her boyfriend, Ida Belle, Gertie, Ally, Walter, and of course, Carter. We’d all done our gift opening and exchanging with one another before gathering at Emmaline’s for dinner. Gertie and Ida Belle had been thrilled with the military-grade night-vision goggles I’d gotten them, and they’d pitched in and gotten me a hot tub—something I kept saying I needed but probably would have never bought for myself. And something I suspected Gertie would spend as much time in as I did.
Carter had been thrilled with the electric recliner with massage features that I’d gotten him and I was sporting a pretty bracelet with sparkly diamonds. It was delicate and girlie, and I absolutely adored it. Gertie claimed it was a starter diamond set and next up was an engagement ring. Since we still had to get Ida Belle married off, I wasn’t ready to even go there. Carter had looked more than a little fearful when she’d made that statement, so I figured I wouldn’t have to face that decision anytime soon. And that’s the way I wanted it. Things were so good the way they were and as this was my virgin foray into regular living, I thought it was best to take my time.
I’d called Big and Little late the night before and filled them in on the approved version of the showdown. They were happy to hear that the baby was safe and that Cory was behind bars. They were also more than a little pleased that they’d been able to have a role in his capture and congratulated me over and over on my success. Even Mannie took a couple seconds to throw in his compliments. The next morning, I got a knock on my door at eight a.m. and a man wearing a tuxedo presented me with a bottle of Dom Perignon and a gift basket of the most expensive meats, cheeses, and caviar I’d ever seen. Courtesy of the Heberts. They certainly knew how to do things with class.
I’d gotten a call that morning from Megan Prejean. Ashley had appeared on their doorstep on Christmas Eve and was doing great. She’d left the ‘rough’ abusive boyfriend for good and moved to Baton Rouge when she left New Orleans. There, she’d started counseling at a women’s center. She was taking classes to become a hairdresser and was thrilled to reconnect with Megan. Even Seth was happy to see her and had acknowledged that his sister-in-law had apparently changed for the better.
As I sat at the dinner table and held hands while Walter said grace, I marveled at how much my life had changed. If anyone had told me a year ago that I’d be living in a small town, working as a PI, dating a deputy, and with two seniors as the best friends a girl could ever have, I would have called them crazy. And compared to my previous life, it was crazy.
It was also perfect.
Later that night, as I sat with Carter in lawn chairs in my backyard, drinking Dom, I thought about how much I had to be thankful for. How blessed I’d been with all the things that Sinful had brought into my life. The moon was full and reflected on the bayou and it was beautiful—stinky bayou mud, casserole-eating alligators, and all.
My cell phone rang and Director Morrow’s number came up. I stared for a second in surprise, but then figured maybe he wanted to extend holiday wishes.
“Merry Christmas, Director Morrow,” I said when I answered.
“Merry Christmas, Fortune,” he said. “I hope you’re doing well. I’ve been enjoying your periodic emails. And I’ve found some interesting videos of your town on YouTube.”
I laughed. “I’ll bet.”
He was silent for a moment and at first, I thought we’d been disconnected. Then he cleared his throat.
“There’s something I have to tell you,” he said, his tone serious. “And I don’t quite know how to. This is a call I never thought I’d have to make. Never even dreamed…”
“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Harrison?”
“No. He’s fine. It’s about your father.”
“What about him?”
“He’s alive.”
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More adventures with Fortune and the girls coming in 2020!
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More Miss Fortune Fun
Did you know that Jana created a publishing company that allows approved authors to pen their own stories in the Miss Fortune World? For a different take on Sinful and its residents, check out J&R Fan Fiction.
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https://www.jrfanfiction.com
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Sinful, Louisiana has its own website! If you want to escape to a bit of hilarity, check it out!
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http://sinfullouisiana.com/
