Easy Fortune: A Boudreaux Series Novella

“I have the shop.” She shrugs. “You could come work with me at the shop.”


“I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to take orders from my best friend. I want to actually hang out with you outside of work.”

“True. Probably not a great idea.”

“What’s going on with you? You’re antsy.”

“You’re full of fun words today,” she says with a grin. “And there’s nothing up. I really just want you to take some adventures. You’ve always talked about how you’d like to visit places like Paris or Italy. The Boudreauxes have homes almost everywhere. I could hook you up with one.”

“I’m not staying at your husband’s property,” I reply, but then reconsider. “Although, that wouldn’t suck.”

“No, it wouldn’t. And maybe I could come see you for a long weekend or something.”

“Are you actually trying to convince me to go live in France or Italy for the entire summer?”

“Why not? You have a free place to stay, and it would be a great way to recharge your batteries. And maybe I want an excuse to go shopping in Europe.”

“You’d hate Europe. Constant dead people talking to you isn’t really your thing.”

She shrugs. “True, that doesn’t sound great, but coming to visit you does. Think about it.”

“I will.”

Long after Mallory leaves, I’m still thinking about it. Actually, taking some time to myself in a foreign country doesn’t sound bad at all.

So that’s the plan. I’ll go with Mason on Friday to settle his aunt’s estate, and then I’ll make plans to go spend some time abroad.

This should be easy peasy.





Chapter Three



Mason

August 22, 1957

My Dearest Love,

I never would have taken this assignment if I’d known how long it would separate me from you. A six-month dig has turned into two long years, and I long for you. I wish you would reconsider joining me, but I understand that you have family obligations in Louisiana.

The ground here keeps uncovering so many treasures. Bodies, perfectly preserved for centuries, fabrics, pottery, even food still inside the bowls. It’s as if time has been frozen here, and it’s the most amazing find I’ve ever been on. The people here are kind, but they’re nervous about us digging up this sacred ground, worried that we’ll anger the gods and that something horrible will happen. Nothing we tell them eases their minds.

I would love for you to be here so I can show this to you. You’d be so excited. Each day is a new discovery.

Please, Claudia, if circumstances change, please come be with me. It would be the adventure of our lives.

Yours always.

Love,

Charles

There are hundreds of letters, just like this one, in the trunk that sits at the end of my Aunt Claudia’s bed. My whole life, I would ask her what was in here, and she would just redirect me, showing me books full of wonderful things that came out of the ground.

Old things, old people, preserved for thousands of years and tell me stories about how she helped dig them up.

I knew from the time I was a small boy that I wanted to be an archeologist for a living. I wanted to find amazing treasures and show them to the world.

Aunt Claudia was one of the first women in this country to lead archeological expeditions, and she loved it. It consumed her for much of her life.

But I had no idea that she was once in love. I wish she’d told me that story because now all I can think is, where is Charles now? Why did they never marry?

By the time I knew her, Aunt Claudia was a bit of a recluse. She rarely left her big house in New Orleans. She was wealthy, and had a comfortable life here, and I would spend summers with her while my parents were off in Europe. I could have gone with them.

I always chose Aunt Claudia.

I return the letter to its envelope and close the trunk. It feels like a betrayal to go through her things, but she’s gone, and it’s going to have to be done eventually. I have to be back in Chile in three weeks, so the sooner I get started, the better.

My phone rings on the floor next to me.

“Hey.”

“Hi,” My sister, Amelia, says. “How’s it going?”

“It’s going,” I reply and lean back against the bed. The sun went down hours ago. “What time is it?”

“About eleven your time,” she says. “What are you doing?”

“I was going through old letters of Claudia’s.” I rub my hand over my face and realize that I’m hungry. Dinner came and went a long time ago. “I thought I knew her so well, and I’m learning more the longer I’m here.”

“She was amazing,” Amelia says. “I feel guilty. I should have come with you.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” I sigh. “You weren’t very close to her, and that’s okay.”

“No one was close to her. Except you.”

“We were kindred spirits.”

“That’s one way to put it,” she replies, laughing. “Will it be quick?”

“No.” I sigh again. “It seems Claudia had a plan, even in the event of her death. She didn’t want a funeral, but she did want me to go to the reading of the will with someone I knew a long time ago when I was interning at Tulane years ago.”

“Was this someone you knew also someone you boned?”

I pull the phone away from my ear and scowl at it. “You’re twenty. You’re not supposed to know about these things.”

“Right.” She snorts. “Was she?”

“I dated her,” I admit. “Claudia met her a few times, and she liked her.”

“What’s her name?”

“Lena.” Lena. Her name alone stirs something in me, feelings I’ve spent the past six years pushing to the side. She’s sexy as fuck, just like her name, not that I’ll tell my baby sister that.

“Lena what?”

“You’re nosy. It doesn’t matter. She just has to go with me to the appointment with the attorney on Friday. I have no idea why Claudia wanted it that way, but I’m sure I’ll find out then.”

“Interesting. Did you love her?”

“You know I loved Aunt Claudia.”

“Don’t be dumb.” I can hear her eyes roll through the phone and it makes me smile. “Lena. Did you love Lena?”

I pause, considering the question. “I was very taken with her. She’s beautiful and smart, and I enjoyed her.”

“Just like a man to not want to admit that he was in love.”

“I think I was beginning to fall in love with her,” I reply. “But it didn’t work out, and that’s for the best. Now, stop asking me nosy questions.”

“Never. I’m your baby sister. That’s what I do.”

I grin, suddenly missing her. “Come to Chile with me next month. I’ll put you to work.”

“Ugh. No. It’s hot there, and there are bugs. You crawl around in the dirt for a living.”

“You used to like it.”

“I just wanted to be where you were. I’ll think about it.”

I grin and decide to go find something to eat. “Do that. I’ll call you after this is all wrapped up.”