Bayou Paradox by Robin Caroll Read Free Book Online Page A

clear of such nonsense a long time ago. Maybe it was time he paid more attention.
    With a heavy sigh, Bubba lifted the phone. He could think of only one person he could ask, but that person would ask questions about why he wanted to know. Everything could snowball from one phone call.
    Unfortunately Tara would be on the receiving end of the avalanche.
    He didn’t have a choice. He flipped through his Rolodex, found the entry and dialed.

FIVE
    T hat interfering, meddlesome man!
    Tara marched into the house, muttering under her breath about Sheriff Bubba Theriot. How dare the man take it upon himself to notify her family about Grandmere’s illness? He had no right. She’d barely made it home when her cell phone rang and Alyssa lit into her. Now she had to deal with her sister and brother-in-law coming to town. As well, Alyssa had called CoCo on her honeymoon.
    Oh, just wait until she saw that man again. She’d give him a piece of her mind, no matter how good-looking he was. Good-looking? She must really be going nuts.
    The house needed a cleaning. Dirty coffee cups and plates of Grandmere’s still sat in the sink. Tara’s wet towels from this morning hung haphazardly across the shower rod, and her paperwork covered the kitchen table. Alyssa could probably handle dirty dishes and wet towels with minimal complaint but not the paperwork—not anything to do with voodoo.
    She reached for the ledger, but her gaze fell on the client sheets. Her heart gave a little kick.
    Suzie Richard!
    Tara scanned the notes again.
    Female issue. Discussed options. Recommended to physician. Client became distraught, not wanting husband to know and medical procedure won’t allow for total discretion. Denied further requests from client.
    Could this be the same Suzie who gave her the business card outside the hospital?
    Tara went out to her car and grabbed the card from the console. No names listed. Just Godly Women, an e-mail address and a phone number. Why hadn’t she used the good manners Grandmere taught her and gotten the woman’s last name?
    Returning to the house, Tara stared at Tanty’s comments on the client sheets. Just how distraught was Suzie? Hmm. She glanced at the card again. Might not even be the same person. Then again, maybe the name sounded familiar because Grandmere’d mentioned Suzie when talking about her church group. Could be a long shot, but it was the best lead she had at the moment.
    She could lose Grandmere and Aunt Tanty. The enormity and severity of the situation hit her anew. The loss would kill her. She’d have no one to turn to. CoCo had Luc. Alyssa had Jackson. Tara wouldn’t have anyone to help ease her grief. She shook her head. No, she wouldn’t think along those lines. She was a LeBlanc, strong and determined.
    After passing a broom over the living-room floor and cleaning the bathroom, she made sure the other two bedrooms had clean sheets. Then, exhausted, she fell onto her own bed, staring up at the ceiling fan, whirring slowly, its steady ticking punctuating the hum of the air conditioner. Her eyelids drooped.
    Bam!
    Tara jerked upright, blinking away cobwebs.
    Bam! Bam! Bam!
    The screen door! Had she even closed it? She flipped her legs over the bed to the floor. “Coming.” She stumbled down the stairs, rubbing her face.
    â€œTara?”
    Recognition hit with a slight thrill, followed immediately by irritation. She pushed open the screen. “Sheriff.”
    â€œIs everything okay? Are you all right?” His broad shoulders filled the doorway.
    A spark of attraction tried to ignite, but she used her annoyance to stamp it out. “Aside from my grandmother being in a coma without any medical reason and you going behind my back to call my family, I’m just hunky-dory. Why do you ask?”
    â€œI’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to cause any problems.”
    â€œYes, indeed.” She leaned against the open door.