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make matters worse, Ben Boyette had come home to stay. Lucie’s heart sank into her empty belly like a lead fishing weight.
    With the ladybug curled in her fingers, Alex headed for the door. “I’ll just let this little guy go while you dump that mess down the sink.”
    Lucie’s mind reviewed the options like a CD disc spinning round and round. Marriage to a rich man or financial ruin . Live in a mansion or out on the streets—or in this case, the swamps—of Bayou Miste . Marry Eric Littington and leave, or watch Ben Boyette parade his new girlfriends around town while she ate her heart out.
    “Alex, stop!” she shouted.
    Alex froze in mid-stride .
    “Give me that damn bug.” Her voice echoed in the silent room, calm and surprisingly firm.
    Eyes wide, Alex slowly turned back toward her and held out her hand. “Are you sure you want to do this? Seems a bit cold-blooded of you to target poor, unsuspecting Eric with a spell.”
    A wall of guilt finally broke through her determination and threatened to overwhelm her. She’d never loved Eric. She’d liked him as a friend, but she’d never had any deep emotional attachment to him. Then again, her grandmother couldn’t possibly live out on the streets or in the swamps without a roof over her head. Lisa wasn’t a reliable source of income. It was up to Lucie to come up with a plan to save her grandmother’s home and, so far, this was all she could come up with.
    She drew in a deep breath past the lump rising in her throat. “I know it sounds cold-blooded, but don’t worry, I’ll do right by Eric and make him a good wife. You’ll see.” Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of Ben married to someone else. “I have to do this for Mamère .” And she couldn’t stay in Bayou Miste, no matter what. “Alex, please. Give me the bug.”
    “It’s your life, but don’t be mad if we say ‘we told you so.’” Alex uncurled her fingers, revealing the tiny red and black ladybug.
    Lucie scraped the hard-shelled creature onto the wooden cutting board and settled a mason jar over it. Grasping a wooden spoon, she stirred the concoction on the stove one last time for good measure.
    With her eyes pressed closed, she chanted to herself, “Please let this work. Please help me find love and happiness.” Opening her eyes, she dipped the spoon into the odiferous mix, cupped her hand beneath it, and stepped back to the center island cutting board. Then she inhaled deeply and nodded at Alex. “Will you remove the glass jar?”
    Her hand slow and steady, Alex reached out, her fingers hovering over the jar. “You don’t have to go through with this, you know.”
    “Just lift the damned jar, please!” Lucie’s arm shook and liquid spilled from the spoon into her hand.
    The glass came up, exposing the harbinger of her freedom. The tiny ladybug opened its protective shell and flexed its wings.
    Quickly, before the bug could fly away, Lucie dribbled the liquid over the board until one tiny drop touched the ladybug’s wing. Then in a clear soprano, she sang, “Fly little bug, fly high up above and make my lovebirds fall in love.”
    The ladybug flicked its wings several times. A faint greenish glow like that of a firefly lit the tiny insect’s wings.
    “You did it!” Calliope clapped her hands.
    “Yeah, you’ve done it all right.” Alex closed her eyes. “All I have to say is, look out Bayou Miste, we’re probably in for a helluva ride.”

Chapter Four
    “I’ll need to check for bugs in every room of your office and house.” Ben stood inside Eric Littington’s office wearing a faded navy-blue coverall and carrying a canister of Bug B Gon.
    A giant grin spread across Eric’s face, and he rose from the leather chair behind his desk. “Look at you!” He rounded the desk and circled Ben, his gaze running up and down the length of his body. “I got to admit. You look like the real McCoy.” Eric leaned closer and sniffed. “You even smell the part.”
    His lips