Moving through the house to my old bedroom, I didn’t see anyone. I still had a couple of hours before dinner. As soon as I opened the door to my old room, I kicked off my shoes and fell on the bed. Pulling a quilt up over me, I fell asleep.

  I woke to the darkened room. Someone sat on the bed next to me. She ran her hand over my hair and made soothing noises. The room smelled like roses, the scent Grandma Andrews always wore. I blinked and no one was there. Sitting up, I rolled my shoulders. I should have expected a visit from my grandmother. Even dead, she wouldn’t have missed the chance to welcome me home.

  I picked up my tote where I’d dropped it next to the bed. I had stashed makeup, toiletries, and a change of clothes. I’d known that I’d be short on time when I got here. Being prepared was vital to making a proper showing in this family. The aunts and uncles would be at the table tonight. I’d get away with jeans and a nice shirt, but not the yoga pants and oversized tee I’d traveled in.

  After I was ready, I checked my phone. Ten messages from David. I opened the phone app and listened as his messages went from confused, to angry, to crying. He admitted he’d been having an affair, but the trip was the first time they’d slept together. He promised. He begged me to call him and explain why I wasn’t in our apartment anymore.

  I deleted all ten messages. I might call in a few months to tell him where I was, but for now, I had a life to rebuild. Without worrying about David’s feelings. Or getting sucked up by my family and their wants and needs for me. Sometimes having money was a curse. Especially when it made change hard. I glanced around the room. A vase of fresh flowers sat on a dresser and the refrigerator by my desk was filled with my favorite snacks and sodas. I opened it and yes, they’d even updated the selection to my current favorites. I grabbed a sparkling water and cracked it open. I drank down most of the bottle, dehydrated from flying. The water helped me feel clearer, so I finished that one and grabbed another to take to dinner with me. It was time to meet the family.

  They were in the living room when I came downstairs. The aunts still called it the parlor. They looked up when I hit the last stair. Aunt Franny hurried to my side and enveloped me in a large, soft hug. Franny was a huge woman and she gave the bests hugs in town. Especially to a heart broken niece.

  She held me out from her. Checking me over like I’d come home from a war. She was my mother’s sister and had been the top fortune teller in the French District before she’d married one of her clients and became his rich widow a few years later. Now, she lived in an old mansion in the Garden district where she held teas and joined social organizations. “I’m glad to see you. Even if this is what had to happen to bring you home. Your brother says you might be staying? I’d love to introduce you to my Garden Club. Many of our members have suitable sons that you might consider if you’re ready to settle down.”

  And there it was. The elephant in the room. My family thought I was too old to be unmarried. I’d probably moved into the Old Maid zone. Like there weren’t men in Seattle. Well, they had that right, at least. The one man I’d thought about pledging my life to had been scum. Nic didn’t get this kind of scrutiny about his love life, I bet. I closed my eyes and pushed away my first response which was snarky and cold. I opened them and smiled. “Aunt Franny, I’m way too busy right now figuring out what I’m going to do here in New Orleans to be dating. I’m sure I’ll find the one sooner or later. You know soulmates can be a little tricky to find.”

  “Well, I’m just glad your home. You have plenty of time.” She said, meaning she knew my time was running out. “Come in the parlor and let the rest of the family say hello.”

  Uncle Orrin and his wife, Gloria, were there. He and my father were brothers and had started the family business together. Now Orrin owned most of the river casinos in the area and Gloria was a homemaker. I didn’t know exactly what Gloria did all day. Their son, Phillip, was in Boston in medical school to be a surgeon. Gloria showed me a picture of Phillip in his scrubs he’d snapped for them on the first day of residency last fall. She patted my arm. “Maybe Phillip knows some nice single doctors you could meet.”

  Before I could respond, Nic rescued me. A bad habit my older brother seemed to love to do. “We need to get to the table before everything gets cold. I’m sure Eddie will tell us all about what she’s been doing in Seattle since she graduated head of her class in with an MFA focused on interior design and business, kicking my lowly MBA to the curb.”

  “Son, the stuff you learned from your MBA has taken Ardronic Family Corporation from the dark ages to where we’re downright respectable. As long as you don’t look too closely at our hands.” Uncle Arthur chuckled. He held up his hands and twisted them back and forth. “It’s all in the art of misdirection, right Nic?”

  Uncle Arthur was my dad’s other brother and the last of the aunts and uncles. He’d never married, and often said the job was his wife and mistress, although I thought he kept his personal life secret from everyone, even the family. Once, I saw him with a lovely Jamaican woman in a vision before he tuned in and looked right at me. He’d told me that he’d rather I stayed out of his head. Since that conversation within the vision, I’d never tried or even accidentally seen what was going on with my uncle. We both liked it better that way.

  “Of course, Uncle Arthur, but we are respectable. At least that’s what the books say.” He led the group to the table and to my surprise, my brother sat me at one end of the table. He winked at me, then crossed over to the other end, sitting in the power position. The simple move announcing to our family that we weren’t kids anymore. We were our parents’ children and as such, the heads of the family. At least in this house.

  Well, technically, Nic was the head of the family. And when he married, my seat would be taken by his wife. I’d become the spare heir in passing down power. My body tingled with a new source of power that confused me as it overwhelmed my senses. Maybe it was just being home again. My latent powers could be coming alive as I was near the magic well spring of our family tree. I hoped not. Even here in New Orleans, my plans were to live a normal life without magic. Or visions.

  “That’s not going to happen.” Nic’s words echoed silently in my head. I met his gaze and shook my head at him.

  “Stay out of my thoughts, brother,” I responded just as silently. Then I put up my walls and took a sip of the gumbo that had been set in front of me. Yes, moving home was going to be interesting.

  Before I said my goodbyes and left to go back to the hotel, Nic pulled me aside into his home office. “The funeral is tomorrow. I’ll have Trenton pick you up on our way there. Please don’t argue. I’d like us to arrive together in a show of unity. There’s been some discussion on maybe we should have a change of leadership at the company.”

  “Who? Not Uncle Arthur?” I felt shocked when Nic nodded. “He seemed like he was happy you took over when Dad died.”

  “He’s just not happy with some of the changes I’m making. Like I said at dinner, I’m trying to make us respectable. That comes at a cost and with a level of fairness Arthur doesn’t want to be held accountable to. I’ve come down on him several times this last year on falsifying employee work records and money from the shops.” He leaned on the desk. “Look, I’m not asking you to get involved, but if you would at least look like you’re supporting me, that would be great. You’re probably wondering why I sat you at the end of the table with me.”

  “No, I understood the power play. You realize, once Esmeralda comes to her senses and moves back from California, she’ll be taking that seat.” I picked up a picture of him and his soulmate when they were kids at Carnival. “She was always so beautiful.”

  “She still is. She knows the power that she’ll hold when she marries me. Honestly, I think that’s why she hasn’t said yes, yet. She keeps saying that town, South Cove, needs her.” He took the picture from me and after looking at it, set it back in the exact place where I’d picked it up from. Nic liked his things orderly. “Anyway, that’s why we need to be a unified team tomorrow. We’ll leave the funeral, do the second line, then we’re off to the will reading. We’ll come back to the house for the reception after that.”

  “We’re doing the will reading tomorrow. Isn’t that soon?” I thought about the vision of Grandma Andrews I’d seen in my room.

  “It’s unorthodox yes, but it’s in the will. Grandma set it up this way. I think she wants everyone to know exactly what she did before they start to bicker about her fortune.” He gave her a hug. “You look beat. Go get some sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow. Remember dress code is anything but black. You don’t want to anger her spirit.”

  “I have a dark blue dress that will work. It will make me feel better about not wearing black and still meet Grandma’s request.” I touched my neck where the silver locket with her and Granddad Andrew’s picture was set. She’d given it to me just before I’d left for college. She asked me to keep them close. And I had. “I’m going to miss her.”

  “I know.” He reached out and touched a finger to the locket.

  A knock sounded, then the door opened. Trenton poked his head inside the room. “Whenever you’re ready, miss.”

  With the funeral over and the second line completed, I was back in the limo with Nic. Trenton was at the wheel, driving us to the lawyers office. I’d seen my aunts and uncles leaving the gravesite as the attendees held us back, talking about how much our grandmother had meant to them. No one but us and Aunt Franny were technically related to the Andrews part of the family, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t expecting to be part of the will. I had a bad feeling they were going to be disappointed.

  I kicked off my one pair of Jimmy Choo’s and rubbed my feet. “I love these shoes but I’m not used to dressing up anymore. Even the design firm was more a Birkenstock place. Hopefully, my next endeavor will be as comfortable.”

  “Come work for me at the business. I could use the help keeping Uncle Arthur in line. I’ll give you a cool VP title and your own office. And probably twice what you made at that design place.” He was scrolling his phone, answering emails as we talked.

  “Maybe.” I said, but I really meant no way. I looked out the window as we passed through the Garden district toward downtown. LaFollette Cemetery was old but it was where the Andrews family vault was located so there was never any choice on where the burial would occur. LaFollette also was the home of a fictional vault of a popular vampire from a local author’s book series.

  “It wouldn’t be that bad.” Nic set his phone down. “I could use the help. I need someone in the office I can trust.”

  “Nic, I’m going to be honest here. Working in the family business is not what I want to do with my life. You know that. I’m thinking about opening a design studio or if I can afford it, buying an antiques business. It all depends on the inheritance. I’ve set aside the rest of what Mom and Dad left. It’s my retirement and freedom account. For situations like this one.” I turned my head to watch the grand houses pass by out the window.

  “I’m sorry about David. I can’t believe he did that to you.” Nic’s voice was low so hopefully Trenton didn’t hear my private business. But being at home meant one thing, I had no private business. Everything was up for discussion.

  “I really don’t want to talk about him.” I’d had to delete another set of messages this morning. I should have blocked his number when I left Seattle, but I guess I wanted to hear his explanation. But sorry I cheated wasn’t really a why and neither was the I made a mistake phrase that he used in every message. I had been looking for a reason, but maybe there wasn’t one. The affair had happened and now we were over. Case closed.

  “It’s not your fault,” Nic added to my internal ramblings.

  I didn’t waste the time to even answer. I knew the issue had been David. At least I found out before I said I do.

  The attorney’s office was in a high rise building near the French Quarter. Palm trees lined the road and as we pulled into the building’s underground parking, the temperature cooled. Trenton paused at the entrance and a doorman opened my door and held out his hand. I’d walked to most places in Seattle, including back and forth to work. This royal treatment was nice, but annoying.

  The air inside the parking lot was hot and humid, but that changed as soon as we got into the lobby and into the elevator. Nic pushed the button for the fifteenth floor. Neither one of us talked on the way. I didn’t have to make decisions today, but I did need to support my brother in his position. Holding my tongue was never my strength.

  The lawyer was waiting for us as the elevator door opened. He reached out and shook Nic’s hand, then reached for mine. “Ms. Cayce, I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m Michael Dean, your grandmother’s attorney.”

  The fact he didn’t call me Ms. Ardronic made me like him at once. And the fact he looked like Santa Claus in a suit didn’t hurt either. “Thank you so much, Mr. Dean. Grandma will be missed.”

  I wanted to say how sorry I was that I didn’t come home sooner, but he didn’t need my apology. I’d already told the ghost of my grandmother the same thing several times and had been forgiven each time. I was beating myself up for my own perverted pleasure. I took a breath, hoping to push the regret away. At least for now.

  “We’re in the conference room. Several of your relatives have already arrived. We’ve been waiting for you two before we began.” He walked down the hall toward the conference room and Nic caught my gaze. He’d been right. The family had tried to get the lawyer to explain what they’d received from the estate before we’d arrived.

  Now the fun could begin.

  3

  The conference room was filled with my aunts, uncles, and what appeared to be a lawyer for each of them. The lawyers were in black suits, everyone else wore bright colors except for me and Nic. We were in dark blue. I couldn’t have worn canary yellow even if my grandmother’s ghost had requested it. I mourned for her. I knew she hadn’t wanted me or anyone to mourn, but there it was. I couldn’t see a future where the world didn’t include my grandmother. Nic held out a chair for me and I slipped into it, wanting nothing more than to fall into my bed at the hotel and sleep for a week. Okay, maybe a year.

  “Are you okay?” Mr. Dean set a cup of coffee and chicory blend in front of me. “I’m having some pastries brought in, but maybe lunch would be better? You all probably haven’t eaten. Yet.”

  I was about to say no, when Aunt Franny spoke up. “That would be nice. My niece came in from Seattle for the funeral and I’m sure she’s feeling the jet lag still.”

  I took the coffee and met Nic’s gaze. He shrugged. This time, it hadn’t been him to step in and save me, but the effect was still the same. Everyone thought I needed taken care of. I had always been the baby of the family and treated as such. Which was one reason I chose a college as far away from my family as possible. The fact that most of them didn’t like flying had made it a perfect place to find my own footing. Yet, I’d given up spending these last years with Grandma. I wasn’t sure today that it had been the right decision. “Thank you, Mr. Dean. I’m sure my blood sugar is a little low.”

  Mr. Dean hit a button on the table and quietly spoke to someone. Then he nodded to his assistants who were standing by a table with a pile of folders. “The food will be right here. Will readings be quite a lengthy process, especially when my colleagues find a need to attend. I would hate to have anyone pass out due to hunger. Besides, your grandmother set up the catering before her passing.”

  Nic squeezed my hand. “Of course, she did. Grandma Andrews felt feeding people was the highest act of love you could show.”

  A woman in a black suit set a folder down in front of me. The clear front cover showed Grandma’s name and the words, last will and testament with a date. I pointed to that and looked up at Mr. Dean. “She signed the will two weeks ago?”

  “The will has been done since your grandfather died, but we’ve updated it at least annually due to changes in the beneficiaries. Like when your parents died, and then she called me a few weeks ago to review and make some final changes. I guess she had a feeling.” Mr. Dean waved in more assistants who set platters of food on the table with small plates. In front of me was a plate that held a mixture of croissants, beignets, and fruit. Some of the croissants had been made into sandwiches with ham or sausage patties and melted cheese. My stomach grumbled and I took one of the sandwiches, one of the powdered sugar covered beignets and several cubes of fruit. I wouldn’t be passing out just because I didn’t eat. I could take care of myself.

  One of the lawyers, I think he was with Uncle Arthur frowned. “The timing seems convenient.”

  “Are you saying she knew when she was going to die?” Mr. Dean focused on the man who was now looking at Uncle Arthur. “If so, we lost a powerful prognosticator. Of course, this is the Ardronic family.”

  The other lawyer shook his head and sipped his coffee, not willing to take on the fight. At least not there.

  Nic took two of the croissant sandwiches and the rest of the family filled their plates. Only the lawyers seemed to have already eaten that morning as they were busy looking through the will documents.

  Mr. Dean waited a bit for the food to start to be consumed and then started reading the will aloud. I wasn’t paying attention until Nic kicked my shoe with his foot. I met his gaze and realized we were at the distribution of assets portion.

  “To my daughter, Fanny, I leave my French Quarter condo and a sum of fifty thousand dollars for its upkeep. I also give her my ruby necklace that was given to me by my grandmother. I have left the necklace to my attorney to hold so she won’t be confused on which item is actually hers.”

  I saw Franny flush. But she kept her mouth shut. One of the assistants picked up a jewelry box from the back table and set it down in front of her.