Just Add Trouble

by Jinx Schwartz

Overview

Hetta Coffey is a sassy Texan with a snazzy yacht and she's not afraid to use it! A globe-trotting engineer with adventure in her soul, Hetta is determined to solidify her relationship with her long-distance boyfriend, Jenks Jenkins. What better place for a romantic interlude than aboard her yacht in Mexico's hauntingly beautiful and solitary Sea of Cortez? But where Hetta goes, trouble follows and chaos is sure to ensue. After a run-in with a couple of two-legged sea serpents that threaten to rock the boat, she nevertheless decides to take on a project in the port city of Guaymas. After all, Jenks is headed back to Kuwait, so why not cash in on the best of both worlds by racking up some pesos while living aboard her boat in Mexico? Once again Hetta's indomitable spirit, stubborn independence, and penchant for deceit launch her and her best friend, Jan, into a sea of trouble. A pesky parrot, a drunken aunt, and a shadowy figure who is handsome in a "criminal sort of way" lead to murder, mayhem, kidnapping, and run-ins with several federal agencies on both sides of the border.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781490900254
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	09/04/2013
Series:	Hetta Coffey , #3
Pages:	358
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.74(d)

Read an Excerpt

As I stepped aboard, Nacho grabbed my arm and put his finger to his lips.

"What?" I whispered.

"Listen."

From behind my master cabin door came a scratching sound, and what sounded like heavy breathing.

"Someone's in there, Nacho. Think the cops left a guard?"

"Not a very good one, judging by the snores. Stay back, I'm going in."

"Be careful, they may have a gun."

"Worried about me, corazon?"

"No, I just don't want more blood on my carpet."

He grinned, opened the door and stepped inside.

With a huffy hiss, something very large ran between his feet, slithered over mine, and into the saloon. Stunned, I shrieked, pushed Nacho forward as I jumped back, almost mashing the popcorn out of Trouble when I collided with a wall.

Trouble squawked, Nacho cursed, I squealed, and something hissed.

Much as I didn't want to, I turned on a light.

In the center of the main saloon, a furious five-foot, spiny iguana was letting us know he meant business. Spines on his back stood straight up, sharp teeth glinted in his open mouth. As his head bobbed rapidly, his pendulous dewlap swayed. Worse, his long striped tale whipped from side to side. As he gave us the evil eye, he turned his flank towards us and bowed up, his dewlap puffed even larger. This was one pissed off lizard.

Nacho and I practically tripped over each other in our hasty retreat. We backed into my darkened master suite and slammed the door.

"What in holy hell is that?" Nacho asked. "Some kind of dragon?"

"Iguana. Big one. Had one as a pet when I was a kid, but much, much smaller. I can't figure out how he got into the boat."

From behind us came agrowl. We froze. Now what?

I snaked my hand along the wall, found a light switch, and flipped it.

"Oh, God, turn it back off, or blind me," Nacho wailed.

I turned to find my Aunt Lil, buck naked, sprawled on the bed and snoring to beat the band. One hand was still wrapped around an empty Bacardi bottle.

"What, or who, is that?"

"My aunt." And my worst nightmare. Could I end up like this? Old, drunk and alone?

Nacho had his hand over his eyes. "For God's sake, cover her up."

I threw a blanket over my least favorite relative. She never stopped snoring. On the floor next to the bed was a leash attached to a rhinestone studded collar. I picked it up and handed it to Nacho.

"Here, take her iguana for a one-way walk into the desert."