Page 1 of Monkey Business

CHAPTER ONE

“I think Marcel and Amy are settling in at Belle Fleur,” said Miller. “I was over there this morning, and she was giving him orders on where to move the furniture. I thought he’d be pissed, but the poor sap is in heaven. He said he’s grateful just to be able to touch furniture, let alone move it. That, and of course, he’s madly in love with Amy.”

The men all chuckled, shaking their heads. It didn’t matter what time period you were from. If your wife said, ‘please move this,’ you moved it. Marcel had been given an unbelievable gift. Truly unbelievable. He’d received a second life, a second chance at a life he never dreamed he would have. That seemed a specialty of Gray Wolf, VG, and all the others at Belle Fleur. Second chances were made to happen for those who deserved them. It seemed the magic of Belle Fleur ensured it.

In many ways, Amy had received a second chance as well. The team of Gray Wolf proved her innocence and then were smart enough to hire her to help their own philanthropic activities. She was going to ensure that their legacy lived forever.

“I’m happy for him,” nodded Ian. “I can’t imagine being alone like that for two hundred years, unable to touch another human or eat real food. All the simple things that we take for granted. Hell, even driving a car or riding a bike. I was taking a hot shower the other night and thought about how strange it would be for him to stand beneath the shower spray or take a hot bath but to wish for something so basic.”

“Which brings about another point,” said Miller. “How in the hell are the ghosts able to eat and drink now? And where does it go?”

“Where does it go?” frowned Gabe. “In their stomachs! What’s wrong with you?” Miller gave a low growl to his little brother who only flipped him off.

“Shouldn’t their organs be gone?” asked Antoine. “I mean, they’re ghosts. If they have a stomach, do they have a liver and heart? If they have livers and hearts and lungs, why aren’t they alive again?”

“You’re all giving me a headache,” said Nine rubbing his temples. “I don’t know how this works, and I’m not sure I want to know. I’m happy for them. Maybe they’ll all get a second chance at life.

“Mama Irene and Matthew said that Marcel had died before his time. It would stand to reason that the others did as well. Maybe not Martha and Franklin. They were well over a hundred. At this point, I’m prepared for whatever comes.”

“You make a good point, Nine,” said Ghost. “I’m not sure that any of us are surprised about this. I mean, in the beginning, but anymore, I’m pretty much prepared for anything that comes our way.”

“Jesus, don’t say that. I’m not prepared for anything to come our way,” said Gaspar, shaking his head. The men all chuckled.

“By the way.”

“Shit.”

“Damnit!”

“You asshole,” said Luc, spilling his coffee down his shirt. Trak just smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. “You do that shit intentionally in your old age.”

“By the way, Eagle Feather has requested more deer at the table. I did explain that today there is a deer season, but if we find one on our land, he would see it as a great favor if it could be served in a stew or as a steak.”

“Great, now we’re creating menus around what the ghosts want,” mumbled Pork.

“We did take a suggestion from May and spoke to all of them about the ghost network theory,” said Ian. Without a word, Martha, Grip, Tony, and Yori appeared, smiling at the team.

“Good morning,” smiled Martha at her handsome boys. Much like Irene, she thought of them all as hers.

“Good morning, Martha,” sang the room. The ghostly figure laughed, smiling at the men, most of whom were related to her.

“I do love you boys. You make this old woman smile every day.”

“Same, Martha,” grinned Baptiste. “So, what’s the deal with this ghost network.”

“Well, as you’re aware, we’ve had luck contacting some spirits when they’ve died in other places or are connected to those here. So you know, we did consult with Matthew, and he could not be helpful.”

“Could not be?” repeated Rafe. “So, he has the ability, but divinely, in theory, he cannot help with such things?”

“We’re not sure,” said Grip, staring at the other man. He’d known him since he was just a boy. Seeing him now as an older man seemed strange when Grip himself was stuck at his age of death. “All we know is that we are on our own. The men and women who are buried on this land can easily be accessed unless they’ve made their way to their final destination.”

“Heaven or hell?” asked Nine.

“It’s my understanding there are other places as well,” said Grip.

“There’s more than just heaven and hell? What the shit? When was someone going to explain this?” asked Jean.

“I don’t think anyone was supposed to explain anything, nor are they required,” said Yori. “We are discovering this on our own. Our relationship is not unique but rather rare. We have the ability to speak with all of you, touch you, and now eat with you. That is highly unusual but can happen in other places.”

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