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  Snapped, Cracked, and Popped

  Miss Fortune World: SS Beauty, Volume 11

  Kamaryn Kelsey

  Published by J&R Fan Fiction, 2018.

  Copyright © 2018 by Kamaryn Kelsey

  All rights reserved.

  This story is based on a series created by Jana DeLeon. The author of this story has the contractual rights to create stories using the Miss Fortune world. Any unauthorized use of the Miss Fortune world for story creation is a violation of copyright law.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author and the publisher, J&R Fan Fiction, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Also by Kamaryn Kelsey

  Mercy on the Bayou

  Sour Honey

  Miss Fortune World

  The Identity Inquiry

  Catch a Falling Spy

  The Treasured Letter

  Miss Fortune World: Mercy on the Bayou

  Wrong Turn

  Shot in the Park

  Spare Ribs and Cold Cuts

  Miss Fortune World: SS Beauty

  On The Bayou

  Bound For Hell

  In The Shadow

  Fast and Blue

  Adventures In Babysitting

  Down On The Vegas Strip

  On The Mountain Of Hope

  In-Laws, Outlaws, and Uninvited Guests

  When Worlds Collide

  On The Wagon

  Snapped, Cracked, and Popped

  City Girls Don't Camp

  It's All Relative

  The Missing Morrow

  Boot Camp Beauty

  Miss Fortune World: Wholly Moses!

  Murphy's Flaws

  Up In Smoke

  Filthy Stinking Rich

  Mo's Motel

  Cast and Catch a Fortune

  Dubious Deliveries

  Dirty Deeds

  Triple Threat

  Pandora's Shoebox

  Oh, Shoot!

  The Murphy Girls

  Tricks and Trouble

  Hit the Road, Jo!

  Out of the Storm

  PB & J

  Pary Barry & John- The New Neighbor

  Pary Barry & John- Who Can You Trust?

  Pary Barry & John- The New Job

  Pary Barry & John- Partners

  Pary Barry & John- The Team

  Pary Barry & John- The Body Drop

  Pary Barry & John- Now We're Cooking

  Pary Barry & John- Running Away

  Pary Barry & John- Life's Lessons

  Pary Barry & John- Pigmalion

  Pary Barry & John- He Says, She Says

  Pary Barry & John- Who's That Girl?

  Pary Barry & John- The Ex Games

  Pary Barry & John- The PJ's/ Mr. & Mrs. Smith

  Cookbooks and Crooks

  Pary Barry & John- Targeted (#6) & BLT (#7)

  Pary Barry & John- The Honeymoon (#17) & Designer Family (#18)

  Standalone

  Introduced by Karma

  Crazy Like Me

  I Love You- What's Your Name?

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Also By Kamaryn Kelsey

  Snapped, Cracked, and Popped (Miss Fortune World: SS Beauty, #11)

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

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  Author's note:

  This is Book 11 in the SS Beauty series and is not intended to standalone.

  This is a work of fiction. Other than Jana DeLeon's original story elements, the characters and names are creations of the author's imagination.

  The series is not about Fortune Redding, Sinful, and the Swamp Team. SS Beauty is Sandy-Sue Morrow and the series is about her and the life she makes for herself. She tires of her European vacation and comes home early, to Morrow's dismay. Wondering about her inheritance in Sinful, she takes a bus trip to check it out. Morrow sends Matt Meadows, who has done security work for him in the past, to keep an eye on her and to keep her from crossing paths with Fortune, and blowing Fortune's cover.

  At this point in her life, Sandy-Sue decides she's leaving the past behind, along with her name. She shortens it to Sady (sometimes she uses Sassafras or Sassy, the name she first gave Matt in book one of the series.) I took the liberty of giving Morrow a first name, John, since he makes appearances throughout the series and it didn't make sense for Sady to refer to him as Uncle Morrow.

  After the adventure in Louisiana, Morrow sends Sady to work for two former operatives, now retired and operating their own business, Knight Investigations in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Harry and CJ Knight are a husband and wife team.

  Amanda Keller, saucy and smart mouthed neighbor, soon becomes Sady's best friend. She likes to give Matt a hard time about anything and everything. After losing her job at the university, she joins the investigation company.

  Matt Meadows, Sady's love interest in the series, has stayed in Michigan. After Morrow repeatedly sends him back to Michigan to keep on eye on his niece, he realizes it will continue, so he makes the move as well.

  Character descriptions:

  Sady Morrow- Tall, slender, with long brown hair and big brown eyes. She often uses beauty pageant skills on the job. At this point in her life she is sweet, and sometimes goofy. However, she's intelligent and can been tough, when necessary.

  Matt Meadows- Tall, dark, and handsome. He has blue eyes and unshaven stubble. Hence, Amanda's nicknames for him, Stubbles or Blue Eyes. Frequently grumpy because of Amanda's constant picking. Matt sometimes uses Sady's pet name, Sassafras.

  Amanda Keller- Short, full-figured, black, and beautiful. She grew up in an exclusive suburb of Detroit. She has a smart mouth, a high tolerance for alcohol, and a full social dating calendar. She likes handsome men and isn't shy about saying so.

  CJ Knight- Short in stature, with clipped gray hair, green eyes, and an even shorter fuse. CJ is impatient and lethal with her hands. Even though she's small, she keeps them all in line.

  Harry Knight- Hot dang handsome with Siberian Husky light blue eyes, a stunning white smile, and good build. Amanda calls him Handsome, and he is- even though he is bald. Harry looks out for his team and plays the big brother/ father to Sady.

  The stories behind the supporting characters are developed throughout the series.

  Chapter 1

  "Has anyone else noticed Sady's been testy?" Matt asked his co-workers. He referred to recent incidents, such as the day she rolled into work a half hour late and called Harry a time clock warden when he asked if she was okay. Another day she showed up wearing two different shoes. When Matt pointed it out, she called him a perfectionist.

  Harry and CJ Knight, the owners of Knight Investigations, exchanged a glance.

  Amanda Keller, Sady's best friend, glared at Matt. "Well, aren't you the observant one?" she mocked. "Our girl hasn't been herself since she worked with Daria Bennett."

  ”More likely it was the trauma of meeting your family,” he scoffed.

  "I don't think it's the people, I think it's the job," Harry interjected in a quiet voice.

  They all turned when the door to the conference room opened with a crash. "You're talking about me again
, aren't you?" Sady snapped with a scowl. "What is it this time? I forgot to comb my hair? And you think I forgot about Bob, don't you?"

  With a blank expression CJ asked, "Who's Bob?"

  Harry muttered, "Bob was the fish."

  Sady teared up and yelled, "You all forgot about him, didn't you?"

  Amanda said, "Of course not, but Bob's in a better place now, Sady."

  "You mean he's better off dead in the city sewer, than alive and swimming in a fish bowl with me as his owner?" she accused. "I killed Bob!" She rushed from the room and locked herself in her office.

  "Morrow's going to kill us," CJ stated flatly.

  "I don't think so," Amanda replied. "Not me, anyway. I knew something was wrong when I found her sobbing over that stupid goldfish last week. She probably wouldn't be so upset if you hadn't flushed it, Stubbles. You should have let her give it a proper burial so she could have closure!"

  "It was a fish, Amanda. And she owned it less than a week," Matt said. "Besides, what's a proper burial for a fish? Batter and a deep fryer?"

  "It's not you, or the fish," Harry insisted.

  "He's right." CJ supported Harry. "Matt, we're trained to handle dangerous situations, and we forget Sady isn't. I'm surprised Morrow didn't call to make sure she's getting counseling. We should have done that sooner."

  "What about me?" Amanda asked. "Am I the chopped liver here?"

  "Yes," Matt told her. "Unless you've morphed into a hot dog."

  "Don't be offended, Amanda," Harry advised. "Sady's been through more traumatic experiences. I think the last job, seeing those kids were threatened, pushed her over the edge. Sady doesn't have the skills to cope with that, on top of the other dangerous positions this job has put her in. I blame myself for not realizing it."

  "We all let it slide, Harry," CJ said. "In many ways the beauty pageant life made Sady tough, but not in all the ways needed for this job. Having your life, or another's threatened isn't a normal experience for a beauty queen."

  "I heard that!" Sady yelled from the hall. "You all think I'm crazy, don't you? Well, I'm not, so you can stop talking about me behind my back." She put her head around the corner to look into the room.

  "We don't think you're crazy," Harry replied soothingly.

  She turned on him with, "You shut up. I know you're lying because I heard what you said about me, and I know you've been whispering when you thought I wasn't around." Brows went up and jaws dropped. Sady never spoke to Harry like that. Harry was the one person Sady counted on to be kind and understanding, and she'd never hurt him.

  "It's Stubbles, isn't it?" Amanda asked, giving Matt a dirty look. "He shouldn't have flushed that stupid fish!"

  "Bob wasn't stupid," Sady yelled. "He needed me, and I let him down!"

  "Would you like me to buy you another fish?" Matt offered.

  "Just like that? Act like Bob never existed, and he can be replaced with any old fish?" Sady looked ready to cry again. "Just for that I'm taking back the Mustang name! He's now named Justin again."

  CJ ignored Sady's comment about the car. She glared at Matt and said, "We aren't going to get a fish to replace Bob, Sady. Meadows was stupid for even suggesting it." Sady narrowed her eyes for a minute, then her head disappeared. This time they heard the back door to the office slam, and the engine of Sady's Mustang roar to life.

  CJ jumped and said, "One of you call Morrow, while I chase her down." CJ ran out the back door to catch Sady before she left the parking lot.

  "Sady, unlock the door or I'll break your window," CJ threatened. Sady hesitated, then unlocked the door for CJ.

  "What do you want?" Sady barked.

  "Let's go," CJ replied. "I assume you're going to find somewhere to open it up and let Justin run."

  "Oh," she said in surprise. "I thought you were trying to stop me."

  "I wouldn't think of it," CJ replied as she buckled her seat-belt with a mental eye roll. She knew Sady was less likely to end up with a speeding ticket from another state with a passenger along for the ride.

  An hour later CJ told Harry, "If my hair wasn't already gray, it would be now. Please tell me you talked with Morrow."

  "Why are you calling Uncle John behind my back?" Sady demanded from behind them.

  "It wasn't behind your back. We were out of the office, remember?" CJ told her.

  "Oh." Sady thought about it, then said, "Okay." She returned to her office and closed her door.

  CJ turned with a questioning look on her face. Amanda snatched a paper from Matt's hand and waved it at her. It contained the names of recommended counselors and therapists. After a silent round of rock, paper, scissors CJ gave the paper to Matt and shoved him in the direction of Sady's office.

  After five minutes of yelling Matt slipped out of her office and handed the crumpled paper back to CJ. "She yelled at me for calling her Sassafras," he told them. Matt used the nickname in an affectionate manner with Sady, and she never complained until now.

  Another round of rock, paper, scissors sent Harry into Sady's office. He didn't last five minutes. He came out of her office looking like he lost his best friend. CJ lifted a brow at Amanda, and they marched into Sady's office. Together they lasted a half hour, but the results were the same.

  "I'm not depressed, I don't have anxiety issues, I'm not stressed out, and I don't need any help. Now get out and leave me alone."

  "Sady, do you realize that you called Harry a nosy jerk?" CJ asked.

  "He's the one who came in and told me I need professional help," she replied in a low voice.

  "You do need professional help," Amanda said. "Now I can't blame you for throwing out Stubbles, but Harry would never hurt your feelings on purpose and you know it."

  "So you're all against me?" Sady asked. "Well, I have an answer to that. I quit." She picked up her purse and made for the back door. Matt stood between her and the exit, so she kicked him. "Get out of my way," she sniffled.

  "Sady, you're not driving anywhere in this condition," he said as he rubbed his shin. "If you want to go home, then I'll drive you."

  "You're not taking my car away from me," she said, scrubbing at the tears pooling in her eyes. "And you're not driving it."

  "You get that skinny butt of yours to my car," Amanda ordered. "Because I'm driving you home. You can leave Justin here for the night."

  "That's what you said last time, and he got stolen, chased, and stripped!" Sady reminded them. "He won't be here when I get back."

  "Are you coming back? I thought you just quit," CJ asked, slapping Harry’s arm when he tried to quiet her. "Stop babying her!"

  "Just for that I un-quit. Come on, Amanda. Let's get out of here!" Sady grabbed Amanda’s arm and dragged her out the door.

  "There's nothing wrong with me," Sady insisted on the drive home.

  "Uh, huh. Then why did you throw your coffee cup across the break room last week?"

  "The stupid coffeemaker was going too slow, so I went down the street and got a cup. Someone needs to clean the machine. That wasn't my fault."

  "How about the trash can you kicked out of your office into the hall?"

  "That was just PMS. I tripped over it and got mad. Stupid thing, anyway," Sady grumbled.

  "Was Blue Eyes in your way when you kicked him?"

  "Yes. You saw him blocking the door. He did it on purpose, so he deserved that kick. Stupid man, always in the way," Sady griped.

  "And Handsome is a nosy jerk?"

  "All men are jerks," Sady continued. "And stupid."

  "Including Bob?"

  "What's with the third degree? Can't a woman have a little emotional episode without everyone making a big deal of it? I'm just a little edgy. It happens, especially when you lose your first pet."

  "Sady, your little emotional episode has been going on for weeks now. Are you telling me that whole time has been PMS?" Amanda asked.

  "I don't want to talk about it any more. If you can't leave me alone, then just let me out and I'll walk home."


  "Oh, no you won't. Have you eaten today? Because I'm not kidding about that skinny butt of yours. Slender is one thing, but you're getting bony, girl. You gotta work to keep that figure. Look at me. I'm not gonna lose these curves. I worked too hard to get them," Amanda said as she ran a hand over her full figure. Sady finally smiled. Amanda inherited her full figure and beauty from her mother.

  Sady sighed. "I know. I'm just not hungry, and if you tell anyone I'll deny it." Sady was naturally tall and slender, but she couldn't deny her clothes were looser than they'd been a month ago.

  "Well, hungry or not, we're stopping to eat. It's too hot to cook. Besides, I'm starving. I better not hear you ordering a salad or I'll beat your scrawny butt, understand?" Amanda pulled through a fast food drive and ordered a meal. Sady ordered a sandwich. Amanda gave her a look of reproach then included fries and a shake with Sady's sandwich. She then parked and made Sady eat the whole thing.

  "Are you going to clean my bathroom when I'm sick later?" Sady asked.

  "No, that's Stubble's job. Call him instead. I got plans for tonight. You want to come along?"

  Sady learned it was best to not ask about Amanda's plans. It was wise to just politely decline. Amanda had an alcohol tolerance equal to a dorm of college students on spring break. "You go ahead and have fun," Sady replied. "But thanks for the offer."

  Chapter 2

  Back at the office, Sady's friends tried to figure out how to help her. They tossed around ideas, then Harry snapped his fingers. "I know!" He grabbed his phone and made a call. When he finished he turned with a smile of satisfaction.

  "Sady's gonna kill you," Matt warned.

  "She already did that," Harry replied. "She won't like this, but it's her job. What can she say?"

  "I can't believe you asked that," CJ declared. "I'm not sure if I want to be around when you break the news to her. I didn't think beauty queens had that kind of vocabulary."

  "Blame it on Matt," Harry replied. "He's been a bad influence."

  Matt snorted. "I guess you haven't spent any quality time with Amanda lately, have you, Harry? With her college connections, she knows words I've never heard!"