He arched an eyebrow. “Did she?”
“She said something about it being an investment in her future grandchildren.”
He chuckled. “I’m an only child.”
She slid her arms around his waist, pressing her hips to his. “I guess we’re her only hope.”
“I guess we are. Want to get out of here?”
“I’d love to.”
“Hey, Momma?”
Madeline sashayed over and kissed them both on the cheek. “I’ve got this shindig under control, kids. You two go home and make me some grandbabies while I’m still young enough to enjoy them.”
Sean’s cheeks flushed with color. “Momma…”
“Oh, hush, you were both thinking it. I just said it out loud. Now get on out of here. Scoot.” She ushered them out the door and closed it behind them.
The sun dipped behind the building, casting long shadows across the street. A musician played a saxophone a block away, the soft tunes drifting in the autumn air, creating an intimate soundtrack for their reunion. Sean swept her into his arms as he swayed to the music, and she melted into his embrace.
He gazed into her eyes and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What do you want to do now?”
“I want you to take me home and love me forever.”
With a sly grin, he stepped back and dropped into a formal bow. “As you wish.”
Epilogue
Eight Months Later
Roxy bolted out the car door as soon as Sean opened it and bounded toward his mother’s house. Sometimes he swore that dog liked his mom more than him. It definitely liked his wife more, but he was okay with that.
He offered Emily a hand and helped her out of the car. By the time they reached the front porch, his mom was on her knees, scratching the pit bull behind the ears. Roxy planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek, and she stood up laughing, wiping the slobber from her face.
“Happy birthday, Son.” She kissed him on the cheek and pulled Emily into a hug. “And how are you, dear?”
“Never better.”
She ushered them into the sitting room and tossed a piece of rawhide to Roxy. “That ought to keep her busy for a while.”
He laughed. “Maybe for five minutes.”
Emily looked at his great-great-grandmother’s spirit and smiled. “Hello, Lenore. Lovely day, isn’t it?”
Sean couldn’t help but grin at his beautiful wife. She’d gone from being terrified at the mere mention of ghosts to talking to them like they were old friends. The power of her gift still astonished him. She was getting better at communicating with the deceased than he was, and she’d only been practicing a few months. In fact, in the short amount of time she’d been investigating with his team, she’d already discovered what happened to little Alice and Jonathan from the hotel ballroom. Their father had been a doctor with an office located in one of the upper floors of the building. Left unattended in one of the exam rooms, the children drank some sort of medicine and passed away from poisoning. And Eli…well, he was a work in progress, but he didn’t frighten Emily anymore.
Madeline uncorked a bottle of wine. “Who’s drinking with me this evening?”
He raised his hand. “I’ll have a glass.”
“None for me, thank you.” Emily flashed him a knowing smile, and he moved to hug her from behind.
“Are you sure, Emily? I have white if you don’t want red.” Her gaze fell to her son’s hands resting on Emily’s lower stomach. “Is that? Are you?” Her mouth dropped open.
He laughed. “Momma, meet Sable Lenore LeBlanc. She’ll be making her appearance in about seven months.”
His mom clasped her hands together under her chin, tears welling in her eyes. “Seven months? How do you know the sex already?”
Emily rubbed her hands over his. “Sydney told us. The next one will be a boy.”
“Oh!” His mom hugged them both, sandwiching Emily in the middle. “Life could not get any more perfect than this. Excuse me, I have to go make a few phone calls.” She danced into the kitchen, and Emily twisted in his arms to face him.
“She’s right, you know. I can’t imagine a more perfect life than this one.”
“If we’re to take Sydney at her word, it’s only going to get better.”
She smiled and ran a playful finger down his chest. “Good. Because I won’t accept anything less than fireworks.”
“Neither will I.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and tightened his arms around her. Lenore lifted a translucent hand and faded out of sight, taking the soft buzz of her spirit energy with her.
Emily glanced at the empty chair and returned her gaze to his. “Do you think she’ll be back?”
“No. I think she’s finally moved on. She’s been fading for a while.”
She pressed her lips together and nodded, a tinge of sadness softening her eyes as if she’d miss his great-great-grandmother. “Moving on is a good thing.”
He brushed his fingers across her cheek. “So are fresh starts.”
“I’m glad I made mine with you.”
“So am I, Buttercup. So am I.”
* * *
Don’t miss Love & Omens, Sydney’s story in the Crescent City Ghost Tours Series!
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Sample the first chapter of Love & Omens now:
A crisp February breeze rolled down Frenchman Street, biting at Sydney Park’s cheeks. She flipped up the collar of her leather jacket and angled her face toward the sky, letting the midday sun warm the chill from her skin.
Her phone buzzed on the table, and a text from Eric lit up the screen: Where are you?
She replied Upstairs, and her coworker’s response came through as she set the device down: Coming up.
Leaning her arm on the pink wrought-iron railing, she peered over the gallery at the activity on the street below. New Orleans tourists and locals alike bustled about, grabbing lunch or drinks and chatting before moving on to their destinations.
Crescent City Ghost Tours held their weekly planning meeting over lunch at Dat Dog every Tuesday, and while the chill in the air sent most patrons indoors, Sydney snagged a table on the gallery upstairs, away from the interior noise.
Her boss, Sean, had something important to announce to the group, and for once, she hadn’t seen it coming in a vision. Her family curse made surprises few and far between, and a little flush of adrenaline caused a bubbly sensation in her chest, a tingle shooting up her spine as she awaited the news.
She inhaled a deep breath and let out a contented sigh, basking in the mix of cool air and warm sun as the jazzy music from a street band a few blocks away drifted on the breeze. A snare drum tapped out a quick rhythm, and a marching tuba, catching the sunlight in glints as its player danced, blew a deep bass, while a trumpet blasted out the melody.
She’d barely had a chance to take in another breath when her skin turned to gooseflesh. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and her peripheral vision took on a blue and gold kaleidoscope effect.
Dammit, that feeling was short-lived. The mosaic pattern grew, tunneling her vision into a swirling phantasmagoria of cut glass, light, and shadow. Her perception of the real world disintegrated as a sinking sensation pulled her down the rabbit hole into a premonition.
As the kaleidoscope in her mind’s eye cleared, she focused on her surroundings, taking in as much information as she could. When her brain tumbled into a vision of its own accord, she never knew how long she’d be under, how much time she’d have to figure out what the universe wanted her to know.
And why it wanted her to know it? That was a mystery she’d never solve.
Normally,
when the scenery came into focus, the blue and gold stained-glass ring sparkling in her peripheral was the only thing distinguishing the life-like “Wonderland” from reality. This time, something about the vision felt…off…like it wasn’t fully formed.
In her mind, she saw herself standing in a cemetery, her head bowed, a deep sob wracking her body as Sean held her close to his side.
Rows of above-ground tombs dotted the landscape, some standing five feet tall, others soaring to twice that height, but a murkiness in her vision obscured the markers, and their forms wavered, making it impossible to decipher their exact shapes.
A crowd gathered around a coffin, and warm, humid air pressed down on her, squeezing the breath from her lungs. Forcing herself to move closer in her vision, she rotated the scene in her mind so she could see her own face.
Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks, following the paths of the others that had long since dried. Sean’s red-rimmed eyes flicked toward the casket, and he swallowed hard, shaking his head as he sucked in a trembling breath.
She scanned the scene, searching for familiar faces, trying desperately to figure out who occupied the coffin in the distance, but the vision grew stagnant, the people blurred. She pushed forward, trying to move deeper into the cemetery, toward the tomb, but an invisible wall blocked her path. The blue and gold kaleidoscope pattern dancing on the edges of her vision grew, encroaching on her view of the scene.
“You okay, Syd?” Sean’s voice echoed in her mind as Wonderland shut down, jolting her into the present.
Time behaved differently in her visions, and while her visit to the cemetery had felt like it lasted a good ten minutes, her check-out from reality had likely stolen no more than a few seconds from her day.
She blinked, shaking her head and brushing her dark hair from her eyes. Sean slid into the seat next to her, and Eric and Jason sat in the chairs on the opposite side of the table.
“Hey.” Sean rested a hand on her left arm and tapped two fingers against it. “Anything I need to know?”
Though her jacket covered her Alice in Wonderland themed tattoo sleeve, her friend’s gesture held the same meaning: a silent question whether her spaced-out expression was from a premonition or if she’d simply been lost in thought.
“No.” She slipped her phone into her pocket as the server delivered their lunch order. “I’m fine…still processing it.”
“Are you sure?” Eric pulled a knit beanie over his dark brown hair. “You picked a table on a windy balcony in the dead of winter. Seems more crazy than fine.”
“Please. It’s sunny and sixty-three degrees. Don’t be a baby.” She snatched a fry from his plate and shoved it into her mouth.
“Hey! You’ve got your own.”
“I know.” She shrugged. “I’m getting even for last time.”
“All right, kids, eat up,” Sean said. “We’ve got a lot to talk about, and my wife is so pregnant she’s about to burst. I could get called away at any second, and this is important business.” He smiled, but it didn’t mask the worry in his eyes.
Even though Sydney had seen his kids—this one and the one that would be coming in a few years—in her visions, he’d been on edge since the third trimester began.
That premonition had been a happy one. If all her visions went the way of the ones she’d had about Sean lately, her life would be a hell of a lot easier. Unfortunately, ones like the nightmare she’d just had always slipped in the moment things started running smoothly.
“Still no visions about the actual birth?” Sean’s brow knit over his dark brown eyes, and she couldn’t help but grin at his new-father anxiety.
Even if she hadn’t known him her entire life, his concern alone was enough to prove he’d be a great dad. His wife and soon-to-be daughter were two lucky ladies. “No, but everything is going to be fine. I wouldn’t have seen you guys a few years down the road if there were going to be issues. Don’t worry.”
His shoulders relaxed as he nodded. “The vision you just had…?”
“It wasn’t about that.” She picked up her hot dog and took a massive bite. The savory flavors of Polish sausage and dill relish danced on her tongue as she stared out across the street and ran the premonition through her mind again.
The coffin had been full size, so nothing had changed about the baby’s birth. But Sean had been there, red-eyed and sobbing right along with her. Whoever was going to die, they both cared deeply for the person.
“So, what’s the news?” Jason bit into his burger and stared at Sean with wide, blue eyes.
“Yeah, man. Don’t leave us hanging,” Eric said.
Sean grinned. “We’ve been talking about expanding the business for a while now, and…it’s happening. I’m taking on a partner.”
Sydney nearly choked on her Dr. Pepper, her quick inhale sucking the bubbles up the back of her throat to sting her nose. “Now? I thought you were going to wait until things settled down with your home life. You’re about to have a baby.”
“I know.” He held up his hands. “But the opportunity presented itself, and I couldn’t pass it up. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think my awesome employees could handle it.”
He had a point. They were more than capable of taking on a new tour or two, and Sean had been discussing it with her for months. But their conversations never alluded to him bringing in a new partner.
She crossed her arms. “What’s this person bringing to the table that we can’t do on our own with a few extra guides?”
“That’s the exciting part.” Sean’s eyes gleamed. “We’re going to start a line of tours that focuses on true crimes, whether they’ve left behind a haunting or not. People are mesmerized by the seedy underbelly of the city and all the gruesome things that have happened in our history: The Axeman, the Trunk Murders, the Vampire Brothers… We’ll guide them around the city to show them the locations of the crimes, and the tour will end at our new Museum of the Macabre.”
“I like the way this sounds.” Eric leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “What’s going to be at the museum?”
“Let me guess.” Sydney turned to Sean. “Murder weapons? You found someone who could get ahold of an actual trunk from the murder scene? An axe used by The Axeman himself?” Which, in all honesty, sounded pretty cool. She could get on board with this, as long as the new partner wasn’t an ass.
“Exactly. He’s even procured a coffin dating back to the 1700s. We’re thinking the tour will start…”
They guys continued the discussion, but Sean’s mention of a coffin had Sydney’s mind drifting back to her vision. She needed to go home and meditate on this, see if she could open the door and slip back into the scene. The only people who weren’t blurry in the premonition were herself and Sean, so that left the possibility of death open to at least five or six others.
Then again, if the cemetery were going to be a stop on the new tour, they could have simply arrived during a stranger’s funeral in her vision. But that didn’t explain the obvious tears on her face.
There was no need to panic yet. The grave could have been metaphorical. Sometimes her visions weren’t literal. They were occasionally downright strange, hence the nickname of Wonderland she’d given to them. Between the sinking sensation and the kaleidoscope patterns tunneling her vision, she’d always felt a bit like Alice falling down the rabbit hole when they started.
She had time to figure this out. The weather had been warm in the cemetery, and according to the local weatherman, the current cold snap would last at least two more weeks. She’d put the pieces together by then.
And who knew? Maybe this coffin was symbolic like the tiny one she’d flushed down the toilet in a vision she’d had as a teen. She’d been certain her purple betta fish, Hatter, was about to kick the bucket, when in reality, the coffin had been an omen. A sign of what would happen to her Chemistry grade when she chose a Foo Fighters concert over studying for an exam. That trip to Wonderland had been blurry around the edg
es like this one.
“Syd?” Sean nudged her with an elbow, and she tucked her hair behind her ear, nodding to feign listening. “You’re good with the extra responsibility?”
“Of course.” She had no idea what he’d said, but she’d handle whatever it was. “Just tell me what to do, and it’s done.”
Sean gave her a quizzical look before shaking his head. “Who’s on tonight?”
“It’s me and you, right, Eric?” She glanced across the table, and Eric nodded.
“Okay. He’ll be following the eight o’clock tour, and I’ll probably tag along too. Hopefully the merger will become official shortly after.” Sean looked each of them in the eyes. “Is everyone on board with this?”
“Hell, yeah.” Eric reached across the table to fist-bump Sean.
“Absolutely,” Jason said.
They all looked at Sydney, and she swallowed. She’d heard less than half of what they said, but she trusted Sean to make the right decision for the company.
“Yeah. True crime. Museum of the Macabre. Sounds great.” She flashed a small smile and stood to throw her trash away.
“All right. Class dismissed.” Sean stayed in his seat as Eric and Jason said goodbye and shuffled inside the building.
“I’ll see you tonight.” Sydney took one step toward the door before Sean stood and put a hand on her shoulder.
“That vision you had…”
She pressed her lips together and forced her gaze to his. “I’m not sure what it means. I’ll let you know if it’s anything important.”
He dropped his arm to his side. “It wasn’t Emily…?”
“No.” She shook her head adamantly. He’d already been through one death after a vision of hers, and she wasn’t about to let him worry again. “Emily wasn’t in it. She’s…”
He held her gaze, his dark eyes searching hers.
She couldn’t lie to him. Honestly, she had no idea what the coffin contained. Maybe it wasn’t even a body. Maybe it signified the death of the company if he went through with the merger. She’d have to do a lot more digging to find out, and there was no point in worrying anyone until she knew the whole story.
Love & Ghosts: Crescent City Ghost Tours Page 26