And then I heard Father’s voice. Father’s voice calling me, his fist banging on the door.
Finally, the door was open and I saw him, his face broken in tears as he witnessed my bloody end.
And then everything changed.
I could no longer see my father. I was in another place. No, wait. This place was so like home but not quite. The color had faded from my new dress, my face and everything about me. I walked up and down the halls looking for Jacob. Poor, frightened Jacob. I did not hate him. He could never have saved me. I worried for him, hoped he would love. I had to show him that I was alive.
And then I found another child. A little girl with golden hair; she wore it in two braids. We talked often. Her name was Loxley. She lived here now, but this was no longer Pennbrook.
This was her house. This was Summerleigh.
And I was the Lady in White.
Epilogue—Jerica
With only thirty minutes to kill before my drive to Mobile, I felt antsy this morning. This was a recent development but not an entirely unwelcome one. In the past, this kind of anxiety often preceded a supernatural encounter.
No, I didn’t feel afraid. I was excited by the prospect of seeing someone I loved. Would I see Harper? Maybe Jeopardy? I couldn’t guess what was about to take place, but I felt compelled to go for a walk. And even as my feet stepped onto the familiar pathway, I knew my destination.
The potting shed.
I zipped up my jacket and waved goodbye to Renee, who was busy preparing for a new infusion of weekend guests. How could I manage all this without her? I hoped I never had to know. One day soon, very soon, she would be my cousin-in-law, if that was a real thing. Closing the door behind me, I shoved my hands in my plaid jacket pockets.
Only thirty minutes to kill, Jerica. You can’t miss a minute of Jesse’s big day.
And I wouldn’t dream of it. Jesse’s latest book, The Ghosts of Pennbrook, was a regional hit, and his publisher was very excited about his future. I remembered the night he typed THE END. We celebrated with a kiss, a little champagne and a completely wonderful marriage proposal.
And this time I said, “Yes!” without hesitation.
“But I want to do it quickly,” I told him.
“Afraid you’ll change your mind?” he asked while he posed in his signature power move, leaning back against the couch with his arms crossed.
“I’m not changing my mind, Jesse. My only concern is my dress.” I slid my arms around his narrow waist and smiled coyly.
He gave a low and sexy laugh and kissed me, his relief obvious. As if I wouldn’t want to marry him. “Jerica, I am sure any dress you choose will be perfect. Just like you.”
“Thank you for the compliment, but we both know I’m not perfect.” I kissed him back. “It’s not my style selection I’m worried about. It’s the fit.” A dark strand of hair fell into my eyes, and Jesse tucked it behind my ear as he always did. I blushed thinking about his voice purring in my ear earlier during an intimate session.
I always want to see your beautiful eyes, Jerica.
I tried not to chuckle at his confusion now. “You lost me, honey.”
Still smiling up at him, I rubbed my stomach and held it protectively. “I don’t want to waddle down the aisle, Jesse. So sooner rather than later, please.”
“What?” His puzzled expression made me laugh out loud. Then realization dawned on his handsome face. “You mean…we…”
“You are going to be a daddy, Jesse Clarke.” And to my surprise, he cried. He held me and cried. And I couldn’t have loved him any more than I did at that moment.
“When?”
“Let’s see. It’s December now, and I’m three months…so June, I think. At least that’s what the doctor says, but it’s subject to change by a week or two.”
“What do we do now? I mean, is there anything I can do?”
I laughed again. “I think your contribution to this process is over for now. But thanks for the support.” We hugged and laughed and cried some more. Yes, it was a wonderful moment.
A little more than a year had passed since we’d solved the mystery of Mariana McIntyre. And to think, Hannah had even gotten it wrong. Jameson had not murdered his sister—Claudette committed that heinous crime. But now the world knew the truth, thanks to Jesse’s hard work. He gave me credit in his book for my part, but I didn’t really care about that. The ghosts had been put to rest, and all was well here at Summerleigh. If a little lonely.
I was glad everyone was at peace. Except with the way I was feeling, that may not be true. Someone was waiting for me! Just a quick walk, Jerica. Get moving. If you miss your fiancé’s book signing, you’ll never hear the end of it. The gravel crunched underneath my boots, and I flipped the jacket collar up to shield my bare neck from the growing cold. Why had I worn a ponytail today? A few brown leaves fluttered to the ground, the last remnants of fall. Suddenly, I paused as I heard a sound. A familiar sound, like a shovel digging in the dirt. I hadn’t hired a gardener yet, so who could be out here digging on our property? I heard the sound again—clearly someone was here. I cleared the potting shed, the direction I assumed the noise was coming from, but there was no one there. Just a shovel on the ground. An old rusty shovel and the beginnings of a hole.
“Who’s out here? Come out now!” I yelled, ignoring my own goose bumps. Then I heard movement in the shed beside me. Yes, someone was hiding in there. I moved as quietly as possible toward the door and turned the knob slowly, hoping to get the drop on whoever might be inside. I was wasting my time—there was no one in here, no one at all, and no sign that there had been anyone in here recently.
Not at first, but then I saw them. Pink rose petals scattered around an empty bed of soil. Where had those come from? We hadn’t had roses in at least two months. I realized the petals weren’t just scattered…they spelled something. I studied them and after a few seconds could clearly read two words: Thank you. I reached into my pocket and retrieved my cell phone to take a picture. Jesse had to see this. Before I could hit send, I saw a figure walk past the shed window. Instantly, I knew who it was.
That was John Jeffrey Belle! I raced to the door and yelled, “JB!” But he wasn’t there, and the space where I was standing was icy cold. I spun around and called again, “JB! John Jeffrey Belle, I’m here!” But nothing happened. I didn’t see him again, but I knew he had been there and had come back for one reason—to thank me. To thank us. And something else. The hole that I saw just a few moments ago was deeper now, and I spotted a rusty can peeking out from the soil. Quick as I could, I got on my knees and pried the can out of the clay.
“What is this, JB?” I whispered to the air around me but received no answer. And try as I might, I couldn’t remove the lid. It was rusted on there. Feeling desperate, I whacked it against the rusty shovel, and the can released its long-hidden treasures.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Inside was a tangled assortment of oddities, including dry rotted ribbons, pieces of fabric and jewelry. Old jewelry. With shaking fingers, I plucked out a wad of silver and gasped at the diamonds that twinkled back at me. After a few seconds, I had the ribbons unwound and spread the elegant web of diamonds on my knee. “What in the world?” I kept pulling items out: an ivory brooch, a pair of ruby earrings, a thin gold cuff bracelet with a dangling pendant. I held the pendant up to the sunlight and could clearly see the initials MM. “Mariana? These were Mariana’s?” And the rest of the contents were similar and familiar. Yes, I’d seen these before! These belonged to the McIntyre family. JB must have found them, and now he wanted us to have them.
I quickly put the lid back on and told myself, “I have to show Jesse.” I packed everything back in the can and headed back to the house. I whispered, “Thank you, John Jeffrey Belle. Thank you all. Go be with your girls and Dot. She’s waiting for you too. Kiss Marisol for me.” As I left the potting shed behind, there were tears in my eyes. But I wasn’t hurt or broken.
I was whole now.
/>
And unlike Eddie, becoming whole wasn’t about money or making someone hurt because I hurt. It was about family, loving family, staying together and keeping your promises. In some strange way, the Belles had been my family. Harper, Jeopardy, Addison and Loxley were all my sisters. I did for them what I couldn’t do for myself, and that was bring everyone home.
But that wasn’t true. Harper had brought me to Summerleigh. She’d entrusted it to me, and I had done what she could not, and I was glad that I could do it. Summerleigh, with all her shadows and mournful ghosts—all her secrets were revealed now. The Belles and McIntyres could rest knowing that there were no more secrets. That everyone was home and not forgotten.
Yes, it was time to let them rest. I got back to the house and climbed into my car with the can of treasures. With one last whispered, “Thank you,” I turned off Hurlette and onto Highway 98. Time to look to the future. Of course, I wouldn’t be gone long. Jesse said the book signing would only last a few hours. And then we’d come back home to Summerleigh.
And it would be just the two of us…until our little one joined us. We would fill Summerleigh with what it had been missing all these years. Laughter and love.
Connect with M.L. Bullock on Facebook. To receive updates on her latest releases, visit her website at M.L. Bullock and subscribe to her mailing list. You can also contact her at [email protected].
About the Author
Author of the best-selling Seven Sisters series and the Desert Queen series, M.L. Bullock has been storytelling since she was a child. A student of archaeology, she loves weaving stories that feature her favorite historical characters—including Nefertiti. She currently lives on the Gulf Coast with her family but travels frequently to explore the southern states she loves so much.
Read more from M.L. Bullock
The Nike Chronicles
Blue Water
Blue Wake
Blue Tide
The Seven Sisters Series
Seven Sisters
Moonlight Falls on Seven Sisters
Shadows Stir at Seven Sisters
The Stars that Fell
The Stars We Walked Upon
The Sun Rises Over Seven Sisters
Christmas at Seven Sisters (bonus short stories)
The Idlewood Series
The Ghosts of Idlewood
Dreams of Idlewood
The Whispering Saint
The Haunted Child
Return to Seven Sisters
(A Seven Sisters Sequel Series)
The Roses of Mobile
All the Summer Roses
Blooms Torn Asunder
A Garden of Thorns
The Gulf Coast Paranormal Series
The Ghosts of Kali Oka Road
The Ghosts of the Crescent Theater
A Haunting on Bloodgood Row
The Legend of the Ghost Queen
A Haunting at Dixie House
The Ghost Lights of Forrest Field
The Ghost of Gabrielle Bonet
The Ghost of Harrington Farm
The Creature on Crenshaw Road
Shabby Hearts Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series
A Touch of Shabby
Shabbier by the Minute
Shabby by Night
The Sugar Hill Series
Wife of the Left Hand
Fire on the Ramparts
Blood by Candlelight
The Starlight Ball
His Lovely Garden
Lost Camelot Series
Guinevere Forever
Guinevere Unconquered
The Desert Queen Series
The Tale of Nefret
The Falcon Rises
The Kingdom of Nefertiti
The Song of the Bee-Eater
Standalone books
Ghosts on a Plane
The Ghosts of Summerleigh Collection Page 36