Our Red Hot Romance Is Leaving Me Blue Page 25

The sound of a roaring engine and the light from a car old enough to sport only a single headlight on each side of the front grille revealed Edwina’s approach. When Edwina’s 1968 Mustang came into view, Debbie Sue raised a hand in greeting, shifted into gear and started up Justin’s driveway.

  The only car parked at the house was the black Porsche Cayenne, just as John Patrick had left it, Debbie Sue assumed. She was surprised they had arrived before Sophia, but the girl couldn’t be far behind.

  Ironically, Justin greeted them as if they had arrived for a housewarming or a party, with expectations of great gaiety, hardly indicative of the gathering’s true intent.

  “What’s in the sack?” he asked, as Debbie Sue dragged her loot from her pickup’s backseat.

  “Oh, just some things Ed and I thought might help,” she said. “We talked to Sophia about it this afternoon. She said it was all right for us to bring them.”

  Justin nodded. “I’m sure it is. I was just curious.”

  Just then the headlights of another vehicle shone against the wall.

  “Sophia’s here.” Justin strode from the room and out of the house.

  Debbie Sue would have had to have been blind to miss that his eyes lit up like a kid who had been handed a new toy. She glanced at Edwina, whose brow lifted knowingly. “Don’t say it,” Debbie Sue told her.

  “Humph. Do I look like I’m gonna say I told you so?”

  “We’ve got more important things to think about, Ed. Buddy got me this fancy camera. He wants me to film tonight’s session. Whatever happens, do not stop the camera.”

  “Where’s the camera?”

  “Here.” Debbie Sue pointed to a silver ornament on her handbag. “This is the lens. The camera’s in my purse.”

  “As I live and breathe. That’s pretty damn cool.”

  “I’ve been dying to try it.”

  “I wish you’d use another expression.”

  “Listen, Ed, I don’t know about you, but I hope this whole thing ends tonight. I can’t remember when my nerves have been this jacked up.”

  “I hear ya, girl. I’ve been so jumpy I’ve scared myself a time or two. If someone yelled ‘boo’ right now I’d pass out cold.”

  “Kind of makes you wonder what John Patrick saw on that front porch, doesn’t it?”

  “Oh, shit, you don’t think that’s what’s wrong with him, do you?” The elevation in Edwina’s tone couldn’t be denied.

  “This is scaring the bejesus out of me, Debbie Sue. I’ve changed my mind. Let’s go home. We can ease out the back door. Let’s leave this to Sophia and Justin to figure out.”

  “We can’t do that, Ed. We’re in this up to our tits. We are staying to the bitter end.”

  “That’s another expression I wish you wouldn’t use again.”

  Debbie Sue looked toward the sound of the front door closing and smiled as Sophia and Justin re-entered the room. They looked like a couple well suited for each other—young, good-looking, with a bright future before them. No one would ever guess they were part of a ghost hunt.

  After saying hello, Sophia went directly to the business at hand. “I’ll light some candles and dim the lights. Justin, can you please put on the same music you had on last night? And Edwina, if you’d please bring that vase of roses off the coffee table.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Debbie Sue asked.

  “Why don’t you put the enticements on the table?”

  Debbie Sue cleared her throat. “All of them? Ed and I brought some stuff, but—”

  “Oh, yes, please do include what you brought.”

  “Okaaay,” Debbie Sue with hesitancy. Remembering Sophia’s admonishment back in the salon, Debbie Sue was almost embarrassed to reveal what she and Edwina had brought. She felt as if she were trying to turn the evening into a carnival act. Sophia had been right when she said this was a serious situation.

  “Maybe I’ll just put your stuff out, Sophia. That’s probably all we need.” She closed the top of the paper sack and rolled it down, then placed it on the kitchen counter.

  “No, please,” Sophia insisted, picking up the sack.

  “There’s no way of knowing what might appeal to a spirit.” She reached into the sack. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

  Debbie Sue looked for but didn’t see any particular facial expression from Sophia as she removed the wig, bracelets, head scarf or T-shirt, but she saw her eyes widen when she lifted out the Elvis jumpsuit.

  “Is this an Elvis costume? You think we might conjure up Elvis?”

  “Not really, but we sure as hell hope so,” Edwina said.

  Sophia drew a deep breath. “Okay, then. Looks like we’re all set.” She looked around the room. “If everyone will please take a seat. Justin, you sit here to my right. Debbie Sue, sit on my left and Edwina, you sit across from me, please.”

  All moved to their respective chairs and sat down, instinctively joining hands to form a circle.

  After Sophia led the prayer and a chorus of amens followed, she continued, “We are here to communicate with the spirit in this home.”

  Everyone in the group remained silent. The only sound was the soft music in the background. Debbie Sue was sorely tempted to open an eye and peek but fought off the urge.

  Seconds passed, Sophia spoke again, her voice soft and even. “We are here to communicate with the spirit in this home.”

  Nothing. Music played. Seconds and then minutes passed. Edwina squeezed Debbie Sue’s left hand and she returned the acknowledgment.

  Sophia said again. “We are here—” She stopped suddenly and said nothing else.

  Debbie Sue felt as if her blood pressure had plummeted. Something was happening, but she felt that this time, she had not been chosen as the receptor. What blood pressure she had remaining fell even further when the grip Sophia’s hand had on hers relaxed and she was suddenly freed from her hold.

  Opening one eye she looked at Edwina and then Justin, both of whom were transfixed. Turning to look at Sophia, she saw that she was paying attention to no one, but was intently studying the articles before her. She reached for the obscene T-shirt and laughed when she read the logo. “This is certainly appropriate, isn’t it?”

  She pulled the garment over her head and continued her search on the tabletop. “Let’s see…Oohh, I love these!” She slipped the bracelets onto her wrist.

  Debbie Sue was finally able to loosen her tongue. “Marilyn? Is that you, Marilyn?”

  Sophia looked at her and a sneer crossed her lips. “Who the fuck is Marilyn?”

  Okay, so Marilyn Monroe was out. Most likely Patsy Cline too, and definitely Elvis.

  Sophia picked up the tube of lipstick and twisted it up. “Nice color.” She swiped it across her lips. “How about it, Edwina, does this color look good on me?”

  Edwina’s eyes flew wide, her mouth dropped open and a guttural sound came from her throat.

  Okay, Debbie Sue thought. She knows Edwina by name. That cancels out Rachel.

  Sophia ran a finger along Justin’s forearm and gave him a come-hither look. “My, my, who do we have here?”

  Definitely not Rachel. But who in the hell…

  “If I’d have known a good-looking man was going to be here, I would’ve fixed up a little…Debbie Sooz, you should have warned me.”

  Debbie Sooz? Jesus Christ, Debbie Sooz? Only one person in the entire world had ever called her that. Her palms flew to her cheeks. “Pearl Ann?”

  “Pearl Ann!” Edwina all but shouted.

  “Who’s Pearl Ann?” Justin asked. “Is that Little Pearl?”

  “No. It’s Pearl Ann Carruthers,” Debbie Sue answered breathlessly. “She was murdered a few years ago. You should remember, Justin. Edwina and I broke the case.”

  He frowned in puzzlement. “Oh, yeah. I think I do remember that.”

  “We found your murderer, Pearl Ann,” Edwina said smugly.

  “So I heard. What? You think we don’t get the news on the other side?” Sophi
a sashayed around the room. “Say, does this body make me look fat? What about this hair?” She picked up a sheaf of long hair and let it fall. “I never thought of myself with dark hair. How come you never gave me dark hair, Debbie Sue? You colored it every other color.”

  Debbie Sue ignored her questions. She had questions of her own. “Why are you here, Pearl Ann? Why?”

  “We’re trying to talk to Justin’s wife,” Edwina said.

  “I know Rachel. Sweet little thing. I convinced her to let me go first. You don’t think I’d miss a party, do you?”

  “Well, you always did love to party,” Edwina said, and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Bet your sweet ass, I did, Four-eyes.” Sophia raised her arms and stretched. “Damn, it feels good to stretch. That’s one of the bad things about having no body and living in a coffin. You can’t imagine how much you miss stretching.”

  “Among other things,” Debbie Sue whispered to Edwina.

  “Say, do you ever see…” Edwina started to say, but suddenly Sophia sat back down and her shoulders sagged. Everyone watched in anticipation.

  Sitting straight again, Sophia slipped the bracelets from her wrist and drew a deep breath. “We want to speak to the spirit known as Rachel. Rachel, are you there? It’s time for you to appear, Rachel.”

  Without another word Sophia looked down at the T-shirt she was wearing and pulled it over her head, then patted her hair into place. She folded the T-shirt neatly and returned it to the table. Turning her gaze to Justin, she smiled sweetly, “Hi, Marathon Man.”

  Justin didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry, grab her to his chest or push her away. It was Rachel, then again it wasn’t. A tear rolled down her cheek and he fought to maintain control.

  “I’ve missed you, baby,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry I had to leave you the way I did.”

  There was something in the inflection of her words, and the way she touched her hair that was purely Rachel. Having her sitting across from him was incredible, and he shook his head to clear his thoughts. He wanted to say so much. He knew she could disappear as quickly as she had arrived and he was sitting here fighting back tears like a fool. “Your leaving was my fault. I can never express how sorry I am. I’ve relived the whole thing a thousand times, trying to understand how it happened. And why.” Against his strongest defenses the tears escaped his eyes. “If I could change places with you I would. Can you forgive me, Rach? Can you ever forgive me?”

  Justin lowered his eyes and waited for her answer. He felt her hand smooth the back of his head and rest on his neck. “What happened to me was meant to be, Justin. It was no one’s fault. There are plans for our lives before we’re even born, and none of us has control over that.

  “I’ve—I’ve always heard that, but…”

  “It’s true. I don’t blame you at all.”

  His voice broke. “You don’t?”

  “No, Justin. I’ve never blamed you. I love you and I always will. I only came back to tell you to forgive yourself and move on with your life.”

  “Move on?”

  “Find someone and make a good life for her and yourself, the same life you gave me. Accept that I’m happy. Truly happy. I don’t want you to worry about me, and please don’t feel guilty.”

  Justin’s felt his face heat up. “I…I made you happy?”

  She stroked the side of his face and leaned toward him. “Oh, yes,” she said softly. “All women deserve to be as happy on earth as I was.”

  Leaning closer, they exchanged a kiss, then stared intently into each other’s eyes. After a few minutes, she said, “Sweetheart, I have to go now.”

  “Nooo, Rachel. Will you be back?”

  “I cannot come back. I only came this time to help you. Have I? Have I helped?”

  “Rach, honey, please don’t go yet. There’s more I want to say. I’ve been so lonely…”

  “But you don’t have to be. Open your mind to the opportunities that are around you. Move on, Justin, and if you truly love me…”

  “Yes?” He asked when she paused.

  “You’ll have a good life.”

  “Rachel. Rachel?” he said, putting his hands on Sophia’s shoulders and turning her to him.

  She looked at him intently for several seconds. “Did she appear, Justin? Did Rachel appear?”

  Sniffling noises were coming from Debbie Sue. Edwina touched the inside corner of one eye with her fingertip.

  Justin got to his feet, gasping and declaring, “I need air. Oh, God.” He made an exit through the front door. Soon the rhythmical squeak of the rocking chair floated from the front porch.

  Sophia started after him, but Debbie Sue stopped her. “Let him go, Sophia. He needs to be alone for a minute. Here,” she said, going for her purse and pulling the camera free. “I filmed the whole thing. Let me show you.”

  Sophia sat and watched the film several times. Finally she lowered the camera to her lap and looked at the two women. “What can I do? What can I say? Shouldn’t I go to him?” Looking past them toward the ceiling, she called out, “Gran Bella, please tell me what I should do.”

  “Gran Bella’s here too?” Edwina whispered in Debbie Sue’s ear. “Who the hell’s Gran Bella? Damn, this place is getting too crowded for me.”

  “Shut up, Ed.” Debbie Sue turned to Sophia. “As it stands right now, you know Justin better than anyone in this room. Go to him.”

  “But you said he needed to be alone,” Sophia replied.

  “He needed a couple of minutes, but Sophia, he’s been alone for a year. What he needs the most is someone who cares about him.”

  “Someone warm, with real flesh and blood,” Edwina added.

  Sophia smoothed her hair and clothing. “Wish me luck.”

  “You know you’ve got it,” Debbie Sue said.

  As Sophia left the room, Debbie Sue said no more. Edwina played with the bracelets that lay discarded on the table. Debbie Sue picked up one of the candles and drained the molten wax into its saucer.

  “Can you believe Pearl Ann was here?” Debbie Sue finally asked.

  Edwina shook her head. “Of all people. You might know she’d be first in line to come back.”

  Sophia eased the door closed behind her and stood in silence, studying Justin’s profile. “Do you want to be alone?”

  He looked up. “No. Please. Please join me, Sophia. I had to let my head clear a little. That was intense.” He sighed. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded. “Feeling a little drained is all. I don’t have any memory of what just happened.”

  “Thank you for coming here, Sophia. Thank you for helping me talk to Rachel one last time. I needed to know she’s forgiven me. I don’t…I don’t know how you thank someone for that.”

  “My powers are pointless if I don’t use them to help others.” She sat down in the rocking chair beside him.

  “You’ve done more than just help me. You’ve made me laugh again. You’ve made me feel alive again. I’m one of the deceased people you’ve brought back to life.”

  Sophia looked directly at him.

  “Sophia, I don’t want to lose two wonderful women in the same night,” he said. “Maybe something could become of…of us. Would you be willing to give that a chance?”

  A sob escaped her throat and her hand flew to her mouth, Justin reached up and took her hand away. “It just occurred to me that I’ve kissed your lips twice, but I’ve never kissed you.”

  Smiling slowly, Sophia wrapped her arm around his neck. “There’s not a ghost of a chance I’d try to stop you.”

  epilogue

  Debbie Sue, in her eagerness to show the film of the séance to Buddy, accidentally recorded over it and instead of viewing the séance, Buddy saw fifteen minutes of Edwina painting her toenails.

  Debbie Sue and Edwina made a pact to never mention to anyone in Salt Lick that Pearl Ann had been seen again. Many women in Salt Lick doubted she had ever died in the first place. Anyway, that’s wh
at they had been telling themselves when their husbands didn’t come home at night.

  Lone Star Oil and Gas Company made a deal with Justin, and he signed an agreement that meant substantial money would be coming his way for the rest of his life. He continued working as a firefighter and contributed heavily to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

  John Patrick remained in a coma, unresponsive for sixty-three days. When he awoke, he had undergone a 180-degree change in personality and had no memory of what had happened to him. He ceased drinking and philandering. He became a friend to all, volunteered in the church and operated a birthday-party entertainment service for children, dressing as a clown and appearing with a miniature pony. Everyone who knew him or had ever dealt with him was stunned.

  Unfortunately, Felicia, who had never been treated better by anyone in her life than the reformed John Patrick, became increasingly bored with her husband’s new personality. She missed his bad-boy antics and divorced him for a man who wore a gun for a living, Brad Pitt, from Odessa.

  Sophia and Justin continued seeing each other for several months before they concluded they wanted to be together forever.

  When the new school year began in the fall, Odessa had a new teacher in their system. The middle school’s fifth-grade students were constantly astounded that she seemed to see right through them, never buying their excuses for lost assignments or for missing school because of “illness.” She even had the uncanny ability to know what was in the notes passed in class without reading them.

  As for John Patrick’s dream of owning and operating a Billy Bob’s clone, the banker he approached for loans thought it was such a good plan, he stole the idea for himself and built the biggest honky-tonk in West Texas. It became a huge success.

  A+ AUTHOR INSIGHTS, EXTRAS & MORE…

  FROM

  DIXIE

  CASH

  AND

  AVON A

  Real ghosts thrive in Texas. Dixie Cash has a friend who has researched Texas ghosts extensively and written several books of true Texas ghost stories. Here are some real events from Olyve Hallmark Abbott. If you’re a ghost hunter, you might want to travel to Texas and look for these ghosts.