Her Ghosts Reborn, page 1
Her Ghosts Reborn
HLF Book Two
Patricia Elliott
ISBN 978-1-7380272-4-8
First published in 2024 by Patricia Elliott
Her Sweet Addition Copyright 2024 Patricia Elliott
Cover design Copyright 2024 Amy Queau / Q Designs
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All characters in this book are completely fictional. They exist only in the imagination of the author. Any similarity to any actual person or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
About the Author
Newsletter
Chapter One
“It has to be here somewhere,” Ebony growled anxiously as she dumped out another drawer from the luxury designer desk in the living room.
If Seth Peters didn’t know better, he’d say a burglar had torn through his home and not his young mistress racing around in front of him. Normally, she displayed poise and control. Not today, though.
She was in hunt mode, and as a result, there were only a few things left in the house that hadn’t been turned upside down. The newspapers in the basket had been picked apart, couch cushions tossed into the corner, and now the contents of three drawers were strewn across his floor. And she was marching her way toward the planters.
“You could at least help,” she snapped. “You have as much to lose as I do.”
He glanced at his watch. “I would, but I have to get to the hospital. They said tonight could be the night.”
“Maybe you can get the old bag to tell us where it is before she croaks.”
“Why are you so sure there’s another will? I was there with her when the last one was made.”
“Exactly,” Ebony said sharply as she picked up a ceramic planter, dumping the entire contents, dirt and all, onto his pristine beige carpet. He cringed.
Seth took a breath and looked over at the maid huddling in the corner, her eyes downcast and her hands clasped tightly in front of her. “Clean this up when she’s done. I don’t want to see a speck of dirt in this place when I return.”
“Yes, sir,” she said timidly, still not looking at him.
The young maid, who was only in Canada because of him so she could support her family overseas, was a sharp contrast to the woman who was tearing up the living room. One obeyed. The other couldn’t be tamed. And he didn’t mind. Ebony had brought excitement into his dull life. She took guff from no one, including him.
“Damn it! Where the hell is it?” Ebony stopped in the center of the room, hands on her hips, casting him a look filled with impatience. “You must know whether she had a favorite hiding spot.”
“She didn’t hide things from me,” he said.
Ebony laughed that haughty laugh of hers. “You don’t know much about women, do you? We all hide things.”
Judith, his wife, didn’t have the guts to go against him, not even when the shit hit the fan after Joanne, their daughter, had her accident. He still couldn’t believe his own flesh and blood had betrayed him by marrying his enemy’s son. That made him pause for a moment. Maybe Ebony was right. If his daughter betrayed him, was it possible that his wife could do the same?
Seth shook his head. During their entire marriage, Judith never questioned his decisions, wouldn’t even open her mouth to offer her thoughts. Not even when he specifically asked her. She would just say, ‘whatever you think, dear.’ God, she was boring. But he had to admit that a pussy-whipped woman allowed him to have more freedom to do as he pleased, so there were pros and cons to their odd family dynamic.
“I still think this is the only one,” he said, sticking to his guns as he held up the envelope containing his wife’s Last Will and Testament.
She picked up another plant and dumped it out, examining the pot. “No, it’s not. There’s another one. I can feel it in my bones.”
“What makes you think so?”
Ebony stopped her path of destruction and looked at him, her eyes blazing with anger. “I can see it in her eyes every time we go to visit her. Now stop questioning my intuition, or I’ll leave and never come back.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, holding his hands out. “I just don’t think we have anything to worry about. Everything she has belongs to me anyway. I paid for it. So, I don’t want you to worry your pretty little head. It isn’t healthy for you or our unborn son.
She waved her hand in dismissal. “I’ll be fine, but we’re running out of time. We need to find it and get her to rewrite it before she dies. I have the solicitor on standby.”
Seth sighed. Ebony wasn’t going to let this rest until she found it, or until she destroyed his entire house in the process.
“Women are crafty, especially a scorned one,” Ebony warned him.
“I gave her everything she ever needed. Why would she be scorned?”
“Uh, how many women have you cheated on her with?”
“We had an open relationship,” he argued.
“Open according to whom?”
He opened his mouth to answer, but then realized he had nothing to refute her with. It wasn’t something he and his wife had ever discussed. They just stopped having sex years ago because she was never interested. And after being refused so many times over, it seemed like the only logical decision. What else was he supposed to do to get his needs met? Once he made that decision, he never bothered to hide it. Not like some other weak ass men he knew.
“She never had an issue with it,” he said, chuckling. “And she wasn’t going to leave even if she did.”
“Maybe not, but women plan for the worst, so don’t put it past her. And she has a soft spot for her kid. Now go on, get out of here,” she said, shoving him toward the door. “See if you can get her to tell you anything. And don’t come back until you know.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t worry about it until there is something to worry about,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Good thing I’m not you.”
He laughed as he put on his shoes, then pulled her close to kiss her forehead. “I’ll let you know if I find out anything, but she wasn’t very lucid the last time we were there.”
“Careful, you’ll ruin my makeup, and I have a shoot later.”
“Break a leg,” he said before heading out the door. Things were about to get interesting. Very interesting indeed.
“Hi, Laryssa, I'm Nathan Mitchell,” the stranger said. “Your father’s brother.”
Joanne Richards found herself captivated by his bright chocolate-colored eyes, encircled with a ring of black around his irises. She barely heard what he had to say because his eyes were locked on hers, too. She had been struck dumb.
“That's impossible,” came a voice from behind her, breaking the temporary spell. “I don’t have any family left.”
Joanne stepped back and placed her arm around a shaking Laryssa. They never spoke much about Laryssa's past. The only things she knew about Laryssa were that her parents had died in a boating accident, and she'd spent the remainder of her childhood in and out of foster care. She had also been the wife of her late son, Aidan, and was currently the wife of her other son, Alex, Aidan’s twin. Life couldn’t get more bizarre than that.
“Why don't you come in, and we can continue the discussion in the living room,” Alex suggested as he held his hand out to him. “Hi, I'm Alex, Laryssa's husband.”
Nathan gripped his hand in a firm handshake. “That sounds great, thank you.”
“I'll go put on some coffee,” Joanne said, eager to put some distance between the newcomer and herself to ease the flutter in her stomach. She was too old to get butterflies over a guy. Besides, who would want a woman with a limp anyway?
“Sarah, can you handle the kids?” Alex asked th
“No problem, sir,” she replied.
Joanne watched as Alex guided Laryssa with a hand on the small of her back to the living room, with Nathan in tow. She couldn't help but notice the man's wide shoulders and his smooth gait. One she wished she still had. His crisp dress shirt and tailored black dress pants spoke of a man who cared about his appearance. Either that or someone who wanted to put on a good show.
That's not the feeling she got from his gaze, though, but it was easier thinking that way than letting her heart run away on her. Her heart had been broken once, and half of it was still buried in the grave with her husband, Scott. The trouble that ensued from that ordeal was enough to last a lifetime. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the coffee in the cupboard and dumped some into a new paper filter.
“Are you okay?” Sarah asked as she picked up a fussy Justin from the playpen, propping a bottle in his mouth as she moved to sit at the table with Laryssa's young seventeen-month-old twins.
Joanne could hardly believe her son had three kids to raise now. She'd begun to question whether he'd ever settle down again. “Sorry, I just had a very weird feeling about Nathan.”
Leaning over, Sarah whispered, “Would that weird feeling have anything to do with how great his ass looked in those pants?”
Joanne's face burned, and she knew it was as red as a tomato. “Really now! We’re two almost gray-haired grannies. We shouldn’t be looking at a man’s butt. That time has passed.” Yet, a vision of his hot ass flashed in her mind.
“Speak for yourself. I’m a blonde.”
“Salon dyed doesn’t count.”
“Oh shush. We’re not dead yet, and as long as we’re alive, we can enjoy a sexy man’s ass,” the woman said, winking at her. Letting Joanne know she took no offense to her words.
Joanne waved her off. She was still getting used to being a mom and a grandma after hiding it for so long. Adding a man to that would just take away from the time she had with her family. Eighteen months have passed since the news got out that she was Alexander's mom. Hearing him call her mom made her heart leap every time. They were finally a real family now.
Joanne smiled at that thought. He'd forgiven her for keeping it a secret and welcomed her new role in his life. Mind you, he tried to prevent her from working for him as a result, telling her that he'd happily hire a housekeeper, but she liked doing stuff around the house. It kept her busy, and it was what she was most familiar with.
However, her body had begun to plan a revolt whenever she did anything strenuous, like lugging a vacuum up and down the stairs in their monstrous house. They had an elevator, but some areas were only accessible via a staircase. And being sixty-one years old, she had to accept she had limits, especially with a body like hers that still felt the effects of her horrific car accident.
“Say it! Say you thought his butt was hot.”
Joanne's eyes widened, and she felt the heat return to her cheeks as she tried to cover the ears of at least one twin. “I most certainly will not say that. We have innocent ears in the room.”
The nanny rolled her eyes. “Girl, it's time for you to live for a change.”
“Changing diapers is enough change for me.”
Sarah shook her head and lifted Justin to her shoulder to burp him. “Go on. Go be with your son and Laryssa. I’m sure Nathan could use a cup of coffee. I’ve got the kids covered.” Just then, Ashley dumped her cereal bowl on Ann's head, and the young girl burst out crying. “Okay, maybe not.”
Joanne walked over to the kitchen sink to get a dishcloth and then wandered over to Ann to clean her up. “I definitely prefer toddlers over grown men.”
“You need to get a life, Jo!” Sarah sighed, settling Justin back into her arms to finish the bottle.”
She couldn't think of a life better than the one she was living right now. She didn't want for anything. Her son hadn’t kicked her out of the house when he found out her secret. And her late-husband's parents, Ruth and Mitch, didn't give her any trouble—at least not really.
They were a pretty close family now, and they treated her like a daughter-in-law again. And even though Scott—her husband and their son—had been dead a long time, they told her she would always be family. Her eyes watered as she stood there in the kitchen. She quickly wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her blouse.
Sarah looked at her, her brow crinkling with worry. “Did I overstep my bounds?”
“No, dear. It's fine,” Joanne replied, waving off her concern as she gave the highchair one final swipe with the cloth. “I think this little one is going to need a bath.”
“She'll survive until the visit is over.” Sarah said, nodding toward the coffee pot. “Coffee's ready.”
The last thing Joanne wanted to do was impose on a private conversation. Okay, she groaned to herself. That was a lie. She wanted to know what was going on, but she didn't want him to look at her again with that steady, unnerving gaze.
One would think by her age, she'd have this man thing down pat, but she'd been out of the game for so long she wouldn't even know what to do with one...like a dog chasing a car.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up the tray and carefully walked with it into the living room, concentrating hard, trying not to spill the coffee with her limp. She wished they would have been able to fix her leg when she was younger because now it was getting harder to move these days.
Joanne glanced around the room. Alex was sitting beside Laryssa in the middle of the couch. Nathan was by himself on the love seat, leaving the other cushion open beside him. The only other available seat was the recliner, but it had clothes covering it that she hadn't gotten around to folding yet.
Nathan patted the cushion beside him. “Please, sit. You look exhausted.”
“I really shouldn't. Sarah needs help with the kids.”
“Please stay, Mom,” Alex said, gesturing toward the loveseat and consequently toward Nathan. The tenderness of his tone, and the use of a word she never thought she'd ever hear come out of his mouth, made her throat clog. She didn't think she'd ever get used to it.
“My dad never mentioned that he had a brother,” Laryssa commented.
“You were probably too young to remember,” he replied, his voice gentle and serene. “You were only four when it all happened.”
“Why didn't you ever come for me?”
“In all honesty, it all happened so fast, and I wasn’t in a position to adopt you at the time. My life had gone off the rails with the loss of my brother, and by the time I managed to get it together, you were gone, and no one would tell me anything. If I wouldn’t have seen the article of your wedding in the paper, I wouldn’t have found you.
Joanne was glad she'd encouraged the newspaper article after the danger of Laryssa’s stalker had passed. She had a feeling Laryssa had family out there. The girl deserved a full family after all she'd been through. It took a bit to convince Alex to go for it, but she was glad he eventually did.
Nathan seemed genuine. But as soon as those words fluttered through her mind, he turned and looked at her. His eyes locked with hers, and it was like the room disappeared. If she wouldn't have been sitting, she'd likely have swooned. Heat rose to her cheeks again, and she fanned herself with her hand.
“Is it hot in here?” she asked the others, certain that someone had turned the thermostat up. Not even her worst hot flash was hotter than this.
Her son and daughter-in-law shared a knowing glance, and Joanne watched Alex squeeze Laryssa's hand, and it made her blush all the more. She knew the type of stuff fluttering through their newlywed minds.
They'd been married just over a year and were still very much in love. It had eased the ache in Joanne's heart that she bore for Alex ever since the loss of his daughter. He deserved his happily ever after more than anyone.
“So, does anyone want to introduce me to this wonderful lady?” he asked them, sending a brilliant smile her way.
“Nathan, this is my mom, Joanne,” Alex said.
“It's nice to meet the one who raised such a marvelous man for my niece.”
She opened her mouth to correct him, but Alex spoke up instead. “I wouldn't be who I am without her or Laryssa.”
“I firmly believe behind every good man is a good woman,” Nathan replied, letting his knuckles brush Joanne's shoulder.
