Romantic Suspense
Date Published:05-04-2021
Brittany Nelson returns to the South Carolina Lowcountry to help her sister, Blake, run the family bed and breakfast and care for her three-year-old niece. Soon after, strange occurrences begin taking place. Brittany can’t shake the feeling that the ghosts of her family’s past haven’t been laid to rest, after all.
As she works to unravel how this is possible, she finds herself in the center of unfathomable events. But if the Nelson sisters know anything, life at Isle of Palms isn’t always a day at the beach.
EXCERPT
Chapter 1
Brittany Nelson imagined the roaring applause as she looked out into the sea of people attending her graduation ceremony. Was the sound of the large crowd unnerving? She’d lost her hearing as a toddler. Her late grandmother’s singing had been etched in her mind, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember hearing anyone else’s voice.
She wiped her sweaty palms on her gown and smiled at her family. Granny Mason waved from the back of the arena. Family matriarch Julia Caroline Mason was nearly 20 years in her grave, but that didn’t stop her from supporting her granddaughters. Brittany waved back, gulping when she saw a stranger talking to Julia. Who was this cheerful co-ed who conversed with the dead? Brittany hadn’t seen the young blond woman around campus, but Atlanta University was a huge school. The dean tapped her on the shoulder, and she read his lips. “Brittany, smile for the photo. We’ve gotta keep this line moving.” Camera flashes stung her eyes, but she complied. Shaking his hand, she posed for a photo and exited the stage.
When she looked back, Granny Mason and her friend had disappeared. The rest of her family stood, applauding and signing, “Way to go,” in American Sign Language. She thanked them as she kept looking for the girl, but she had disappeared.
Not sure if she’d imagined the whole thing, she tried to brush it off and took her seat with her classmates. These strait-laced soon-to-be engineers, stockbrokers and teachers were in full party mode. But Brittany’s thoughts distracted her from celebrating. She kept turning her head back to where her grandmother had been. Her sister, Blake, caught her eye and asked her what was wrong.
“Who was the girl talking to Granny Mason?” Brittany asked.
“Who? Where? I didn’t see Granny.”
“They were sitting right in front of you guys.”
Their grandmother had explained that spirits could hide from each other and clairvoyant people. Maybe Granny Mason didn’t want to be questioned about her newfound friend.
Blake turned, and Brittany saw her gaze zero in on something in the distance. She strained to see what had captured her sister’s attention—Granny Mason and the woman sat five sections away, across the arena.
Brittany watched, puzzled, trying to determine this girl’s identity. It was impossible from her vantage point. She needed to get closer, but the ceremony was still going full swing.
She got her sister’s attention and signed, “Who is that?”
“I have no idea,” Blake signed. “She looks familiar, but I can’t put my finger on where I know her from.”
“Can you get closer?”
Blake stood up and walked toward the women. Brittany watched as Blake smiled, shook the woman’s hand and walked back to her seat. She looked at Brittany and signed, “That woman has spoken to spirits most of her life, and Granny’s helping her figure out how to send an evil one on its way.”
That sounded like her grandmother. “What’s her name?”
Blake scrunched her face. “I forgot to ask.”
“Really?” Brittany laughed. “You’ve always got your head up in the clouds.”
“Yeah—just wait until you have kids. You’ll see how little sleep you get. It messes with your brain.”
There were circles under Blake’s eyes, and her skin was more ashen than before she had become a mom.
I should offer to help with my niece more often.
Looking up, Brittany noticed the last row of graduates were in formation, waiting to cross the stage. Soon everyone took their seats again. The band’s music vibrated and reverberated through her body as the university president walked up to the microphone. A sign language interpreter began translating, “Thank you to everyone who has offered their support to our graduates through their respective master’s programs. Now, it’s my pleasure to introduce the Class of 2021!”
A whoosh of air flooded the coliseum stage as the graduates jumped to their feet and threw their caps toward the ceiling. Grad school was over!
A group of Brittany’s friends asked her to pose for some photos. After a dozen selfies, her family made their way down the steps. Before they made it to her, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
Brittany spun around to see Ryan, her fiancé, holding a bouquet of sunflowers. “How did you get away? You’re so close to finishing your residency. Are you sure you should be here?”
Ryan laughed. “Geez. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t want me here. It’s a pretty damn big deal that you just graduated with your master’s degree in architecture.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she kissed him. “I’m sorry. I’m just surprised. Why didn’t you sit with my parents?”
He shrugged. “My flight arrived late, so I grabbed a seat near the entrance.”
Before she could respond, her dad slapped her on the back, “Way to go, Britt!”
“Now, we need to grab some pictures, too!” her mom said, teary-eyed. “This is our last graduation until Macy graduates from kindergarten.”
They grouped for a few shots until her dad protested, saying they had taken enough photos. “Let’s go get some grub.” Jeremy Nelson was always hungry. He patted his belly and grinned at Brittany, whose mouth was gaping.
“Dad, that was so embarrassing!” She rolled her eyes. “Thank God I’m done with school and won’t see these people ever again.”
Ryan grabbed her hand and kissed it. “I’m feeling a little weird right now, probably just jet lag. You guys go on and grab lunch. I’m going to go back to your apartment and wait for you.”
Brittany locked eyes with him. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want to have dinner delivered to my apartment instead?”
He flashed her a smile. “Nope. I’m just tired. I don’t want to ruin your graduation dinner with your family. I’ll be there waiting for you when you get back.” He arched his eyebrow and winked.
Heat radiated from her chin and chest. “Hmm. Sounds like a plan.” She gathered up her belongings and followed her family out to the car.
During the ride to the restaurant, she took in the Midtown Atlanta scenery. She was going to miss walking at Piedmont Park and shopping at Atlantic Station. Finally, they arrived at Mary Mac Tea Room, a comfort food haven, where the sweet tea flowed like water, and plates covered with fried chicken and okra were worth their weight in gold. Indulging in comfort food was worth the calories. The women in their family could pack on pounds quickly, but one meal wouldn’t derail her healthy lifestyle. Calories don’t count today! She’d just take a long walk the next day.
During lunch, her mom turned to her, “So what’s the plan now that you’ve got your degree?”
Good question. What should Brittany do now? Ryan hadn’t committed to either of the lucrative job offers he had waiting for him. She didn’t want to begin her career just to quit after he returned. Sure, she could start a job wherever she wanted and ask him to be happy living there, but that wasn’t the foundation for a healthy marriage. They needed to decide where to live together. That was important to her. Besides, he was supposed to be back by September.
“Brittany…hello—uh, Mom asked you a question.” Blake stared at her.
Brittany shrugged. “I don’t know the answer. With Ryan’s career still up in the air, I’m not ready to put down roots in any city. But I need to make some money so I can afford to live.”
Blake’s eyes widened, and she slapped the table. “Ohmygod! I’ve got the perfect idea. Do you wanna hear it?”
“Um…” Her sister could be impulsive. She had outgrown it somewhat since marrying Clint, but she still had her moments. Brittany cringed. “What’s your suggestion?”
“Don’t make that face! My ideas aren’t that crazy, are they? Wait, don’t answer that!” Blake giggled. “Why don’t you work at the Mason B&B until Ryan comes home? I need all the help I can get, especially with Macy going through the excruciatingly terrible threes.”
Brittany laughed. “You’re forgetting a couple of details. I don’t have the first clue about running a bed and breakfast or raising a kid.”
“Neither did I a few years ago,” Blake said. “And I can teach you what I know about both.”
“True. Well, it would give us a chance to catch up before I move across the country.”
Their mom signed the word for “sad” and pretended to cry. “Please don’t go too far away.”
“Mom, don’t worry. Wherever we live, we’ll visit a lot.”
“I hope so. I want to see all of my grandbabies.” She winked. “Macy needs cousins.”
Brittany scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. “Really, Mom, already?” We’re not even married yet, and the baby talk has already started. Couldn’t she give us at least a year before hounding us? Brittany was in no hurry to start a family and wasn’t sure if she ever wanted one.
Maybe it was selfish, but she wanted to enjoy her career and marriage before considering having children. She knew Ryan wanted to wait to have kids, too. Trips to surf in California, eat pasta in Italy and dive in Turks and Caicos were all on their bucket list.
“I promise, you guys will be the first to know when and if we decide to give up our freedom, but we have a lot of plans that don’t involve little ones.”
Blake laughed. “I remember this pressure all too well. Speaking of which, I miss my little monster, even though she’s been a bit of a nightmare lately. Clint will be relieved when I get back tomorrow. It would be even easier if we had another set of hands. We’d be thrilled if you came to stay with us. Please say you’ll do it.”
Brittany grinned. “Let me talk to Ryan, just to make sure he’s not expecting me to go to Seattle for the summer. Hanging out with you guys sounds like fun. Plus, in between the madness, I could work on my tan.”
“I promise that we’ll make time for fun, and we’ll eat all the delicious Lowcountry food we can handle.”
“You’d better! And, tempting me with shrimp and grits is pretty low.” Brittany punched her sister on the shoulder. “I’ll talk to Ryan tonight.”
About the Author
Stephanie Edwards has been writing professionally since she landed her first newspaper column at the age of 13. Her love for the Lowcountry, the Atlantic Ocean and a good ghost story inspired her to write her first book, The Haunting on Palm Court: An Isle of Palms Suspense. A stay at a beach cottage with a spooky backyard, filled with old oak trees, inspired the novel.
Stephanie lives in Tennessee with her husband, Ron, and their adorable dog, Shadow. Be sure to keep up with Stephanie’s publishing news at stephedwardswrites.com.
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