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  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Bein’ Dead Ain't No Excuse

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Cast of Characters

  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

  Sneak Peek...

  Chapter One

  A word about the author…

  Thank you for purchasing

  Also available from The Wild Rose Press, Inc. and other major retailers

  I snapped out of my paralysis at the sight of two,

  bulb-eyed things barreling toward me, their dark wings whirring and strings of yellow sulfurous ribbons pouring from their open, snarling mouths. Profanity filled the cool autumn night with spews of hatred and damnation for the heavenly as one of the beasts clashed with Scarlett in mid-air.

  “Holy crap,” I screamed in a blind panic and drew my sword and scrambled off the branch to meet the incoming missile speeding toward me. With both hands clasped on the hilt of the sword I could hardly maintain flight, and I dipped close to the ground and did a back flip as the bat-like thing took a swing at me with his fiery sword. It grazed my ankle, and a burning sting set my flesh on fire. Wounded, I hit the ground and rolled over on my back. Our swords met and clashed. Sparks flew in every direction as again and again our swords met.

  “Get on your feet!” I heard Scarlett yell somewhere above me. “He has the advantage.”

  Screaming with fear and frustration, I tried to recall the basics of sword fighting taught by the archangel Hazell, but my mind grew hazy as the enemy’s sword pricked my upper arm. Pain blazed through me, and I barely parried the next jab. From my position on the ground I watched his fiery sword arch upwards, and I knew I was done for. I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer.

  Bein’ Dead Ain't No Excuse

  by

  Penny Burwell Ewing

  The Haunted Salon Series, Book 4

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Bein’ Dead Ain't No Excuse

  COPYRIGHT © 2018 by Penny Burwell Ewing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Debbie Taylor

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Fantasy Rose Edition, 2018

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-2278-0

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-2279-7

  The Haunted Salon Series, Book 4

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To my parents, Bruce and Alice Burwell, and my stepfather, James W. Joiner. Thank you for your unending support of my writing pursuits. You’ve propped me up in down times and never stopped believing in me. I’m where I am because of you.

  Also, to the memory of James and Juanita Ewing, who inspired the loving characters of Harland and Annie Mae Tucker, and the farm where Jolene and her two sisters grew into strong, independent women of courage and unwavering love of family.

  Cast of Characters

  Jolene Claiborne – Heaven saves its best punch for last, but this spunky Southern belle is up for the challenge. Or is she headed straight for the devil’s domain and an ending she never imagined?

  Deena Sinclair – Somebody’s going to die if they screw up her wedding plans.

  Billie Jo Hazard – She’s carrying a special package.

  Roddy Hazard – He’s never had a wandering eye until now.

  Annie Mae Tucker – When your number’s up, better get packing.

  Harland Tucker – He’s had enough digging for peanuts in the dirt. Wanderlust has him by the boot strings.

  Samuel Bradford – Whiskey Creek’s finest hung up his badge for snow-capped mountains in the Wild West. But there’s no gold in them hills for a single man.

  Dr. Preston Neally – He’s out to carve his initials in Jolene’s heart.

  Diane Downey – The Golden Rule doesn’t apply to her.

  Sonya Jones ­– There’s more to this songbird than just a pretty voice.

  Jimbo White – Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s peanut farm.

  Lilith Lacewell – Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This gorgeous redhead has a plan to steal more than hearts and husbands.

  Madame Mia – The beautiful psychic may have just met her biggest challenge yet.

  Scarlett Cantrell – Being booted out of heaven is the worst fate for this wayward soul who is trying to earn her wings.

  Saint Peter – Heaven’s gatekeeper is threatening to lock the Pearly Gates against a certain sassy Southern belle who doesn’t play by the rules.

  Chapter One

  The List

  Picking a fight with Heaven isn’t for the faint of heart, or even for the strongest one. It’s reserved for the stupid, like me. Only a pig-headed Southerner would lift her fist to the sky and challenge the Master of the Universe to a duel of wills. But that’s what I did when Mama’s name landed on Heaven’s list of arriving saints.

  Scarlett Cantrell, that’s my gal-pal from the Other Side, alerted me of Mama’s impending departure on the long, black train. Well, that doesn’t fit into my plans at all. I have two beaus fighting over me, Deena’s wedding is less than two weeks away, and Billie Jo’s expecting a baby in the spring. How can we Tucker gals get along without our mama? Well, we can’t. That’s why I’m speeding toward the farm—to prevent Heaven from playing target practice with Mama.

  I arrived at the farm in a cloud of red dust and bolted from the car for the back kitchen door in pursuit of my sainted parents. Rushing through the unlocked door, I found an empty kitchen, much to my disappointment.

  “Mama?” I called out. No response. “Daddy?” No answer from the empty house. Retracing my steps, I checked the garage for their cars. Check. They were here somewhere on the farm. Half out of my mind with worry, I sprinted for the barn and heard the murmur of angry voices as I drew near the opened doors.

  “Now you listen to me, Annie Mae Tucker,” my father’s stern voice rose above the clucking chickens and shuffling hooves. “We’re selling the farm and moving to Florida.”

  “And I say different.” Mama’s voice was pitched high. “We’ve got a new grandbaby on the way. I’m staying put.”

  “And I’m selling the farm and moving to Florida, old woman.”

  “Over my dead body, asshole. This is my home, and you can’t sell it without my signature. What are you doing? Let go! Stop, Harland!”

  With those angry words spilling out into the frosty morning, I scrambled through the open doors to witness my parents tussling on the upper hayloft. I hesitated, my mind not entirely processing the scene unfolding bef
ore me. Before I could open my mouth to protest, Mama let out a scream and pitched forward off the loft and landed with a soft thump on the hay piled below.

  The scream on my lips burst out, and I rushed to her side and bent over her still figure. My hands were shaking as I brushed the dried grass from her pale face. “Mama?” I patted her face. “Can you hear me?” From the loft above, I could hear Daddy’s frantic cries while he scrambled down the wooden ladder.

  “Land sakes, Annie Mae!” he bellowed, as he sank down beside me. His hands were shaking like mine when he lifted Mama's limp hand. “You trying to kill yourself?”

  At his words, I shot him an angry look. “You pushed her,” I accused. “I saw and heard the whole thing.”

  Daddy blanched and pulled back in surprise, but before he could respond to my hurtful words, Mama moaned and then opened her eyes. “I’m fine, just winded.” She smiled up at Daddy. “Harland, help me up.”

  Together, we stood Mama on her feet. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked as I plucked strands of hay from her short, graying blonde hair. “I believe you should be checked out at the emergency room. That was a nasty fall.”

  “Nonsense,” she huffed. “Just a minor accident.” She brushed hay from her worn jeans. “I slipped and fell, that’s all.”

  “Minor accident?” I closed my eyes and blew out a breath. “Premeditated is more like it.”

  Daddy gave a noticeable sigh. “Now, Jolene, don’t be silly. I didn’t push your mama. I grabbed her when she slipped. I tried to prevent her fall.”

  Scarlett’s warning rang in my ears, and I ditched the rest of my common sense. “I see it differently.” I plunged ahead hotly, “with her dead, you can sell the farm and disappear with all the proceeds. Disappearing is your specialty.”

  Mama pinched me hard on the upper arm. “Leave the past be, Jolene. We paid for our mistakes a hundred times over, and we’ll not apologize again.” She linked her arm in Daddy’s. “Now apologize to your father.”

  The words stuck to the roof of my mouth as the full impact of my accusation hit me. Heat flooded my face while I continued to stare in mute silence at my father, who seemed to wither in height with each passing second. His once proud face, wrinkled heavily, highlighted the downward turn of his mouth, and his eyes shifted away when I tried to capture them with mine.

  Once again, my impetuousness had reaped immense damage. As usual, I hadn’t stopped to weigh the consequences of my rash actions. Words once spoken are hard to take back. Especially when you’ve just accused your father of attempted murder.

  “We’re waiting, Jolene,” Mama’s snide voice cut into my thoughts. “And why aren’t you at work? The salon is short-staffed with Billie Jo out. Deena’s nerves are frazzled with wedding preparations, and here you are provoking hard feelings with your razor-sharp tongue.”

  Daddy put an arm around my shoulders. “Leave her be, Annie Mae.” His voice softened, “Tell me what’s got you jumping at shadows, honey.”

  I slipped my arm around his waist. “I’m sorry, Daddy. If I’d taken the time to think things through….I misjudged you…” My words choked on a sob. “But Mama’s in trouble.”

  He steered me out of the barn. “Let’s go up to the house. Annie Mae can whip up a quick breakfast, and you can tell us what’s got you so frazzled.”

  Mama kept silent as we climbed the back porch steps and entered the warm, cozy kitchen. She headed straight for the refrigerator and pulled out a slab of thick-cut bacon, and her pursed lips never cracked a smile. As she set about frying the bacon, Daddy poured us both a cup of strong, black coffee and joined me at the table.

  He squeezed my hand. “Okay, honey, tell us what’s on your mind. Whatever’s going on, we’ll handle it as a family.”

  Okay, the time had come, but as I sat there staring into Daddy’s gentle brown eyes, I choked. How do you tell your mama that her neck is on Heaven’s chopping block? The words stuck in my throat and my head pounded from trying to make sense of an impossible situation. I couldn’t find the right words or a gentle way to break the news, so I just opened my mouth and released the bomb.

  Mama dropped her fork, it hit the stove, and then crashed to the floor. Daddy bolted up from his chair at the table and walked out the kitchen door without a backward glance. And me—I was left running full speed toward disaster without the brakes on.

  ****

  “Are you out of your mind?” Deena’s shrill voice blasted over the rock-n-roll tune streaming over the salon’s speakers. Of course, several heads swung in our direction with avid curiosity streaming from their gleaming eyes.

  I grabbed my sister’s arm and propelled her past the flower garden in the reception area and into her office. “Damn, Deena, give me a break, will ya? Every vulture in Whiskey Creek is out for new gossip.”

  Deena snatched her arm out of my grip. “Give you a break? Ha! You’re the one who peeled out of here this morning and left me here to deal with your,” and here she paused for emphasis, “boyfriends.” She waved two fingers under my nose. “Not one, mind you, but two. Why can’t you settle for one man like the rest of us, Jolene?” Her voice rose. “And those damn flowers are giving me a headache.”

  The flower garden was a result of clashing testosterone and the almighty male ego. It had started with Preston Neally’s autumn bouquet and ended with Bradford’s insane attempt to woo me away from the young doctor. And now Deena’s office and reception area were filled with floral arrangements of every size, shape, and color. Oh, boy, what a story, and better told elsewhere because I’m running out of time.

  “I’m sorry, but I had an emergency. A life and death emergency.” I tried to touch her, but she moved away with her face pulled into a frown.

  “Another cockamamie ghost thingy,” she blurted and spun around to face me, her eyes spitting fire. “We’re short-staffed with Billie Jo out on maternity leave, Holly gave her two-week notice, my wedding is ten days away, and we’re closed up in my office discussing another one of your situations instead of my nuptials. It’s always about you, Jolene, and I’m sick of it. And your brash actions have injured two great guys. I hope they both dump you.”

  We stared at one another for several seconds, and seeing all the hurt and anger in Deena’s eyes, I knew the time had come for me to lay it all out on the line. On hearing Mama’s dilemma, Deena would probably stroke out and blame me, but I needed her help. Billie Jo’s too. Mama’s life was more important than her wedding, or Preston and Bradford’s delicate feelings. To hell with them, and anyone else who got in my way.

  Being the big sister, and tired of her silly tirade, I grabbed her upper arm and propelled her to her desk chair. “Sit down and shut up.” I applied my superior weight, and she collapsed into the chair. “Maybe you didn’t hear me when I said that Mama’s number’s up.”

  Deena’s upper lip curled in a contemptuous twist. “Get real, Jolene. I’m tired and stressed out this morning, and fed up with the drama. Really, Mama’s number’s up? What nonsense. And what does that mean, ‘her number’s up’?” Her eyes sparked rebellious fire at me.

  I pondered for a moment of just whipping her ass like I used to do growing up but I stifled the impulse. Now I just plain felt sorry for her and didn’t have the heart to mess up her face right before her big day. However, my patience can only stand so much without breaking down altogether, and I was close to losing it. The earlier scene at the farm had zapped my usually calm demeanor, and I had no way of knowing when the Death Angel would swoop down and murder Mama.

  “Deena, honey,” I patted her cheek with the tip of my finger. “Mama’s on The List.”

  “What list?”

  I rolled my eyes heavenward. “Good Lord, Deena. The list! The list! Haven’t you been listening?” I clenched my hands to my side to keep from strangling her.

  Confusion clouded her face. “I don’t recall you mentioning a list.”

  I inhaled a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled at the count of ten. “
When I met you at the back door, I told you about it then.”

  “Aren’t you going to ask me about Sam and Preston?”

  Dingbat! “What about them? They’re gone. End of story.”

  Although my voice didn’t betray my doubts, inside, my heart hammered against my chest as adrenaline pumped through my veins like a gasoline pipeline. I had dashed out of here so fast this morning that I had been unable to name the victor—because I had made a choice.

  My choice. I could chuckle about it now. Dating two men had come down to this. Choose one, everyone demanded, so I did, but the chance to reward the winner never happened. Because of Scarlett and that damn list.

  My choice?

  Dr. Preston Neally.

  Why you ask? Simple. No love involved. No chains of commitment. No dive off Heartbreak Ridge into a sea of self-pity. No tears, no pouting. No bogus claims of undying love. No Bridezilla. No bouquets to throw. No church to book. No disappointments. No divorce lawyers nipping at my heels. Just good old fashioned sex and companionship without the hassle of commitment.

  And best of all, I could keep him at bay. Satisfy him with the crumbs of my affection. I’d learned to do that after Kenny and I divorced long ago. I had also learned that love rarely endures the test of time. Its faded glory had left a permanent scar on my heart. Only one man had since dared to enter that sacred place, and he had betrayed me.

  Former Whiskey Creek police detective Samuel Bradford. Now, at this moment, driving into his future and leaving me behind. He had turned a deaf ear when I told him I could never leave my family and business here in Georgia for the snow-capped mountains of Wyoming.

  He had made his choice, and I mine. Our paths dissected at the crossroads of life, and I couldn’t have been any happier to have dodged the matrimonial bullet.

  Deena’s hand on my arm snapped me out of my musings. “Hey, I’m sorry for pitching a hissy fit. My nerves are strung out, and I’m ready to explode. But I’ll try to listen and understand. Tell me about this list you claim Mama is on.”

  I glanced at my watch. “Holy crap. I forgot about my clients this morning. Damn, I’m losing my freakin’ mind.” My mood zapped, I sank down onto one of the chairs flanking her desk and released a great sigh of frustration.