Loxley Belle Read online

  I held his calloused hands and rubbed them lovingly. “I know, I thought so too, but I can’t turn away from Loxley. And this time is different. She’s not asking us to do anything except keep her secret. I guess she showed me what happened to her because she needed to. I don’t know.”

  “Go ahead and open it,” Jesse said in a soft voice.

  Curious about what was inside, I slid the papers out; these were copies of old police reports. Not on Chuck Welford or Shannon Bohannan but on Harmon Gates. I flicked on the lamp and sat at the desk. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The charming young man, the boy who declared his love to Loxley Belle, was a criminal.

  “He really was a troubled young man, Jerica. He had priors for breaking and entering. Stolen cars. His brother-in-law was a horrible influence. Harmon disappeared before the cops could come cuff him up. Gone without a trace. He didn’t even stick around for medical attention since he and his family were on the run. Loxley dodged a bullet, if you ask me.”

  I stared at the mug shot of Harmon Gates and felt my heart sag within me. Not for me but for Loxley. Had I done the right thing by putting the flask in the box along with the bracelet? I don’t know where I got the idea to do such a thing, but I woke up with that on my mind. I’d even seen myself on my knees, the shovel in my hand. I felt better having done it, but that was before I saw this police report.

  “Nothing else about him?”

  “Nope. It’s like he fell off the planet, but that’s how these grifters operate. They are masters at vanishing into thin air.” Jesse’s thick eyebrows furrowed. “He’s not haunting the place, is he? Is that why our guests left so quickly this morning?”

  “No, he’s not haunting the place. Relax, Jess. Everything is okay.”

  He sighed and picked up the cardboard box. “You ready to head back to Summerleigh? Frank should be there now, and I’m sure Renee would rather spend the afternoon with him than our son.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Those Clarke boys are pretty irresistible. Did she tell you the news?” I slid my arms around his waist and smiled up at him.

  “No, what news?”

  “Maybe I should keep it to myself. She wouldn’t like me stealing her thunder.”

  Jesse dropped the box on the desk and stared down at me. “You can’t do that. You have to tell me now.”

  “Fine, but when she tells you, you better act surprised. You, Jesse Clarke, are going to be an uncle. I mean, technically, the baby would be your second cousin, but you know how it works around here. She’s Aunt Ree-Ree to Jordan, and you’ll be Uncle Jesse to her little one.”

  He hugged me and laughed. “That’s great news. She’s always wanted a family. We’re family people, for sure. I love mine.”

  “We love you too. But you’re right, we better get back. You can sneak back later and get some writing done. What’s your next project? Have you decided yet?”

  “Yep, I have a few plans. Fiction, believe it or not. A ghost story.”

  I breathed him in and closed my eyes. I wanted to remember this moment forever. I had moments like this a lot lately.

  I really am blessed. Really and truly. Unlike many of the people who called Summerleigh home before us. I’m sorry, Loxley. Sorry that it didn’t work out for you and Harmon.

  I opened my eyes just in time to see a young woman squatting near the flowerbed. I didn’t move a muscle, didn’t let on that I’d seen her. Jesse didn’t need to know about this. She stood up, her brown hair sparkling in the sunshine. Her eyes were large and expressive, but she didn’t speak to me. Her attention was focused on something beyond my vision. And then he was there. Harmon Gates was next to her, his hand in hers. Nobody had ever smiled bigger than Loxley Belle in this moment. Nobody had ever been happier.

  Somehow, she’d showed me how to bring them together. That’s what she’d wanted. That was all, and I’d done it. Now everything was quiet. No more ghosts of Summerleigh. The last Belle was happy and free.

  And so were we.

  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

  Morgan’s Rock Series

  The Haunting of Joanna Storm

  The Hall of Shadows

  The Ghost of Joanna Storm

  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)

  Ghost on a Swing (series prequel)

  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

  Wreath of Roses

  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

  A Ghostly Ride in Gulfport

  The Maelstrom of the Leaf Academy

  Gulf Coast Paranormal Extras

  The October People

  Shabby Hearts Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series

  A Touch of Shabby

  Shabbier by the Minute

  Shabby by Night

  Shabby All the Way

  The Sugar Hill Series

  Wife of the Left Hand

  Fire on the Ramparts

  Blood by Candlelight

  The Starlight Ball

  His Lovely Garden

  Ghosts of Summerleigh Series

  The Belles of Desire, Mississippi

  The Ghost of Jeopardy Belle

  The Lady in White

  Loxley Belle

  The Vampires of Rock and Roll Series

  Elegant Black

  Lost Camelot Series

  Guinevere Forever

  Guinevere Unconquered

  The Undead Queen of Camelot

  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