Unbinding Love Read online

  The fact that I took control of the meeting was not lost on me. As the youngest of the siblings, my brothers always considered me the baby, never quite aging me past a toddler in their mind so for them to acquiesce authority in this situation was surprising. I wrote it off to their shock and grief at losing Ma and expected the newfound respect to burn out quicker than a birthday candle. But I would be lying if I didn’t admit to enjoying it just a little.

  We all said our goodbyes to my mother. I couldn’t hear their private whispered words, but I could hear Ma responding. Not the Ma lying on the gurney, the ghost one. As I said, it was confusing. Like the loud Italian woman she was in life, her raspy, I’ve had one thousand too many cigarettes, voice enveloped the room, for me at least, since apparently I was the only one who could hear her. “Oh Pauly, it’s okay. I’m not mad that you weren’t here. Don’t be upset. It’s okay.”

  I always knew he was her favorite.

  Paul and I haven’t always had the smoothest of relationships. In fact, as a child he wanted me dead. No, really. He tried so hard to make it happen he actually pushed me in front of slow moving cars three times. I was lucky to suffer only emotional, not physical, damage. Attempted murders aside, my heart ached for him now. The guilt of not being there when Ma passed would haunt him forever, though I couldn’t help but wonder if that was easier than being haunted by her ghost.

  ***

  An hour later, the four of us sat with coffee in hand, at Starbucks. Coffee made everything seem better, if only a little. Before we left the funeral home, Paul asked Comb-over to let us know when Ma’s body was cremated. I preferred not to know, but everyone handles death differently and Paul needed what he needed so I didn’t argue. Admittedly, backing away from an argument with Paul was a new thing for me. Ma’s death had really messed with my brain.

  We were discussing the arrangements of her burial when I got the call. Comb-over told me they’d started, and as I nodded to Jake and my brothers, a heavy sadness filled the air.

  I disconnected from the call and stayed on task. “Okay. When should we go to Chicago?”

  “That’s a good question,” John, the over thinker of us siblings, said. “I’ll call the cemetery later today and find out if we can bury Mom with Grandma and Grandpa. If they won’t let us, we’ll have to figure out what else to do. I was thinking maybe we could each take a portion of her remains and do something with our kids to honor her.”

  Oh, no. No, no, no. That was not going to happen. I promised Ma I’d do this for her and I’ll be damned if I didn’t do it right. Especially since she was haunting me. There was no way I would to spend the rest of my waking days with the ghost of my mother pissed off because we didn’t honor her final wish. No way.

  “It’s okay,” I blurted out before Paul agreed with John. “Ma was worried about the same thing, so we called the cemetery a few weeks ago and found out that it’s fine.” I took a quick breath and hoped God wouldn’t strike me dead for lying.

  “They told me that as long as we’re not getting a stone, the plots are ours to do with as we please. Except for digging up our grandparents, that is.” I checked the sky, but still no lightning. Phew.

  My brothers nodded. “Okay.”

  Dodged that bullet. What’s wrong with a few little lies? This was what Ma wanted and eventually I’d tell them the truth, once she was buried and we were on our way home. Or maybe next year. What’s the saying? Ask for forgiveness, not permission. That’s what I’d do, eventually.

  I offered to make the memorial arrangements even though we all knew they’d have asked me to do it anyway.

  I filled them in on my call to our cousin. “I already called Roxanne, who said she’d make the rounds of calls, and since the funeral home here said they would put the obituary in the Chicago papers, that’s covered. Does the weekend after next work? That gives us all time to plan accordingly.”

  “I don’t see a problem with that, but I’ll have to check with Elizabeth and see what her schedule is,” John said.

  Jake nodded in agreement with his eyes still glued to the screen of his iPhone.

  Paul nodded too. “Let’s go through all of our pictures of Mom. I can make a video with music, and we can show it at her memorial.”

  We all agreed that was a great idea and made plans to confirm the date over email by tonight. My brothers left Jake and me there to share our addiction to the warm, smooth taste of coffee. We got refills before we headed home, too.

  The rest of the day I was on autopilot and truth be told I couldn’t remember much of it. One minute Jake and I were getting coffee and the next it was after ten p.m. I kissed Jake goodnight and went upstairs and checked on the kids, who were already blissfully sound asleep.

  “It’s done,” I texted Mel after I settled under the covers.

  “I’m sorry,” she texted back. “Do you need anything?”

  “No, I’m okay. Going to bed. I’m tired.”

  “K. I’m here if you need me. (HUGS).”

  ALSO BY CAROLYN

  RIDDER ASPENSON

  Unfinished Business

  An Angela Panther Mystery

  Unbreakable Bonds

  An Angela Panther Mystery

  Uncharted Territory

  An Angela Panther Mystery

  The Christmas Elf

  An Angela Panther Holiday Short

  Santa’s Gift

  A Cumming Christmas Novella

  8 to Lose the Weight

  For more information visit

  carolynridderaspenson.com

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  So many people continue to play a part in the Angela Panther mysteries. Jenn Nahrstadt for her proofing excellence and much valued opinion. Stephanie Konat for her marketing know-how and attention to detail and Tatiana Vila for her fabulous book covers.

  Of course I can’t leave out the much-appreciated help of Ara Baronian and Nick Sotor, both incredibly patient professionals in law enforcement. Thank God they each understand I really am writing a book when I text them with ridiculous questions at all hours of the day.

  As always, a big dose of love to my husband Jack, for his love, support, patience, and most importantly, his incredibly selling skills. I wish he’d be my agent but alas, he has a job already.

  To be notified of future releases

  and receive a free copy of Carolyn's holiday novella,

  Santa's Gift, A Cumming Christmas Novella,

  carolynridderaspenson.com

  MORE GREAT READS

  FROM

  CAROLYN RIDDER ASPENSON

  Unfinished Business An Angela Panther Mystery

  In UNFINISHED BUSINESS AN ANGELA PANTHER MYSTERY, #1 AMAZON bestselling author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson introduces her now trademark blend of witty dialog and hilarious banter in the first book of her hilarious and heartwarming paranormal chick lit, cozy mystery, Angela Panther series.

  When Angela Panther's mother Fran Richter wakes her up in the middle of the night ranting about stolen Hershey Bars, Angela thinks her mother's got a screw loose. And then it hits her. Her mother is dead. Just a few hours before, Angela watched as the funeral home staff nearly dropped her mother's body off the gurney while sliding her into the hearse. So maybe she's the one that's nuttier than a fruitcake?

  But Fran keeps popping in and with a volcano full of drama already brewing at home—crazy or not—Angela's grateful for her mother's presence.

  It's the other ghosts Angela can do without.

  Seems Fran's return opened a portal between Angela and the other side and ghosts are hitting up the reluctant psychic medium for help. From the naked British guy juggling balls in the coffee shop parking lot to the woman desperately trying to save her sick child, Angela must find a way to balance her own life with the unfinished business of the dead.

  Unbreakable Bonds An Angela Panther Mystery

  "Be careful what you wish for because karma has a way of biting you in the butt." That's wh
at Angela Panther's mother always said.

  And boy was she was right.

  When Angela first discovered her gift to gab with ghosts, she fought it tooth and nail. But the second she decided it wasn't so bad, tragedy hit and the universe decided to teach her a lesson.

  Now she's unable to chat with the other side and is crying out for a re-do.

  When her best friend Mel suspects her husband of cheating, she asks Angela to help her prove it. They concoct the perfect plan to get the goods on him, but to make it work they'll need help from Angela's mother, Fran.

  There's just one tiny little problem--Fran's dead.

  As the two best friends set out on a cheater-catching adventure, they hope Fran can use her celestial super powers to help, and prove that the bond between those who've crossed over with the ones they've left behind is never broken.

  In UNBREAKABLE BONDS, AN ANGELA PANTHER MYSTERY, AMAZON and Barnes & Noble bestselling author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson’s snarky dialog and hilarious banter between psychic medium Angela and her best friend Mel will leave you laughing in tears, and the touching scenes between the living dead will tug at your heart strings.

  Uncharted Territory An Angela Panther Mystery

  Just when psychic medium Angela Panther thinks she's got her gift figured out, the universe smacks her in the head with a curve ball, or three.

  When an unidentified fourteen-year-old boy takes a dive off an interstate overpass, Detective Aaron Banner asks Angela to find out what really happened, and to whom. Only, the boy’s spirit has other plans for her—help another lost soul and forget about him.

  But Angela's never been good at taking orders.

  With the help of her dead-but-not-gone mother, Fran, and her best friend, Mel, who’s now newly single and on the prowl, Angela sets out to discover the truth about both the jumper and the girl he wants to help.

  And boy, is she out of her league.

  Armed with little more than their double lattes and a tiny pink bottle of wannabe pepper spray, Angela and Mel must venture far out of their comfort zone to solve two mysteries. But will it be enough to protect them from the dark side of Atlanta and its gun-toting teens and child abductors, so they can help the dead to finally rest in peace?