It's A Wonderful Midlife Crisis (Good To The Last Death #1) - Robyn Peterman Page 0,100

kindly, carefully putting her arms around him and giving him a hug. “Have you been here since you died?”

“Long story,” I said. “And no, he’s only been here for a few days.”

Heather was perplexed but didn’t ask any more questions.

Steve touched Heather’s face and smiled sadly. “To save time and to get you up to speed, I’m gay. I ruined Daisy’s life by hiding who I was. I came back to make it right. Daisy deserves a person who can love her like I was incapable of. We found him.”

“Gideon?” Heather asked, completely shocked.

Gideon sighed and stared at the ceiling. “Why is that so hard to believe?” he ground out between clenched teeth.

“I don’t have time to list off all the reasons,” Heather snapped and then turned her attention back to Steve. “Steve, I’m kind of pissed at you right now—and that’s a polite term for what I’m feeling. However, if you are truly here to make it right, then I’m glad to see you.”

“I am,” Steve promised. “And you’re wrong about Gideon. I can see things that you can’t.”

Heather glanced over at Gideon distrustfully, and then at me. She sighed dramatically and then shrugged. “Okay. I’ll reserve judgment for the time being. However, Gideon, if you hurt her, I’ll destroy you far worse than I will John’s murderous bitch of a wife. Am I clear?”

“You are,” Gideon said tersely. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“We’ll see,” Heather replied coolly.

The irony that Heather might be as old as Gideon didn’t escape me, but I was forty. In human years I was a big enough gal to make my own choices. Before I could come to Gideon’s defense and point out that I was old enough to make my own decisions, the entire family room filled with golden light.

“What the hell?” Heather muttered.

“Not Hell. Definitely not Hell,” Steve whispered as he stared in awe.

“It’s John. It’s okay,” I assured everyone as I calmly crossed the room and put all of my focus on him. “John has his closure. He can leave now.”

John smiled at me and nodded his head.

“It’s time for you to go, my friend,” I whispered, touching his hand and smiling back at him.

John was no longer a decaying corpse of a man with his head awkwardly attached and his neck partially severed. The ethereal and somewhat blinding golden glow surrounded my friend, and his body was restored to what it had been before he’d been murdered. He was lovely.

The room grew warm and the silky golden mist danced around John, making him look like an angel. His smile was serene and he took my hand in his.

“Thank you, Daisy,” he said in the human voice I recognized from being inside his mind. “I wish you would take my money, but I do understand.”

Karen ran to her former human and wagged her tail a mile a minute as she licked John all over. John’s delighted laugh rang out and echoed through the room.

“Take good care of my girl,” he said with tears in his eyes as he pet his dog for the very last time. “And keep your trash well secured.”

“Will do,” I said, swiping at a tear that rolled down my cheek.

“Heather, thank you.”

Heather nodded her head in respect.

“And Gideon?” John added in a kind tone.

“Yes?” Gideon replied.

“You are worthy, and so is Daisy. Remember that.”

Gideon nodded the same way Heather had. It was the longest conversation I’d had to date with one of the dead who was moving into the light, but it wasn’t surprising. John’s circumstances were sad and horrible.

“Be careful, Daisy. Everything is not always as it seems,” he said.

His voice grew faint with the advice… or warning. I sure as hell hoped he wasn’t referring to Gideon. But he’d just told Gideon he was worthy. It had to be something else.

Was it Heather? My gut said no. My gut was working quite well lately so I was going to go with it.

“Safe travels, John,” I whispered as he faded away and took the golden light with him.

You could hear a pin drop, the room was so silent. It was clear to me that neither Gideon nor Heather had ever seen someone go into the light. Of course Gideon hadn’t. He sent souls in question into the darkness. I reminded myself that a person basically determined their own fate—not Gideon. He was simply tasked with making sure that it went according to plan. Heather was his counterpart. Although, it surprised me that Heather hadn’t seen