A Most Excellent Midlife Crisis - Robyn Peterman Page 0,71
whispered back. “But Clarissa tried to destroy her and Jimmy Joe dove in front of her and took the hit. Blew him to smithereens. So, while my statement isn’t technically correct, it’s literally correct in a broad sense of the definition.”
Gideon stopped searching and stared at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Clarissa did this to Jimmy Joe?” he asked, his brow wrinkled in thought.
I nodded and went back to work. Help would have been nice, but I was fine without it. The ghosts were my responsibility. Jimmy Joe was my hero because of what he did and I wasn’t about to leave any of him on the floor.
“Why was Jimmy Joe still here?” Gideon asked. “Do you know what his unfinished business was?”
I shook my head. If I spoke, I would cry. I had no clue why Jimmy Joe Johnson was still here. My norm was to let the dead come to me when they were ready to move on. Pushing hadn’t felt right, and I didn’t want anyone to feel unwelcome or like I wanted them to leave.
God, had my manners left my squatters in a limbo of sorts? Should I have a freaking schedule? Honestly, I didn’t care how long they stayed. My life was fuller with all my dead friends.
“I can hear you,” Gideon said, smiling.
Why was he smiling at me? “I’m getting ready to cry,” I told him, pushing some of the glass away and sitting down. “I really don’t think my thoughts are funny right now.”
“They’re loving and sweet,” he said.
“Loving and sweet certainly didn’t help Jimmy Joe.”
“Do you know that as fact?” he questioned, waving Gram over.
“The more I know, the less I know,” I muttered, closing my eyes and trying to make everything disappear.
“Daisy girl,” Gram said. “You’ve got nothin’ to feel bad about. You’ve been busier than a moth in a wool mitten. You’re handlin’ the dead much better than your mama or I ever did. Jimmy Joe, bless his heart, has had a wonderful stay.”
I opened one eye and looked at her. “I’m doing a good job?”
“Yep. I’m right proud of you. I want you to quit goin’ round your ass to get to your elbow.”
Squinting at her, I let out a pained laugh. “Is that even possible?”
“No! And that’s my point, child,” she said, hugging Jimmy Joe’s head to her. “We’re all just doing the best we can. That’s all we can do.”
“Gram,” Gideon cut in. “Do you know what Jimmy Joe’s unfinished business was?”
“Yep.”
We waited.
And waited.
“Are we supposed to guess?” I asked with the beginnings of a real smile.
If Gram knew, I could hopefully solve it and he could rest in peace and move into the light.
“My poor Jimmy Joe Johnson just felt awful that he died with credit card debt,” she said, shaking her head sadly.
I was kind of shocked that someone had stayed due to credit card debt, but Jimmy Joe was an odd one. However, this was an easy solve unless he owed hundreds of thousands. I had Steve’s life insurance money in the bank. Which meant I could easily give Jimmy Joe peace.
“How much?” I asked Gram.
“I’ll pay it,” Gideon offered.
“No,” I said firmly. “I’ll pay it.”
“I’d really like to pay it,” Gideon insisted.
“Umm… nope. Jimmy Joe was my guest. I can pay it,” I said, giving Gideon a look.
Gideon sighed and, if I wasn’t mistaken—and I wasn’t—he rolled his eyes.
“Daisy, I have a lot of money,” he informed me.
“Irrelevant,” I told him, so tempted to ask how much, but I didn’t want to know.
“Y’all need to hush,” Gram hissed. “If anyone is gonna pay it, it’s me.”
“You’re dead,” I pointed out.
Gram looked surprised for a second, and then laughed. “Yep, but I had a life insurance policy that’s comin’ your way, Daisy girl,” she said. “So technically I could pay off my man’s debt. But I’m not gonna do that.”
“Mmkay,” I said. “Not following that logic, Gram.”
“Jimmy Joe told me the check was in his briefcase at his house, in the crawlspace—addressed, stamped and ready to go,” she explained. “He didn’t want to tell you yet because we were havin’ so much fun courtin’.”
I shook my head and grinned. “So, this will consist of a breaking and entering into a crawlspace?”
I’d done it before for my dear dead buddy Sam. I could do it again. I just hoped the house was empty this time.
“Kind of,” Gram said with a wink. “You won’t have to break at all, just enter.”