Honeymoon In Coffinville

By Susan Jean Ricci

After buying an ancient mansion in dire need of a makeover, lovers Shannon and Rick Burke are treated to more visions than they bargained for. An old well in their back yard reveals a bucket of bones, and an old trunk is found in the attic.

As the renovations begin, she and Rick discover a decades old diner, with its elderly owner boasting his homemade desserts are ripe with special hormones.

The sudden appearance of an unusual white cat, coupled with the century old secret in the attic leads Shannon to believe the cat never ages. Although she's lured by the purity of the odd feline, she begins to wonder if it's a guardian angel, or a creature of darkness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Jean Ricci
• Release date: Apr 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201962517

Susan Jean Ricci

A USA Today, Award-Winning Author, Susan Jean Ricci is best known for her Cindy's Crusades Series, starring the hilarious duo Cindy and Jay DeMatteo. These characters were first introduced in the multi-award winning novel Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, and return to entertain you in its sequel The Sugar Ticket. Look for the soon to be published and final saga Don't Bruise the Bananas, releasing May 2021. Cindy and Jay's mischief making lives on in these shorts: A Sweet Snafu, Christmas With Niagara, His Sacred Vow, Passion's Secret Ingredient, and Turning up the Heat. Please also consider Ms. Ricci's other stand alone works of fiction and short stories in her new series Love's Salvation, and her latest release, the nonfiction best seller Running On All Fours. A member of the RWA, The Authors' Billboard, and the Independent Authors' Network, several of Ms. Ricci's titles have been recognized as Outstanding Novella Winner in the IAN 2020, Outstanding Finalist in the IAN 2020, and Finalist in the Outstanding Novellas Categories 2019,2018, 2017, and the Women's Outstanding Fiction Winner in the IAN 2016. Ms. Ricci's stories have been included in the following anthologies: Unforgettable Revenge: Glory and Satisfaction, New Year's Eve Shorts, Dear Santa: A Christmas Wish, The Players - Winner Takes All, Cute But Crazy - Ditzy Dudes, Invincible Diversity, Sweet and Sassy Summertime, Volume One, Summer Shorts, Unforgettable Joy: Unforgettable Pleasure; Cute But Crazy: Wild, Wacky Women; Christmas Shorts; Unforgettable Christmas Dreams: Gifts of Love; Sweet and Sassy Heroes; Sweet and Sassy in the Snow, Unforgettable Charmers - Unforgettable Hunks; Unforgettable Thrills - Passion and Power; the USA Today Bestselling Love, Christmas 2 - Movies You Love; the Sweet and Sassy at the Beach Collection, the Sweet and Sassy Weddings - A Time for Romance Anthology; Sweet and Sassy Valentine Collection; Sweet and Sassy Christmas - A Time for Romance Collection; the Unforgettable Christmas - Gifts of Love, and Unforgettable Heroes - Unforgettable Passion. Ms. Ricci blogs at http://www.susanjeanricci.com/blog.php. You can friend her at https://www.facebook.com/DinosaursCherryStems/, and you can follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Susanjeanricci. Her titles are available exclusively on Amazon.

Book preview

Honeymoon in Coffinville

Honeymoon in Coffinville

Susan Jean Ricci

Contents

About Honeymoon in Coffinville

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Epilogue

About the Author

Praise and Awards

Also by Susan Jean Ricci

Copyright © 2021 by Susan Jean Ricci

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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About Honeymoon in Coffinville

What you two need is to have a vision, their realtor declared as she prepared to close the deal. Think how spectacular this house will be, once you fix it to your liking.

After buying an ancient mansion in dire need of a makeover, lovers Shannon and Rick Burke are treated to more visions than they bargained for. An old well in their back yard reveals a bucket of bones, and an old trunk is found in the attic as if it was meant just for them.

As the renovations begin, she and Rick discover a decades old diner, with its elderly owner boasting his homemade desserts are ripe with special hormones – and his fare is delectable.

The sudden appearance of an unusual white cat, coupled with the century old secret in the attic leads Shannon to believe the cat never ages. Although she’s lured by the purity of the odd feline, she begins to wonder if it’s a guardian angel, or a creature of darkness.

Dedication

Joseph C. Ricci

1948-2019

---

Also To my Labrador retriever Emma

Her Presence in My Life

Has Been a Pure Joy

Chapter 1

Shannon Burke stared out the realtor’s car window at the dim, dense forest on either side of the highway.

When we decided moving to a rural area with plenty of property was a good idea, I didn’t picture anything this secluded, did you? she whispered to her new husband Rick. There’s not another house in sight.

Welcome to the great outdoors, babe, he answered with grin. Can’t wait to get away from the burbs and into some country living. He caressed her thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. Imagine, both of us working from home, and being together twenty-four/seven. Personally, the scenario stokes my wood burning chimney.

Shannon lightly tickled his ribs. Your chimney’s always smoking, she taunted with a smile of her own.

"What about your personal pilot light?" he returned as he lifted her hair and let the golden brown strands slip through his fingers.

Not wanting the realtor to overhear further, sexual elaboration, she tossed her head and changed the subject. Never mind that. Check out the size of those trees. Ginormous, they are, even the leaves. She fanned her face and drawled, I do declare those shady trees are up to no good.

Rick chuckled and placed an arm around her shoulders. You’re funny, honey. I Google mapped the house we’re going to see and it’s only thirty miles away from our hometown, but closer to Philadelphia than New York. And don’t forget we have our old four wheel drive as a backup in case of snow, if the Nissan can’t manage these hilly roads.

Shannon gave a delicate shudder. Snow is the least of my worries right now, Mister. Can’t you just hear that television narrator’s voice from those sixties reruns warning us about how we’re about to step into the other side, she asked, pointing to a sign on the side of the road that read, ‘Coffinville – Dead Ahead.’

Her husband leaned over and nuzzled her neck. Honey, there ain’t gonna be one thing remotely dead in our house, even if we do buy a house in Coffinville, if you get my drift.

Goosies of desire teased her skin as she leaned her body into his. "I’m so glad