A Ring of Truth: The Lost Trinkets Series, #2

By Sherrie Lea Morgan

Helping someone get closure could open the door to her own heartbreak.

 

After a month of cleaning, tidying, and getting to know her neighbors—particularly Mitch, who warms her belly with his food and her bed with his body—Shannon Pryce is ready to throw open Trinket's doors to the Petrie's Crossing tourist crowd. She's also ready to return another item in the box she found in her late aunt's desk. This time, it's a silver ring that sends visions from Shannon's fingertips to her mind's eye, plus something new and worrisome: the echoing cries of a woman's pain.With the help of her ghostly twin, Steph, and her aunt's diary, Shannon sets out to unravel a mystery filled with love and heartbreak in her quest to return the ring to its rightful owner—hopefully while keeping her psychic power a secret.But hiding her ability gets harder every time she reaches into that box of trinkets. Especially with an author researching the crime that drove her away from Birmingham hounding her for an interview. If the town gossips catch wind of her past, Shannon could lose everything—her new shop, her new life…maybe even her new love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Village Publishing
• Release date: Dec 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9780998119625

Sherrie Lea Morgan

Sherrie Lea Morgan is an active member of Romance Writers of America, her local chapter Georgia Romance Writers, Paranormal Romance Guild. She lives north of Atlanta, GA with her twin sister, two dogs and two cats. When not working her current manuscripts, she enjoys spending time with her family. Visit her at: www.sherrieleamorgan.com; www.facebook.com/sherrielea ; Sherrie Lea Morgan (@slmorganwrit) | Twitter

Book preview

a ring of truth

Lost Trinket Series Book Two

Sherrie Lea Morgan

Village Publishing

ACWORTH, GEORGIA

Copyright © 2016 by Sherrie Lea Morgan

All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Sherrie Lea Morgan/Village Publishing

PO Box 2519

Acworth, Georgia/USA 30102

www.sherrieleamorgan.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Book Layout © 2017 BookDesignTemplates.com

a ring of truth/The Lost Trinkets Series Book Two/Sherrie Lea Morgan. – 2nd ed.

ISBN 9780998119625

Editor: Lindsey Loucks

Cover for this book done by Yocla Designs.

This book is dedicated to my daughter Heather Lynn. Thank you for being my daughter and my friend, and supporting me forever and always.

psychometry (sīˈkämətrē) noun

1. the ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them.

manifestation (manəˌfesˈtāSH(ə)n) noun

d: an occult phenomenon; specifically: materialization

contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Epilogue

a secret escape

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chapter One

We've been here over a month already. You've cleaned, rearranged, cleaned more, and still haven't opened the doors to this place. What's up? Steph floated up the stairs after me and into my small office space.

I don't know. I turned as she entered, inhaling the calming scent of cinnamon in the room. Her white misty image contrasted with the moss green paint I'd applied last week. Where have you been lately?

I was checking things out. I'm bored. Shan, you make it hard to keep my promise of no peeking. I can pop inside your head and get the answer.

I haven't decided yet on how to answer your question. I pointed my finger at my twin's ghost. And no peeking. If you do, I swear I will—

What? Take away my birthday? Steph laughed and the sound bounced against the walls.

A band tightened around my chest. I dropped into the desk chair. My eyes filled with tears, and I blinked rapidly to clear them.  Steph, I whispered.

Don’t.

Cold air whipped around me, and I raised my hands to block my face from my blowing hair’s slaps. Okay...okay. Stop.

Silence. No wind. Nothing. I peeked between my fingers. I was alone. Shoot. I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, swiped my eyes, and sniffed. What is wrong with me?

Steph? I called. Steph, I'm sorry. C'mon back and talk to me... Please?

I hate it when you beg, Steph said as she materialized across the room. It never used to bother you when I joked about death before. Why now?

I'm not sure. Do you believe the full moon has an effect on people?

Yeah, she said. Even ghosts whisper about it.

Maybe that's it, then? I heard tomorrow night is supposed to be a full moon.

Uh-huh. Since I've never tracked your guilt-ridden moments, I guess we can chalk it up to that. You over it now, though?

Yes. No. I sighed.

Anyway, you’re doing your thing tonight before your boy toy arrives, right? Steph asked.

He's not coming over tonight. And he's not my—

Whatever, she hollered as she faded through the wall.

I jumped up.

Stephanie Pryce, I told you not to do that, I scolded as I stomped back to the desk, I'd found last month. I planted my hands on my hips and scowled. Ghost twin or not, fade in and out. I don't care. No. Going. Through. Walls. Got it? I shuddered. It gives me the creeps.

She reappeared. Sue me.

Steph, I growled.

Fine, fine. No wall penetration. I get it. She snickered.

Really? I said, then giggled.

She burst out laughing so loud, I had to slap my hands over my ears, but I chuckled with her until my stomach clenched and cramped. My throat tightened. I waved my hand and shook my head.

Stop, I choked out and gasped for breath.

Steph's laughter trailed away.

I grinned. You're so bad.

I know. But I couldn't resist, she said as she sat on the edge of the desk. I'm glad you decided to return the items.

Me too, I agreed and sat, opening the bottom right drawer to pull out the box of trinkets I'd discovered last month. At least now, Nancy knows her grandfather didn't forget about her.

True. How hard that must have been for her to go all this time thinking she'd been forgotten by the one person she'd loved so much. Steph shifted. And that mom of hers... What a peach. But that's fine. Karma's an equal opportunity employer.

I stopped before opening the box and stared. What do you mean by that?

Steph shrugged and mumbled under her breath.

Spit it out loud enough for me to hear you, I said, crossing my arms.

Fine, fine. I paid a little visit to Nancy's mom last week.

I gasped. You did what?

Calm down. I only made her lights flicker a few times to give her a little scare.

My heart raced. Y-You can't do that.

Why not? She made Nancy feel worthless after her grandfather passed. She deserved it. Steph held up her hands. Don't say it. I'm telling you, it was just a tiny scare. She swung her legs over the desk, causing a white cloud that blurred her feet. Besides, what's the use of being a ghost if you can't do a little haunting once in a while?

I'm not discussing that with you. Just tell me you didn't materialize so she'd see you. We do look alike, you know.

Really? Is that because we're twins? C'mon, Shan, I'm not that stupid. She hopped off the desk and floated toward the window.

Yeah, I know. But still.

All I'm saying is that there's a reason you found this box and a reason you have to use your gift to get these items returned.

It's not like each item is guaranteed to bring happiness or peace to whomever it belongs to. We can't pretend every one of these items will create an ending like our last one did.

No, but it's a good start. Don't you think? Steph asked.

Yeah, I guess. I looked away.

What?

What if the next item brings pain? It's so unpredictable.

True, but can you leave those in that box and forget them? We already talked about it. If there's any chance it can bring closure for someone, then you need to do this.

Need? Need to do this? I know we've talked about it. But if it's a choice of helping someone or staying sane, I'm choosing staying sane. I shrugged. I have to make a life here. I think I’ll open the shop tomorrow morning. I need to make this shop work. My choices are pretty much nil now.

I get that, and it won’t work if you don’t open your doors, she said.

And there's never a guarantee of a positive closure, I said, twisting in the seat. So far, I've only received visions. That I can handle...and it's one of the reasons why I've even considered continuing to search for the owners. I lifted the box lid off the trinkets and peered in. I won't keep going if the visions get stronger. As long as you understand that, we're good.

I know. We'll do this one step at a time, okay?

Okay, I said, rubbing my hands together. The setting sun behind the building caused the shadows to deepen through my front window. Tonight, read the ring. Tomorrow, open for business.

Tomorrow night, get some hot and heavy time.

I grinned. Right, I said and scooted closer to the desk.

Wait, before we start. What's with the gloves?

I peeled off the gloves I'd slipped on earlier in the day. I went to an estate sale this morning and didn't want to take a chance a vision would spark up in the middle of a shopping trip. I've got a store to run and thought I might pick up something within my budget to build some stock.

Smart, she said.

I cleared my throat, Okay, we said a ring next, right?

Right. Wait, the orange stone one.

I shook my head. I'm not getting anything strong with that. I already tried. Let's do this silver one with the etching on it. It looks interesting.

You're in charge.

Here we go, I whispered and reached for the ring.

Chapter Two

I smelled her before I saw her. The summer wind of the morning carried an overbearing scent of roses and dirt as I turned the corner and paused. On the cracked wooden bench outside Rocky's Railroad Museum sat a middle-aged woman with a large basket of half dead roses balanced on one frail knee. Her other foot tapped silently on the aged wooden planks of the back