“I know. He’s up on the altar arguing with your husband. We need to get rid of him now.”
Ava scrambled to her feet, inching around the dead body. “That’s Chris. We need a distraction so you can get him off that altar.”
“Like what?” Sebastian asked.
Ava fluffed her hair. “Like me coming to life.’
“Ava…”
“We don’t have a choice here, and I’m not going to stay dead forever. This will throw The Board at least a little while we regroup.”
“Fine,” he answered. “It’ll also allow me an in to get more information on this supposed screw-up. We’ll meet at the Beach Comber tonight. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she said as they circled around to reach the bottom of the bell tower.
“I’ll go in the back and grab him.”
She passed the keys to the vehicle to him with a nod. “See you on the flip side.”
He grinned at her as he backed away. “Have fun coming back to life.”
She winked at him as she hurried up the stairs while he disappeared around the side of the building.
Her heart hammered against her ribs as she tugged open the tall wooden door and slid into the space.
“There’s something I really need to say,” Chris said, his voice echoing off the walls as he spoke into the microphone. “And I have the right to stand up here and remember Ava–”
“But you don’t,” Alex said as he desperately tried to push the man away from the microphone.
Kyle approached him from the opposite side. “Look, buddy, now’s not the time. Obviously, you have some memories of her, but I really don’t think Alex wants them shared right now.”
“Definitely not,” Alex said with a shake of his head.
Julia and Grant stood as more people tried to come to Alex’s aid.
“But I have something to say about Ava’s death.”
“Impossible!” Ava shouted as she strode up the aisle, her hood still covering her hair.
Heads twisted toward her, and she tugged the hood off as she spotted Sebastian’s face appear from a doorway near the back of the altar.
Eyes widened, jaws dropped, and Ava smirked. “Because Ava isn’t dead.”
She dramatically took a spot in front of the coffin and her picture, stretching her hands to the sides.
She heard Chris’s expression of shock cut off abruptly, but she worked to keep everyone’s eyes on her until Sebastian could drag him away.
Gasps went up among the funeral-goers. Julia gripped the wooden railing in front of her as she stared with disbelief at Ava. “Ava?”
“OMG!” Sierra shouted. “You’re alive! How?”
“Sierra!” Grant hissed.
“Daddy, this is more insane than a telenovela! I need answers,” Sierra said with her hands on her hips.
Grant held up a hand, quieting her as Kyle spoke into the microphone. “Ugh, folks, obviously there’s been some sort of…crazy thing that’s happened. And the family will need some time to process this. So, we’d like to thank you for coming but…the funeral is over.”
People sat stunned in their pews until a few of them rose and began to shuffle down the aisle, shooting glances over their shoulder at Ava as she stood at the front of the church.
