Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Our crew was very close, and Dru was definitely a part of that.
But this seemed to be something different.
“Ready?” Jamie’s voice came at me.
I looked up to him to note he hadn’t seen what I saw, because he was looking toward the funeral home.
He might not be overly saddened at his brother’s passing, but Jeff was still his brother, and AJ was probably already in that building, thus the next hour or so was not going to be enjoyable for my Jamie.
I curled my fingers around the crook of his arm and said, “Yes, darling. Let’s go.”
We walked toward the building but didn’t make it when Jamie’s steps stuttered to a halt.
So we all came to a halt.
His head was turned to the right, I looked that way, and I saw a lovely, tanned, robust woman of around my age walking toward us.
“Good Christ. Patty?” Jamie called.
My body tensed when I knew who she was, but the woman grinned largely as she called back, “In the flesh, brother boy.”
Gently, Jamie extricated my hand from his arm, strode purposefully toward the sister he hadn’t seen in years. She’d escaped the Oakley dysfunction by moving to New Zealand, and until this moment, as far as I knew, had never been back on American soil. And this included not going to her own mother’s funeral (though, Jamie told me she did send a beautiful spray of flowers and a loving note to her mother, the reading of which Jamie included in his eulogy). That said, Jamie had gone to New Zealand to see her, though, considering the distance, not frequently.
The instant they were close enough to do so, they embraced.
We all edged toward them, so I heard her say to her brother, “Damn, it’s so good to see you.”
“You too, Patty. You too,” Jamie muttered.
He broke their embrace and turned to us. “Judge, you won’t remember her, because you were a baby when you last saw her, but this is your Aunt Patty.”
She beamed at Judge, before she went to him, cupped his face in her hands and said, “Lord, son. You grew up good.”
“Uh…thanks,” Judge mumbled, his attention going between his dad and his aunt, uncertain which way to come down with the latter, in case, even if it gave no appearances of so being, this was another hit his father was taking.
Yes, Chloe was right.
Judge was indeed overprotective.
It was sweet.
“Congratulations on your boy, Judge,” Patricia went on. “Jamie sent me photos. He’s gorgeous.”
Judge’s, “Thanks again, Aunt Patty,” was a little less hesitant this time.
Patricia turned to Dru and did the same. “Always so beautiful, just like your mother.”
“Nice to see you again, Aunt Patty,” Dru replied.
“This is Rix, Judge’s best bud, and Sully, a good family friend,” Jamie introduced. And after they all shook hands, he turned her to me. “And this is Nora, my future wife, when I get around to giving her a ring.”
My entire body warmed, Patricia laughed, Judge and Dru grinned at each other, and Patricia moved in to embrace me.
“Lovely to meet you,” she said in my ear, giving me a squeeze that was a mite overpowering, but I could take it.
“You as well,” I replied.
We released each other, and she turned to the funeral home. “So, we got this shit to deal with.”
“Yeah,” Jamie agreed.
She looked to Jamie. “You ready to face the tyrant?”
“I’ve been in striking distance, Patty. The question is, are you?” Jamie asked.
“Brother boy, I’ve been psyching up for this for decades.”
Jamie grinned at her, took my hand and curled it around his elbow, then ordered, “Judge, escort your aunt inside.”
Judge offered his arm to Patricia, an offer she accepted, and in we went.
We’d timed it to be latecomers, and although there were a few people loitering in the vestibule, all of them turning our way with interest upon our arrival, Jamie didn’t delay in leading us inside the chapel.
Standing at the back, two highly attractive women, one my age, one younger, both clearly related to each other, both who appeared to be waiting for our arrival, made their way right to us.
“Reid,” Jamie greeted, giving the older woman a hug and me the knowledge of who she was.
Jeff’s ex-wife.
So the younger woman was Greer, his daughter.
They both looked shaken, but neither appeared to be overly grieving or haunted. Perhaps because Jeff had left them, without affection or support, when he was done with his marriage and family.
More hugs, introductions and surprise that Patricia was there were exchanged before Greer announced, “We’re up front.”
“I don’t think—” Jamie started.
“Damn straight we are,” Patricia declared.
She then marched up the aisle to the front.
I had a feeling I was very much going to like Jamie’s sister.
We all followed, and then I didn’t know whether to gasp in shock or bark with laughter when Patricia made it to the first row, stopped, clicked her heels, and saluted AJ, who had Paloma seated beside him, before she greeted loudly, “Commandant Father.”