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)
There were titters among the mourners, and Jamie exhaled an amused sigh.
“On this day, we don’t need your dramatics, Pat,” AJ snapped, an interesting response to seeing his only daughter after decades.
“Of course, I forgot. This is a solemn occasion,” Patricia replied, her tone belying her words.
Apparently, no love lost between Patricia and Jeff either.
AJ shifted in his seat to look at Jamie, and I pressed closer to his side.
“What are you even doing here?” he demanded.
“My brother died,” Jamie drawled.
“Like you give a shit,” AJ spat.
“We all don’t consider family dispensable, AJ,” Jamie retorted.
Was it only me, or did AJ flinch?
I took a moment to regard Paloma.
She was steadfastly faced forward, which was very unlike her. Paloma enjoyed oozing around the edges of a drama, and she was far from a wallflower.
Hmm.
Interesting.
Jamie took me out of my thoughts as he started directing our group to the empty front row opposite AJ and Paloma, which fortunately had ten seats, and that fit our entire crew. Jamie put Reid and Greer closest to the aisle, Patricia next to them, then him, me, followed by Dru, Judge, Rix and Sully.
It wasn’t long before the service started, and it wasn’t lost on me that the pastor who spoke the words had no idea who Jeff was, the light gray casket looked a bit (no other word for it)…cheap, there was a meager arrangement of flowers on top of it, and no other bouquets sent by friends and acquaintances scattered around.
Most awkwardly, when the pastor opened it up, no one came forward to say a few words about Jeff.
I had not met the man, nor had I heard a single word that was positive about him.
But I couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy at this indication of a life so wasted.
I hoped, after it was over, we could get out and huddle in order to invite Patricia, Reid and Greer to enjoy the rest of the day with us. Or try to.
But Patricia had other ideas.
She got up and marched to her father, demanding, “I get it with me. You didn’t have much use for women if they had a brain in their head or you couldn’t sleep with them.”
I pressed my lips together and watched AJ’s face get red, Paloma’s eyes narrow (ah, there was the Paloma I knew), but Patricia was far from done.
“But three of your grandchildren are standing right here, and you haven’t said boo to them.”
“They’ve all been disinherited,” AJ retorted.
“Disinherited from what? Word I hear, you got a load of bupkis to lay on top of your other load of bupkis,” Patricia shot back.
It was official.
I wouldn’t pick the man’s son’s funeral as optimal timing for the messages she had to share.
But I liked her.
“I don’t need this from you. I’m burying my son today,” AJ snapped.
“Like you give a shit,” Patricia was far from done. “The only one you cared about was Andy. Spoiled him so bad, he was useless in life, and died a useless death.”
As an aside, AJ had another boy, his oldest. An inveterate playboy who died while on a yacht in Greece. He’d become inebriated, fell, hit his head then hit the sea. The only saving grace he’d had in his life was being unconscious while he drowned.
“One of the best days of my life was when you moved to a different continent,” AJ returned.
“Thanks, Pop. Worked hard to make you proud,” she sneered.
AJ turned to Paloma, and it wasn’t the first time I noted what an odd pair they were, and this wasn’t only that she was young enough to be his daughter.
She was tall and slender; he was round and squat. She was still a stunner; his personality wasn’t the only unattractive thing about him.
She must be in hell.
“Let’s go, baby,” AJ muttered.
“That two hundred K…” Jamie started.
Both AJ and Paloma turned to Jamie, but I thought it was interesting only Paloma paled.
“Waste of your failing resources,” Jamie finished.
“What are you talkin’ about?” AJ demanded.
Jamie tipped his head to the side as this new development unfolded, before he suggested, “Ask your girlfriend.”
AJ looked up at Paloma.
“Let’s just go, my love,” she mumbled.
AJ stared hard at Paloma as Paloma worked hard not to meet any of our eyes, including AJ’s, and she practically dragged the old man down the aisle.
They didn’t form a two-person reception line to receive condolences.
In fact, they were gone by the time we were out, and Reid, Greer, Jamie and Patricia received perfunctory condolences, though it was clear they all had the “mourners” respect, it was just that none of that was aimed at Jeff.
Most assuredly a sad waste of a life.
When we were alone, and only a few souls lingered in the parking lot, Reid turned to us and invited, “The ranch is a ways away, and if you’re staying in Dallas, makes the return trip farther. But we’d love it if you’d come on over. I’ll put some steaks on the grill and Greer makes a twice-baked potato that can’t be beat.”