“Right. About that. A moving company will be here in six days. Make certain Ollie is aware you’ll be supervising them and that’s your day off training. They have about an eighteen-hour window to get whatever you need packed and in a shipping container. Make certain you have enough clothes and gear for you and stuff for your grandmother for about two weeks.”
The silence on the other end of the line was so absolute, I was certain the call was disconnected. “Hello?” I prompted.
“This is better than winning the lottery because that’s a fantasy. This is real.” His words strike a chord deep inside of me.
“No, kid. This is better because you worked for it. You’ll never take it for granted. Now, you have my number. Get a pen.”
There’s some scrambling on the other end before, “Got it.”
I rattle off Charmaine’s office and cell. “That’s my assistant, Charmaine. She runs all our lives. Make sure you have those numbers in your phone, and when she calls, you answer them. I don’t care what you’re doing—unless it’s helping your grandmother.” I make a mental note to email Charmaine about Reece’s grandmother in the event she needs to change the long-term housing to accommodate her needs.
“Got it. Never forget Charmaine.”
“Oh, and Reece?”
“Yeah?”
“Learn to not curse around her now.”
“Who? Gran? I don’t do that.” He sounds affronted.
“No, I mean Charmaine. You’ll owe her a whack. And right now, you’re not making the kind of money she charges for cursing.”
I hang up in the middle of his laughter.
After a follow-up email to my assistant, I flip back over to the airline’s website. I can stretch out my time here probably an additional week with Maris. Maybe two. I close the page down, just as the garage door opens. At the same time, the front door opens, and I hear Brad, Rainey, and their kids shrieking laughter.
“Nick?” Maris voice precedes her up the stairs. “Did you get my texts? Brad and Rainey are here for dinner. They brought burgers.”
“I’ll be right down. Just working on some email!” I shout back.
“Okay, honey. We’ll be outside by the grill. Take your time.” Maris turns and heads down the stairs.
Just then, an email pops into my box from Charmaine.
Got it, Nick! Oliver picked a real winner. Excited about Reece.
10-4 on his grandmother. I’ll make sure they’re comfortable.
Looking forward to you being back. Things run smoother when you’re here.
~C
There’s only one part of me that won’t run smoother when I’m there, I think as I close down my laptop. Not anymore.
And that’s my heart.
“Maris, you knew Dean well, right?” Brad asks after dinner while we’re lounging around the Smiths’ backyard much like we used to do in the old days.
“Not as well as Kara, but yes. He was fabulous,” Maris replies while leaning into the arm I have wrapped around her.
“Will you tell us about him?” Rainey whips her head toward her husband, who shrugs. “I’ve always wanted to ask, but I was afraid to ask Kara. And I’m sure Jennings now knows, but he’s never shared.”
“Bradley Meyers, maybe because talking about Dean means talking about Jed. And maybe Maris isn’t ready!” Rainey snaps.
“Shit. Crap. I’m sorry, Maris,” Brad immediately apologizes.
“Don’t ever apologize to me for wanting to talk to me about my brother.” Maris’s voice is strong. “I’m just surprised you guys are so dense.”
“I mean, I didn’t mean to bring up… What?” Brad shouts.
Rainey falls into him laughing.
I squeeze Maris’s shoulder as my own begin to shake. “Thanks for the compliment, my love.”
“Not a problem. Come on, Brad. You didn’t put together the fact Jed said Dean was the epitome of all the things he was searching for about love? My brother refused to settle for anything in this life—that included the man he fell for as well as the quality of his friends.” Maris tips her beer in his direction and mine before she takes a long pull.
Brad’s head bows, and although I lift my drink in return, there’s no way I can swallow any of it.
“But if you want to know about Dean specifically, I’ll tell you a secret none of you know.” Maris leans toward the center of the table.
We all lean in, anxious.
“Did you know the Jacks all actually met him?”
“Bullshit,” I exclaim.
“What he said.” Brad points at me.
“You all were on your last reunion. And groceries were delivered by a man who wore a ball cap, jeans, and a long-sleeve T-shirt.” Maris sits back and waits for our reaction.
“No fucking way. Why didn’t Jed say anything?” I demand.
“Because my brother was flying from Montana to Juneau after the reunion. Dean came with him. Dean wanted the chance to check out the men who were closest to his husband.”
“Why?” Brad interjects.
Maris’s lips curve, but the smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Because the next week they were here, Jed redid his will. And Dean helped advocate on a certain man’s behalf for one codicil of it. Dean wanted the chance to see Jennings in person so he could make a decision on whether or not to give his blessing to Jed’s machinations.”
I suck in an enormous breath. “He did that just by delivering groceries?”
“I do believe he was around long enough to put them away. Do you remember what conversations you all might have had?”
It’s been years since that trip, but Brad whispers, “We talked about regrets. We were on the porch with Jed talking about if we had any regrets in our life.”
And like a flash, I recall what I said. I regret running away. Maybe if I hadn’t, so many things would have been different. What about you, Jennings?
I regret not picking up the phone. There was one call I regret not answering. Jed?
“It was maybe a five-minute conversation,” I choke out.
“I’ve never met a more intuitive man than Dean Malone. He loved, and when he did, he did it fiercely. He was a damn hero, saving Kara long before he ever saved anyone as a fireman. His calmness complemented the storm that always surrounded Jed. He was gorgeous in the way that make people blush, but he never saw looks. He saw souls. He never lied. And he was beloved by anyone who met him.” Maris takes a moment to wipe her eyes. “I was so wary of him, despite him being Kara’s brother. After all, no man could be this perfect. Ever.”
Maris’s words, while bringing Jed’s husband to life, bring me to my knees. I’ve never been that kind of man for her, to her. And she deserves a love just like her brother had. But I love her selfishly, and I refuse to let her go.
“He wore me down over time. And he became a perfect older brother—protective and loving. But while he was perfect for Jed, I never want a man that perfect.” She grins at a captive Brad and Rainey before turning her head to the side and pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Obviously.”
And like a prisoner freed from long captivity, I seek the one thing I haven’t had freely in eons.