Chapter Nine
LEAH HAD BEEN dreading today, anticipating nonstop tears and counting down the hours until she could hide under her covers, like the day she’d buried her father. She’d never imagined anything like the celebration Tank had put together, much less how good it would feel to celebrate River’s life instead of only wallowing in his death. This was so much better for the girls, and for her.
Tank’s backyard looked like something out of a dream. Decorative lanterns hung from tree branches, and a string with blue and yellow pennants ran between the deck and a tree at the edge of the woods. Between each pennant was a picture of River, either alone or with Leah, their father, or one of the girls. Zander was playing River’s favorite songs on his guitar near three long tables of savory dishes, desserts, and other refreshments. On the other side of the tables was a gorgeous memory board with CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF RIVER YATES written above a collage of pictures of River and their family. Each picture was set in a unique colorful frame made of fabric and ribbons, and there were several cute embellishments interspersed with the pictures: a guitar, a basketball, two sets of pink baby booties, a brother-sister ornament, and a father-son charm. Across the bottom of the memory board, in fine black letters was
SON – BROTHER – FATHER – FRIEND
– HERO –
Leah glanced at Tank, her anchor in their storm, so handsome in his dress shirt and vest, watching over the girls like they were his. He managed to bring River to life for all the people who came to support them, and he hadn’t even known River. All the emotions Leah had been wrestling with since she’d said she needed space rose to the surface. She didn’t know what to make of them, but they felt deeply rooted, as if they’d been seeding all summer and were bursting to bloom. She tried to tamp them down and focused on Junie and Rosie, sitting on a blanket with Starr’s toddler, Gracie, and Tank’s friend Justice’s daughter, Patience, the four of them mesmerized by a puppet show put on by Tank’s cousin Madigan, a professional puppeteer.
Tank leaned closer. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay, thanks to you. I’ve been dreading today, thinking it would be just like when we buried our father. But this…” Tears sprang to her eyes. “You gave River the goodbye he deserved, and look at all these people here to honor him.” The yard and two-story deck were packed. “Everyone has been so kind to me and the girls, asking about River and about the pictures you hung up. It feels good to share his memory. I think that’s the best part of all of this, because after my father died, nobody asked about him, and that made us feel even more alone. Like it was just me and River against the world. I was worried about the girls feeling that way. But look at them.”
She motioned to Conroy and Preacher, lowering themselves to the blanket beside the girls. Her heart warmed as Rosie and Gracie scrambled onto Conroy’s lap and Preacher gathered Junie and Patience against his sides. “They’re anything but alone, and you did that for them. For all of us. You gave me a chance to celebrate River, to breathe instead of suffocating. I don’t even know how to say thank you for something so monumental. I don’t know how you knew what we needed again or how you pulled it all together so fast, with the pictures, and the people, and…” She was too choked up to finish.
He drew her into his arms and kissed the top of her head, giving her even more unconditional support. “I’m glad it helped. I worried that I might have overstepped.”
She gazed up at him. “I wish you had been there to overstep when my father died.”
“You have no idea how much I wish I’d been there for you and River.” His brows knitted. “But right now I wish you’d eat something, darlin’. You haven’t eaten all day.”
“I will soon, I promise.” He’d doted on her and the girls as much as his mother and his aunt Reba had.
He glanced over her shoulder with a serious expression. “Looks like the girls are on a mission.”
She followed his gaze to Starr, Evie, Steph, Maverick’s fiancée, Chloe, and Marly, a gorgeous olive-skinned brunette who hung out with the Wickeds, all heading their way. Leah was comfortable with Starr, but she knew the others only superficially from the restaurant. She secretly called them the Girl Squad. Madigan was usually with them, and they were all very nice to Leah, but they were also a close-knit group of well-put-together women. Leah had been holding her life together with bubble gum for so long, she felt a trickle of insecurity.
“Stand down, bodyguard,” Marly said. “We come in peace.” She was stunning in a floral wrap dress. “I think Blaine was looking for you.”
“That right?” Tank narrowed his eyes, keeping one arm around Leah.
Steph, a curvy brunette with red streaks in her hair, planted a hand on her hip, meeting his stare. “No, but we want to talk to Leah without you hulking over her.”
“Come on, Tanky,” Evie said sweetly, fluttering her long dark lashes. “We haven’t had any girl time with Leah.”
He looked at Leah. “You gonna be okay?”
Leah tried not to let her self-consciousness show. “Of course.”
His eyes narrowed further and his hand tightened on her hip, as if he wasn’t fully buying it.
“It’s okay, Tank, really. I’m fine.”
He gave her a small smile and a nod, then turned a sterner look on the girls and walked away.
“Whoa, did you guys see that?” Steph asked.
Leah’s nerves rattled. “I don’t know why he looked at y’all like that. Sorry.”
“Oh, that’s just Tank’s way of telling us not to overwhelm you,” Steph said. “I was talking about his smile.”
“What about it? I think he’s got a nice smile.”
The girls exchanged a glance, and Evie said, “Tank’s smile is spotted less frequently than Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster. You’ve touched our gruff giant in a way nobody else has been able to.”
Leah knew just how rare those smiles were, and she liked knowing that his friends thought his sharing them with her was as special as she did.
“Leah, I’m so sorry about River.” Starr embraced her. “I can’t believe I didn’t know you had a family.”
“I guess our lives are just so busy, I tend to keep to myself,” Leah said. “But I sure didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Listen, as a single mom, I know all about being busy,” Starr said. “If it weren’t for my job at the restaurant and Chloe’s book club, I’d speak toddler twenty-four-seven.”
Leah laughed softly. “I’m pretty sure that’s how I sound most of the time. I feel like I haven’t had a moment to breathe since we moved, much less make friends outside of work.”
“We’re going to help you change that.” Evie swung her long dark hair over her shoulder and hugged Leah. “Everyone needs girlfriends, and you won’t find better friends than us.”
“Definitely.” Chloe, a tall blonde, looked elegant in her fitted black dress. “We don’t know each other very well yet, but I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine how hard it is to lose a sibling.”