Maybe it was the lighting or maybe it was just his imagination, but for a second he swore Zeke’s expression went sad. But in the blink of an eye, he was smiling again. “To life,” he said with a bit of gusto. “To life with a good woman.” He paused. “And I had the best. Can’t wait to see her again.” He touched his glass to Jake’s. “Cheers!”
The liquor burned going down but right now, he welcomed it. Placing his glass back on the table, he laughed softly when Zeke handed him a cigar. Smoking was never his thing, but he figured right now, why not?
They sat in companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they lit their cigars. It took a lot of effort not to cough, but it wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as Jake thought it would be.
“Can I ask you something?” Zeke asked, his voice a little softer than it had been a minute ago.
“Sure.”
“You gonna stay here in Magnolia Sound?”
He nodded. “That’s the plan.” Then he waited for Zeke to expand on that question, but he didn’t. Instead, he gave Jake a curt nod and went back to his cigar.
The silence continued for a few more minutes before Zeke spoke again. “You want to know something funny?”
It was obvious his old friend’s train of thought was all over the place tonight, and Jake knew he’d go on humoring him as long as he needed to. “Sure.”
“I always wished all the kids–the grandkids and great-grandkids–would move back here someday. There’s something that does my heart good when I see them all here.” He let out a long breath and took another puff of his cigar. “Holidays and birthdays are all a great excuse to get together, but I fear everyone will continue to spread out all over the damn place and soon no one will remember that a family founded this town.” He paused. “Because that family is gone.”
Damn. “You know that’s never going to happen, Zeke. Georgia and Beau are never going to leave Magnolia and you know they won’t let Mason leave either,” he added with a slight chuckle. “Parker and Peyton are always going to come back here because of their parents.”
“Hmph…maybe.”
“Susannah came back,” Jake went on. “And you know she’s been gone the longest.”
“She only came back to take care of me because Georgia wanted to put me in a home and take my house for herself,” he groused. “Well, she’s in for a rude awakening.”
Jake knew better than to touch that comment with a ten-foot pole.
“I know it’s been a while since Cash has been home, but you know Grace and the boys have always been nearby. They’re here for every holiday and every occasion.”
“It’s not the same as them being part of the town. But I will say this, those three boys are hell-raisers and maybe it’s a good thing they didn’t live here when they were younger. They’re turning into grown men now. It’s time they act more responsibly.”
Jake nodded but didn’t want to comment. There was no doubt that Garrett, Jackson, and Austin Coleman were handfuls. The stories about their antics always abounded at Coleman family gatherings. But Zeke had a point–it was definitely a benefit that they weren’t pulling pranks here in Magnolia Sound. Poor Zeke would have lost his mind trying to deal with them over the years.
“Back when I was younger, we all had a hand in this town. I still do,” he stated. “No one pays much attention to it, but I still own a dozen businesses here. Why? Because it’s important for me to stay involved. I like the connection to my community. I don’t understand why it’s not something this younger generation wants.”
“Different times, Zeke. It’s a different world than when you were growing up.”
“Don’t I know it.” He paused and took another puff of his cigar. “I’d like to think I left a good legacy for the great-grandkids and that they appreciate it.”
“Zeke…”
The old man looked at him, his expression somewhat fierce. “This town is going to be a mess after this storm does its damage. Everyone’s going to look around and be sad because so much will be gone.” He paused. “But I want them to look around and be thankful for all that remains.”
Before Jake could ask what that meant, Zeke was standing and stretching before putting out his cigar. “As much as I’d like to stay up and see what Mother Nature has in store for us, it’s past my bedtime.” He gave a small wave and turned toward the back of the cellar where the cots were. He’d only gone a few steps when he turned around. “You’re a good man, Jacob. You’ve always been like one of my great-grandkids and I’m thankful you cared enough to stay. Not just here in Magnolia, but here today with me.”
And damn if that didn’t choke him up a bit. Putting out his cigar, Jake stood and walked over to Zeke. Placing a hand on his long-time mentor’s shoulder, he said, “There was no way I was leaving you here alone. We’re in this together.”
Nodding, Zeke motioned toward the cots. “They’re not the most comfortable things, but I’ve slept on worse. Make sure to try and get some sleep.”
“I will.”
Zeke studied him for a long moment and Jake was certain there was more he wanted to say. But al he said was “Good night.”
Jake took a step back and watched as Zeke settled in and turned out the lantern that was back there. He contemplated trying to catch a couple of hours of sleep himself, but his mind wasn’t ready to shut down yet. Walking back over toward the door to the cellar, he opted to go out and check on the upstairs to make sure things were still intact.
It didn’t take long to see that so far there were no obvious signs of damage to the house and no leaks that he could find. Of course the worst of the storm had yet to hit and they still had another twenty-four hours to get through before they could say the worst was behind them.
Back on the lower level of the house was the lone door they hadn’t covered with boards and Jake braced himself as he stepped outside. There was a deck above him that offered some protection from the rain and it felt good to breathe in some fresh air. After a few minutes, he knew he had to go back inside because the wind and rain were just too much to take.
After an hour, he gave up the fight and figured he’d try to get some sleep. After tossing and turning and trying to get comfortable, Jake realized Zeke was right–the cots weren’t very comfortable–but once he accepted that fact and cleared his mind, he did fall asleep.
There was a loud crash in the distance and Jake woke up instantly. He had no idea how long he had been asleep–was it minutes? Hours? –but he jumped up from the cot and immediately went in search of what had happened.
Out of the cellar, he walked up the stairs to the main floor of the house and felt a definite breeze coming from somewhere. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he also saw it was almost five in the morning and was surprised he had slept all night. Moving from room to room, he noted the kitchen, dining room, and living room were all in good condition. Moving to the other side of the house, he saw that Zeke’s office was fine as well. Down the hall he went to the newer wing of the house. It was where there were two guest rooms and Zeke’s suite.