Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 127715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
And they held tight.
The singer didn’t have the talent of Aretha Franklin, but nobody did.
She still kicked that song’s ass.
When it was over, Ronetta and Lillian broke only so Lillian could blow a kiss to the singer.
The girl smiled and returned to her place in the choir.
So yeah, maybe this was Lillian’s church.
The pastor invited everyone to the fellowship hall, and they stood from their bench.
No one in the chapel moved as Harry led Lillian out of the pew into the aisle. He held, because she held, until George and Ronetta, Sherise and Shane joined them.
Then they walked down the aisle together.
Harry saw them in the back: Josh, his wife, Amanda, Harry’s dad and Caroline.
Jesus, his dad caught a plane from Arizona and dragged Caroline up with him.
He dipped his chin to them, hoping the look he gave them expressed the depths of his gratitude at their gesture, and he led his group into the fellowship hall.
Jenna and Janie, Molly and Kay were bustling around a table filled with finger foods, and Trey and Mark were still shoving soft drinks and waters into tubs of ice.
With Lillian latching on to him, Harry stood with her as she received her parents’ friends and acquaintances, and hers, nodding, giving hugs, accepting cheek kisses and hand clasps.
It seemed the entire Misted Pines football team, circa Shane’s tenure there, shook his hand after they all gave Lillian tight hugs. Cade and Delphine gave their condolences. Rus, Cin and Madden as well. Even Doc, Nadia and Ledger showed, and Harry knew Lillian hadn’t yet met any of them, and they didn’t know Sonny and Avery. Same with his buddy, Jaeger, Madden’s father, Cin’s ex, who came with Rus, Cin and his girl, but he also showed to support Harry’s new woman.
And Stormy took Harry’s advice. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing Harry ever did, standing beside his woman while her ex held her close (and for a fucking long time), but he got through it due to the expression on Lillian’s face stating plain how much it meant.
Though, she understandably looked confused when his family arrived at them.
“Sweetheart, I want you to meet my dad, Greg, his partner, Caroline, my brother Josh, and my sister-in-law, Amanda,” Harry introduced.
“Oh, wow,” she whispered. “I…this is unexpected.”
“Would have liked to meet you with a cup of Amanda’s world-famous eggnog in my hand, but Harry called, and this is gonna have to do,” his dad said, going right in for a kiss on her cheek.
“No pressure,” Amanda added, coming in for a cheek brush after his dad moved away. “We have rooms at the Pinetop. And Caroline and I’ve got spa appointments.”
“I’m staying with Lillian, you should stay at home,” Harry invited, releasing Josh’s hand and craning his neck to kiss Amanda’s cheek.
“Caroline and Amanda have been on about this spa for the last two hours, so, I don’t think so,” Josh replied, then he smiled gently at Lillian and went in for his own cheek kiss. When he came away, he looked to Harry, “Brother, you and me have damn good taste.”
“Hello,” Ronetta butted in, which Harry translated to You’re taking up too much of Lillian’s time, people I don’t know, move along.
“Ronnie.” Lillian gestured to his family. “These are Harry’s people. His dad, Greg, and Greg’s partner, Caroline, and Harry’s brother and sister-in-law, Josh and Amanda.”
“Oh my!” Ronetta exclaimed. “Honored guests. Thank goodness I doubled up my baked bean recipe for dinner tonight.”
“Her beans are the greatest,” Lillian added.
“We’re not here to intrude,” Caroline protested. “We’re just—”
“Oh now, I don’t think so,” Ronetta cut in, waving her hand in front of her face. Then she leaned in and whispered, “Come with me. Pastor Charles doesn’t allow alcoholic beverages for the masses, but he’s allowed me a stash.”
Like a shot, Caroline and Amanda followed Ronetta, leaving Harry’s dad and Josh behind.
“Really, stay at the house,” Harry repeated his invitation.
“We have a suite with a view of the lake and a couple of days without the kids, so if you think I’ll be able to pry Amanda away from that, you clearly don’t know my wife,” Josh replied.
“You have guests,” his dad said to Lillian. “We’ll visit more later, darlin’.”
“It’s really so lovely that you came,” she returned.
“This is going to make me sound unhinged,”—his father’s gaze shifted to Harry and then back to Lillian, making a point even in the circumstances she couldn’t misconstrue—“but I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Lillian gave him a soft, sweet smile.
His father took her hand, patted it, then he and Josh moved away.
It took another half an hour for the people who were left to share their thoughts and condolences, and finally Harry had Lillian to himself.
“How you doing?” he asked.
“Mom sang that song to Dad,” she belatedly explained the unusual memorial music choice.