Page 36 of Ace My Heart

Joel pulled his mother against his other side as she wept quietly. I reached across, grabbing her hand and wrapping my fingers through hers.

To everyone else in the church, we would look like a family. Sandra’s two kids, comforting her. In some ways, Joel was like a brother to me. An annoying older brother. In other ways … well …

Joel could never be my brother.

When the service was over, Joel stood to join Ben and the funeral attendants to wheel the coffin out to the hearse.

“Follow along behind, but stop just inside the church door, okay? I’ll come back in for you both,” Joel muttered to Sandra and me as he took his place at the coffin. I grabbed onto Sandra’s hand, heart thundering. How unfair, that she couldn’t even be there to watch her husband be driven away to the crematorium.

As if to remind me why, the frantic clicking of cameras outside reached us. Hot, tight emotions bubbled in me as Joel and Ben walked out the door.

Sandra turned from me and greeted people as they filed from the church, hugging and kissing, and murmuring, “Thanks for coming,” and, “Yes, back at the house, I’ll see you there.”

I stood idle at the door, suddenly feeling out of place, peering through the door as the coffin disappeared into the hearse.

“Smellie,” a voice murmured behind me, and I turned into the waiting arms of Brad. Amanda stood beside him and rubbed my back as I gasped desperately for air. I buried my head in the spot where his neck met his shoulder.

Brad pulled me away from him and kissed me on the forehead, passing me over for Amanda to wrap her arms around me.

“It was good of you to come,” Joel murmured to Brad as he joined us. I listened from my safe place with Amanda. Brad and Joel hadn’t ever really gotten along all that well, so I could hear the stiffness in Joel’s voice.

“It was important for me to be here for Mel,” Brad replied. “She was very close to your father.”

Joel nodded. “I know. It’s like having a sister sometimes.” I screwed up my nose at that.

“Are you coming back to the house for the wake?” Joel asked. Brad shook his head.

“Thanks for coming, guys. It really means a lot to me.” I gave them a watery smile. Brad moved in and hugged me again.

“You’re welcome, Smellie. See you again soon?”

“As soon as I know what’s happening with my ankle, and whether I’m off to Dubai in a week.” The tickets had been booked for months, and Joel had managed to change Steve’s flight into hisname. I thought he was being a bit optimistic, but I hadn’t said anything.

I said goodbye to Brad and Amanda, who moved out of the pew and made their way out of the church.

Julie popped out from a pew about two-thirds of the way down the church and approached us. She hugged Joel quietly, tear tracks all the way down both cheeks. She turned to me then and put her arms around me. I stood stiffly in her embrace, patting her back awkwardly. It seemed weird that she was here. I didn’t think she knew Steve all that well.

“You coming to the wake?” Joel asked her. She shook her head, swiping a fresh tear from her face.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she replied. Joel nodded, as if that made all the sense in the world. What had happened between them in Melbourne? Maybe more than just a night of fun? Maybe she was here for Joel?

I clenched my jaw as Joel promised to be in touch with Julie in the next few days. Why was he getting in touch with her? He pressed a kiss to her cheek and she walked away.

“I’ll take you out to the car now, Stink, before everyone leaves the church and the media have you all to themselves. I’ll come straight back for Mum.”

I nodded, not wanting to think about him and Julie, or about why he had to escort me to the car under the cover of a crowd.

Joel gripped my elbow and together we marched through the church doors. Cameras clicked feverishly and TV crews converged.

“Mel Black!”

“Melanie!”

“Is your career over now?”

“Ignore it, Stink,” Joel muttered, marching me out the church gate and down the street to his car. He unlocked it, handing me into the passenger seat.

“I’ll be back as quickly as I can. Keep the doors locked,” he commanded, turning back towards the church.

---