Page 136 of Smoky Mountain Dreams
“Call ‘im.” Gareth swallowed and looked up the mountainbehind Jesse’s shoulder. “He’ll answer.” Then he walked on by and got into histruck. He pulled out slowly and Jesse thought he saw Gareth wipe his hand overhis face as he drove away.
His heart pounding, Jesse rushed back to the car as hetexted Nova and Amanda to see which of them could take care of the kids.
Christopher used the hotel key card to swipe into theside entrance of the Comfort Inn. His room was on the ground floor, and as heapproached he could hear the jangle of Christmas commercials seeping out fromunder the surrounding doors. Everything in his body ached like he’d been beatenwith sticks, and when he finally got into the room, he threw his coat on achair and left his shoes in the middle of the floor before falling face down onthe bed.
It’d been a tough day being in the same room with Sammie Maeand Bob for the first time since Thanksgiving. It hadn’t even been certain theywere going to let Christopher have anything to do with the funeral preparationsuntil Joe had spoken to Jackie.
She’d said in a shaking voice, “Gran loved Christopher best.He should be here. It wouldn’t be right any other way and I won’t let you getaway with excluding him.”
So they’d let him stay in the room, but his mother and Bobhad ignored him completely. He’d found himself with little to say or contributeanyway. Gran had apparently left instructions with the funeral home ages ago,and there was nothing to dispute about the selection of the casket or theservice itself. Until Bob had said he’d give the sermon, and then Christopherhad whispered, “No. Absolutely not.”
All heads had turned to him then, and he’d met the eyes ofthe funeral director with a steady ferocity he hadn’t known he possessed. “Eitherhave the chaplain from her nursing home speak, or someone from your staff. ButBob won’t be acceptable.”
There’d been a tension that had filled the room, but Jackiebroke it by saying, “I agree. Gran had different values from Bob. It wouldn’tbe what she wanted. Don’t you think so, Joe?” When Joe had gruffly agreed, she’dturned to Sammie Mae and said with a pointed note to her voice that Christopherhadn’t heard before, “Mama?”
Sammie Mae had shifted nervously, her long blond hairlooking lank and as miserable as the rest of her red-nosed, wet-eyed face. “Maybewe should wait for Laurie Ann,” she’d whispered.
“Mama, she won’t arrive until Monday,” Jackie had said,jutting her jaw out. “We can’t put this off waiting for Aunt Laurie Ann to getdown here. She already said she’d go along with whatever we chose, so justdecide now, Mama.”
Bob opened his mouth and Christopher braced himself forwhatever spewing rage might pour forth.
“The kids are right. Violet never took much from a man ofstrong faith like myself,” Bob said, his face red and his double chinquivering. “If Chaplain Peters from her home will consent to speak, he’ll dojust fine.”
Jackie had looked almost as surprised as Christopher hadfelt. Afterward, they’d gone their separate ways. Christopher went to Gran’sroom at the nursing home to collect her personal belongings. Sammie Mae andJackie had taken everything they wanted from Gran before she’d moved into thehome to begin with, so they told him to do what he wanted with it. Well, Jackiedid. Sammie Mae wouldn’t look at him and hadn’t offered any comfort when he’dshown up at the funeral home in tears. It’d been Joe who’d clapped him in ahuge bear hug, and Jackie who’d cried with him for a few minutes before they’dhad to pull it together and get to business.
Christopher gripped the pillow and pulled it close, hearingyet another sleigh-bell-driven Christmas pop song sliding under the locked doorthat adjoined his room to a stranger’s. He wished Jesse was with him. He’dalmost called Jesse a dozen times since the morning, but it was a bad idea. Hewas being smart to not fall right into Jesse’s arms after the awful scene atMarcy’s bedside. Right?
As if on cue, his phone pinged with a new text. Christopher’sheart skipped as he saw Jesse’s name appear.
I heard about Gran. How does somecompany sound?
Christopher didn’t know what to say. He both wanteddesperately to see Jesse and wanted to be alone. He sighed and replied with:
It’s been a tough day. You don’t needto drive down. I’ll be okay.
His stomach tightened as Jesse’s reply came immediately.
I’m here in the lobby. What’s your roomnumber?
Christopher didn’t have energy to fight, but fuck, he wantedto see Jesse so badly. He thumbed in the numbers.
106
Less than a minute later there was a knock. Christopher,waiting by the door, pulled it open. Jesse looked exhausted, with rings underhis eyes, and his face pale. His blue sweater hugged his chest and his jeansfit a little loosely, and his expression was worried and ashamed, tender and alittle scared.
“I was so wrong,” Jesse blurted. “An absolute dick. I’msorry. Can you forgive me?”
Christopher wanted to throw himself into Jesse’s arms, buthe restrained himself and ushered Jesse inside. After he shut the door, heleaned back against the wall with his arms crossed and regarded Jesse standingthere anxiously, shifting from foot to foot.
“How did you know where I was staying?”
“Googled Knoxville Comfort Inns and started calling.”
“I’ve had a really shitty couple of days,” Christopherwhispered, his throat tight.
“I know. I’m so sorry. About hurting you. And about your gran.”
Christopher nodded, tears coming to his eyes. He gritted histeeth, willing them back, not wanting to cry in front of Jesse when he’dalready cried in front of Gareth. It’d been embarrassing enough when he wasn’tin love with the guy.
