Page 5 of Delivery After Dark
He couldn’t let that happen.
But at some point, he had to get back to his own life. His boss had been supportive, telling Morgan to take whatever time he needed and that the job would be there when he was ready to return, but his patience would run out eventually.
After the service, Morgan stood by the door and greeted everyone who’d come to pay respects to Billy. He’d had so many friends, most of them through the gym, but there were fishing friends, poker friends, softball friends and others who’d helped to search for him.
“Let us know if we can do anything for you, Morgan,” his high school classmate—and onetime baseball teammate—Mac McCarthy said when he and his wife, Maddie, stopped to say hello. After she’d brought a meal to the gym, one of the guys had told him she and Mac had five young kids at home.
“Appreciate all your help so far, and thank you for the food. This community doesn’t mess around when it comes to helping others.”
“That’s one of the things we love best about Gansett,” Maddie said. “We’re all in it together out here.”
“That’s what Billy said, too. Being here again has brought back a lot of memories.”
“He’ll be missed,” Mac said. “And you have been, too. I hate the reason for it, but it’s nice to have you back in town. Let’s get together and have a beer when you catch your breath.”
“I’d like that. Thank you so much for coming.”
Mac’s parents, Big Mac and Linda, were right behind them with hugs and offers of help. Big Mac had been his and Billy’s Boy Scout leader once upon a time. They were followed by Ned Saunders and his wife, Francine.
The people kept coming. Some he knew, others he met for the first time, all of them with something kind to say about Billy and generous offers to help him with anything he needed.
“Everyone is so nice,” he said to Jace Carson, who’d been one of Billy’s good friends at the gym.
“That’s Gansett for you.” Jace put his arm around his fiancée, Cindy Lawry. They’d checked on him daily since Billy went missing and had been steadfast in their support as he planned the memorial service. “Everyone is heading over to the Beachcomber for drinks in Billy’s honor, if you feel up to joining us.”
He’d closed the gym for the day since most of the patrons were planning to attend the service. “That sounds better than cleaning out Billy’s stuff and figuring out what he did with all the important paperwork. His filing system makes no sense whatsoever.”
“That’ll keep until tomorrow,” Cindy said. “Come with us. Be with people who care.”
He glanced back at the church, which was now empty except for Reverend Banks, who was straightening up the altar. Where had Sierra gone? She hadn’t stopped to see him on the way out. Would she be at the Beachcomber with the others? And why did that matter? It didn’t. He had enough to deal with as it was. The last thing he needed was additional complications—and that woman had complicated written all over her gorgeous self.
But he didn’t want to be alone after the emotional service, so he nodded to Jace and Cindy. “Sure,” he said. “Let’s go.”
* * *
You should’ve said something to him before you left the church, Sierra thought as she sipped from a glass of wine that she planned to nurse for as long as she could make it last at the Beachcomber. She’d closed the massage studio for the day in deference to the funeral and was indulging in a rare opportunity to day drink. Usually, that led to an early bedtime, but she was taking it slowly so she wouldn’t be lights out by five o’clock. After this day, she’d much rather be here with friends than home alone with her thoughts.
Morgan had been surrounded by people after the service, and Sierra hadn’t wanted to add to the crush when she could check on him at the gym tomorrow. On one of her visits there, she’d left him a gift certificate for a free massage whenever he was ready for some relaxation. She hoped he would take her up on it. Some guys were funny about massages. They thought they were about sex when that was the last thing on her mind when she was caring for a client.
“Hey,” Duke said when he pulled up to the stool next to hers. He had longish dark blond hair, twinkling blue eyes, a full beard and sleeve tattoos.
“Hey, yourself.” Weeks after she’d made a fool of herself with him, she still found it difficult to look at the man who’d been her best friend for years.
“Nice service for Billy.”
“Yes, it was.”
“My heart goes out to Morgan. He’s lost his whole family.”
Sierra thought that was a sweet thing for Duke to say, considering he’d never had a family to call his own until he met McKenzie and her son, Jax. “He’s been through a lot for someone so young.” She’d guess that Morgan was in his late thirties. “You think he’ll stick around after he settles Billy’s estate?”
“Word on the street was that Billy didn’t have a will, so it’ll go to probate. That’ll take a while. In the meantime, he can keep the gym open or pay taxes and insurance on an empty building. If I had to guess, he’ll keep the gym running until it’s all sorted.”
“What about his own life and job?”
“I’m not sure what he’s doing about that. He must be on a leave of absence or something.”
“Do you have a will?” she asked Duke.
