Page 78 of Where It All Began
“It was beautiful and peaceful, and now he’s gone, and I don’t have an anchor.”
“Yes, you do.” Elvira’s arms tightened around her. “Yes, you do.”
Phoebe clung to her friend like a rock in the storm and let loose the tears she’d tamped down. “What am I going to do, El?”
“Whatever the fuck you want, honey.”
Phoebe hiccupped out a laugh. “You sound just like him.”
“Honey, John Pierce has been spreading his wisdom for years. Weallsound like him.”
Phoebe heard what Elvira wasn’t saying. She wasn’t the only one who’d lost something wonderful today. They’d all lost him. A father, a friend, a mentor, a neighbor.
“What’s in the casserole dish?” Phoebe sniffled.
“Chicken and dumplings.”
Phoebe pulled back, swiping her sleeve over her eyes. “John’s favorite.”
“I figured we could either eat it or dump it on the ground in homage to him.”
Laughter through tears was good medicine, Phoebe decided.
“Mom?”
Phoebe turned to face Carter. Her sons stood behind her, broken in their own grief yet ready to hold her together.
“We’ve got more company,” Beckett said, tilting his head toward the parade of cars and trucks turning into their lane.
“Holy shit,” Jax muttered.
Elvira’s eyes widened. “I swear I didn’t tell anyone.”
Carter looked guilty. “I may have texted Cardona.”
Leading the pack was Michael and Hazel Cardona in Michael’s pride and joy, a shiny new red pick-up. Their son, Donovan, followed in his ancient Tahoe. Behind him was another dozen cars.
“Oh, my,” Phoebe whispered.
“This isn’t a damn party,” Carter muttered, and Phoebe heard the hurt behind his words. She laid a hand on his arm.
“Carter, they all lost him, too.”
He clenched his jaw and nodded, but she saw the tears glassy in his eyes.His father’s eyes,she thought.
“Let them do this. They need it as much as we do,” she whispered.
He swiped an arm over his eyes, the exact way she had. He’d gotten pieces of them both, she supposed.
“Okay. I’ll go dig out the tables.”
“Take Jax with you so he doesn’t start stress eating everything.”
Carter pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. “Love you, Mom.”
She couldn’t say anything for a moment. Her throat was too tight. So, she just hung on. She released him and patted him on the chest. “I love you, Carter. Now, go on. Might as well get the canopies out, too.”
She watched as Carter caught Jax in a friendly headlock and dragged his brother in the direction of the barn. Beckett stepped up and put his hands on her shoulders. “Whenever you want them gone, just say the word,” he told her.
