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Cassie placed a hand on Lisa’s arm. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. For now, at least. It helps to have a purpose. Once the house is empty again, it’ll be harder. But the girls are going to stay with me for a while. I won’t be alone. It’ll take some getting used to, but I’ll survive.”
“If you need anything from me, please let me know. You and David were my family when I didn’t think I had any.”
“Actually, there is something I wanted to ask you.”
As Lisa looked down at her hands, Cassie’s stomach filled with dread. She had known this moment would come eventually, but she had hoped to stave it off for as long as possible.
“Have you seen David?” Lisa looked back to Cassie. Her eyes were full of hope. “Have you talked to him at all?”
Cassie didn’t blame Lisa for asking. If the roles were reversed, she’d want to know, too. But the desperation in the other woman’s eyes made Cassie’s stomach twist. Either answer would’ve been difficult to hear. If Cassie had seen David, that meant his soul wasn’t at peace. If she hadn’t seen him, that meant he was truly gone.
Tears spilled over from Lisa’s eyes. Her voice was thick with emotion. “I can tell by the look on your face that you haven’t.”
“I’m so sorry.” Cassie squeezed Lisa’s hand. “I wish I had a different answer for you.”
“I think this is for the best.” Lisa wiped away her tears. “Really. He wouldn’t have wanted to put that kind of pressure on you.”
“He told me that once.” Cassie couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her mouth. “He said he hoped I wouldn’t have to look at his ugly mug after he was gone.”
Lisa joined in Cassie’s laughter, and the two women hugged each other tightly. When Lisa let go, she looked a little lighter. “I can sleep better knowing he’s where he belongs.”
Cassie wished she could say the same. “I’ll sleep better when they find out who did this.”
“Have you heard anything?” Lisa’s voice was even, but her eyes couldn’t hide her desperation. “Do they have any leads?”
“Harris hasn’t told me much. Just that they think it has something to do with some drug lord operating in Savannah. But they’re still trying to piece it all together.”
“Well, you know as much as I do then. That’s some small comfort.”
Cassie wasn’t sure she agreed, but she kept it to herself. She looked down at Bear and rubbed the top of his head until the dog closed his eyes and began to snore.
“Not to spring this on you,” Lisa said, “but David had hoped you’d want Bear back at one point or another.”
“Oh.” Cassie looked up at her. “You don’t want to keep him?”
“He was never mine to keep. David’s either. David told me about how you rescued him. You two have a connection.”
A sense of warmth spread throughout Cassie’s body. “I’m not sure how Apollo is going to feel about this, but I’ll make it work.”
“Oh, and there’s one more thing.” Lisa shifted to one side and pulled an envelope out of her dress pocket. David had scrawled Cassie’s name across the front. “This is for you.”
Cassie didn’t lift her hand to take it. “What is it?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t read it.” Lisa waited until Cassie took the envelope with a shaking hand. “David wrote it about a month ago. Every couple of years, we made it a point to discuss what would happen if he died. Somber, I know. And at first, I hated it. I didn’t even want to think about it. But now, I’m grateful. Nothing can prepare you for this, but I can at least say I don’t have any regrets. I knew how much David loved me, and he knew how much I loved him. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
She lifted the envelope. “And this?”
“If I were to guess, I’d think that letter holds the same sentiment. He loved you like a daughter, Cassie. He’d want to make sure you knew that, even after he was gone.”
Cassie nodded, but she couldn’t smile. The letter was like a rock tied to her ankle, pulling her beneath the surface of her own grief. She’d open it someday, but not until she stopped hoping that whatever David had to tell her, he could do it face to face.
3
Cassie opened her fridge and surveyed the options as the cool air washed over her skin. Goosebumps formed, and she rubbed them away. Harris paced the length of Cassie’s living room like she was going for a world record. “Options are limited. Water or tea? Beer or wine?”
“Something stronger?”
