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“I wanted to let you know”—sniffles fired through the phone at me—“the funeral is tomorrow,” she choked out.
A solid lump formed in the back of my throat. “I’ll be there.”
There was a pause, neither of us able to speak.
“Thank you.” She’d somehow managed to compose herself, and I was wowed by her strength. “I’d like you to be a pallbearer. Freeman thought the world of you. And you saved him from that fire.”
But he was still dead.
I couldn’t find the words to answer. She’d gone out of her way to ask me to do a great honor. If it weren’t for me, her husband might still be alive.
“Will you, Teague? He’d have wanted you to.”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah.” It was a pitiful response, but the best I could come up with. “I’m so sorry, Ellen.”
More sniffles. “Me too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I closed my eyes as I dropped the phone on the seat beside me. The blows just kept on coming. I missed him too. It seemed impossible he was gone. I understood what it was like to lose someone, but I’d been too young to have to deal with the arrangements.
What strength Ellen had.
My mind drifted back to the days after my mother died. Had it been hard on my father? I honestly couldn’t remember anything but his blank expression at the funeral.
I dreaded tomorrow.
Which was completely unfair. I owed it to Cassano to pay my respects, but I hated funerals and all the memories they brought back. All the uncontrollable emotions. I’d learned to wrangle them on a daily basis, though they came at me no matter what.
At least Beau would be there.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Burke’s face pressed against the window. I jumped, beyond startled, and flipped him the bird. He laughed.
“Thought you had a family emergency?” he asked as I opened the door into him.
“Wasn’t what I thought,” I said gruffly. It was worse, but I needed to take my brother’s advice and not do anything to push our father into a frenzy.
“Captain was so pissed when you left, he was muttering to himself.”
I scowled. That wasn’t good. I clapped Burke on the back. “Here’s hoping I don’t get suspended again.” I faked being at ease.
“How many you got left?” He shoved me.
I stumbled and flipped him off again. “Pretty sure I’m about out.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Pepper
“Umm, wow.”
The second we’d gotten on the elevator of Daniel and Vivian’s apartment building, I’d tried not to touch anything. It was posh and . . . I was far from it.
But when I stepped into their penthouse, it was like being transported to another world. Even in movies, I’d never seen anything like this.
The living room had no furniture, just as he’d promised only a couple hours ago. Floor-to-ceiling windows provided a view of the city that was breathtaking.
Vivian elbowed me in the side. “I felt the same way the first time I saw it.”
