Page 157 of Heartless

When I moved back, Sienna’s beautiful gaze studied me.“Are you ready?”

“Let’s go.”

Keeping her close, I tucked her to my side, and we headed to the door.I jerked my chin to Sile who responded in kind.Bianc and Cam were smiling through their tears, and I pecked both their heads.

While I led Sienna to my car, Cam and Bianc went to Sile’s truck.When I reached for the passenger door, she said, “Are you going to be okay to drive?”

“Yes, baby.”

I grabbed her waist to sit her in and closed the door.Five minutes in the twenty-minute drive, I glanced at her.“Thank you for coming.”

Her lopsided smile stayed on her lips.“Thank you for not kicking me out.”

I took her hand and placed it on my thigh while she quietly continued.“Which reminds me—”

She pulled her hand from mine and reached into her purse at her feet to get her cell.After a few taps on the screen, she dropped it back in the leather bag.

I claimed her hand back.“Work?”

“No, I’ve cancelled the Uber ride back to your condo.”

Fuck.

“Baby, last Sunday—”

“Jake, we’ll talk about it, but can we not do this now?Today, I’m here for the Jake who’d just lost his dad.”

“They’re one and the same.”

What flitted over her expression got my neck tight.It was gone when she asked, “What happened?”

“His vitals started to spike.They called his neurologist in case he was waking up, but...”I cleared my throat.“He died.”

Her fingers stiffened under my hand, and I kissed her wrist.“What kind of memorial service will he have?”

“He was cremated on Wednesday.Cam, Sile, and I called some of his friends.Not sure how many will show.”

“He’ll be with your mother and your sister.”

“Fucking hope so, baby.”

I veered into the parking spot, and Sile’s truck slid beside mine while Sienna turned off her cell.

****

Sienna

We were seated on the first-row bench, on the right side of the aisle in the high ceilinged, cream-walled funeral home.I was settled between Camila, who’d scooted closer to me and over the space Jake had occupied before he’d walked to the stage, and Bianca.

Lenny was there too.He was across from us on the other side of the aisle, and on our way in, I spotted Dr.Nuys seated on the edge of the second-row bench beside Willie Devereaux’s wheelchair.

Jake was standing on the narrow stage.On his left side, the silver urn containing his father’s ashes was displayed on top of a pillar and set in front of a standing wreath made of a mix of white flowers.It was a sizable crowd of mourners.James Rhodes seemed to have been liked by a lot of people.

Jake’s first words filled the room.“Fathers are someone to look up to.Someone to be proud of.”His eyes closed and his chest rose slowly.“In the hope they’d return that pride...”

My first tear dropped.Bianca sniffled, and Silas’s big arm curled around her shoulders to draw her to his side.She burrowed her face in the sheltering nook of his shoulder.

After the heart-wrenchingly beautiful eulogy, Jake descended the three steps of the stage while people started lining up to offer their condolences.