Page 52 (1/1)

He pulled into the driveway at the Davis house just as Boston walked through the side yard, holding a cigarette--or what Brant hoped was just a cigarette They ue as he dropped the cigarette to the ground and squashed it under the foot of his flip-flop Brant didn’t knohy he did it, other than that Boston looked like he needed it, but he pulled hi instead of a handshake Boston returned the e back "Hey, man, I wondered where you were"

"Hey, Boston, I ca up?" Unlike their previous ht Boston looked painfully sober now Losing his sister seeht

"About like you’d expect Mo to act nor out in the bathrooht enough food by to feed an army Every time they come, they try to force-feed me It’s quiet now, but the croill be here soon"

Confused, Brant asked, "The crowd?"

"Oh yeah" Boston grimaced "From the moment we found out, there has been so door yesterday, and I don’t expect today to be any better The service is tomorrow afternoon It’s one of those all-in-one where the visitation is right before the funeral"

"Is there anything I can do for you or your family?" Brant asked

"No, thanks, man Just umtake care of Eerside by side on the sofa in the living rooly that Boston wasn’t the only one who had aged overnight Kat Davis looked pale and lifeless The vivacious woo seeed by grief Ken Davis also seemed to have lost his happy, relaxed air The love was still obvious in his face as he looked at his wife, but now that eed with devastation and concern

They were in thea child Since Eht, Brant stood there uncertainly, not wanting to intrude on a private moment Then Boston spoke up behind hi over to hi hilad you’re here; E her eyes Ken stood next to his wife, extending his hand

"I’lad you could make it, Brant I believe Eo see her" The doorbell sounded in the foyer, and Boston turned to answer it as Brant made his way slowly up the stairs He stood outside E to come He didn’t want to be the cause of more stress in her life, but God, he needed to be here for her If she asked hiardless of what he wanted

He knocked on the door and when he heard her voice, he opened it It took him a moment to locate her in the darkened room The bed was eainst the wall of theseat She was facing away fro for her cue Finally, she asked, "Why are you here, Brant?"

He lowered himself to the seat beside her so he could study her face Much like her parents, hers was also pale and soh ittruth to Boston’s state in the bathroom "I’m sorry, EmI came as soon as I found out"

In a voice cooing to ain?"

"E on that I should have told you about It’s no excuse, but I’m so da the worst, he hastened to add, "Shit, not what you’re thinking I don’t want to throw all of this on you now, but I proain and Brant had no idea whether she believed a word out of his mouth He knew they needed to talk, but it was hardly the appropriate time For now all he wanted was to be there for Emma and her family, if she would let him

There would be tiht now, he would do the only thing he couldhe would love her

Chapter Twenty-four

E her sister’s funeral The visitation hour had been brutal Standing next to her sister’s casket while everyone repeated over and over again hoonderful she looked was al hers had kept her grounded in place Without him, she would have bolted froh her drug-induced fog, anchored firmly by Emma’s father while Boston had shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably on Brant’s other side As soon as it ended, Emma had escaped to the restroo back out to find Brant waiting for her He took her hand, not saying a word, and led her toward the chapel

She had been surprised to see her friends and coworkers fro a fes behind the fa her while Jason, Gray, Nick and Declan conveyed their syized that they hadn’t arrived early enough to attend the visitation Emma was further surprised when Mark DeSanto and Ava Stone walked up behind theed her as well, and E to burn with tears at the show of support from her friends She had never expected to see familiar faces this far from Myrtle Beach, and she was touched that soso well after everything she had been through recently That she would be here now meant so much to her

As the rest of the family started to take their places, Brant had put his ar her toward their pew "Cos had locked in place for a moment--she didn’t want to do this She didn’t want to say this final good-bye Her friends looked on in syhts Brant had leaned down to whisper in her ear, "It’s okay, just lean on me" Her brain see forward They slid into the pew beside Boston and Emma allowed Brant to draw her firive her anything she needed and he was doing it so far She would have never made it without him today She wondered idly if he knew that