Remind Me

by Samantha Chase

  Susannah’s shoulders relaxed as she let out a breath. “Well, our first thought was that we wanted everyone to come back here, but even if there wasn’t damage to the house and yard, we weren’t sure we could make it happen. Beau talked to the funeral director and the pastor at Pops’ church and we’re going to have a big celebration service at the church, then go to the family cemetery for the burial, and then go back to the church for refreshments. The church is going to set up one of their big tents for us and Georgia’s organizing the caterer for it.” She paused again. “I think we may have the family come back here afterwards, but that’s not set in stone yet. Georgia offered to host the family since their property is in good shape.”

  “Probably because she had Mason out there with a chainsaw at the crack of dawn,” Mallory murmured and then smiled when both her mother and Jake laughed.

  “Well, that’s part of it,” her mother confirmed, “but honestly, if there were a way to have everyone here, I think Pops would have preferred that. I just don’t think we can make it happen in such a short timeframe.”

  “I wish I could tell you otherwise, but…I can’t,” Jake said sadly.

  “It’s okay, Jake. Really,” Susannah replied. “This entire situation isn’t the way any of us envisioned it would be and we’re making do. I’m just so glad you’re able to help out so much and know exactly what to do where this mess is concerned with the house. Other than the insurance claims, I wasn’t sure how to even begin, so…thank you.” Before she could say anything else, her cell phone rang and she looked at the screen and smiled. “It’s Sam. Will you both excuse me?” She walked out of the room, leaving Jake and Mallory alone.

  Jake looked over his shoulder before reaching out and taking one of Mallory’s hands in his. “Hey.”

  She could feel herself blush. “Hey.”

  “You doing okay with all this? It’s going to look a lot worse before it looks better.”

  “I know,” she said softly, stroking her thumb over his knuckles. “Thank you for doing all of this. There’s just so much to do and I appreciate you taking the time to help out like this.”

  He mimicked her actions. “He was my friend, too, Mal. By doing all of this…well…it’s my way of helping Zeke out.”

  She nodded.

  “I really want to kiss you right now,” he said, his voice low and gruff and so damn sexy that she actually shivered a little.

  “Then why don’t you?” she whispered.

  “I wasn’t sure if you told your mother or anyone about where you spent the night last night. I didn’t want to make assumptions.”

  It was nice how he was being considerate but she kind of hated it too–hated how they even had to think of these things. Although, she hadn’t really wanted to tell her mother, or anyone else for that matter, where she spent last night, because it wasn’t anyone’s business. What she did last night was between the two of them.

  “The fact that you’re not saying anything tells me I was right,” he said and maybe it was her imagination, but he sounded a little disappointed.

  “I just don’t think what we’re doing concerns anyone,” she argued lightly.

  “Right.” He slowly pulled his hand away and went to stand up.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” she asked. Could he seriously be upset because she didn’t announce to her family that they’d spent the night together?

  “I need to get going,” he said, picking up his tablet and phone. “I’ve got a lot of crews going back to work today, so…”

  She let him go all of three steps before reaching out and grabbing his arm. When he turned to her, Mallory could see the frustration there on his face. It was on the tip of her tongue to lash out and remind him how they’d talked only a few hours ago about making no promises or any demands on each other, but she didn’t see the point. Instead, she moved in close and kissed him with all of her own pent-up frustration. It was all wild heat and need and she was just about to wrap herself fully around him when she heard her mother clear her throat.

  “I don’t care where this goes, but I’ve got too much on my plate to handle any more drama,” Susannah said before walking away.

  And all Jake and Mallory could do was laugh.

  6

  Mallory sat with her eyes facing forward, refusing to look at the flower-covered casket. She couldn’t. Her brother sat beside her holding her hand tightly while her cousin Peyton sat on her right side, holding her other hand. She thought she was prepared for this–had been telling herself for days that she could handle it–but once she sat down and Pastor Steve started speaking about Pops and his life, she crumbled.

  “I look around this room and I see how many lives Ezekiel Coleman touched. How many here today can share a story of a time when Ezekiel took the time to talk with them? Or gave them business advice? Or even just shared a story about what life was like here in Magnolia Sound way back when?” the pastor asked and Mallory knew everyone in the church was nodding.

  “As I drove here today and I saw all of the destruction Hurricane Amelia caused, it occurred to me that it’s not just the structures that have been changed, but the lives of everyone here–in this town and in this room. But most of all, what struck me was how when everything is fixed and everything is rebuilt, it will be a new beginning. We will be a new town,” he said and then paused. “But we will be a new town that Ezekiel Coleman will never see. Over the course of his life, he watched this town grow from nothing – nothing but the land that was here – and then helped it transform into a place we all call home. I believe there’s a little bit of him in every home and every business here in Magnolia Sound. He gave so much to so many and for so long that his legacy and his memory will live on.”

  Tears streamed down Mallory’s cheeks but she didn’t want to let go of Sam or Peyton to wipe them away. So many people got up to speak after the pastor stepped down that Mallory lost track. By the time they were all standing and getting ready to head out of the church, she felt completely exhausted.

  Slowly they followed the casket down the long church aisle and then stood on the steps as it was loaded into the hearse. The entire time, she continued to hold her brother’s hand. She and Sam were as close as any twins could be, and even though they didn’t get to see each other nearly enough, she was beyond grateful that he was here beside her now.

  “How you holding up?” he leaned down and asked. They were surrounded by so many people and more than anything, Mallory couldn’t wait to get into the car and have a little time to pull herself together.

  “I want to just go home and curl up in bed for a little while,” she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.

  Together they made their way down the steps and Sam released her hand long enough to let Mallory and their mother climb into the waiting limousine. Once they were settled, Sam joined them and immediately took her hand back in his again before reaching and taking his mother’s hand in his other one. They were a tight little family unit and it had been a long time since they were alone like this.

  “You doing okay, Mom?” Sam asked.

  Beside him, Susannah sighed. “It made me feel good to see how many people came out to pay their respects and to hear all those testimonies to all he had done in his life.” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “He was always so much larger than life and it feels weird that we’re never going to see him again.”

  That reality had been settling in more and more each day and yet it still hurt.

  The funeral procession made its way through town, passing all of the places that had been important to Pops – on the main street, the offices of Coleman Construction, Café Magnolia, The Dream Bean Coffee Shop. After several turns, they drove by the warehouse that held all of the landscaping equipment for Coleman Landscaping which was next to the offices of the Magnolia Marina. As the long line of cars wove its way around, the final stop was to drive by the plantation-style home where Pops lived for almost his entire life. It broke Mallory’s heart to know h
e’d never walk through those doors again. Her heart squeezed tight as it hit her how they were now heading to his final resting place.

  They were going to go to the cemetery and say their final goodbyes. Then they were supposed to go and celebrate Pops’ life back at the church before heading back to his house to have a private family memorial.

  That in and of itself was causing some added drama to the day. Here they were in one limo, Aunt Georgia, Uncle Beau, Mason, Parker, and Peyton were following in another limo, and in a third were her cousins Garret, Jackson, and Austin along with their mother, Grace. The only one missing was her uncle Cash. He was Susannah and Georgia’s cousin and no one had seen or heard from him in years–including his wife and kids. The family lawyer had said he’d spoken to him, but he was a no-show at the wake last night and at the church today. And if Mallory had to guess, she’d say he’d be a no-show for all of it.

  Aunt Georgia had argued that Aunt Grace and the boys didn’t need a limo of their own or to be included in the family get-together later today, but Susannah held firm and now everyone was tense. It seemed that not even a funeral could force people to get along and be nice.

  Seriously, she was exhausted and over all of this and just wanted to be alone for a little while.

  Somewhere in all the chaos, Mallory had lost sight of Jake. She’d seen him come into the church and he was sitting several rows behind her, but once they exited, she didn’t know where he’d went. She wanted to ask him to ride to the cemetery with her and her family, but never got the chance. After their kiss at the house the other day, they hadn’t seen much of each other. Between the work on the house and property, Sam coming home, planning the funeral…there was always something going on. Last night she had wanted to just say to hell with all the responsibilities and go over and see him, but when she was halfway across the yard she saw that his house was dark. Dejectedly, she’d gone back home and went to bed early.

  She missed him.

  More than she should, considering this was temporary.

  But her time here in Magnolia was halfway over and…she wasn’t nearly ready to say goodbye to him.

  She wasn’t sure if she ever would be.

  Mallory looked up as the car slowed down and saw they were turning into the cemetery already. She let out a shaky breath and Sam squeezed her hand.

  I can do this, she said to herself, but she wasn’t really sure. She knew she had to, but it was going to take every ounce of strength she had to make it happen.

  There were certain things that made Jake think of Mallory.

  One was summer days. They always reminded him of her because that was their time–even though they had only dated for one summer. Another was sunset. How many times had he come outside at the end of a long day and seen her standing out on the party deck of the boathouse watching the sunset?

  So many.

  Like now.

  It had been an emotionally grueling day and while part of him wanted to walk across the yard and go have a strong drink alone in his house, the sight of her standing all alone up there was too much to ignore.

  They had seen each other all day but they were never alone. He’d longed to go over and wrap his arms around her and hold her and make sure she was all right, but her brother had been like some sort of militant guard by her side all damn day. He and Sam never quite reconnected after the breakup. Naturally, Sam sided with Mallory and he didn’t fault him that, but…he missed his friend and wished they could move forward–especially now that he and Mallory were okay.

  Quietly he made his way down to the pier and was surprised no one else was outside. True, the deck was gone and it took a little more of an effort to get back here, but it wasn’t impossible. And he would have thought if Sam wasn’t with Mallory that maybe Parker and Peyton would be.

  But now he was glad they weren’t.

  When he was finally there and climbing up the steps to get to her, he wondered if he was making a mistake. Maybe–like him–she had come out here to be alone. He paused on the second to last step and considered turning around. She hadn’t spotted him yet, so…

  Then she did. The sad smile on her face was all it took for him to stop second-guessing himself and go to her. Wordlessly, he walked over and took her in his arms. Part of him expected her to cry–everything in her expression told him she might–but she didn’t and he was proud of her. Knowing how much of a toll the day had taken on him, no doubt it was doubly hard on her.

  The sun continued its descent and they stayed locked in each other’s embrace until it was almost dark. Finally, Mallory spoke.

  “I dreaded this day so much and I just want it to be over.”

  “I know what you mean,” he replied softly, placing a kiss on her forehead. She shivered slightly and he held her tighter. The September nights were starting to grow cooler and he knew her sleeveless dress wasn’t going to keep her warm. Slipping his suit jacket off, Jake placed it over her shoulders before pulling her in close again.

  “Thank you.”

  It was probably the wrong time to ask, but he couldn’t seem to stop the words from coming out of his mouth. “Want to come home with me for a little while?”

  Pulling back, Mallory blinked up at him. He was waiting for her refusal–expecting it–but as usual, she surprised him. “I’d like that.”

  They turned and hadn’t gone more than a few steps when Sam appeared at the top of the steps. “There you are, Mal. Everyone’s looking for you.”

  The way she angled away from Jake was probably only noticeable to him, but it annoyed him nonetheless. “Why?” she asked.

  Sam shrugged. “Aunt Grace and the guys left already and everyone else was getting ready to go and wanted to say goodbye, I guess.” He eyed Jake suspiciously before returning his attention to his sister. “You know Peyton and Parker will want to talk to you before they go.”

  Off in the distance, they all turned at the sound of car doors slamming shut. A minute later, it wasn’t hard to see the headlights and taillights as the car pulled away.

  “So much for wanting to say goodbye,” she murmured.

  The way he saw it, they could all stand here awkwardly, or he could just put it out there what they were already planning. “We were just going to hang out over at my place,” he said, placing his arm around Mallory. Jake had to admit, he almost pulled it back when Sam’s expression turned a little fierce. “Why don’t you join us?” he blurted out and almost laughed at both Sam and Mallory’s confused expressions.

  “Um…” Sam said, looking away.

  “Oh, uh…sure,” Mallory said to her brother. “You should come and hang out for a bit. It could be fun.”

  None of this was going quite the way Jake had planned, but if getting to hang out with Mallory meant Sam coming along, he’d deal with it.

  “Sure,” Sam eventually said. “I’ll text Mom and let her know where we are.”

  They all made their way down from the deck, up the pier, and across the yard in relative silence. Once they were inside Jake’s house, he gave Sam a beer, grabbed one for himself, and looked to Mallory. “What would you like?”

  “I’m going to be the lame one and ask if you have any tea,” she said shyly. “Hot or cold, doesn’t matter.”

  Jake reached into the refrigerator, pulled out a bottle of sweet tea and handed it to her before motioning them all to the living room. He had to admit, he was relieved when Mallory sat close beside him while Sam sat across the room in the large recliner. Clearing his throat, Jake asked, “So how’ve you been, Sam? It’s been a while.”

  Clearly, Sam couldn’t be fooled. He eyed the two of them before sagging back against the cushions. “You two are back together, huh?”

  This time Jake knew to let Mallory speak first. He glanced at her and held his breath while he waited for her response.

  “I wouldn’t say back together,” she said slowly, kicking her shoes off and curling her legs up beside her. “But…we’re spending time together while I’m h
ere.”

  With a curt nod, Sam took a pull of his beer. “And when do you go home?”

  “Next weekend. Sunday, actually. I need to be back at work on Monday.” She sighed and took a sip of her tea. “I already got grief for taking two weeks off on such short notice, and with the new position…”

  “There was a death in the family,” Sam snapped. “How much advanced notice did they think you could give?”

  “I know, I know…and considering I hardly ever take time off, you’d think they’d be a little more understanding. Still, I think they’re just a little lost without me. I’m always there and I was ready to lead up a new team for an upcoming project so…I really should touch base with my boss and make sure everything is okay.”

  Jake frowned as he listened to the conversation and felt a little out of the loop. Mallory was talking about how much she liked her job and she sounded very enthusiastic about it. Leaning back, he took a pull of his own beer and wondered what a typical day was like for her. Was she one of those big city career women in a power suit or did she work in a more casual atmosphere?

  “Don’t you have any extra time coming to you?” Sam asked. “I mean, it’s not going to solve anything because you’re eventually going to go back, but with all the storm damage, the funeral, and we still have the reading of the will on Wednesday, I just think you should take more time.”

  “For what?” she asked.

  “You don’t know what we’re going to find out in the will, right? For all you know, Pops left you a small fortune and…and…you can quit your job!” Sam saluted her with his bottle and took another drink. “How freaking cool would that be?”

  Jake laughed softly and noticed Mallory did too. “It would definitely be cool, but I’m not counting on it,” she replied logically. “That’s not the kind of thing he would’ve done. We all know he had a lot of money and he invested it in a lot of different ways, but I don’t think he had the kind of money that would mean all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren could all retire and never work again.”