Harkham's Choice (Harkham's Series Book 2)

by Chanse Lowell

  At the bottom were a few pictures. She wiped them clean on her shirt since they were covered with a thin film of dust.

  The first one was of her dad in his thinner, younger days, holding up a huge fish he’d caught. There was a thumb covering the corner. It was probably her mom taking the photo—she was notorious for having a finger in the way of the lens.

  The second picture was one of Mari in a sleeping bag on one of their few camping trips. She was probably five in that one. She smiled at how her hair looked like a nest made of tooth picks. It was all poky, scraggly and she could almost smell the campfire scent lingering there.

  She shuffled through a few more, depicting some of their fun outdoor activities they had experienced together. There were also a lot of beach pictures of Mari and Victor, making sandcastles.

  “What did you find?” Adam asked, dropping his chin on her shoulder from behind.

  She jumped. Her mind was so absorbed, she’d blocked all noise out.

  “Some old pictures,” she answered, trying to calm her heart back down after that surge of adrenaline.

  “Is the shaving one in there?” he asked.

  “I haven’t found it yet, but these are pretty cool. I was thinking maybe Mom might want these,” she said. She handed them to him.

  “You should keep some, too,” he suggested.

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not? He loved you, and you loved him. It wasn’t all bad, and these are pictures of the good memories. Keep them.” He shoved them back into her hand, and his motion wound up pushing the pictures, and her palm, up against her heart.

  “Okay . . .” She looked down at them. “You’re right. I need to focus on the positive things.”

  “And you’re so good at that—like with me. You only seem to see the nice parts of me. I love that about you.” He kissed her nose. When he turned to get back to work, he tripped over a toilet plunger on the ground with the tags still on it. He ignored it and started looking through another box.

  She let her hand drift down so she could look at the pictures once more. Her finger traced a smile on her dad’s face, and she knew Adam was right. The good was there—it was buried, and now they unearthed it. She was glad to have it back.

  When most of the guys were at a point where they could barely stand, she announced she was going to go visit the cremation garden where Will’s ashes were spread. She figured none of these guys would want to go with her to visit.

  “Is this it? Your idea of a service—just to go visit him?” Victor asked.

  “Well, yeah, I . . . I guess so. I wasn’t planning anything formal. It’s not like I had a great relationship with him. And I don’t have time to organize anything while I’m here since I’ll be working on emptying the house the entire time so it can be put up for sale.” She shrugged, and her heart plummeted. She sucked as a daughter, and she had no idea what she would say anyway if she did hold some kind of memorial.

  “All right—you all hate what happened to his body,” Vic yelled to the bunch, “but this is it. This is all you’re gonna get. So if you want to say bye to Will, then you need to follow Mari and me over.”

  He clapped Adam on the back, kicked his right leg out in a goofy way, and smiled like he was delirious. Vic opened the car door on his VW bug to let Mari in.

  “Sorry, but I’m going with my family,” she said, taking Adam’s hand and leading him over to his dad’s rental.

  Vic followed them over, uninvited, and got in the backseat with Mari and Adam. It was squished and awkward being sandwiched between these two guys. They smelled horrible.

  “I shoulda hosed everybody down before getting in this car. It smells awful in here!” Zach said from the front seat.

  Dustin started the car up. “Not to mention I’m probably going to be required to pay a cleaning fee now,” he mumbled.

  “I can pay for it,” Mari said, gripping the back of his seat so she could talk to him about it. She pulled herself forward.

  Adam grabbed her by the shoulder, bringing her back to the seat. “That’s not safe.”

  “Speaking of not safe—if you’d hosed everybody down, it woulda been a wet tee shirt contest. Imagine what kind of problems we’d have on the road when the drivers in the cars couldn’t keep their eyes on the road,” Victor said and laughed like the thought was hysterical.

  “Victor,” Dustin groaned. “Manners are for everybody.”

  “Not me.” Vic was still grinning stupidly. “Got no use for them. I’d rather tell it like it is.”

  “Well, in my presence, in my car, I’d ask you be a little more considerate,” Dustin replied.

  “Yeah, whatever.” Vic’s smile faded. He turned to Mari. “Got any idea what you’re gonna say to your old man—or to his ashes, anyway?”

  “I have no idea.” Mari stared straight ahead, expression blank.

  “Me either. He never said a whole lot to me, but he and my dad talked all the time,” Vic said.

  “About what?” Zach asked.

  “How the hell should I know? Hunting, sports, beer and reminiscing about the sixties when they were getting laid?” Vic snorted and chuckled quietly.

  “Victor—you’re going to have to get a ride back with somebody else if you don’t watch it,” Dad told him, his eyes on Vic through the rearview mirror.

  “Sure, sure—I’ll watch it.” Vic stared at Mari’s body, acting like he was interested.

  She shoved him. “Cut it out, Vic.”

  He smiled and rubbed the spot. “So many orders around here. How do you remember them all?”

  “We don’t,” Zach said, smirking.

  The car went quiet as they approached the parking lot for the cremation garden.

  Mari shoved Victor out when the car was stopped, and she was the first one to approach the gate, open it and walk in.

  She found a nice bench in a corner and took a seat. The garden was serene with a lot of white, soft yellow and purple flowers. It was an unseasonably warm day—no snow on the ground even though it was mid-winter.

  No one brought a jacket, since they were all so hot from hauling garbage out of her dad’s house.

  Within a few minutes, they were all milling about the garden.

  “Where do you think they put his ashes?” Vic asked her.

  She shrugged and glanced around the garden. “Don’t know if I want to know either. I prefer to think his presence is kind of everywhere in here.” She smiled while deep in thought.

  People filtered into the area, and when everyone was there, Victor straightened his back and cleared his throat.

  “Okay, you people—listen up! Mari’s gonna share some thoughts on Will.” Vic hauled her up to standing.

  She glared at him, coughed a little, and not a single thought popped into her head.

  Adam took her hand and leaned into her a little bit. “Will was a private man, but I learned a lot about him today while helping to go through his things,” he began.

  “I said Mari was gonna share, not her boyfriend,” Vic said, his jaw tight and flexing.

  “You don’t like it—tough,” she told him.

  He rolled his eyes and picked at the leaves on the bush next to him, whistling like they weren’t there.

  “I found out he worshiped this woman standing next to me. Though he had a hard time sharing his feelings with her, he never stopped thinking about her. He had little mementos and reminders of her all over the place. I think he had a hard time facing the fact she was close to being all grown-up now. He wanted her to remain his little girl. But . . .” Adam paused and looked at her. “He found ways to appreciate her for who she is now.” He smiled. “He had a few magazine articles close to his recliner about bands Mari liked. He also had clippings about things that were going on in Phoenix, and a few letters from her that had coffee stains on them, suggesting he read them multiple times. I love Will, because, well, he’s my dad now too. I only met him that once, but I’ll never for
get him. And I’ll forever be thankful he brought Mari into the world to be with me.”

  Mari beamed at him and found her words. “My dad and I never really saw things in the same light, but he taught me some things that helped me to figure out what it means to be a good person.”

  “Me too,” Owen said, seconding her sentiments.

  Until now, he’d merely waved at her when he’d first gotten to her dad’s house. She’d avoided him for the most part, even though they had already both cleared the air about what had happened with Meg’s death.

  She smiled at him and looked away. It was still a little awkward to look at him. “He taught me to cook a little, how to clean.” She snickered a little. “Though, you wouldn’t guess it now to look at his place, but when I was little, he was the one that had me put my things away. He also loved to read, and he’d tuck me in at night, then read me stories.”

  “He had a lot of books in that place,” Adam said.

  She nodded. “He did. He loved learning on his own. Dad got frustrated at the end, I think because he felt useless. He always liked helping people and being reliable. That’s the biggest thing he taught me—to be there for the people that need me. If he hadn’t taught me that—well, I probably wouldn’t have given Adam a moment of my time, and never would’ve found the man I’m destined to spend the rest of eternity with in happiness.” She sucked in some air, puffed out her cheeks and let it go. “So . . . That’s it. That’s all I have to say.” She shifted about in her spot, her eyes darting away from the people standing before her. What else was she supposed to do?

  The group of guys came to stand in front of her one by one. They each said a few words, shared a memory of him and then told her they forgave her for burning his body and soul.

  They in turn, grabbed a leaf from one of the surrounding flowers or bushes and pocketed it. She did the opposite, pulling out of her pocket one of the faded pictures Will had of her where she was tucked in that sleeping bag. Her legs protested as she crouched down. She found a sharp rock nearby and dug a little pocket in the soil below a rosebush. She put the picture in the spot and covered it with the loose dirt.

  For you, Dad. Sleep well, and have peace—that’s what I want for you . . .

  She received a few hugs before the guys left. Owen was the final goodbye.

  She was crying so hard after they were gone, swallowed up in so many emotions, that Adam practically had to carry her out.

  Once back in the car, she collapsed into his chest and he feathered his fingers through her dusty hair.

  “That was better than I could’ve ever planned or hoped for,” she whispered, her entire being sapped of strength.

  “That’s because you can’t plan to love somebody or say goodbye to them when they’re gone. You just do—and it works out. Your heart told you what it meant ‘to do,’ and you followed it. That’s always the right thing. That’s why you and I work.” A round of chills hit her as he walked his fingers down her spine.

  “I love you—thank you for sharing those touching words about my father,” she whispered.

  “You’re welcome. I’ll miss him, too.”

  The car was silent again, filled only with the sound of breathing and a few, near-silent tears.

  Chapter 13

  It was a grueling three days emptying out Will’s house, but they succeeded.

  There were nothing but smiles and sweat coating everybody’s face. Well, grime and dust, too, but nobody complained. She even felt like maybe she was on good terms again with the town.

  Victor packed his stuff and gave a brief but vague reason to his dad about where he was going and why.

  His dad was exceedingly irate, screaming louder than Mari had ever heard from him before. He went off about how his only son, that lived with him and did nothing for himself because his dad did practically everything for him, would fail right away, as soon as he left. Poor Vic was moving out with nothing but a big duffel bag filled with his clothes and shoes.

  Somehow, Vic was bubbly and really talkative with both Zach and Dustin while they waited in the terminal to leave.

  The only reason she could come up with was that he was so relieved to leave this place that he simply couldn’t think about how upset his dad was at this point.

  “I don’t like him,” Adam whispered in her ear as Vic sat on an opposing bench.

  “Why?” Mari asked.

  “He likes to tell people what they want to hear. He’s trying to be funny. I don’t think he’s funny. He annoys me,” Adam answered.

  Mari tapped her toe on the ground, trying to figure out how to make this easier for him.

  He reached down and slipped two fingers into the dog kennel. They were still waiting for the airport to check the dog in and put her wherever the heck she needed to be on the flight. Mari could see how the anxiety of the impending separation with Choppy was dissolving his patience.

  “You’ll get used to him. He’s not being fake—he’s just the life of the party. You’ll probably find him funny someday,” she said, encouraging him to give himself some time.

  “He’s not coming to my party when I have one. I’m going to be the life of my own party,” he replied.

  She patted Adam’s knee. “Easy, sweetie. He’s not out to make you look bad. He’s stressed, too. He just walked away from his entire life and the only home he’s ever known. That’s a big deal.”

  “I know . . . But when he’s around, he takes a lot of your attention. Zach makes sure to include me now when he’s around. He”—he motioned with his chin to Victor—“doesn’t. I don’t want him around you. He touches you a lot.”

  She gave him an understanding look. “We already discussed how he’s not interested in women. If nothing else, you should probably worry he’s flirting with your brother.”

  Adam’s face paled, and his eyes slowly rose higher and higher like blinds being lifted. “He . . . You mean, he . . . Zach won’t want that. He’s got Lo—”

  “I was just teasing. He’s not his type. Too pasty white,” Mari said, laughing low in her belly. “He likes ‘em tall, dark and handsome like himself. Besides, Zach’s too much like me.”

  Adam’s body twisted so he was staring straight at her, worry filling his features. “What do you mean?”

  “Breathe, blink, and let your hand relax on my leg, and then I’ll tell you.” She gently peeled his fingers off her leg.

  “Oh, sorry . . .” He took his hand and ran it down his face like he was trying to wake from a nightmare.

  “It’s fine.” She was still kind of laughing a little. She couldn’t help it. He was so damn cute when he got this way—all uptight and jealous over inconsequential things and people. “I only meant Zach wants to talk about music all the time.”

  “Not all the time. Sometimes he talks about sports and boobs. He likes boobs a lot, like me.” Adam’s cheeks flushed. “I mean, just yours, but you know that.”

  She nodded and laughed hard. “So adorable—you know that?” She kissed his cheek, then stroked that spot dry with the back of her knuckles.

  “I like it when you say that.” He beamed and rocked a little in his chair.

  “Good, ‘cause I’m never gonna stop saying it. It’s impossible with all this cuteness in front of me.” She grinned and bared her teeth like she was gonna bite him.

  “Dad says when you do that, you’re being feisty with me. It’s fun.” He lifted her other hand and nipped at the knuckles while looking through his lashes at her. His mischievous grin was killer. “But I still say it’s your hungry plumpy piece of donut look—and I’m your Boston cream.”

  “The best ever.” She grinned.

  “I think you’ll like to lick my creamy goodness.” He smirked.

  “Seriously? How am I supposed to make it through another flight without making out with you? This is the worst idea ever. Dry humping, hand jobs, oral—those should all be expected when I’m with you any length of time and you’re being this gorgeous.”

 
He bit her pinky knuckle, then sucked at it, observing her for a reaction.

  “Someday I’ll join the mile-high club, and it’ll be better than any ground sex I’ve ever had because it’ll be with you,” she said, gripping his chin and then rubbing their noses together.

  “Really? The best ever?”

  “Yep.”

  He glanced over at Victor, smirked and then broke away from her to relax into his seat. His arms crossed over his chest, he looked like he’d just pissed all over Vic’s shoes and knew there’d be no consequence to it.

  Mari chuckled and continued to wish they could be home in bed together. Being in a hotel room sucked plumber’s crack. They were cramped and both so exhausted, they barely touched each other at all.

  An airport employee approached them and checked in the dog. Adam buried his face in Mari’s shoulder as they took Choppy away.

  She hugged him, kissed his hair and told him Choppy would be fine. She’d probably sleep from the vibrations of the plane.

  Adam kissed her sleeve and told her in a fiercely loyal tone, “She’s family, like you. And I’ll die to protect my family. Always . . .”

  She gulped, ignored her blurred vision from saltwater accumulating in her eyes and helped him calm back down by running her fingers down his inner arm like he’d done for her on the trip up here.

  Family.

  She was cemented to them now and had a real, caring one. Nothing would change that. Nothing.

  Because she’d die to protect what she’d gained as well.

  * * *

  Victor was gone—dropped off at his cousin’s. His dad and brother were in their rooms, and Adam’s eyes went from Choppy to Mari.

  His father said the dog wasn’t allowed to sleep in the house, but how could he put her outside? It was cold out there.

  They didn’t have a doghouse, food or a bed for her. All they had was a leash.

  “Adam, ya comin’?” Mari motioned with her head to the stairs.

  He opened the back door, squatted down and gave Choppy a good scratch behind the ears.