“I can’t even tell where his injury was.” How did they do that, hide such an awful wound?
“Only the best for the best,” Ridge offered. “I’m gonna miss ya like hell, Easton.”
They stood there clinging to each other for long minutes. Avery listened to Ridge’s heartbeat, taking comfort in the steady thump and allowing herself this brief moment of sharing before reality ripped her from the only place she ever wanted to be—in Ridge’s arms.
“Where did that picture come from?” she finally asked.
“It’s one we took just before the bombing. We were going to give it to you when we came back on leave. I had it blown up for today.”
“It’s mine?” A fleeting moment of joy whisked through her body. To be able to see Cale’s smiling face every day would go miles in helping her deal with his loss.
“It’s yours if you want it. I have a copy.”
“If I want it? Are you kidding? I’ll cherish it forever.” She already knew where she’d hang it.
“I have a few of him without me if you’d rather have one of those.”
Avery looked up into his misty eyes. He still blamed himself for Cale’s death and expected her to blame him as well. “I’d like to have a few more pictures of my brother but that’s the one I want hanging in my house. For ten years it was the two of you. If I saw Cale, I saw you and that’s the way it will always be for me.”
“Miss Easton, it’s time to get started,” Mr. Heinz said from a side door, breaking what Avery thought could have been a very profound moment between the two of them.
Ridge released her, wiped away a few tears from her cheek and then smoothed the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. Chills skittered down her spine from the intimate touch.
“I’m carrying the casket,” he told her. “I know you have Stone with you but if it’s all right I’d like to stand by your side during the service at the cemetery.”
“Of course.” What exactly did he mean by that and what did Kevin have to do with anything?
Before she could ask, Mr. Heinz closed the casket and replaced the flag. Things began to move quickly then. She was rushed out of the room and seven uniformed men marched in. Kevin dragged her outside and before she knew it Cale’s casket emerged through the door.
With precise movements Ridge and the other soldiers carried the casket to the back of the open hearse where they slid it inside with the same precision. The doors were closed and then Avery was led to a waiting limo. Kevin all but pushed her in and then slid in next to her. Ridge entered and took the seat directly across from her.
“Gates,” Kevin said with a nod.
“Stone,” Ridge replied with a touch of snarl in his voice.
The car moved and they were on the street headed for the cemetery. Silence filled the vehicle for moments before Kevin spoke.
“I know this isn’t exactly the best time for this, but I don’t think you’re going to have much time to talk later.”
Avery knew what was coming and tried to stop Kevin but he ignored her silent, pleading face.
“Avery’s car windows were shot out today at the hotel,” Kevin told Ridge.
“What?”
A rush of pure fury overtook her. Not hers, but Ridge’s. The blast was so strong it had her sitting back in her seat and sucking in a thin stream of air. The sensation of sitting on a stack of dynamite ready to shoot straight up in the air seemed less cartoonish at the moment.
“Are you okay, honey?” Kevin asked, taking her hand.
Another blast of emotion hit her—fury and the need to inflict bodily harm. Beneath it she heard a growl of protest.
“Don’t touch her.”
Confused and literally shaking from anger, Avery wrenched her hand out of Kevin’s. “I’m fine. Sorry.” She met Ridge’s furious eyes and tried to reach out to calm him but the man’s anger blurred any attempt to do so.
“What do you mean her car windows were shot out? By who?”
The Ridge Gates speaking now was a dangerous man. Not only could she see it but she sensed the violence surging through his system. Instead of being afraid, she reached farther for their thread of connection only to be stopped again.
“I don’t know who did it,” Kevin told him, shaking his head. “It could have been a random shooting or not. At this point we don’t know. I just thought you should know.”
Kevin emphasized “you”, making Avery frown and wonder. What exactly had they discussed last night?
“Can we not talk about this right now?” she asked, hoping to quell the storm in Ridge’s body. “I have other pressing matters to deal with and that is not as important as what I’m about to do.”
“Of course it isn’t,” Kevin said, slipping his arm around her shoulders. “You leave that up to the department. We’ll take care of it.”
If Avery didn’t know any better she would have sworn a wild animal was sitting there with them. Her head filled with snarls so vicious it made her shiver. One thing was for sure—Ridge didn’t like Kevin touching her. Why, she had no idea.
This time instead of trying to calm him, she dug deep for a memory she could push into his brain. If she didn’t do something Ridge would come across the seat and pound Kevin into a bloody pulp. His fists were curled into tight iron balls on the seat and if he didn’t stop clenching his teeth he was going to break them.
Avery called forward a favorite memory of hers. The day they all three went to the shore for a picnic and fun in the water. The sun was hot and steamy, the sand warm beneath their feet and laughter filled the breezy air. Ridge had picked at her all day, teasing her about her bikini and constantly trying to cover her up.
At one point he lifted her into his strong arms and carried her to the water. She thought for sure he would toss her in—instead, he waded out and dunked them both beneath the waves and then kissed her, a quick touch of lips before surfacing. God, she thought her heart would explode from her chest it raced so fast.
Avery looked across at Ridge. His eyes were vacant but she knew it worked. A small smile tugged at his lips; his hands and jaw relaxed.
“Looks like we’re here,” Kevin said, looking through the tinted windows.
Ridge blinked and then focused on her. He took a deep breath, flexed his hands and winked. Shocked, Avery lost her breath for just a second as the man she fell in love with that day at the beach returned for a brief moment.
“Come on, honey,” Kevin said, opening the door and holding out his hand for her.
Avery reached out.
“Don’t. Touch. Him.”
The command was so loud and forceful she had no choice but to obey. She glanced over at Ridge and her heart trembled deep inside her chest. He knew she’d heard him. Oh. God. She didn’t need this right now. Ignoring Kevin’s hand she slid from the car and stepped out into the bright sunshine. Looking behind the car she saw a steady stream of traffic coming into the cemetery.
Ridge stepped up beside her. “How did this all happen?” she asked him, hoping to distract him.
“Cale was an active soldier. He gets a military service. These people,” he said, nodding to the crowd walking toward the freshly dug grave, “they’ve all lost family members in the service. When someone doesn’t have family, they step in.”
“Like yesterday.”
“Like yesterday,” Ridge confirmed. “There are organizations that keep abreast of fallen service men and women. It’s like a tree. One phone call leads to another until they’ve all been contacted.”
“How do you thank them?” she wondered aloud, watching as veterans walked across the manicured lawn holding small flags.
“You help honor the next fallen soldier,” Ridge answered gently.
Avery looked up at him. “I wish no one ever had to do this.” Losing a brother was bad enough. Losing a son or husband had to be debilitating.
“Me too,” Ridge said, cupping her cheek in his palm. “I’ll be right by your side as soon as I can.”
Avery nodded and then watched him walk away. He was limping today, badly. Carrying the casket would only aggravate his injury further.
“Avery?”
She looked at Kevin, hooked her hand on his elbow and allowed him to lead her to the grave. She took her place and looked around at all the people. So many families torn apart—it broke her heart all over again.
Cindy touched her shoulder, letting her know she was there. Avery patted her hand and then smiled at Mr. Celini, silently thanking him for his support. Kevin stood by her side just as he’d said he would.
With everyone in place, a soft cadence echoed across the wide, sprawling green grounds. Eight men dressed in their finest carried her brother to his final resting place in perfectly matched steps. The scene burned into her memory, something she’d never forget until she took her final breath.
Tears welled, a mixture of pride and sorrow. She’d never seen anything so breathtaking in her life. Straightening her spine, she vowed to stand tall and proud for Cale.
The casket was placed on the pedestal as the edges of the flag flickered in the light breeze. All eight men saluted and turned. Ridge stepped back as the rest marched away. Taking his place next to her, Ridge slipped his hand in hers.
An army Chaplin began speaking a sermon that Avery knew most of the people here had heard too many times before. She couldn’t listen. The pain was great enough and she’d find no solace in pretty words.
As the Chaplin went on, Avery chose to remember Cale her own way. The time he came home from a friend’s house and found her tied to a chair because their mother had an episode and she was the only one there. He’d untied her, wiped away her tears and held her, promising never to leave her alone again.
Her brother, her hero, the one who stood up for her when the jocks at the high school were making fun of their crazy mother who’d made a scene at the football game. Then came the night when she had a date with a boy she liked so much. Cale knew what she planned on happening that night and tried to talk her out of going.
When she came home he was waiting at the door, sadness and disappointment filling his eyes. “Are you okay?” he’d asked.
Avery shrugged, holding back tears of shame. “I’m fine. I don’t know what the big deal about sex is, though.”
Once again he held her and they cried together. When they finished he explained things her mother should have explained. He was her father, mother and most importantly her best friend. And now he was gone.
Ridge squeezed her hand, bringing her back to the here and now. For a moment she worried she’d shared those thoughts with Ridge and then shrugged it off. She’d gotten accustomed to blocking the connection and hoped she’d done it this time.
The Chaplin finished his sermon and stepped back. The sad wail of Taps filled the summer air and drifted all around the headstones dotting the grounds. She’d heard the tune before on the news and it always brought a tear to her eye. This time its poignant notes circled her heart and filled her with such sorrow she choked out a sob. Had a sadder tune ever been written? She didn’t think so.
As if none of this seemed real before, the crying trumpet waved the reality in her face and brought a flood of tears to her eyes. This was it. She’d never see her brother again. Ridge moved closer to her side, removed his hand from hers and wrapped his arm around her waist. She couldn’t stop the tears as they tumbled down her cheeks and off her chin.
The notes of the song dug into her soul, sinking their sorrowful fingers deep and ripping it free from her body. As soon as the song ended she heard a distant command and the crack of guns being fired. She jumped, sobbed and nearly dropped to her knees. Both Ridge and Kevin held her up between them.
“Hold on a little longer, baby,” Ridge whispered in her ear.
Another crack of gunfire split the air and she jumped again. Twice more she shook and jolted as the twenty-one-gun salute continued. Her heart had broken the day Cale died, but today, it shattered into a million pieces. Nothing would ever be the same again. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself she could go on she would never be the same again.
“I have to do this,” Ridge told her and then kissed the side of her head. “Be strong for me, baby. I need you to be strong.”
Ridge stepped forward and joined the seven men who carried the casket. In slow movements they lifted the flag, folded it in half and began the tedious, precise movements to fold the customary triangle. Avery watched through heavy tears, her insides shattering with their every movement.
Kevin held her to his side. Cindy laid her hand on her shoulder and squeezed and Mr. Celini rubbed her back. No amount of comfort would stem the tears or the great, suffering pain ripping through her body.
When the men finished folding the flag, Ridge turned, holding it out in front of him. His face was blank but his eyes were filled with grief and pain as deep and agonizing as hers. Ridge marched forward, came to a stop right in front of her and their gazes locked. He needed her to be strong.
Swallowing her sobs, Avery stood tall and held her breath. Ridge offered the flag and waited until she gripped it. When he blinked, a single tear slid from his eye and trickled down his cheek. Any strength she had managed to scrape together disintegrated and flowed down her face in the form of hot, fat tears.
Gripping the flag to her chest, Avery fell forward and right into Ridge’s strong arms. He quickly enclosed her in his embrace and held tight. For a few moments nothing existed but them. If only the world would go away and leave them alone. If only Cale weren’t lying in that pretty box about to be lowered into the ground.
“Come on, baby,” Ridge croaked. “Let’s get you home.”
Chapter Eight
The ride back to the funeral home turned out to be quiet, the compartment in which the three of them sat filled with a heaviness that could sap the life from a small country. Kevin kept his distance, sitting a good two feet from her. Ridge sat across from her, his leg stretched out and his foot touching hers. Odd how that little contact went a long way toward keeping her from falling apart.
When they exited the limo, Kevin’s cell rang. He walked away and took the call. Ridge took her hand and swirled little circles over her wrist.
“You shouldn’t be alone tonight. Come stay with me.”
Tired and raw, Avery sighed. “I don’t think another night in a hotel is what I need. I need to go home.”
“I’m not staying in a hotel,” Ridge told her bluntly.
“You aren’t?” Where the hell was he staying?
“Cale and I bought a house the last time we were here. It’s only a few miles from yours. That’s where I’ve been. Come stay there tonight. It isn’t much but I have a spare room and a bed.”
They’d bought a house and didn’t tell her? Why? Avery jerked her hand out of his. Betrayal. Her two favorite men had bought a house during their last visit and neither wanted her to know about it.
“A house. A few miles from me and you’re just now telling me this?” God, he really did want his distance from her. On the verge of hysteria she stepped back from him. “My. God. If you want your distance so damn bad you should have bought a house on the other side of town or in another state. No, thank you. I want to go home. My home.” Where I can finally fall apart alone, she finished to herself.
“Avery, you shouldn’t be alone tonight,” Ridge growled between his teeth and he reached for her again.
“What the hell do you care?” Drawing on her anger, she kept the hurt and tears at bay. “I’m fine with alone.”
“Don’t be so stubborn, Avery. Someone broke into your house and shot out your car windows. You just buried your brother. This isn’t the time to be wandering around an empty house alone.”
“Don’t you dare tell me what to do.” Turning on her heel, she marched up to Kevin. “Will you please give me a ride home?”
Kevin frowned and looked past her to Ridge.
“I’m asking, not him. He doesn’t get any say in what I do.” Why the h
ell did everyone seem to think she needed a babysitter?
“I’ll give you a ride home, honey. No problem. We need to stop by my place first and pick up your clothes.”
Ridge’s fury slammed into her like a tidal wave. Avery turned around and pinned Ridge with the harshest glare she could. “Stop it!” Her own emotions had her teetering on the edge. His would push her over. After receiving a look of shock, she turned and stormed off to Kevin’s truck and crawled inside.
Damn men anyway. They were only good for one thing and most of the time they weren’t that great at that.
* * * * *
Ridge’s insides coiled like a snake. He wanted to rip something apart and right now Stone and his cocky grin seemed to be the best thing to tear into.
“Told her where you live, I’m guessing,” Stone chuckled as he strolled over.
“It isn’t any of your business.”
“You can’t keep doing this to her. She has feelings for you and you keep throwing them in her face. One minute you’re the hero the next you’re the ass. Pick one, Gates. She’s walking a fine line and if I’m right, you won’t have much longer to jerk her around.”
What the hell did that mean? Since when did Avery have anything other than fondness for him? This guy didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. “Why are her clothes at your house?”
“Because we didn’t have time to drop them off at hers.”
Ridge balled his hands into fists. Was Stone deliberately trying to start a fight? “You slept with her?”
“Let’s see if these words sound familiar. It’s none of your business.”
Stone did something wildly stupid, he turned his back and took two steps away before swinging around with anger etched all over his face and filling his eyes.
“What if I did sleep with her? What do you care, Gates? You nailed her once. You had your shot. Do you get some kind of sick thrill out of hurting her?”
“You have a death wish, Stone?” He’d kill him. “I warned you not to talk about her like that.” If Avery wasn’t sitting there watching he’d pound the bastard right into the ground.
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