by Kelly, G. E.
Alec’s face was smug as he sat beside Jaycee. The other guys quickly recovered to fight for the seat opposite her. The lineup came out with Lee and Alec beside her, Garrett and Jonathan across from them, and Sean had managed the seat directly across from Jaycee. He smiled at her in triumph.
“I believe I have the best seat in the house” he crowed, with a puffed-up chest. He would be able to watch Jaycee the entire meal, and her eyes often fell to his since he was in her direct line of sight.
“You have so much to learn pup,” Alec teased as he unfolded a napkin for Jaycee—placing it on her lap—winking at Sean with faux orneriness. He moved his chair a tad closer, so their shoulders and knees would bump as they moved. Jonathan rolled his eyes at their antics, but secretly wanted to play along as well. He felt he needed to set the better example. He wasn’t the operations team leader, but as a doctor he felt the need to live his life as a role model. Lee was team leader on missions. He didn’t mind them, letting them play their games. It was a great way for Jaycee to see all sides of the guys and get to know them quickly. They would need all the chances they could get to endear themselves to her before Marc returned. Lee and the others knew how attached Marc had become to the idea of being with Jaycee. They didn’t intend to let him steal the show because of a brief past acquaintance, but neither would they deny him the right to woo her after all he’d suffered at her disappearance.
Breakfast was a quiet affair, as the guys were too busy consuming copious amounts of food. Jaycee wasn’t sure where they put it all, but was amused nonetheless. She looked down at her own plate with its small pile of eggs, two slices of bacon, and a piece of toast. She’d barely eaten half her plate, while the guys had finished off plates piled high with food. Several of them offered to pass her more to eat or to refill her orange juice. Even a princess would be flattered to be treated so attentively and kindly.
“Really, guys, I couldn’t eat another bite. You’d have to roll me out of the house.” Refusing another offer of bacon, she did take note of how much food had been consumed. If she was going to cook for them, she would need to know what their appetites were like. A dirty thought occurred to her and she couldn’t help but giggle to herself. She tried to smother the sound, but when she looked around all eyes were on her. “What? Is there food on my face?” She wiped her mouth with her napkin.
“Did you just giggle, or was it an angel we heard?” Alec leaned in to speak near her ear.
With his proximity, she could smell his unique scent. Why did they all have to smell so delicious? His words registered in her head with a delay. An angel? Ha! She giggled again.
“I think I have a new favorite sound bite.” Sean said as he fiddled with his phone. He’d recorded her laugh?! Oh boy, these guys were going to keep her on her toes. He met her eyes with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” He shrugged, as if it were beyond his control.
“I’m going to have to be very careful what I do around all of you, aren’t I?” It was a rhetorical question, but Jaycee found the guys nodding with huge smiles on their faces. They were joking, of course…weren’t they?
“So what are your plans for the day, little flower?” Lee steered the conversation to more important matters.
“Um…I wanted to go see a family friend today. I might need a ride from someone, if that would be okay?”
“I could take you after my class, or Sean can take you as soon as you’re ready. Garrett and the Doc need to leave for work. Alec, you can go with them if you’d like, but you really should think about taking this time to work on your studies…if you got a jump-start on your reading, it would be easier to manage classes and sports later on.” Lee commanded the room with ease.
“I’d rather go with Jaycee, but you have a point.” Dramatically sighing, Alec made a production of needing to stay behind.
“I’d be happy to drive you,” Sean assured her.
“It would be nice if I could go with you, but I need to be at the site this morning, in fact I need to get going. I’ll see you tonight.” Giving her a big hug, Garrett left the room to grab his gear, and head out.
“Sadly, I need to be off as well. Jaycee, please text me if you need anything. I might be home late, but I promise I’ll check my messages frequently. I have an appointment with a faculty member later this afternoon, but it shouldn’t take too long.” Jonathan kissed Jaycee’s forehead. “Have a good day, pretty girl.”
“Bye, guys! I’ll see you tonight,” Jaycee called after them. It was a strange feeling having someone to care for again. Someone she’d look forward to seeing later. Even stranger, since there were five of them. They finished breakfast in record time. Jaycee was not allowed to do a single dish.
“You just got here, there’s plenty of time for you to help out. Today just relax a bit. Let us take care of the mess.” Lee said collecting dishes, and taking them to the sink. Sean rose to help put away the drinks. Alec stayed with Jaycee.
“I’m sorry I missed your hockey game,” Jaycee apologized.
“It’s fine, pretty girl, there will be plenty more opportunities…but if you really do feel bad, could I make a request?” he asked.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“When you can make it to a game, will you wear my jersey?” he pleaded.
“Isn’t that something girlfriends do?” Jaycee asked.
“Maybe, but close friends often do it too. It would make me happy,” he implored.
“Okay, so long as no girlfriend is going to beat me up for wearing it,” she teased.
“I don’t have a girlfriend; none of us do. Guess that means you have me all to yourself.” Alec leaned in and winked at her. Causing Jaycee to squirm and blush.
“So…what are your plans for the day?” Jaycee tried to change the subject.
“Well, I suppose I’ll need to pick up my textbooks so I can do some reading. But, if you need anything, you have my phone number. Don’t hesitate to call or text.” Alec gave her a long hug, pressing her tight to his chest. He couldn’t suppress a sigh of contentment. Jaycee simply closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.
“I will,” she said as she pulled back. “But don’t be glued to your phone, or you won’t get any reading done.” Alec smiled, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and headed off to grab his gear. Sean came back in the dining room, and sat down next to Jaycee.
“Do you have an address for your acquaintance’s house?” Sean tried to persuade Jaycee to go to the Wallners’ old house, rather than calling. It would be good for her to get off campus. She probably hadn’t seen her childhood home since that awful night. While the memories might be traumatic, she would be better off facing them. That way she could focus on the good memories, instead of the bad.
“I do, but I’m not sure if they live there anymore.” She chewed on her lip in thought.
“Well, there’s only one way to find out. Grab your purse and we can go.” Sean felt terrible for keeping the Wallners’ passing from her, but he knew she needed to deal with this situation slowly. Giving her all the information up front might put her into shock.
Jaycee raced upstairs to Sean’s room, where they had temporarily put her suitcases. She dug through her bag to find a small purse. She loaded her cellphone and wallet, heading back downstairs.
“I’m ready. I can give you directions.” Jaycee knew how to get to her childhood home. She’d done a few map searches to make sure the roads hadn’t changed, but everything seemed to be the same.
“All right, we’ll take my vehicle. We’re off. We’ll see you guys in a few hours.” Sean told Lee.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you later, little flower. Good luck today,” Lee said with a heavy heart. The guys all knew today would be a hard day for Jaycee. While she was gone, they would unpack her stuff, and get her settled into Marc’s room. They figured Marc would be willing to sleep on the couch, if it meant he’d have Jaycee living with him. They hadn’t told him yet, but Lee doubted he’d be surprised. Lee pulled Jaycee into a lon
g hug and kissed her forehead.
“Bye…and thanks.” Jaycee pulled away from Lee to follow Sean into the garage. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw how large the garage was. It made sense with six vehicles to store, but it seemed massive when almost empty. They climbed in the Trailblazer and backed out of the garage. Sean told Jaycee to plug the address into the GPS, so she typed in her old house number and they headed out.
Jaycee was nervous, she couldn’t stop her brain from playing out all the worst-case scenarios. She didn’t want to have too high of hopes, only to get them crushed on arrival. It had been so long, what if they didn’t live there anymore? What if they didn’t remember her? Or worse…what if they didn’t want anything to do with her? Jaycee took a few deeps breaths trying to calm her pulse and clear the moisture from her eyes. Instead of thinking about it, she turned to the window and watched as the scenery became more and more familiar. They passed her original school and the library she used to walk to. Finally, they turned into the neighborhood she grew up in. Before the GPS could call out the wrong address, Jaycee turned it off and gave Sean verbal directions.
Her old house was gone! Where it had been was now an empty lot. A knot formed in her throat. As a child, it hadn’t occurred to her that a house someone was murdered in wouldn’t be sellable. It occurred to her now. Somehow she had still hoped to find her house standing, maybe hiding some of her old memories buried inside. It had been a dream, but an unrealistic one. She motioned for Sean to pull into the Wallners’ drive.
“Can you stay here? I think I need to see them on my own,” Jaycee’s voice broke as she spoke.
“Yeah, I’ll just listen to some music. If you need me, I’m here.” Sean wanted so badly to stop her from going to the door. He didn’t want her to hurt, but there was no way around it. Sean would be there to hold her when she got back, he’d take her to the cemetery to see the Wallners’ resting place. As soon as Jaycee closed the door, Sean pulled out his phone and shot off a text to Marc.
Sean: We’re at your grandparents’ old house. She already looks so sad. We’ll meet you at the cemetery. Not sure why to tell her I’m taking her there…
Marc: Just tell her you know where most people are buried around here. It’s the truth anyway. I’ll be there to explain the rest. Thanks, man.
Sean: This is like watching a train wreck, and not being able to help. YW, but hope I don’t have to do anything like this again.
Marc: Me too.
Jaycee walked slowly to the blue front door. She steadied her breath and rang the doorbell. A young woman with brown hair answered the door.
“Can I help you?” The woman asked.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m looking for the Wallners, they used to live here…” Jaycee trailed off.
“Oh honey, we bought this house when the Wallners passed away five years ago. Do you want to come inside?” The woman offered, she could tell Jaycee was shaken by the news.
“That’s okay, I won’t bother you further…thank you.” Jaycee managed to hold back her sobs until she reached the car. She stumbled back into the Trailblazer. Sean opened his arms and Jaycee grabbed onto him and pressed her faced into his chest. Her sobs racked her entire body, and her tears soaked his shirt. She’d never be able to tell them thank you for the kindness they showed her, or for supporting her father when no one else would. She’d never get to ask them her questions, never get to say good-bye. It felt like losing her father all over again.
“Shh…it’s okay. I’m here, it’ll be okay,” Sean muttered words of comfort to Jaycee, knowing nothing he could say would ease her pain, but unable to do nothing.
“I…didn’t get to say…thank you, or…goodbye. They’re…just gone.” Jaycee tried hard to calm her tears, but the harder she fought, the harder she cried.
“It’s okay, honey, just cry. You’ll feel better. I can take you…I can take you to the cemetery, where they might be buried. If you want, that is.” Sean felt choked up himself. Marc’s grandparents had been very kind to him too. Their deaths had happened almost back-to-back. Marc’s grandmother had suffered a fatal heart attack, and then his grandfather seemed to die of a broken heart several months later. Marc had been blindsided. It had been a rough time for all of them.
“Could we stop somewhere… f-first? I should get some… f-flowers.” Jaycee sniffled.
“Of course. I know just the place.” Sean took Jaycee to a small florist nearby. He walked her in and helped her select a beautiful bouquet in spring pastels. Annie would have loved it. Sean paid for the flowers, he wanted to do more, but his hands were tied.
The drive to the cemetery was short. Sean offered to walk Jaycee in, but she insisted on searching for the grave by herself.
“Head to the back corner, the more recent stones have been placed there.” He knew Marc would meet her inside, but it was hard to watch her walk away with her head drooped. Sean wished he could take the pain for her.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, before following the path through the rows of gravestones.
She read the names on the stones as she passed. It was hard to see through her tears, but she finally approached an area that looked newer. The dates of passing were becoming more recent. There it was. The wide stone bearing Annie and Ed Wallners’ names. She placed the flowers before the gravestone. She tried to speak several times, but the words just wouldn’t come to her. So she just stared at the red marble marker in sorrow. She hated herself for the part of her that was disappointed at the end of a lead to her father. Two very lovely people had died. That should be all she was mourning, but she was human. She had pinned her hopes on their kindness for so long…it was hard to let go of that hope. Falling to her seat, she knelt at the foot of the grave.
A stranger with long hair approached her with flowers in his hand. Standing at six foot, he had long blond hair that reached to his waist. He was stunning, but something about him seemed familiar to Jaycee. His hazel eyes watched her through thick lashes. He lowered himself to where she’d collapsed, at the foot of the grave. Marc!
The Wallners’ grandson watched her with apprehension. It’d been so long since they’d been face-to-face. She hadn’t been able to speak to him then either, but he’d cared for her nonetheless. She wasn’t sure how he knew she’d be there, but she had a feeling she was why he’d come.
“Jaycee, I’m sorry. I had hoped we would reunite under happier circumstances.” Marc laid his flowers by the headstone and returned to sit at her side. “They were at home; they were with family. They weren’t young and alone. It was how they’d wanted to go.”
Jaycee wiped her eyes, and simply listened. The tears just kept flowing. Marc’s eyes got misty as well. “They wondered about you over the years. I did too. Actually, I tried to find you, but I was nine. No one would tell me anything. I never believed the things people said about your dad, and neither did they,” he gestured toward his grandparent’s marker as he spoke.
When it seemed she couldn’t find words to respond, he kept talking, “I want to help you, Jaycee.” Her ears were ringing; her blood was pumping so fast. What?! He wanted to help her? How?
“Take a breath Jaycee, breathe for me. That’s right, in…and out. Good.” He rubbed a smooth circle around her back. “I always believed your father was framed, and after social services took you, I started looking into it. The problem goes so much deeper than you know. But…we aren’t without hope. I have friends…friends who can help. You’ve met them actually…all five of them.” Marc said the last part slowly so Jaycee would absorb the information carefully. Five of them? Five guys? Marc’s friends were her new friends?!? She was living in Marc’s house! Oh…
Jaycee’s mind spun like a top. She was thrilled, livid, and sad all at once. She felt black spots clouding her vision. Jaycee shook away the panic, and concentrated on Marc’s hand still gliding across her back. How could the guys not tell her?! Why would they keep it from her? Marc was the model friend? He did look like a model; she suppo
sed he always had. Maybe she was naive, maybe she should have connected the dots long before, but how could she when they had lied to her? Well, maybe not outright lied, but withheld the truth. Yet, she was so happy to see Marc again; him she could thank. She could profess her gratitude for everything they did for her that day. She was so happy to see him again, even without his offer of help. Her utter disappointment at hitting a dead end lifted, and with it went a small piece of her anger, but the rest remained. She felt like a fool. She felt betrayed by their lies.
“Why?” was all she could say. It was all she needed to say because her face was speaking volumes.
“They didn’t know what to say, they were afraid to scare you off. You didn’t know them from Adam, and you were hiding who you are…I’d been telling them stories about you since we were kids. Since the day you were taken. I didn’t know how to let you go. I’d just lost my Mom, and I didn’t want to lose you. They were just trying to protect you.”
“By lying to me, by hiding that they were your friends!” she sounded so pathetic.
“They wanted you to hear it from me. Knowing your history, they figured you’d want to find my family. It was only a matter of when. They had hoped I’d be home when you finally returned, but luck just wasn’t on our side.”
“Okay, okay! I get it. I just don’t think I can forgive so easily. Why let me go to that house?!? Why let me see the lot where my house used to be?”
“You need closure. You’ve been through so much, but you were never given time to talk, or process any of it, right?” Marc stared into her eyes. Jaycee nodded. He was right, about all of it. She needed to see it with her own eyes. But that didn’t mean she was okay with it. She had to find out about the Wallners’ death from a stranger. It hurt! So very much.
“Eventually, we will all sit down, and have a long talk about this, but for now…let’s just sit. I just need to think, and maybe to feel. With no one telling me who or how to be,” she said between sniffling.
“Okay.” Marc leaned back on his hands, and stared at the grass before him. He’d had years to process their deaths, but it still hurt. They were the only real family he’d had. While the guys were his replacement family, it didn’t erase the pain.