He nodded, but found it irritating nonetheless. “I know…I’ve just got a really bad feeling that these will only escalate.”
Lance nodded and, when his attention turned back to the reports from the others at the table, Zac found his mind wandering down a road he would just as soon purge from his memory. The image of flames licking the walls, destroying everything in its path…everything I ever held dear.
Madelyn stared in unabashed interest around the galleria as she was being led toward the tall windows overlooking Main Street. Jillian had hung local artist’s work on the walls and used glass cases and pedestals to display pottery, sea glass art, wooden carvings, and bronze statuettes.
Before she had a chance to appreciate it all, Jillian was leading her to a round, glass-top table covered in lace doilies serving as the placemats. Sitting on the floral seat cushion, she admired the delicate, black iron chairs.
The others soon filled the chairs and accepted their coffees from the tray brought to them. The cup she had been drinking from made its way in front of her and she wrapped her hands around it again, sipping so that she would have something to do while she waited to see what the other women wanted to talk to her about. Self-conscious, her stomach clenched as she swallowed the flavorful brew.
“So, Madelyn,” Jillian began, her voice soft, “I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I’m embarrassed that I hadn’t heard.”
“Oh, it’s fine,” she assured, looking at the concerned faces around the table. “I just got in town early this morning and have only had the initial meeting at the funeral home. The obituary should appear in tomorrow’s newspaper…I think that’s what Mr. Melburn said.” Feeling the heat of blush rise over her face, she rushed, “Not that I don’t know…uh…there’s just a lot…”
“Of course, there is,” Tori nodded. “When a family member dies, there’s so much to take care of and it can be overwhelming to keep everything straight.”
She nodded, not knowing what else to say.
“I remember you,” Belle admitted, a sweet smile on her face. “You were just a year behind me, I think.”
“Yes, I remember you as well. You, Katelyn, and Jillian.”
“When did you move away?” Tori asked.
Hesitating, she hated thinking of high school. Trying to think of how she could explain in simple terms what she never understood herself, she finally blurted, “When I was fourteen…I had just finished ninth grade.” Seeing the lifted brows, she continued, “Uh…my parents split and my mom moved away, taking me with her.”
“Did she come back here with you?” Jillian asked.
“No,” she bit out, sharper than she meant to. Clearing her throat, she stared at her almost empty cup of coffee, before softening her voice, “She still lives in North Carolina and…well, they had not spoken to each other in almost fourteen years.”
“So, this all falls on you,” Belle said, her eyes filled with sympathy as her hand slipped across the table to clasp Madelyn’s.
Looking over, Madelyn snorted, then immediately apologized. “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to talking about my family. It’s…uh…awkward.” Heat infused her face, but before she could blunder more, Jillian jumped in.
“We’d like to help. Truly, whatever you need.”
“First, is the funeral,” Belle said.
“Then there’s the reception after the funeral,” Katelyn began.
“And taking care of the property,” Tori added.
Eyes wide, she sputtered. “No, that’s not necessary. Really, I don’t…I just…”
“Sweetie,” Jillian said, placing her hand on her arm, “do you seriously want to handle this all by yourself?”
Chest heaving, she felt the sting of tears and blinked several times to gain control. Breathing deeply, she sat quietly, her thoughts churning. She knew it took strength to ask for help when needed. Maybe they could help. The quicker it all gets done…the quicker I can leave.
Jillian rose and moved to the top of the staircase, calling down an order. In a few minutes the server arrived with a pot of herbal tea, steam rising from the spout and a set of delicate china tea cups. Jillian smiled at him before she began pouring. “My grandmother always said that a pot of tea was needed in times of stress,” she explained.
Accepting the cup, after pushing her now empty coffee cup away, she appreciated the calming beverage. She looked at the caring faces in front of her. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she tried to think of a succinct way to describe her situation.
Jillian’s hand reached over the lace doily and gave her hand a squeeze. “Feel free to talk, Madelyn. Tell us anything you want us to know that will help.”
Nodding, she offered a slight smile before beginning. “I suppose the simplest thing to say is just that my parents divorced fourteen years ago and when my mom left, she took me with her and Dad didn’t…well, there was no communication.” Shoulders lifting in a bare shrug, she pushed down the associated pain that stabbed her heart and said, “So, I had no idea what his life was like any more. I got a call from an attorney yesterday, informing me that my father had died that morning. It appears he had been sick recently and since the attorney was listed as the person to contact, the hospital had notified him.”
Heaving another sigh, she continued, “Anyway, he said that I was listed as next of kin in his will and everything goes to me. So, after fourteen years, I’m back where I started, trying to figure out what the hell to do.”
“And your mom?” Tori asked, her voice soft.
Scoffing, she said, “Mom never forgave Dad for his…failures. She’s wrapped up with her second husband and they have their own life. So, when I called her last night to tell her I was coming to arrange the funeral and take care of settling his will, she just said ‘good luck with that’.” Snorting indelicately, she added, “Actually, Mom and I have a good relationship, but any mention of my dad and she turns into a shrew.”
Katelyn, ever practical, stated, “What needs to be done first? Funeral arrangement? Reception?”
“Oh, no…no reception. I have no idea if Dad had friends, who they would be, and I don’t know anyone. I think a small, graveside funeral. Mr. Melburn said he could talk to someone in the American Legion—”
“American Legion?” Jillian repeated, her eyes now bright. “Your dad was in the American Legion?”
“Well, according to Mr. Melburn he was.” She tilted her head to the side, a crease lining her forehead. “But, I have no idea what that means.”
“It’s an organization for persons who served in the military,” Tori explained. “And, it just so happens that my husband is the president.”
“Our husbands are in it also and we are in the Auxiliary…that’s for family members of veterans,” Katelyn added, her eyes shining.
Licking her lips slowly, she pondered the pride in the other women’s voices. “Okay…uh, I guess I’m still not getting the significance of Mr. Melburn’s suggestion.”
“Just think of it as an extended family,” Jillian said. “The members would be more than happy to assist with the funeral and the Auxiliary will definitely assist with a reception.”
“Assist how?” Rubbing her temple, she said, “I’m sorry to be so muddle-headed. All of this is so much more than I realized it would be. The funeral planning, I mean.”
“I’ve been to a couple of funerals of other American Legion members,” Jillian said. “They can have a flag draped over the coffin—”
“He’s being cremated.”
“Okay, then they can have an honor guard carrying a flag, provide someone to do the eulogy, and the Auxiliary can provide refreshments for the reception.”
Madelyn worried her napkin, her fingers needing something to fiddle with. “I…I’m not sure about a reception.”
Belle leaned forward and said, “You know, honey, there may be friends of his in town that would like to get together to remember him.”
Tears hit her eyes and her chin quivered. Swiping und
er her eyes with her fingers, she tried to quell the desire to curl into a ball. Sucking in a halting breath, she lifted her gaze to the concerned faces staring at her. “I didn’t even know him…”
She lowered her eyes, not wanting to see the shared looks of pity she assumed would be passing amongst the others. Taking another sip of the now-cooled tea, she knew she needed to get back to the house to begin seeing what needed to be done.
Standing, she offered a heartfelt smile. “Ladies, it’s been so nice of you to allow me to talk through this even though you don’t know me.”
“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet,” Belle said, her smile genuine.
Jillian stood and offered her a hug. “We’ll talk to our husbands and get back with you. We’ll also take care of a simple reception. You don’t have to worry about anything.”
She nodded, unable to say anything in response. With goodbyes said after trading phone numbers, she walked down the stairs and back into the sunshine. Sliding her sunglasses onto her nose, her heart felt a little lighter than when she had entered. Now to figure out what the hell to do with the house.
4
The noise at the pub was growing as the crowds settled in. Zac sat with some of his friends, many of which had been at the emergency management meeting earlier in the day. A server brought over a pitcher of beer, winking at him as she walked away. He sighed. Nope, not going there. He did not want a short fling with someone he was going to be seeing around town all the time.
The door opened and a group of women walked in, heading straight for them. Mitch opened his arms for Tori while Grant did the same with Jillian. Jade slid onto Lance’s lap and Belle sat down at the table. Katelyn moved to Gareth, her husband who ran a private investigation firm in town with her. Ginny looked over at Brogan, watching as he walked from behind the bar to where she was sitting, and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Before everyone had a chance to finish their greetings, Jillian spoke, “Everyone, we’ve got to talk.”
Zac looked up in surprise at the seriousness of her tone and, considering Grant’s lifted brow, he had no idea what his wife was going to say either.
“Do any of you know Lenny Stevens from the American Legion?”
Mitch nodded, “Yeah. He only came to a few meetings but he spoke at one of them. He was normally a quiet man, but seemed eager that night to talk about some of his experiences in the Navy.”
Zac perked up, the memory coming back to him. “That’s right. After that particular meeting, he and I talked for a while about the Navy. We never really had a chance after that to get together, but we said we’d share a beer sometime after another meeting.” Looking up at Jillian, he said, “What’s up with him?”
Tori replied, “He died two days ago at the hospital.”
The group startled, almost in unison, and sounds of “oh, shit” and “fuckin’ hell” filled the air. Nodding, Jillian said, “We met his daughter today. She’s in town to arrange the funeral and happened to come into the coffee shop. At first, I just wanted to greet a new customer, but then we started talking and I found out who she was.”
“She was a year behind me in high school,” Belle interjected, “and she left after that year, so some of you probably wouldn’t remember her.”
“That would be when most of you were seniors or had just graduated and left for the military,” Tori said, looking at Mitch, but Zac knew she was speaking to most of them.
“Sweetheart, I’ll certainly let the other American Legion members know. I’m assuming the obituary isn’t out yet?” Mitch asked, his hand squeezing Tori’s waist.
“Madelyn said it would come out tomorrow, but she’s struggling with everything now.”
“And that’s where we all come in,” Katelyn announced, holding everyone’s attention.
Zac’s thoughts were tumbling back to the conversation he had with Mr. Stevens, a strange melancholy passing over him. Hearing Katelyn clear her throat, he jerked his eyes back to her face, seeing her cast her gaze around the gathering.
“Madelyn is overwhelmed with all that she needs to do and we volunteered to help.”
“What do you need?” Brogan asked, staring at his sister, his normally hard face softened.
“Well, it seems that when her parents split, they really split and by that, I mean her mom took her away and her dad had no contact with Madelyn since then. So, here she is, having to plan a funeral and handle his estate. She was listed as his only heir.”
“And before you think poorly of her,” Jade added, “she appears to have been abandoned by her father and her mother was just as happy to have Madelyn stay away from him.”
“God, families can be so fucked up,” Lance said, shaking his head, Jade nodding her agreement.
“And, for those of us lucky enough to have the kind of families that have never had those problems, we need to be ready to help,” Katelyn pronounced.
Jillian looked toward her cousin, Mitch, and said, “Can the American Legion provide some kind of service…like an honor guard, or a flag, or…I don’t know.”
“She said he’s being cremated,” Belle interjected, “so there won’t be a coffin to drape a flag over.”
“We can still provide a flag for the service and then present it to her,” Mitch said. “And we can certainly let the other members know.”
“The service is going to be held at the funeral home, so it will be simple,” Tori added.
“Did any of us know him well enough to speak or just say a few words?” Grant asked.
The group was silent for a few seconds, the Legion members seeming to struggle as they thought back to Lenny.
Looking around, observing none of the others appeared to remember much about the man who only came to a few meetings, Zac suddenly announced, “I will.”
The others turned to him and he hastened to add, “I didn’t know him well, but we talked a long time that night about the Navy. I could just mention a few words about that…you know, duty and service, and all that.”
“Oh, Zac, thank you,” Jillian gushed, her eyes warm. “I just felt so sorry for Madelyn today. She seemed incredibly lost.”
“The Auxiliary is going to host the reception and we thought we could do it at the meeting hall. It could be set up before the service and then it’s just a five-minute walk from the funeral home to the hall,” Tori added. “I’ll call the other Auxiliary members and we’ll set it up nicely.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Brogan said and, with a wink at Ginny, he and Aiden headed back to the bar. The other couples settled into chairs, their conversations more subdued than before.
Zac looked around, his eyes landing on all his friends, most in couples, and he suddenly felt like the odd man out. After what happened to his dad, he was convinced love was not worth the pain it produced when gone. Looking down, he noticed his hand was absently rubbing over his chest, as though wondering why he felt so empty.
Hearing a roar of cheering from the front, he recognized a few of their single friends near the dartboard. Callan, still in the Coast Guard; Jason, a former Navy veteran, now owning the garage and a tattoo parlor in town; and pretty Belle, who had left the couples and wandered up front to cheer the game on.
Standing, he made his way there as well, joining in the rousing game.
Madelyn stood in the kitchen, wondering where to start. Unable to stomach the idea of cooking in the house, she had picked up a sub from the grocery store, where she also bought water, milk, cereal, cleaners, and garbage bags. With a sigh, she opened the refrigerator door and began taking every item out, placing it in one of the bags. Thankful there was not a lot to throw out, she soon had the refrigerator empty and was pleased to find it relatively clean on the inside. It only took a few scrubs with a soapy sponge to have it spotless.
Sucking in a deep breath through her nose, she let it out slowly before placing her carton of milk and water bottles inside.
She eyed the glassware, figurines, and other boxes o
n the counter and wondered who might want them. Giving her head a shake, she felt the snake of panic rising. This is too much for me to handle. I only took a week off work…how will I ever get this done!
Leaning her hip against the counter, she cast her eye around the furniture piled in the room. The pieces appeared old, but were in excellent condition. Carrying her water with her, she walked into the living room, her eyes now assessing the furniture piles in there as well. Running her fingers over the spindles of a chair she pulled out her phone and did a search for antique dealers in the area. Finding a few that looking promising, she moved into the kitchen again and found a piece of paper. Writing the names down, she determined to call them tomorrow. I’ll have someone appraise all this and sell it as a lot. Pleased with her decision, she knew she just might be able to get back home in a week…leaving Baytown behind once more.
Climbing the stairs, she walked into her bedroom, flipping down the covers. Expecting dust, she was taken aback at the cleanliness of the sheets, almost as though he had been expecting her. Falling into bed, she lay there, her mind swirling, as sleep came uneasily and thoughts of her father invaded her dreams.
Sitting at his kitchen counter, pen and paper in hand, Zac stared into space, wondering what had possessed him to volunteer to offer the eulogy for a man he barely knew. But, then, it sounds like no one really knew him well. Even his daughter.
Curious, he walked to his bedroom closet where a stack of plastic storage tubs was stacked. There was little saved from his childhood, but he had managed to get a few things before it was too late.
Opening the one on the bottom, he dug through the items of his childhood and found the high school yearbooks. Pulling out the one from his senior year, he flipped through the pages, looking for the ninth graders. Madelyn Stevens.
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