She was a rock.
Gabe was impressed. Having already been through the receiving line, he sat a few rows back, watching Brooke greet person after person, her stepfather by her side.
How she faced them all so bravely, Gabe didn’t know. If their roles were reversed, he knew he’d be struggling. Amelia would be a mess. Hell, she didn’t even like Brooke all that much, and yet she was fighting to control her tears.
With tissues crushed in her hand, she sat between him and Nick.
Coming early had been a mistake, but Gabe hated being late. What he hated even more was that Brooke had expressly told him that she’d be okay and he didn’t need to feel obligated to come at all. He’d wanted to be with her this morning at her house to ensure she was ready. It had been difficult to postpone dressing and arriving at the funeral home instead.
When he, Nick, and Amelia had approached her earlier, she’d hugged each of them and thanked them for coming. Now, it was pure agony to sit helplessly in the pew when he wanted to be at Brooke’s side. He wanted to comfort her.
Kevin and Ed joined the back of the line after signing the guestbook. From halfway across the room, the men smiled weakly and nodded to acknowledge each other.
Gabe twisted back to Nick and Amelia’s mumbled conversation.
“We don’t have to stay,” Nick told her.
“But we should.”
“Brooke will understand, and Gabe will have Kevin and Ed to sit with.”
Agreeing with Nick, Gabe leaned forward and said, “He’s right, you don’t need to stay.”
A cry drew his attention. Kevin and Ed had reached the front of the chapel, Ed standing off to the side. Presumably, he’d already greeted Brooke.
A wave of jealousy washed over Gabe as Brooke clutched at Kevin. He murmured into her ear, and she squeezed him harder. Gabe wasn’t close enough to see her tears, but he could make the assumption she’d finally started to cry based on how tightly she closed her eyes and how her body shuddered when she drew each breath.
Kevin lingered longer than most, and Ed patiently waited nearby. Dan pulled Kevin in for a hug next. Before Kevin turned away, Brooke grabbed his hand and asked him something. He nodded, and she clasped his hand tighter before releasing him.
They left her at the front and approached Gabe and Nick’s mostly-vacant row. Kevin ran his thumb under his eyes as he approached, maybe wiping away a few stray tears. Shuffling down, they made room for Kevin and Ed to join them. Amelia reached past Gabe to clasp Kevin’s hand. He welcomed the gesture with a soft smile.
Nick tucked Amelia closer to him before nodding toward the front of the chapel. “How’s she doing?”
“She seems pretty good.” Kevin stole a glance at his ex-girlfriend. “I’m sure it’s not easy, but she’ll make it through.”
Soon, the service started, and about an hour later, they were all herded outside to the waiting hearse. Another hour and they’d gone to the cemetery and back to the funeral home for refreshments. To save time and fuel, they’d all traveled in Nick’s SUV. People still surrounded Brooke, so they each made up a cup of coffee, a small plate of sandwiches, and assorted vegetables and occupied a table.
Brooke managed to make it over to them once. Gabe encouraged her to take a seat.
“Have you eaten anything yet?”
“No, but I’m okay right now.”
Amelia frowned. “No. I’m going to go grab you something. Any preference?”
“No salmon. And nothing sweet. Thanks.”
“No problem. Would you prefer tea or coffee?”
Brooke thought about it. “Just water would be great. Thank you, Amelia.”
Amelia left, with Nick hot on her heels, ready to help his fiancée any way he could.
“How are you holding up?” Gabe asked.
Brooke’s exhaustion was clear as she fell back in her chair. “I’m okay. Tired.”
He moved his chair closer and took her hand. She rubbed her thumb over his knuckles as though to comfort him. Her timid smile nearly broke his heart. He wanted to take her home and hold her until all the hurt went away.
“I bet,” Kevin said from across the table.
Since the night Kevin had broken things off with Brooke, Gabe hadn’t seen much of him. Kevin had been busy trying to get his life in order and had missed the last two poker nights. They crossed paths at the gym, but other than that, Kevin had all but disappeared. Gabe hadn’t had the opportunity to discuss the change in his relationship status. Kevin was obviously dealing with some shit, and the last thing Gabe had wanted to do was add to his burden.
By now, he knew Gabe and Brooke had started dating, but Kevin didn’t seem to care about their clasped hands. He spoke directly to Brooke, compassion in his gaze. “It’s a long day for anyone.”
“I suppose.” Brooke wiped at her eyes. Luckily, she wore very little make-up, so nothing was left smudged across her face.
“What time can you go home?” Gabe wondered.
“After everyone leaves, I’ll have to help pack up the food, and then I’ll be able to go.”
“I’ll come over tonight.”
Brooke looked at him with something akin to confusion. Since that day in the hospital, she’d brushed him off every time he’d tried to see her. He wondered if there was more to it than grief. He felt a big fat no heading his way long before she said it.
* * *
Amelia hated this whole thing. No one liked funerals, but she had so little experience with them. Her dad’s parents had passed away within months of each other, but it had happened when she was so young she didn’t remember much of it. Other than that, her knowledge of death came from movies.
Brooke had impressed her today—she’d been so strong, greeting people, listening to stories of her mother’s life—she had even spoken at the funeral. It made Amelia feel even crummier because, through it all, she’d been drawing comparisons.
Life was fragile, and one day, she might have to suffer through losing her grandparents or her parents, and the thought just annihilated her.
Feeling Nick’s strong arms encircle her from behind, she smiled and hugged him back, taking every ounce of comfort he offered. It was just another thing that was so different between her and Brooke. Amelia had a loving family that had always been there for her, but now, aside from a stepfather, Brooke had no one.
For the first time, Amelia was happy Gabe and Brooke had gotten together.
Nick reached around her and snatched a plate from the top of the pile. “What sort of things are you going to pick for Brooke?”
Amelia took the plate and started filling it with things. “Just a little bit of stuff. I’m sure she doesn’t even want to eat, but she needs to.”
Careful not to hold up the line, Nick quickly kissed her cheek. “This was sweet of you. I know you and Brooke have your differences,” Amelia snorted over that, but Nick ignored her, “but this was nice.”
It was the least she could do. While Amelia finished filling the plate, Nick went to fetch the water so they could head back to the table. As they approached, she heard her brother say, “I’ll come over tonight.”
Brooke avoided his gaze and withdrew her hand. “Dan’s coming back to the house for tonight, so I should be fine. You don’t need to.”
Gabe looked like he was ready to argue that, but Amelia saw Kevin subtly shake his head. Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to interrupt, Amelia put down the food in front of Brooke: a few triangle sandwiches, a dollop of ranch dressing, some assorted veggies; and despite Brooke’s request for no sweets, she’d topped off the plate with a plain rice crispy square. Next to the plate, Nick set a paper cup filled with water before they sat down.
Ed stood up briefly, reached into his pocket, sighed, and sat back down. He removed a packet of gum and popped a stick into his mouth.
“Wow.” Brooke looked at Ed in shock. She’d nibbled on a corner of one of the sandwiches. “I knew that Kevin had quit, but you, too?”
Ed chewed the piece of gum. “Yeah, stupidest mistake I ever made.”
“Starting smoking?” Amelia wondered, unsure how anyone could start such a habit.
“No. Quitting. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. But this one here,” he pointed to Kevin, “wanted a quitting buddy.”
Brooke picked away at the food while they all conversed. She only left half a sandwich and all the cauliflower, but she’d gobbled down all the cucumber slices, carrot sticks, and three mini sandwiches. After she finished the rice crispy square, she drained the rest of the water and thanked Amelia again. She was still digesting when she got pulled away.
Their little group migrated to the parking lot. Amelia could tell Gabe didn’t want to leave. He kept glancing back at the building. It was nearing the end of July, and the afternoon sun was beating down on them as they congregated near the cars.
Gabe leaned against his truck and looked at Kevin. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about it.”
Kevin tilted his head to the side. “About what?”
“About me going out with Brooke.”
“Is it something we need to talk about?”
“You don’t have a problem with it?”
Kevin shrugged. “I’m moving on with my life. It only makes sense that she’d do the same.”
Unconvinced, Gabe crossed his arms. “It doesn’t bother you?”
“Nope. As long as she’s happy.”
Kevin gave her brother a hard look. Amelia assumed it was some sort of masculine warning. “By the way, I wouldn’t recommend going to see her tonight.”
“Why not?”
“She’s going to be wiped. She’ll probably crash as soon as she gets home. I’m sure she knows you’re there for her—giving her one or two days to process might not be a bad idea.”
Amelia knew that if she ever went through something like Brooke was experiencing, she’d want Nick by her side, but she could see Kevin’s point. Brooke and Gabe had just recently gotten together so that she might need a little time and space.
Kevin and Ed drove off. Amelia leaned on the truck next to Gabe. “I hate to say it, but Kevin is probably right.”
He looked down at her. “You think so?”
“She told you not to come by tonight, right? She probably has a lot to do. She’ll have to pack everything up from inside the chapel and store it away when she gets home. And yeah, she’ll probably go to bed early tonight.”
“I should help her pack up. I should be with her tonight.”
Nick gave him a look of pity.
“She told you no,” Amelia persisted and patted his arm. “You look pretty tired yourself. Maybe you should think about crashing early tonight, too. Stop by tomorrow after work to see her.”
He took a deep breath. “Yeah, I guess I can wait a day if that’s what she wants. I’ve got a few things to do after work tomorrow, but I could head to her house after that.”
“I think that’s a good idea. Just give her a bit of space.” She hugged her brother before rounding the SUV. Nick circled around behind her. As Gabe started up his truck and pulled out of the parking lot, Nick opened her door for her. When they were both settled in the vehicle, she said, “I hope he’s okay. I’ve never seen him like this before.”
Nick looked in the direction Gabe had driven. “Yeah, something isn’t making a whole lot of sense.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re right, that’s all. He seems different. For some reason, this time isn’t like any of his other relationships.”
Amelia shrugged. It seemed pretty simple to her. “He really likes her.”
Nick started the SUV. “That must be it.”
She looked at him askance. “What’s the matter?”
He frowned. “It’s probably nothing, but I just have a bad feeling about this.”
Amelia hoped he was wrong. She thought her brother deserved some happiness in his life, and after the horrible, life-altering events Brooke had just endured, she was sure Brooke could use some happiness, too.