Murfey's Law by Bec Johnson

Zeb speared a piece of Kiwifruit with his fork, ‘I won't do that. He's been bunking up here since your dad died. I bought him back down in the patrol car the night you arrived in the village but he keeps coming back up, I guess he's not ready to move on just yet.’
    In the corner of the room Bob let out a sigh as though he knew he was being talked about. Lori just nodded.
    Something above the fridge kept drawing Zeb's attention and Lori followed his stare to a earthenware pot sat between cookery books.
    Aware she may be about to unlock the door to his moody side Lori asked anyway, ‘What's with the jar?’
    ‘Huh?’ Zeb looked at Lori before turning back to where she was looking. He sighed like Bob had done. ‘Oh, umm, listen. Since you didn't hang round long at the Solicitors you missed out on one other bit of information.’
    ‘I beg your pardon?’ Somewhere inside her, Lori knew what he was about to say, yet it still came like a slap in the face.
    ‘That pot, is your father.’ Zeb looked Lori deep in the eyes, as though pleading with her not to explode. ‘I was left in charge of sprinkling his ashes but I couldn't do it. Not until you came and I was able to offer you the chance to say a proper goodbye.’
    The room seemed to squeeze against her, tightening her chest and draining the blood from her face.
    ‘Lori?’ Zeb put his hand on her shoulder and steadied her as she swayed in her seat. ‘Lorikeet? I am so, so sorry.’

Chapter Eight
     
     
     
    Something was really very wrong.
    Underneath the cushions where she woke, Lori could feel the cool hardness of polished wood. She was surrounded by darkness but for the faint glow of a few soft lamps lighting the corners of the room where she lay. A loud whirring and thumping was coming from somewhere nearby. Unable to get her bearings she decided to sit up.
    ‘Woah, take it easy little lady.’ The noise stopped abruptly and Jonah's voice came towards her. ‘You’ve been out for quite a few hours, it’s nearly eleven o’clock.’
    Pins and needles in her fingers made them feel like half inflated balloons, and when she tried rubbing her eyes she winced in pain, they were sore and stung to the touch. Her cheeks felt clammy and her hair, sticking to her face, was damp. ‘Where the hell am I?’
    ‘At our house,’ Jonah spoke softly and knelt down beside her, he was dripping in sweat.
    ‘Ok Junior, the doc said he'd be over again in the morning to check on her... Oh! You're awake.’ Zeb rounded the corner of the deck and stopped just at the edge of the living room.
    Confusion and embarrassment flooded Lori's mind before suddenly recalling her last memory prior to waking up on the boys' floor.
    ‘Fucking hell! You have my father in a jar on top of your fridge!’ The realisation hit her.
    ‘For all the right reasons Lori.’ Jonah tried to place a placating hand on her knee.
    ‘Don't you dare touch me,’ Lori spat. Recoiling her legs and wrapping her arms protectively around them.
    Zeb snorted, ‘That's fucking rich considering.’
    ‘Shut up Zeb.’ Jonah shot his older brother a glare. Clearly he’d shared with him what had happened earlier in the day. Just how much he’d divulged though, Lori couldn’t be sure.
    Desperate to escape, Lori lifted herself unsteadily up to standing. Her head spun and she grabbed the wall for support. Both boys launched forward to grab her as if she was going to fall. ‘I'm FINE!’ she snapped viciously.
    ‘Actually the doc says you're not fine. You need to take it easy. Your blood sugar is low and you're under a huge amount of stress. You’re lucky Zeb was here to quite literally catch you when you fell.’ Jonah held out his hand but Lori swiped it away.
    ‘Let it go Junior.’ Zeb patted his brother on the back as he walked past and into the kitchen. Reaching up above the fridge he took down the jar and returned to where Lori stood. ‘Here.’
    ‘I don't want that bloody thing.’ Lori pointed at it like it