several moments, wrapped in each other's embrace. Jessie whispered nonsensical words attempting to soothe him, feeling his pain vibrate through her own soul. She doubted he would appreciate the stares of sympathy sent their way from other families. "Do you have any paperwork to fill out tonight?"
Shaking his head no, he tried to control himself. "There's nothing to do until tomorrow. I’ll need to handle arrangements then." He almost lost it again, and tensed. Jessie's arms around him was the only thing keeping him sane.
"Then we need to get you home. I have my car here." His weak nod was all the assurance she needed to lead him out of the building. Walking hand in hand back to her car, she couldn't imagine how hard it was on this strong man to realize he couldn't stop what had happened to his father. She'd felt the same way when her own mother died
Seeing this side of him made her feel even closer to him. He allowed her to drive, and she didn't attempt to speak during the trip back to his place.
Pulling up in his driveway, she was shocked as his hand gripped hers tightly when she turned off the ignition. Lifting her eyes to him, she was stunned at the emotions filling those deep blue depths. "What is it?" she whispered, sensing he needed to ask her something.
"You'll stay with me?" God, what was he? Six years old? He thought as the question left his lips. Bad things happened in life. Why couldn't he just suck it up and at least put on a strong front for her?
"Of course I will." She squeezed his hand back and smiled reassuringly.
Letting out a relieved breath, he let go of her hand and opened his car door. Walking around, he opened hers and pulled her into his arms, hugging her again. After enjoying the feel of her in his arms for a moment, he released her and they walked into the house.
Louise greeted them at the front door and wrapped her arms around Chase's neck, crying loudly. "I'm so sorry Chase. Your father was a great man and I just can't believe he's gone." Releasing him, she allowed them to walk through the door. "I'll go put on a pot of coffee." Sniffling through her tears, she walked away quickly.
They walked into the den and Jessie sat down, feeling uncomfortable. There wasn't anything she could say that was going to make this situation any easier on him. Losing someone you loved was never painless. Louise bringing coffee back took away the awkward silence.
"Louise, please sit down. You look like you're about to fall off your feet any minute," Jessie whispered compassionately. She had to assume this loss hurt her as well since Chase's father had been her employer for many years.
Louise served them coffee, and then sat down with them as they sipped it. Jess put her hand on Chase's upper thigh and squeezed lightly. "I'm sorry, Chase, I didn't know your father, but I'm sure he was a really wonderful man." She wished she knew how to comfort him.
"He would have loved you, Jessie." He gave her a sad smile, knowing she was the type of woman his father always hoped he'd settle down with.
"Yes, he would have," Louise agreed, smiling through her tears.
Louise insisted after coffee that Chase try and get some rest, and Jessie and he walked up to his room. She wasn't sure what he needed from her at that moment, and watched as he undressed and climbed into bed, feeling out of her element.
"Would you just lie with me, Jessie," he said, wanting the comfort of her arms around him. He probably should have encouraged her to go home, but the thought of not having her here made him feel almost bereft.
Kicking off her shoes, she climbed into the bed, still clothed in her black dress. Sleeping in the outfit was probably not the best idea, but she needed to focus on him and not some stupid dress.
Pulling her into his arms as she joined him, he held her tightly. It was a strange feeling to want to lean on someone else, but oddly enough, at that moment, he didn't
Shaking his head no, he tried to control himself. "There's nothing to do until tomorrow. I’ll need to handle arrangements then." He almost lost it again, and tensed. Jessie's arms around him was the only thing keeping him sane.
"Then we need to get you home. I have my car here." His weak nod was all the assurance she needed to lead him out of the building. Walking hand in hand back to her car, she couldn't imagine how hard it was on this strong man to realize he couldn't stop what had happened to his father. She'd felt the same way when her own mother died
Seeing this side of him made her feel even closer to him. He allowed her to drive, and she didn't attempt to speak during the trip back to his place.
Pulling up in his driveway, she was shocked as his hand gripped hers tightly when she turned off the ignition. Lifting her eyes to him, she was stunned at the emotions filling those deep blue depths. "What is it?" she whispered, sensing he needed to ask her something.
"You'll stay with me?" God, what was he? Six years old? He thought as the question left his lips. Bad things happened in life. Why couldn't he just suck it up and at least put on a strong front for her?
"Of course I will." She squeezed his hand back and smiled reassuringly.
Letting out a relieved breath, he let go of her hand and opened his car door. Walking around, he opened hers and pulled her into his arms, hugging her again. After enjoying the feel of her in his arms for a moment, he released her and they walked into the house.
Louise greeted them at the front door and wrapped her arms around Chase's neck, crying loudly. "I'm so sorry Chase. Your father was a great man and I just can't believe he's gone." Releasing him, she allowed them to walk through the door. "I'll go put on a pot of coffee." Sniffling through her tears, she walked away quickly.
They walked into the den and Jessie sat down, feeling uncomfortable. There wasn't anything she could say that was going to make this situation any easier on him. Losing someone you loved was never painless. Louise bringing coffee back took away the awkward silence.
"Louise, please sit down. You look like you're about to fall off your feet any minute," Jessie whispered compassionately. She had to assume this loss hurt her as well since Chase's father had been her employer for many years.
Louise served them coffee, and then sat down with them as they sipped it. Jess put her hand on Chase's upper thigh and squeezed lightly. "I'm sorry, Chase, I didn't know your father, but I'm sure he was a really wonderful man." She wished she knew how to comfort him.
"He would have loved you, Jessie." He gave her a sad smile, knowing she was the type of woman his father always hoped he'd settle down with.
"Yes, he would have," Louise agreed, smiling through her tears.
Louise insisted after coffee that Chase try and get some rest, and Jessie and he walked up to his room. She wasn't sure what he needed from her at that moment, and watched as he undressed and climbed into bed, feeling out of her element.
"Would you just lie with me, Jessie," he said, wanting the comfort of her arms around him. He probably should have encouraged her to go home, but the thought of not having her here made him feel almost bereft.
Kicking off her shoes, she climbed into the bed, still clothed in her black dress. Sleeping in the outfit was probably not the best idea, but she needed to focus on him and not some stupid dress.
Pulling her into his arms as she joined him, he held her tightly. It was a strange feeling to want to lean on someone else, but oddly enough, at that moment, he didn't
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