sorry,” he told her. “And I’d be happy to give you fifty-percent off everything on this list.”
He lifted the piece of paper Jules had handed him, outlining everything she’d planned for Stuart’s funeral.
A half-off funeral. It didn’t seem like something that should come at a discount. But Jules wasn’t going to turn him down, given her financial situation. And in spite of Kai’s offer to pay for whatever she needed, she wanted to do this herself. For Stuart.
“Well, thank you.” Jules opened her purse, digging into her wallet and pulling out her credit card. “Can you put it on this?”
“Certainly.” He stood, taking her card and picking up her list. “I’ll have my receptionist total things up and give you a receipt.”
* * * *
And just like that, it was over.
She hadn’t wanted a graveside service, but Stuart’s Aunt Ginny had flown in from Texas. She said she hadn’t seen him since her sister’s funeral, but she’d gotten married since and had two kids. Aunt Ginny and her husband had insisted on going to the cemetery. The funeral director hadn’t been happy about that, and when Jules saw the graveyard, she realized why.
The cemetery was located behind the funeral home, at the end of a long, winding drive. Everywhere she looked, headstones had been tagged with spray paint. She’d expected profanity and obscene pictures, but what she saw were strange symbols in just three primary colors—red, blue and yellow.
Most of the newest headstones at the front of the graveyard had been tagged with red and blue. Her parents’ graves each had the same mark on them in red. The back of the cemetery, containing the oldest graves, had mostly yellow markings on the headstones.
At least they’d covered up the graves where the vandals had dug up bodies. Jules could tell which ones had been disturbed—her parents’ graves were both laid with fresh sod. It was a lush, bright green, different from the grass around it. She had counted six of them, standing there with Kai’s arm around her shoulder as the minister prayed over a hole in the ground.
Stuart’s Aunt Ginny cried but Jules didn’t. She watched Aunt Ginny’s kids chase each other around the casket. No one stopped them. So many people—and shifters—had come, Jules was shocked. There had been no viewing, no reception at the funeral home itself. But there were dozens of cars parked in the cemetery and funeral home parking lot when they arrived for the graveside service.
“They’re here for you,” Kai had told her softly when she expressed her surprise, squeezing her hand.
And she knew he was probably right. Barb had hugged her tight and kissed both of her cheeks. And she’d told Kai to take good care of Jules. Of course, he’d promised, without any hesitation.
She rested her head on Kai’s shoulder as the limousine took them back to his place. They were quiet on the ride, Kai stroking her hair. She didn’t want to make small talk and he knew it. He knew everything. She never even had to say what she was thinking, it seemed.
“No Sebastian?” she asked as they entered the foyer. Usually the old man was there when they arrived.
“I gave him some time off.” Kai took her hand as he shut the door behind them. “I wanted to be alone with you.”
“So we can walk around the house naked?” she joked.
“Anything you want to do.” He pulled her into the circle of his arms, kissing the top of her head. “I’d be happy to just hold you like this forever.”
“Thank you.” She looked up at him. He looked so somber in his black suit and tie. She was in a little black dress that was more cocktail party than funeral, but she’d added a black shawl to offset it. “For everything. For being here.”
“Thank you for letting me.” He kissed her, just the brush of his lips, and smiled. “I need a drink. How about you?”
“Hell, yes.”
In the sitting room, Kai poured himself a shot of whiskey and drank it at the bar
He lifted the piece of paper Jules had handed him, outlining everything she’d planned for Stuart’s funeral.
A half-off funeral. It didn’t seem like something that should come at a discount. But Jules wasn’t going to turn him down, given her financial situation. And in spite of Kai’s offer to pay for whatever she needed, she wanted to do this herself. For Stuart.
“Well, thank you.” Jules opened her purse, digging into her wallet and pulling out her credit card. “Can you put it on this?”
“Certainly.” He stood, taking her card and picking up her list. “I’ll have my receptionist total things up and give you a receipt.”
* * * *
And just like that, it was over.
She hadn’t wanted a graveside service, but Stuart’s Aunt Ginny had flown in from Texas. She said she hadn’t seen him since her sister’s funeral, but she’d gotten married since and had two kids. Aunt Ginny and her husband had insisted on going to the cemetery. The funeral director hadn’t been happy about that, and when Jules saw the graveyard, she realized why.
The cemetery was located behind the funeral home, at the end of a long, winding drive. Everywhere she looked, headstones had been tagged with spray paint. She’d expected profanity and obscene pictures, but what she saw were strange symbols in just three primary colors—red, blue and yellow.
Most of the newest headstones at the front of the graveyard had been tagged with red and blue. Her parents’ graves each had the same mark on them in red. The back of the cemetery, containing the oldest graves, had mostly yellow markings on the headstones.
At least they’d covered up the graves where the vandals had dug up bodies. Jules could tell which ones had been disturbed—her parents’ graves were both laid with fresh sod. It was a lush, bright green, different from the grass around it. She had counted six of them, standing there with Kai’s arm around her shoulder as the minister prayed over a hole in the ground.
Stuart’s Aunt Ginny cried but Jules didn’t. She watched Aunt Ginny’s kids chase each other around the casket. No one stopped them. So many people—and shifters—had come, Jules was shocked. There had been no viewing, no reception at the funeral home itself. But there were dozens of cars parked in the cemetery and funeral home parking lot when they arrived for the graveside service.
“They’re here for you,” Kai had told her softly when she expressed her surprise, squeezing her hand.
And she knew he was probably right. Barb had hugged her tight and kissed both of her cheeks. And she’d told Kai to take good care of Jules. Of course, he’d promised, without any hesitation.
She rested her head on Kai’s shoulder as the limousine took them back to his place. They were quiet on the ride, Kai stroking her hair. She didn’t want to make small talk and he knew it. He knew everything. She never even had to say what she was thinking, it seemed.
“No Sebastian?” she asked as they entered the foyer. Usually the old man was there when they arrived.
“I gave him some time off.” Kai took her hand as he shut the door behind them. “I wanted to be alone with you.”
“So we can walk around the house naked?” she joked.
“Anything you want to do.” He pulled her into the circle of his arms, kissing the top of her head. “I’d be happy to just hold you like this forever.”
“Thank you.” She looked up at him. He looked so somber in his black suit and tie. She was in a little black dress that was more cocktail party than funeral, but she’d added a black shawl to offset it. “For everything. For being here.”
“Thank you for letting me.” He kissed her, just the brush of his lips, and smiled. “I need a drink. How about you?”
“Hell, yes.”
In the sitting room, Kai poured himself a shot of whiskey and drank it at the bar
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