Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
The ceremony was difficult. I watched Aspen cry while the retired minister, who had been at the Baptist church when Irish and Aspen were growing up, spoke about her. He talked about heaven as if he was sure that was where she was. When he finished, he hugged Aspen and whispered something to her. Probably told her to get the fuck out of this house and that we were all going to hell. But then again, for the amount he’d been paid to come here, he’d better not say a word to upset her.
I watched as Aspen walked over to the urn with her sister’s ashes and the framed photographs of Irish, which she had taken from an album in the things she had in her room, and she spoke softly to her sister.
Then, she began to sing “Amazing Grace,” tilting my world on its axis, and it made my suffering through the minister’s preaching worth it.
I hadn’t been prepared for her to sing. None of us had. She hadn’t said she was going to sing.
I wasn’t a spiritual man, but, holy fuck, her voice sounded like a goddamn angel. I hung on every word, not wanting it to stop. I didn’t care that it was some old hymn everyone liked to sing. The voice singing it was hands down the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.
When she was finished, I wanted to beg her to sing more, not to stop, but she turned back to us with tears streaming down her face, and my damn chest constricted so hard that I couldn’t breathe. Like it was natural, she walked right to me, and I wrapped my arms around her. She held on to me as if I was all she had in the world. That wasn’t a good thing. I wasn’t the one she needed to rely on. I should be pushing her to Trinity. Not holding her like she belonged to me.
“I didn’t know you could sing like that,” I whispered against her ear.
“Irish was the dancer. I was the singer.”
Every day, I learned something new about her. Something that I liked. I now understood Kitty’s response after I asked her about Aspen. She had been so damn protective. Even Kitty had known I wasn’t good for Aspen.
I watched Blaise speak to the minister before Huck led him back to his car. They’d all come through today for Aspen, and I fucking appreciated it.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t have her funeral in Alabama,” I told her.
Aspen finally let go of me and smiled. “She would have hated that. She ran from there the moment she turned eighteen. She would have left sooner if it hadn’t been for me.”
Aspen looked around at everyone, and then her green eyes came back to me.
“She would have loved this.”
Maddy walked over to us. “Although I am sorry about the circumstances, it was nice to meet you,” she told Aspen.
“Thank you for coming. I’m overwhelmed with how kind everyone has been.”
Maddy’s gaze flicked up to me, then back at Aspen as a small grin touched her lips. “We’re all very glad you’re here.”
Aspen looked like she might cry again, so I put my arm over her shoulders and pulled her against my side.
“I’m going to take her inside,” I told Maddy. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.”
I walked past Blaise and gave him a nod. He looked at Aspen, then back at me, raising an eyebrow. I’d deal with that later. He had the wrong idea. I was sure Gage had helped with that.
“Do you want the urn brought to your room?” I asked as we stepped inside the house.
She nodded, but said nothing. I knew she needed comfort, but that line I was trying not to blur was taunting me, and if I crossed it, it would only confuse her. If she were any other woman, I’d sit on the sofa and hold her in my lap. Probably try to use this as my opening to fuck her. Not an option here.
“Damn, girl, you can sing,” Kye said, coming up to her other side and leaning down close to her ear.
She managed a weak smile. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, just sing for me again. Not now, of course, but sometime soon.”
A small laugh escaped her, and Kye was again on my shit list. I should like that he’d made her laugh. She needed a reason to laugh, but he was flirting. He needed to back off. I wasn’t going to let him fuck with her head and break her heart.
“You want to hang out down here or go up to your room?” I asked her.
She lifted her gaze to mine. “I think I’d like to go to the room for a bit.”
“I’ll be down here if you need me.” I dropped my arm from her shoulders and watched as she walked away.