A flock of starlings settled in the tree above the gravesite. They came in with force and noise but soon settled down to roost for the night. Wade shifted his gaze over to the empty plot next to his brother抯 place. It didn抰 have a tombstone yet, but someday he抎 have to write up what he wanted done when he passed away. Did he want his full name桞uford Wade Granger梠n the headstone? His mother抯 maiden name had been Ford, so she抎 used that in both her son抯 names. He抎 always hated his first name, but that抯 what he抎 had to go by in the army. After he finished basic training, the guys just called him Granger, and he didn抰 mind that so much.
揑 can抰 believe how much has happened in such a short time, Danny,?he whispered.
A couple of the birds in the branches above his head cawed at him for disturbing their sleep, but he just laughed at them. 揑 can抰 believe that I抦 this happy. It抯 been a long time since you and I had a good laugh.?He lowered his voice even more. 揌aving friends has helped so much. I wish you could be here and visit with the bunch of them. We抳e all got different problems, but they don抰 seem so big when we抳e got each other.?
揂men,?Jessica said.
For a minute he thought he was just hearing her voice in his head, but then a shadow passed over him, and he looked up to see her standing behind him. 揓essica??he asked, as if unsure it was really her.
揑抦 sorry for intruding,?she said. 揝omething made me all antsy, like just before we went out on a mission, and I decided to go for a drive. I don抰 even know how I ended up here. I parked the RV back there a ways, and just started walking through the cemetery, trying to find a place where I thought my folks would be at peace. I抦 talking too much.?She took a deep breath and sighed. 揑 should go now and let you finish your time here.?
Wade patted the grass beside him. 揌ave a seat and meet my folks and say hi to my brother.?
揂re you sure??Jessica asked.
揂bsolutely.?Wade looked up at her. 揓essica, don抰 ever feel awkward or nervous around me. We抮e partners梐nd friends as well. Have a seat and let抯 talk about where to put your parents?ashes.?
She sat down and sighed. 揟hey won抰 be happy in the ground. I抦 the only reason they settled down here in Riverbend. If they hadn抰 had a child, they would have probably stayed in the army and traveled the world.?
揥hy did they move to Riverbend??he asked.
揇addy抯 grandparents lived here, and he loved to come visit them when he was a little boy. Sometimes, his folks would bring him to stay with them when they were trying to get moved from one base to another, then pick him up a couple of weeks later,?Jessica explained. 揢ncle Elijah had stuck around these parts, so he would take Daddy fishing. Daddy had some great memories of Riverbend, and he worked at home on the computer, so he could live anywhere. As soon as I graduated and enlisted, they moved to Orcas Island. And I抦 talking too much again.?
Wade could have listened to her read the dictionary梠r the back of a cereal box, for that matter梛ust to hear her voice. 揘ot at all. Go on and tell me more.?
揥e just had Uncle Elijah when I was growing up.?Jessica reached out and touched the tombstone. 揑t抯 so cold, even now in the summertime. I抦 going to take my folks back to the Palo Duro and spread their ashes out there, where Mama was raised.?
揃ut your dad liked it here,?Wade argued, 揳nd you won抰 have a place to come talk to them.?
揇addy would want to be in whatever place would make Mama happy,?Jessica said. 揂nd I can talk to them anywhere, Wade. I抳e already proven that. On the beach in Maine. In a forest in Kentucky. In an old church parking lot.?
Wade thought about how many times he抎 talked to Danny while he was driving down that dusty old dirt road and nodded. 揧ep, you抮e right. Now that you抳e made the decision, when are you going to do that??
揥hen the time is right,?Jessica answered. 揑抣l know when they抮e ready for me to take that step. Maybe if we have a few days between the finishing of the bar and the grand opening. But I really think I抎 better be finding a different vehicle of my own in the next couple of weeks. It抯 not easy to unplug everything in the RV, and with no AC, it feels like I抦 traveling in a tin can.?
Wade laid a hand on her shoulder, and the chemistry between them got even hotter. 揓essica, what are we going to do about this thing between us??
揑 don抰 know,?she whispered.
揥ell, when you figure it out or want to talk it through, I抦 here.?He removed his hand and stood up. 揥ant to get an ice cream? You can ride with me, and then I抣l bring you back to the cemetery to get your RV. That way you won抰 have to maneuver that thing through town.?
揧es, and thank you,?she said with a nod.