Chapter Twenty Seven #3
They practiced until he finally called a halt.
“It’s almost five. We need to clean up before Nancy arrives. If she shows up, she’ll think we turned into prunes,” he said, guiding her to the steps.
Caroline felt tired thinking about the preparations.
“I didn’t realize the time,” she said, rushing out of the pool. “I’ll need a shower.”
Jameson watched her run into the pool house. Caroline improved with each lesson. He hoped to rid her of her fear of water. As a SEAL, he loved it.
Twenty minutes later, she came out of the bedroom with freshly washed hair, pulled back into a bun, a pair of slacks, and a lacy green top.
“Garrett’s watching for her. If you’ll go into the house, I’ll take a quick shower,” he instructed.
Doing as he bade, Caroline went inside. He picked up his phone and called Garrett.
“She’s in the main house waiting for Nancy. I’m grabbing a shower.”
“I have eyes on the house,” Garrett reported. “Take your time. Riley, Rachel, and Rebecca arrived to help with any guests and get the house ready for the funeral.”
Jameson didn’t intend to leave her alone for very long. He jumped into the shower and slipped into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Running barefoot from the pool house, he entered the main home as Nancy came in through the front.
“How are you?” Nancy asked, hugging Caroline. “I informed Bart, your dad’s friend from the VFW. He and a few of your dad’s friends might stop by to pay their condolences.”
“As good as expected, I guess,” she said. “We got all the arrangements done today. The funeral will take place the day after tomorrow.”
“Oh, good,” Nancy said. “Did you get a chance to review the files in the safe and the ones I left you?”
“Yes. I didn’t go through everything in the safe. It didn’t seem necessary to do it today,” Caroline explained.
“No,” Nancy assured her as Caroline led her into the living room.
“Hello, Nancy,” Jameson greeted her.
They took seats, and Caroline showed Nancy what she ordered for her dad.
“You did a good job,” Nancy praised her. “Thomas would feel proud.”
“Thank you. I wanted to talk to you about the house. Do you want anything in it? What about my dad’s things? It’s only fair you take his things. After all, you’ve spent the last six years with him.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. I’ll be moving to my own condo soon. Maybe I’ll take our bed. Do you plan on staying here?”
“I’m not sure of my plans at the moment,” she said, pausing. “I’m taking the kitchen table. I remember Mom baking on it. Did you want anything else?”
Nancy shifted uncomfortably. “I spoke with my son’s lawyer. Apparently, Thomas’ estate all goes to me. We’ll have to wait for all the paperwork to conclude, and then I can give you your share.”
“My share?” Caroline asked, confused.
Taking something from her purse, she handed a list of itemized expenses. “My son insists I at least take a portion of the estate. Over the last few years, I have paid the taxes on your old home. Thomas’ pension didn’t cover everything, and he racked up many medical expenses.”
“Of course,” Caroline said, scanning the list.
“I included a few things at the bottom I’d like to take with me,” Nancy said. “If it’s all right with you.”
Jameson gazed at the extensive list, feeling the confusion radiating from Caroline. “I’m sure her lawyer will want to review this. If both parties agree, then you can arrange a day to pick up those items.”
Caroline gazed at him, surprised he mentioned her lawyer, knowing she didn’t have one.
“I’ll take the rest of my clothes and personal belongings the day after the funeral,” Nancy informed them. “It’s only fitting I say goodbye to Thomas before I dismantle our lives.”
Caroline passed the list to Jameson. “I hope you’ll continue to stay in contact. I’d love to hear more about the time you spent with my father.”
“I’ll be staying in Corpus Christi. I don’t see any reason why we can’t remain friends,” Nancy assured her.
“We’ll have the lawyer review this tomorrow, and he’ll call you with any questions,” Jameson said. “Thank you for listing everything. It’ll make it easier on both of you if we’re all on the same page.”
“It’s no problem,” Nancy assured him. “I hope you understand, when I told you I’d give you everything, I wasn’t thinking clearly. My son wants to ensure my comfort for my future.”
“We’re all still in shock,” Caroline said. “It’s only reasonable you get paid back.”
“I’m glad we have an understanding. I’ll see you at the funeral. Please reach out if you need to,” Nancy said, rising.
Caroline hugged the older woman. “Thank you.”
The doorbell rang, and Riley answered it. Caroline greeted the two older men who entered the living room.
“Thomas described you as beautiful. I don’t believe he did you justice,” one of the men said, slowly making his way toward Caroline. “I’m Bart. Your dad saved my life a long time ago. It devastated him when you disappeared.”
“I’m Caroline,” she said graciously as she led him to a chair. “Thank you for coming.”
“Frank insisted on our coming as soon as we heard the news. I don’t drive late at night.
My eyesight’s bad. Frank served in the military with your dad,” Bart informed her.
“Did you decide on a date for the service? We’ll hold a memorial for our fallen brother at the VFW.
Of course, we’ll include you. I’m surprised Nancy didn’t stay with you.
She and your dad did everything together. ”
“She felt more comfortable with her son. I’m sure she’ll come by again tomorrow,” Caroline said politely. “My friends brought over a ton of food. May I offer you something to eat?”
Bart turned to Frank, who nodded.
“He doesn’t talk too much. We’ll take you up on the offer,” Bart said as Riley escorted them toward the kitchen.
The doorbell rang again, and Caroline went to greet the next visitors.
“Does something seem off to you?” Jameson whispered to Rebecca. “She hasn’t shed a tear.”
“She’s still in shock,” Rebecca explained. “Caroline doesn’t know any of these people, and she must face them alone. I don’t understand why Nancy didn’t stay to help her. She knows Thomas’ friends. Why didn’t they wait to come after the funeral?”
“She seemed upset. Nancy’s older. Maybe she needs some time to gather herself,” Jameson offered.
“Yeah,” Rebecca said, distracted by Caroline, who greeted a flow of friends and sent them to the kitchen for a meal. “Don’t leave her alone.”
“I don’t plan on it,” he said, knowing Rebecca saw the same thing he did.
Two hours later, Rachel smiled sweetly as she took Caroline by the shoulders. “Thank you for your concern. As you can understand, she’s in shock. If you don’t mind, I’m insisting she lie down for a while. The next few days will be taxing on the poor thing. She’ll need her rest.”
The visitors nodded in understanding as Rachel steered Caroline toward the doorway. When her gaze met Jameson’s, she tilted her head, silently telling him to take her friend.
The team put the house in order while Jameson escorted Caroline to the pool house, hoping to give her some downtime after such a long day.
Caroline sat on the couch and stared at the long list Nancy gave her earlier.
“I didn’t realize Dad suffered from money problems. I mean, he spent money on an investigator searching for me. I remember he always put aside funds for all the taxes. I guess he struggled more than he wanted me to know.”
“When someone dies, sometimes it brings out the worst in people,” he said gently. “It sounds as if Nancy’s son wants a piece of the pie.”
“She did take care of both my parents,” she reasoned. “It’s only fair she take a portion of the estate if she kept up the taxes and such.”
“I’ll send this home with Garrett. Julio can give it to our lawyer to review,” Jameson told her. “It’s a precaution.”
“Like having extra men here?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “Because we care about you.”
Caroline nodded. Something seemed to bother her, but she didn’t say anything. He glanced at the list, and it seemed very thorough.
“Why don’t I make us a couple of grilled cheeses and we watch a movie?” he suggested.
“I’ll make the grilled cheese. You pick the movie. I’m tired from learning all your super SEAL moves,” she said, yawning.
He knew the taxing day took a toll on her. Wanting to take her to bed and make slow love to her, Jameson tapped the urge down. She suffered a great loss, and he knew she needed patience and love.
Love. What a word. He fell for her from the moment he saw her with Cain. He finally got his shot with her, and then, they lost her dad. She still didn’t show any emotion concerning her loss, other than expressing the lost time. Somehow, it sent red flags in the back of his mind.