Chapter 31
On Wednesday, Leslie greeted the guests as they offered their condolences to her and the boys. They directed them to the service area outside, where Jeremiah’s ashes lay with a bouquet of wildflowers from the mountain.
Elias watched the monitors as the guests, more like nosy neighbors, took their seats. Conner rose and read a poem.
“Dad always said every sunset brings a new dawn. There’s a time for every season and a time to rest. I’m here today because he showed me the sunsets, and we enjoyed every season. Now it’s time for him to rest,” he said, his voice cracking as he held back tears.
Leslie rose and led him back to his seat, hugging him as he cried.
Tucker went next. “Grandpa said nature always wears the color of the spirit. It’s why he wanted us to bury him on the mountain. This way, we can see him in everything we do.”
Owen stood, representing his brothers. “We thank you for coming today. As you know, my father battled his demons, and he won. We stand here as brothers to say goodbye and wish him peace in his eternal rest.”
The guests mingled as they ate, and soon the house emptied. With no fresh gossip from the Wolfe family, they left shortly after they ate.
Owen placed the dishes in the dishwasher while Leslie vacuumed the floor.
Turning to the boys, he said, “It’s time to say our real goodbye like your dad and grandfather wanted. Get your bathing suits on, and the first one down swings into the pond first.”
Elias turned on the security system and planned to monitor it with a small tablet while they said goodbye to Jeremiah.
The boys took off, and the men came out wearing swimming trunks and T-shirts. Owen carried the ashes and boxes his father carved for each of them. Owen’s lid contained a lone wolf. The other brothers contained different animals, each representing one of them.
As they got closer to the pond, the boys raced ahead. Even Wyatt got into the spirit of his childhood and raced to the dangling rope. Mason lagged behind, pushing the boys in a wagon.
Leslie set down a cooler she filled with sandwich fixings, fruit, and drinks. Dillon carried blankets and towels. Cade pushed a wagon filled with water guns and toys.
The sun shone down on them as they jumped into the cool spring water. Conner yelled as he swung from the rope and dropped into the pond. Owen swam under the water, coming up behind Leslie as they watched Tucker plunge into the water right after Conner.
“You did a great job raising him. I’m glad he and Conner have each other,” Owen said, holding her.
“Thank you. They’re good boys. I’m proud of them. They did a good job today,” she said as they watched Wyatt swing off the rope, splashing the two boys. They laughed as Elias screamed like a ninny as Cade pushed him into the water.
“Your father wanted you to have this,” Leslie said, leaning against him as she watched the men and kids play in the lake.
Owen wondered if his dad ensured he got a second chance with Leslie, too.
“Ten bucks says I can sneak in behind Cade and push him in,” Owen said before diving under the water. He crept close to his brother, and Cade turned at the last minute, wrestling him. Both fell into the water, making everyone laugh.
Later in the afternoon, they packed everything up and headed home. Tired from swimming, the twins napped in the stroller, and Tucker and Conner fell silent on the walk down. The brothers seemed lost in thought after recreating a favorite childhood memory.
Owen clasped her hand as they followed the trail down.
“I don’t want to hide us from the boys,” he said. “I want you to move in with me when I find a house.”
“Owen,” she said. “The boys won’t understand.”
“They know more than you think they do. We’re already staying in the same house, and Conner has come to your room twice and found me sleeping beside you. I ran from us before and hiding us feels wrong.”
“All right. Can you give me a couple of days to think about it? I must consider them first.”
“As long as you agree, I have no problem with it,” he said, making her laugh.
“You don’t think they’ll change their mind after today?” she asked hopefully.
“No,” he said, quietly. “My brother’s made up their minds. They don’t want a family again. They don’t want the mountain.”