Tyler had been relatively quiet the whole trip, yet he had his way of showing her he was there. A quick squeeze of her hand every time a tear escaped her. She still didn’t fully understand why she had asked him to accompany her. It was the exact opposite of backing off, which was what she’d resolved to do. But at this point, she didn’t care. She was just grateful for his presence.
The cab stopped outside her parents’ large country-style house and her dad was on the porch before she even opened the door. It was like he’d been sitting at the window waiting for her arrival.
He walked down the front stairs and a smile broke through the sadness on his face. “There’s my baby girl.”
“Hi, Daddy.”
His arms wrapped around her in a tight hug. Four or forty, it didn’t matter. Ask almost any girl in the world and they would concur that Dad’s hugs were the best. He pulled away and his eyes focused on the man behind her.
“Dad, this is Tyler.”
“Hi, Tyler.”
“Good morning, Mister Shepard.”
Tyler appeared to be a little nervous as they shook hands. She had seen him with clients, associates and business partners and yet this was the first time she’d ever seen him look a little…intimidated. She had never brought a man home before and she knew exactly what everyone was going to assume. A part of her wanted them to assume that she was dating Tyler. It was much less awkward than trying to explain why she’d randomly decided to bring her boss along. She saw the questions in her father’s eyes, but thankfully he didn’t ask any of them. She could only hope for the same thing from her brothers.
“No need for such pleasantries, Tyler. Call me Mark.” He helped Tyler unload the bags from the trunk and led them up the stairs and into the house.
As soon as she entered, she heard her three nieces and two nephews giggling and screaming down the hall. It was the noise she’d been missing.
“Your mom’s in the kitchen,” Dad said. “Go talk to her. I’ll get Tyler settled in.”
Although she was a little skeptical about leaving Tyler alone with her dad, she didn’t argue because if her dad did decide to give Tylerthe talk, he would at least be tactful enough to not make him feel uncomfortable.
Jordan watched them walk away with their luggage and exhaled a slow breath as she made her way to the kitchen. The first sight of her mother broke her heart.
Her mom was a resilient woman. Even in the worst of times, she was the pillar of strength, the one who always managed to keep it together, but today she was utterly devastated. It showed in her body language. Her shoulders were sagging and she sat hunched over at the table, as if she didn’t have the strength to keep herself upright. Perry had been a part of this family for fifteen years and just as how she felt like she had lost a brother, her mother felt like she had lost a son.
Jordan walked up behind her, leaned down and draped her arms tightly across her mother’s shoulders. She heard a small sigh, a mixture of relief and despair as she placed a kiss on her wet cheek.
Her hand went up to Jordan’s face, pressing lightly to keep her there for a few more seconds.
After another desolate breath, she stood up. “You want some ice-cream?” she asked, wiping the tears off her cheek. “Let’s have some ice-cream.”
“Ice-cream sounds great, Ma.”
She walked to the freezer on the other side of the large kitchen, took out a tub of vanilla ice-cream and placed it on the island counter. It was the only flavor they ever kept in the house. That and a healthy supply of chocolate sauce. Kevin and Perry lived on that stuff. They were the ones who actually got her into the habit of having it for breakfast every morning. Involuntarily, memories of her childhood flashed through her mind. All the irritating comments. Every disgusting prank. This was becoming too depressing. Where the hell was Max?
“Where’s Max?” she asked.
“In Kevin’s room,” Mom responded, emptying out scoops of ice-cream into two bowls. “He was in there all day yesterday and ended up sleeping on the floor.”
She was a bit apprehensive to ask her next question, but she asked it anyway. “How’s Bink holding up?”
She shook her head slightly and the tears started up again. “Not good. He refuses to talk to me. Hopefully Max had better luck.” She handed Jordan a bowl of ice-cream across the counter. “It’s survivor’s guilt.”
Her mother went on to tell her about the night of the accident. They’d hit a pothole and the car spun out of control. It was an accident that didn’t just claim Perry’s life but the life of his girlfriend as well. And Clayton from the next streetwas now in ICU. With every word, Jordan’s throat tightened further. Four passengers and Kevin was the only one who came out unharmed. No, this wasn’t an accident that merely caused survivor’s guilt or PTSD. This was the type of accident that fundamentally shattered one’s soul. And, unfortunately, that soul was her brother’s.
Momma B, Perry’s mom, must be devastated too, completely inconsolable. Although they were only twenty-one, Perry had made up his mind that Shandre’ was going to be the girl he married. It would have probably only happened in a few years, but Momma B had been anxiously counting down the days. Just like Jordan’s mother, her dream was to have a house full of grandbabies and now that was never going to happen. How quickly life changes. All it takes is one second to shatter all dreams and replace them with heartache and crushing disappointment.
Just when she felt like she was about to break down crying, Dom entered the kitchen from the back door with Shane following in behind him.
“Jo-jo, you’re here,” Shane chirped.
Dom said nothing and assessed her as he walked towards the island counter. She didn’t even have to ask for the hug. He knew already, could sense it without her saying one word. See, when God made Dom, he blessed him with the ability to communicate without talking. It was the gift of being the eldest. He always knew exactly what each of them needed.
“C’mere.” He wrapped his arms around her neck and she buried her face in his chest. “You doing okay?”
