We’re heading out to the backyard with our coffee when the doorbell rings. I arch an eyebrow when she looks at me.
“No idea,” she answers my unspoken question, pulling up the app on her phone to check the camera.
“It’s Jacob. That’s weird. He usually calls.” She sets her cup down before heading down the hall to let him in. I follow, an odd sense of foreboding rolling through me.
She’s barely able to get the door open before Jacob comes staggering in. Gone is his usual immaculate appearance. He’s an absolute mess. His face is pale and haggard, his eyes bloodshot and puffy, as he lurches towards Jos with a stricken expression.
“She’s gone, Jos. She’s gone, and it’s all my fault.” His voice shakes, and he can barely get the words out. I watch as Joslyn drops her own worries, and with a strength that I’ve seen her display before, she takescharge. She folds him gently into her body, hugging him tight, her face full of compassion as she leads him to the couch. He sits down, as if on autopilot, as tears stream hotly down his face. Gathering him close, she strokes his hair softly while he sobs helplessly in her arms. She sits with him in his moment of despair, holding him tightly.
I clear my throat, his emotion affecting me more than I’d like. Jacob has become a good friend, and I care about him. He’s a wonderful guy and a terrific human being. My heart hurts for him. I can feel all my own emotions catching up to me, and my eyes start to sting. I glance desperately around the room for something productive to do.
“I’ll get him some water.” I rush out of the room, in urgent need of some space from all the overwhelming feelings - his and mine. The cool air from the fridge soothes my heated skin. I close my eyes and let it wash over me. I breathe deeply to dispel my chaotic thoughts. I need a minute before returning to the living room with the water. I grab a couple of extras, just in case.
Joslyn waves me toward the coffee table, where I place the bottles before sitting down in the chair next to them. Jacob seems to be pulling himself together by sheer force of will as he sits back away from Joslyn, giving her a sad smile.
“You ready to talk?” she asks softly, still holding tight to his hands, her face full of empathy and unwavering support. Not knowing what to say, I nod encouragingly.
“Christina..” He stops, his voice hoarse from crying. He clears his throat and looks toward the water. I grab one and unscrew the cap, then hand it over to him. He takes a few sips before giving me a grateful nod.
“Christina’s gone,” he manages to get out before the tears start to flow again.
Damn! This is why Joslyn was concerned about his relationship. She had a feeling his fiancée would somehow break his heart. It looks like shewas spot on with her assessment of this girl. I hate this for him; he doesn’t deserve this.
“Oh God, Jacob, I’m so sorry. I knew you guys were having issues, but I didn’t think it was this bad. Oh, honey, I’m so sorry I haven’t been there for you.” Her voice is riddled with guilt as she rubs his arm soothingly.
“No. You don’t understand. We didn’t break up, Aunt Jos. She’s… she was in an accident. There was another car. They were drinking. It was quick, they said. She’s…. gone. Just… gone.” That’s all he gets out before he buries his face in his hands again, his body shaking with sobs. Abby, who until this point was lying quietly at Jos’s feet, hops up on the couch, snuggling into Jacob’s side, offering all her doggie support.
Fuck! Joslyn glances my way, a horrified look on her face. I’ve got nothing. I’m just as unnerved by his announcement. I have no idea what to do in this situation. I don’t know a lot about Christina, although what I have heard wasn’t exactly positive, but I don’t think that matters right now. Jacob’s my immediate concern. I can’t imagine losing someone you care about like that. Just the thought of losing Joslyn is enough for me to feel nauseous. I stomp down that train of thought before I lose my mind. That is not a rabbit hole I can go down right now.
“Let me give Mel a heads up. Me, you, and Jonesy can handle anything that comes up for the next few days.” I stand, already pulling up Mel’s number from my contacts. I grab a pad of paper and a pen off the kitchen table and head out to the back patio to make my call. Jacob and I are close, but we don’t have a relationship as close as the one he has with his aunt. I want to give them some time to talk without me hovering over them. It sounds like the poor guy is devastated.
“Hey, Damon. Didn’t expect to hear from you again today. I thought you were with Joslyn.” Mel’s cheerful voice fills my phone.
“Yeah, me neither, Mel. I am with Joslyn, and that part is fine. It’s just…Well, sorry, I’ve got some more bad news.” Her breath catches.
“Damn it! More?”
“I’m afraid so. Jacob is going to be out for at least a few days, but maybe longer. I’m not really sure about the time.”
“Oh my God! Is he okay? Did something happen to him?” She sounds genuinely concerned. She is such a sweetheart.
“He’s okay, but his fiancée passed away recently. I don’t have the full story, but it sounds like there was a car accident. I’ll let you know as soon as I know more.” I try to sound as reassuring as possible since she seems to be so worried.
“His… fiancée?” she stutters, and her voice shakes. She sounds upset. More upset than the situation warrants, and that doesn’t seem right. What’s going on?
“Can I call you back? I’m getting another call,” she asks in a clipped tone. Is she… angry? That’s odd and not the emotion I was expecting at all.
“Uh, yeah, sure. Whenever is fine,” I say, at a loss as to how to respond.
Not your business, Damon.
I tell myself as my imagination goes wild.
“Not the time either,” I mumble to myself, as I force myself to stick to business. I’m just going to check my email and return a few calls while I wait on Mel.
It’s at least half an hour before I get a call back from her. She seems to be back to her old self, cheerful and accommodating, working with me to get all of Jacob’s meetings covered or rescheduled. Thank God for Jonesy. We’d be in a world of hurt if we didn’t have him to fall back on. I’m just starting to realize how much responsibility Jacob has taken on, and I make a mental note to discuss it with Joslyn. I get the feeling he’s going to need some recovery time, and I know Joslyn will agree that we need to give him all the time we can. He’d do the same or more for us.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
