Until Harry - L.A. Casey Page 0,101

uncle,” Drew said, as if she sensed me thinking of Harry. “He was a sweetheart and was great with Kaden when Kale brought him around.”

I smiled. “I’ve no doubt. He was brilliant with me and my brothers when we were little. I think that he spoiled us because he never had any kids of his own.”

Drew linked her arm through mine. “I want to be your friend. I want to get to know the Lane that Kale always went on about, because she sounded pretty cool. A little crazy, but still pretty cool.”

I laughed as I turned to her and gave her a tight hug. When we separated, Drew walked up to Kaden’s headstone and kissed his picture. “See you later, sweetheart.” She turned to me and winked. “Don’t be a stranger.”

I nodded. “I won’t. You’ll see more of me, I promise.”

Drew left then, and I could have collapsed with the weight that lifted off my chest. Never in a million years would I have thought a conversation with her could turn out that way, but I thank God that it did, because I didn’t realise how much I needed to resolve things with her.

I looked at Kaden’s sweet picture once more before I turned and walked back up to Lavender’s grave, where I retook my seated position on the grass.

“Dude,” I breathed, “I just made up with Drew Summers.” I shook my head in disbelief. “She wants to be my friend and wants to get to know me. She wants me to help Kale too – can you believe that?”

I exhaled a deep breath because I still couldn’t quite believe it.

“Lane, is that you?”

I looked over my shoulder when a man called my name. I pushed myself to my feet and brushed my clothes down when I saw a familiar face walking towards me.

“It is you,” he said, smiling wide, his eyes gleaming.

I gaped at him in utter shock. The moment he smiled, I knew exactly who he was. There was only one person, besides Kale, whose smile I thought was stunning, and this man was rocking it.

“Daven?” I gasped. “Daven Eanes?”

He gestured to himself with the large bouquet of flowers he had in his hand.

“The one and only,” he chuckled.

It was the strangest thing, but I felt like I needed to hug him, so that was exactly what I did. I moved to him, threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly. For a few moments he did nothing, but he eventually hugged me back, and laughed when I stepped away from him with wide eyes.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he mused.

I blinked. “I feel like I have, I haven’t seen you since . . .”

I stopped talking and frowned.

Daven gave me a small smile. “Since our girl’s funeral?”

Our girl. That made me smile.

“Yeah, since then,” I nodded. “It’s been so long. How have you been? You look great.”

He really did. He’d been a slim twenty-year-old boy when I left, but now he was a twenty-six-year-old lean man.

“Thanks, you’re looking pretty good yourself,” he said, winking playfully. “I’m doing great. I’ve got myself a beautiful wife, and we have two kids – twin boys. My wife is working on our third.”

I gasped. “You have a family?”

Laughter rumbled from him. “You seem quite surprised.”

Shit.

“It just seems so grown up.” I chuckled, hoping I didn’t offend him.

He smiled wide, taking my shock in his stride. “I did a lot of growing up after I lost Lavender. After she died, I did a lot of reflecting, and I didn’t like the person I was. I was an all-round arsehole, and I didn’t treat Lavender the way she deserved. Thank God she put up with my shit all those years; I treasure every one of them that I had with her.”

My heart warmed.

“She loved you,” I said with a smile. “Trust me when I say I argued the case of how much of an arsehole you were better than anyone, but she knew you deep down, and she loved who she saw.”

“Thanks, Lane,” he said, his voice holding some sort of emotion that he chased away with a clearing of his throat.

I nodded. “It’s the truth – she loved you greatly.”

“I know,” he said, smiling sadly. “I love her too. I always will.”

Present tense. He was still in love with my wonderful friend, and I didn’t blame him. She was one heck of a girl. “I love her too.” I smiled, sorrowfully. “I miss her every day; I still