Until Harry - L.A. Casey Page 0,102
can’t quite believe that she is gone. It doesn’t feel real, and I don’t think it ever will.”
Daven nodded in agreement, then turned and looked down at her grave for a moment before he placed the beautiful bouquet next to the flowers I’d brought her. He had a small smile on his face, and leaning down, he kissed her picture and murmured, “Hello, babygirl.”
It choked me up.
“You want to know something?” I muttered to him.
He stood upright and looked at me. “What?”
My tears fell. “I’ve cried myself into dehydration multiple times since I got here on Friday.”
Daven laughed at me and dug out a Kleenex packet from his back pocket. He took a piece of tissue out of the packet and handed it to me. I accepted it with a raised brow, and it caused him to laugh. “I’ve two kids, I need tissues and wet wipes on me at all times.”
I laughed too and wiped my cheeks and under my eyes.
“So, you got home on Friday?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, but it feels like I’ve been here a hell of a lot longer. I think it’s the reason I’m back that has me so messed up.”
“I’m sorry about your uncle, Lane,” Daven said and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I met him down the pub a few times after I got off work. He was a great guy. I went to his funeral, and I would have spoken to you, but you had a constant crowd of people around you that day. Kale was like your personal bodyguard; I didn’t want to get too close. He isn’t very fond of me for some reason.”
I tearfully laughed as I wiped under my eyes once more. “He knew I didn’t like you, so as my best friend, he automatically didn’t like you either. It seems he hasn’t grown out of it.”
Daven snorted. “I’ll say, sometimes when we’re in the same shop or something, he’ll glare at me until I’m sure he is going to kick my arse.”
I laughed. “He would never hit you – he’s not like that.”
Or at least he used to be not like that.
“I hope you’re right,” Daven mused and dropped his arm from around my shoulder.
I smiled. “He’s just protective I guess.”
Daven’s lip quirked. “After all these years, if he is still that way with you, then it seems like he has a thing for you.”
I felt my cheeks heat up. “Give over.”
Daven laughed at my embarrassment over his teasing. “Are you staying for long?” he asked, then winced. “Sorry, that was nosey. You don’t have to answer; it’s none of my business.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, waving him off. “I am staying. I decided to move back.”
Another stunning smile spread across Daven’s face.
“You know what this means?” he asked.
I blinked. “What?”
“We’ll have to hang out and become the proper friends Lavender always wanted us to be.”
I smiled warmly. “She used to blow a fuse when we’d be at each other’s throats.”
Daven laughed and looked down at her picture. “She was perfect, wasn’t she?”
I nodded. “She was; her heart was my favourite thing. She was just brilliant.”
Daven smiled, then looked back to me. “You’ll have to meet my wife and kids – they’ll love you. They’ve heard about you from my stories about Lavender, so they’ll want to meet you.”
Daven worked his way into my heart with that one sentence.
“You told them about Lav?”
“Of course.” He nodded. “My wife is the one who pulled me from my depression and helped me start living again. I love her with all of my heart, and I’m a lucky son of a bitch to have her. My boys have seen some pictures of Lavender, and they know of her as my good friend who is in heaven.”
I placed a hand on my chest. “Daven, I might cry again. It touches my heart that you keep her memory alive when you don’t have to.”
He smiled sadly. “I acted foolish when I was younger, but I was so in love with her, Lane. She was my world, and when she died, I wanted to die too.”
“Me too,” I whispered.
Daven suddenly chuckled and wiped at his eyes. “She’d be laughing her arse off if she were here right now.”
“Don’t I know it.” I chuckled and dried my face once more.
Daven looked up then and said, “There’s your Kale, walking in the gate.”
My Kale. I felt my face flush but didn’t correct Daven. I looked up and saw he was right. Kale was