When he’s gone, I cock an eyebrow at Corinne and ask, “You two know each other, huh?”
“Yeah,” she murmurs sadly, then pivots back into her office. She shuts the glass door behind her, making it clear she doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.CHAPTER 26CageUnless I was on an active mission with the Navy SEALS, I’ve never missed a Christmas with my family since the time I left home. It may be that I only had leave for two days and I’d fly in, celebrate, and fly back out again. My parents learned having a son in the military meant they couldn’t always be the priority, and so they were happy with whatever bits of time they could get with me.
Of course, I would try to visit at other times as well, but that could be difficult, depending on where I was stationed at the time.
Since coming to Jameson, it’s been a bit easier because while we do dangerous work, we also handle a lot of other types of security issues that aren’t pressing and dangerous. As such, we’ve generally had time off at Christmas, something Kynan believes is important for his employees.
I should be in my parents’ North Carolina house right now, settled into the guest room, and preparing for Mom’s special hash-brown breakfast bake in the morning. It’s a tradition. After, we pass out presents and sit around in pajamas for most of the day. It’s definitely not an image a tough former Navy SEAL and security agent projects, but within the safety of my family’s home, I can relax and just be their kid.
But it’s Christmas Eve, and I’m not in North Carolina with my family. Instead, I’m bundled up in a parka, hat, gloves, and scarf, and I’m waiting outside of St. Francis Catholic Church in Hazelwood, where midnight mass is set to start soon.
I’m propped against the trunk of a pine tree, watching as all the parishioners walk from the parking lot into the church. It’s been snowing on and off for two days now. The ground is carpeted with a thick blanket of fluffy snow, but the roads and parking lot have been plowed. About ten minutes before the service starts, I see her.
Walking arm in arm with Laney, coats pulled tight and knit caps on their heads as Laney laughs at something Jaime says. Her parents follow behind, holding hands, and Brian brings up their rear.
It’s been three days since I sat at the Dolans’ dinner table. Three days since I’ve seen Jaime. I’ve tried every day to reach out to her, to set up a time we can talk, but she keeps putting me off. At first, she ignored me, then she answered via text and said, “I’m just not ready.”
I respected that answer for a full twenty-four hours before I said, “Fuck it.” She might not be ready, but I am.
So it was with regret I had to call my mother and tell her I wasn’t coming home for Christmas. I didn’t even dare try to come up with a lie to explain my absence. I was done lying to my loved ones.
Yeah… I told my mom the whole sordid story of falling in love with a woman that started on a lie, and I couldn’t figure out how to correct it until it was too late.
My mother—Gina Murdock—can be as sweet as the southern tea she brews or as viperous as a copperhead when she’s angry. I got the range of emotions from her, but, in the end, she only wants me to be happy, so she understood my absence. I had to promise, however, to bring Jaime home for a visit as soon as was feasibly possible. If I can get her to forgive me tonight, maybe we can take a weekend trip to North Carolina.
The bell in the church tolls midnight as the last few stragglers rush inside. I start walking that way, leaving deep footprints in the snow. I enter into the warm vestibule and scan the interior of the church, easily locating Jaime and her family four rows back from the front.
I choose a seat in the very last row, then take off my coat. I’ve never been to a Catholic mass before, much less a church service at midnight, and I want to see what’s so magical about this tradition for the Dolan family.
And then after… well, Jaime and I are going to talk.
?
I stand off to the side of the church steps, having walked out just before the priest did. It’s still snowing, and I’m freezing my ass off. The priest stands under the overhang, giving peaceful blessings to each person who walks past him. After what seems like forever, I see Jaime’s parents. They shake hands with the priest, followed by Brian, then Jaime and Laney.