Page 42 of Keeping Collette

Deal was right, her boss had called and left messages every day, checking in. “She has, and I know. I just don’t know where to start.”

“Once we get back to your place, we’ll make a list and go from there.”

It was strange having someone wanting to help her. Someone to support her. For so long she’d had to rely on only herself. “Thank you, that would be good.”

“You’re not going to argue?” They were stopped at a red light, and she looked over to find Deal watching her closely.

Her gaze dropped to his mouth and the memory of the kisses they shared engulfed her. Warming her.

“Would there be any point?” she asked, no heat in her words.

“Nope.” He winked before turning his attention back to the road.

Again, she marveled at how lucky she was to have him, along with Astrid and everyone else at Alliez in her life. She didn’t doubt for a second that she wouldn’t be alone when it came to it all. And she would bet her next pay check that every single member of Alliez Security and their partners would be at Courtney’s service.

Who else would be there?

Friends from her school? The same friends who haven’t even bothered to reach out to Collette to see if there was any news. Or if they could help try and find Courtney. There’d been nothing but silence.

“We’re here,” Deal said quietly.

She looked up to find that they were parked out the front of her building. “Right.”

It would be easy to forget about everything that needed to be done. To let the bitterness of the fact that it seemed no one but her cared for her sister, consume her to the point where she hated the world, but she wasn’t going to do that.

Determination to do right by her sister overwhelmed her. To give her the final goodbye she deserved. Collette released her seatbelt and opened the car door. The second she stepped out, she took a deep breath and let the sun’s rays swathe her in their healing powers.

She sensed Deal’s presence, and she looked up at him. “Let’s arrange the best goodbye party for Courtney.”

Collette held out her hand, and Deal clasped it tightly. “Let’s.”

As the curtains closed behind Courtney’s coffin, and the last notes of her sister’s favorite song filled the air, Collette heaved out a long sigh. That was it. The chapter of her life with her sister was closed, and the pages ahead of her would be a little bit blanker without Courtney filling them. Yet, she wasn’t without her. Courtney lived in her heart and her memories.

Behind her, she was aware of the people who’d come to pay their respects filing out of the small chapel at the funeral home.

Some of Courtney’s friends had come up to her and expressed their sorrow. Whether it was heartfelt or not, didn’t matter to Collette, they’d turned up, and she was grateful for that.

As expected, everyone from Alliez had been there. All of them giving her tight hugs. It was funny how tragedy and loss had brought her a whole new slew of friends. People who would be there for her should she ever need them. As they had been when she’d been a stranger to them.

Life was going to go on, and tomorrow she would go back to work for Astrid. There were a couple of specials she was set to start filming, and Collette needed to make sure everything was set up the way it should be, and her boss had everything she needed.

Beside her, Deal remained still. He could’ve left with everyone else, but he’d stayed, and she was so grateful for the quietness and space he’d given her.

She smiled at him. “I think she would’ve liked this.”

“I’m sure she would’ve.” Deal wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her to his side. Immediately, she relaxed against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

She didn’t know how many times she’d thanked him over the last few days, and he’d taken every one with a smile. “I suppose we should go join the others.”

There was going to be a small wake in the anteroom to the chapel. She didn’t need anything big, and Astrid, bless her, had been wonderful and catered for it. Collette had tried to tell her boss that she could use the people the funeral home recommended, but Astrid had given her a look which said that wasn’t an option.

“I’m sure they know you need a few more minutes to yourself.”

“Yeah.” She stared at the curtains, knowing that the coffin wasn’t still sitting there. That it had gone, and the funeral home staff would attend to it, and in a few weeks she’d get a message saying she could collect her sister’s ashes.

She had a plan to put half of them into a rose garden at the cemetery. She wanted a place where she could go visit her and talk to her. The rest she planned to scatter into the ocean. Courtney loved the beach, especially on a stormy day, when the waves crashed the shore and it wasn’t that crowded. She would wait for one of those days, and then she’d release her sister to the elements.

With one last look at the curtains, she stood. “Time to start the next part of my life. Come with me?”