The rest of the service went by in a blur; a haze actually. Still, the realness of laying Nate to rest didn’t hit Braylee until they were at the burial site. Just before they were ready to lower his coffin into the ground, Braylee remembered something. As if in a panic she opened her purse frantically digging around for it. Briefly, she closed her eyes as her fingers touched and pulled it out of her purse. Braylee walked to the closed casket, then squatted down low over it. Roses of every color littered it, including those Braylee dropped onto it, but she also had something else she couldn’t forget to leave with him. Braylee was in a position where no one could hear or see her. She took out a pack of batteries and wiped away a wayward tear that escaped from the corner of her eye, before whispering into the wind, “Thank you for everything especially taking such good care of me. I found the emergency pack of batteries you left in your drawer at work. The just in case pack. I think I’m going to leave them with you. I probably won’t need them ever again, but you never know. I know they’ll be safe with you. So, until we meet again.” Braylee dropped the pack into the casket. She stood and backed away as they began to lower it into the ground.
*****
After the funeral was over, Braylee turned into Alex’s arms and hugged him close. He did his best to wrap her up into his body wanting only to take away all the hurt and pain. Her back was to Cara when she approached. “Braylee.” She quickly turned around. “I just wanted to say thank you for your words today. They meant a lot.”
“Every word was true.”
Another voice joined the conversation. A deep masculine voice. “Nate was a good man. He will surely be missed.”
Alex didn’t like the way he was looking at Braylee as he spoke, as if, he was very familiar with her. In an attempt to stake his claim, he moved up just a bit closer and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Braylee could feel the male energy surrounding her and wanted to nip it in the bud right away. “Yes, he will. I should probably make some introductions, Malcolm, this is my boyfriend, Alexandro Manchetti, my sister Stephanie, Alex’s brother Fabi, and one of my dearest friends, Lisa Lampinelli.”
Alex didn’t like the sound of being introduced as her boyfriend. He would have much preferred a title of a little more permanence. He still reached out to shake Malcolm’s hand in a more than firm grip. “A pleasure. How do you two know each other?”
Braylee answered, “Years ago, we worked together.”
Dawning hit him in the chest. “Ahh…so is this the old friend who brought you the flowers?”
“I am,” Said Malcolm.
If this was a different time or place, and if she hadn’t fallen madly in love with Alex, seeing him be a bit jealous might be a little fun. However, he’d been through too much and so had she for those types of games. “And, they were beautiful. Beautiful flowers from a dear friend.” Stressing the friend part. She looked lovingly into Alex’s eyes and what he found there said everything. The little monster that landed on his shoulder quickly disappeared.
Malcolm cut into their private moment. “I must be going. My plane is scheduled to leave in under an hour. Traffic might be a nightmare. Nice to meet everyone, and take care of yourself Braylee. Cara, can I have a word with you before I leave?”
She nodded and walked a bit of a distance away before Braylee could ask how he knew Cara and why he was even at the funeral.
Alex broke into her thoughts as he whispered into her ear. “Is Malcolm someone I need to be concerned about?”
She shook her head no. “He’s someone from my past. From time to
