“O-o-okay.”
“I’ll go make sure the guys behave. We’ll wait for you downstairs.” He slaps my behind on his way out. “Get moving.”
“Hey!”
He winks. “You got this, Indy girl.”
I inhale a deep breath. Yeah, I got this.
Fifteen minutes later I hurry downstairs and follow the noise to the kitchen. I screech to a halt at the vision in front of me. All of the band members are wearing suits. And they make suits look good.
“Whoa. I don’t know if I can bring you guys with me to the funeral.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Dylan asks.
I motion toward them. “You’re going to make the women of Winter Falls pop their ovaries.”
Gibson winks. “Mission accomplished.”
Jett pulls at his tie. “I feel constrained. Can you get claustrophobia from wearing a tie?”
“Baby,” Fender grunts.
“No fighting at Indy’s grandma’s funeral,” Cash orders.
“It would liven things up,” Jett claims.
“Shall we get going?” I ask before Jett can concoct some plan to ‘liven things up’. I do not want to know what those words mean to him. The drummer should have the words ‘caution daredevil’ tattooed on his forehead.
Since cars are considered evil in Winter Falls, we pile into two golf carts and make our way to the cemetery for the funeral.
A crowd has already gathered in a circle around the plot where Grandma will be buried. Cash grasps my hand when we arrive and leads me to the front row reserved for family members. I glance around for Mom but I don’t find her.
Mrs. West – the woman Grandma dictated should handle the funeral ceremony – stands and steps to the end of the grave. “Shall we begin?”
I panic. We can’t begin before Mom arrives.
“We’re here today—”
“Wait!” I shout. “Mom’s not here.”
Mrs. West smiles as she approaches me. “Do you know when Raven will be arriving?”
“Um…” I bite my lip. “No?”
She squeezes my hand. “Why don’t we wait a few minutes?”
“Please.”
“Of course.”
Once she’s gone, Cash hauls me close. “Have you spoken to your mom?”
“I sent her a few messages but she hasn’t responded.”
He frowns. “Is this normal?”
I sigh. “Lately, yes. We mostly communicate via my dad.”