Page 104 of Lethal Danger

Jazz blinked. No one had ever asked her that. And she’d never thought Uncle Pierce would be the one to do it. “I…guess.” Was it hard? Probably not in the way he meant.

The slow progress of the kidney failure, the caretaking for so long—that had been hard. Her dad’s disapproval and complaints with everything she tried to do for him—that had been difficult.

After the memorial service and cremation he’d dictated that he wanted, she’d realized what was the hardest thing. Not that he was gone. But that she’d subconsciously been hoping all the caring and loving of her dad would pay off in the end. That he’d make some declaration of love or even approval on his deathbed if not before.

That was the hardest part. He’d died still making sure she knew she wasn’t good enough to be his daughter. Not good enough for his love.

“I know Lawrence could be…difficult. I suppose that gives you mixed emotions about his passing.”

Such an accurate assessment from Uncle Pierce startled her.

Understanding softened his features. Did he know what her dad had been like? Did he understand?

Her heart squeezed.

“You mentioned you kept some of his things. Like those photos you brought over. Does it help to look through them, to remember him?”

“I…don’t know.” She waved a hand toward the hallway to the right. “I keep them in my guest room. There are a bunch of boxes of things. I should probably go through them sometime and see what I can get rid of.”

“My offer still stands to help you. I’ll have to do that with Joan’s things yet.” His mouth pulled into a deep frown, and his brow furrowed slightly. “When I’m ready.” He lifted his focus to Jazz. “Perhaps we can help each other with that task. I’d be happy to start with a box or two now, if you’re up for it.”

Go through her dad’s things? Her chest squeezed. It was one thing to quickly find the shoebox she knew she’d stored photos in from her childhood. Totally different to go through his belongings, medals, mementos. She might even find something about her mother in there.

Her stomach lurched. “No.” The response came out sharper than she intended. “I mean,” she made a show of looking at her watch, “I have to get ready for work.” In several hours, but he didn’t need to know that.

“Oh.” His eyebrows dipped with what looked like disappointment. “I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe another time.”

“Sure.”

“Do you think you could come to the house for dinner one evening? I could have the chef cook us a fabulous meal.” He smiled. “You can tell me what your favorite dish is, and I’ll be sure it’s on the menu.”

The genuineness of his smile smoothed away the tension in her chest. “I’d like that.”

“But not tonight?”

“No, I work late.”

“Well, I’ll keep asking until we find a time that works. I want to have you in my life, Jazz. We’re family.”

Family. The way he said the word, all warm and certain, surged a burst of hope through her. Could Aunt Joan’s death finally bring her the family she’d always longed for?

She tried to stay skeptical, to protect her heart. But Uncle Pierce’s approval and acceptance seemed too genuine to deny.

It was the kind of thing she’d dreamed of getting from her dad. Maybe, all this time, she’d just been looking in the wrong place.

“The works and extra bacon, please.”

Freddie chuckled at Hawthorne’s familiar order. “I could’ve bet on that one.” He turned around and relayed Hawthorne’s and Jazz’s orders to the teenagers at the grill inside his food stand. Then Freddie scooted to the side of the window and leaned toward them as they stepped out of the line of customers. “Just between us, the bacon is what keeps us in business.” He grinned.

“I believe it.” Jazz laughed, that lovely sound Hawthorne still hadn’t figured out how to capture in words in his book.

But right now he needed to focus on taking this opportunity to try to find out more about Freddie, since the man seemed to want to chat. “Jazz and I were talking about your cousin Jim. He must’ve retired out in Oklahoma?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Is that where you’re from, too?”

“No. I was an Army brat. Lived in six different states and Germany by the time I was eighteen.”

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