Page 63 of Fearless
Harper points to the picture of Jessie swallowed up by a plushcouch cushion. All you see are her hands, tennis shoes, and a set of wide eyes begging for rescue. Giggling, she says, “We absolutely should! It’s a dose of reality that keeps egos in check.”
The doors to the conference room fly open as Ethan’s wife, Amelia, barges out of the room. “Oh, good. You guys are here. Everyone is waiting for you. Leanna is eyeing the cake like it’s that last morsel on earth. I don’t know how much longer we can keep a woman who’s five months pregnant away from the dessert without it ending up in a riot.”
Harper and I follow Amelia into the conference room and notice that the table has been moved off to the side. It’s covered with food and gifts. “Wow, thank you! You guys went all out!” I say, giving everyone a hug.
“This is what happens when you celebrate and mourn at the same time,” Jerry quips. “The gifts are to celebrate the vows you took last week—without us present, I might add. The food is to feed our souls as we mourn your departure.”
Ethan slaps Jerry on the back. “Roger isn’t dying, Jerry. He’s just off to greener pastures.”
Elijah joins us. “When you say it like that, it sounds like he’s dying. How about something like ‘starting a new chapter’ or ‘going in a new direction?’”
Jessie snakes her arm around Elijah’s waist. “Yeah, he’s going South! What a turd! No more New York winters. It’s all fun in the sun from here on out!”
Harper and I are moving to Charleston, South Carolina. We closed on our house last week. It’s a beautiful five-bedroom home on stilts, nestled on the beach. Just for fun, I hired someone to install a white picket fence for the front yard becausethat’s what Harper’s always dreamed of. We also invited her parents down to visit and check out our new abode. Since newly-appointed Director Robert Finnegan was busy tying up all the loose ends and had limited time to get away, we used the opportunity of their short visit to renew our vows. Harper and I had already promised each other friendship, but this time, we promised each other forever.
It’s not all fun in the sun,” Savannah says as she and her husband, Aiden, walk up to us. “They’re going to have to deal with hurricanes, humidity, and palmetto bugs.”
Harper shivers at the thought. “Yeah, I’m not looking forward to that, but the trade-off of not having to wear a parka for six months is worth it.”
Jaxon and his wife, Steffie, sneak up behind us. Steffie is a petite Columbian woman whose name was once Estafania before she had to go into hiding. Her broken English is adorable, but her temper is all fire. She’s the only one who can keep Jaxon on the level, especially when he and his sister Jessie bicker.
Steffie wraps her arms around my middle. “Congratulations Sénior Cavenaugh. You very lucky to live at nice beach. I so happy for you. You deserve all good things. You the nicest man I ever meet.”
“Hey! Your husband is standing right here!” Jaxon says, pointing at his feet.
She looks up at him and puts a hand on her hip. “Nice men wash dishes. My sink full. I cook, you clean. That the deal! When my sink empty, I change my mind and call you the nicest man.”
Jaxon kisses her cheek and nuzzles her neck. “I’m always themost handsome, right?” he asks her barely above a whisper. Steffie giggles and blushes.
Leanna walks over with an empty plate and fork in her hand. “What’s missing from my plate? I’ll tell you. Cake! Cake is missing from my plate!”
“Carter, get your wife some cake!” Jessie shouts. “She’s liable to stab someone with the fork if she isn’t fed pronto!”
“On it!” Carter yells. “Shouldn’t Roger and Harper get the first pieces?”
I wave him on. I have no intention of standing between Leanna and her cravings.
Patrick and Ariella come up behind Leanna, and Ariella snags the fork out of her hand. “I’ll hold on to this until it’s time for you to use it. Children are present.” Patrick bounces his two-and-a-half-month-old baby girl in his arms.Angelina Faith Kent.
Patrick switches the baby so that he can reach out and shake my hand. “This place isn’t going to be the same without you. I wish the two of you the best of luck. You’ll always be in our prayers.”
The door to the conference room slams open, and Rosie rushes in, waving an envelope in her hands. Ben saunters in behind her with the tiniest of smiles on his face. Ben’s wife, Claire, is at home with their baby, but she stopped by yesterday to say goodbye. Rosie rushes up to her husband, Jerry, bouncing on her toes.
“The deal has been sealed! It’s official!” She claps excitedly.
Jerry mimics his wife, clapping and jumping in excitement. “What deal has been sealed? And why are we excited about it?”he asks.
Rosie halts and narrows her gaze. “You’re mocking me, aren’t you? Jerry, so help me…”
Jerry snickers and brings Rosie into an embrace. He kisses her temple. “But you make it so easy…Ow!Why did you pinch me?”
Rosie scowls at him and then turns toward us, an ultra-sweet smile aimed in our direction. She holds out the envelope, but before either Harper or I can reach for it, Amelia snatches it up. “Rosie, there needs to be pomp and circumstance first,” Amelia says with an impish glint.
“But it’s just so exciting! I didn’t think it would happen in time!”
Thoroughly confused, I ask, “What is going on?”
Ethan hugs his wife from behind and rests his chin on her shoulder. Ben stands next to them, stoic as always. Ethan points to the envelope and then to the end of the table, holding the gifts. “Roger, you’ve always been a rock for us. You’ve acted in the role of father, brother, and friend time and time again. As we all know, this isn’t a ‘goodbye’ but a ‘see you later.’ Your career with Shining Knight is far from over. And with God and Harper by your side, you’re going to do amazing things.
