Page 10 of Impossible Rapids
Give me strength, he muttered to heaven above. Nobody who didn’t know him closely would believe that he turned to heaven, but he knew Jesus could love even the likes of him.
Franz gave him an encouraging smile, and Shawn felt the soothing balm of being loved by Franz, Mercedes, Grayson, Mama T, Jagger, Hays, and Julie. Even if it was only as a ‘friend’ with Julie, not the way he wanted, she still loved him. Those impressive people saw value in Shawn and cared deeply for him. They wanted him around. His adopted family was all he needed besides Jesus and …
One more glance at Julie, and those brown eyes tugged at his soul. If only they could progress to more than friends.
“Time to move on,” Wallace said, straightening and edging closer to his laptop that was connected to the huge television screen. “Mercedes will now explain why Captain Cash Trapper and Brylee Auburn Trapper are with us in this meeting. Captain Jagger Lemuel and Lieutenant Hays West were supposed to be included as well. I will show them the video when time allows.” Wallace picked up two remotes. With a small white one, he closed the blinds in the large study, and with a large black remote, he turned on the television. He set the devices down and pushed play on the laptop and the cued video.
“Ah, my friends!” Mercedes’s beautiful face lit up the screen, and she clapped her hands happily together as she always did. Shawn missed his friend. This must have been recorded a couple weeks ago. She was thin, her wan complexion covered with makeup, but not to the point of frailty she’d reached before she passed.
“If you’re watching this, I’m in heaven, partying with my mom and Grayson. Yay me!” She beamed, her teal-blue eyes without guile. Shawn was amazed by her, as always. Mercedes should’ve won awards for best attitude, unequaled benevolence, most loyal friend, generous thoughts, and inability to think poorly of anyone. She would, of course, be excited to ‘party’ with her mom and brother. He knew how much she’d missed them both, but Mercedes had lived life to the fullest. Until she was too sick to travel or do anything but plot and plan from her hospital bed. If only she could’ve found someone to truly give her heart to instead of faking it with him. Though Mercedes had been genuine and trusting, she told him once that she’d locked her heart from romance, not wanting to leave a loving husband behind like her mom had left her dad when Mercedes was only sixteen.
He glanced at Franz. The man wiped at his eyes, emotional. He looked exhausted. Who could blame him?
“I’ll miss you all. Especially you, Daddy.” She blew him a kiss and paused as if she knew the effect that would have. Everybody swallowed hard, studied their hands, or let tears leak down their faces. Shawn opted for the swallowing. Julie’s brown eyes sparkled with tears.
“But this isn’t the time to be sad.” Mercedes grinned, a scheming light filling her eyes. That look usually made Shawn smile and wonder what he’d have to do next to keep her out of trouble or help her accomplish her plans.
“It’s time to tell you what I’ve conspired all by myself. Sorry, Jules and Shawn, for leaving you out of this. But I don’t know if either of you would’ve agreed if I asked, and guess wha-at?” She gave an impish smile that was a hundred percent Mercedes. “Now that I’m dead, you can’t tell me no and you have to fulfill my last wishes.” She sang out each word and giggled at herself.
Cash chuckled at that but quickly quieted. It was a funny line, but still a little too fresh to laugh at her teasing about being dead. The funny thing was, they’d never told her no, unless her idea or request was impossible. What was Mercedes conspiring that was so out there they would’ve considered telling her no?
“Apologies,” Cash muttered.
“Nah, you’re good, man. It’s just …” Shawn tried to think how to explain. “We’re a mess.”
“Rightfully so,” Brylee said, giving her husband an incredulous look.
“What?” He lifted his hands. “It was funny.”
“It was funny,” Mercedes said, and everybody jumped. Except for Wallace, who smiled as if he and Mercedes had planned that.
Shawn wasn’t sure if Wallace had paused the recording or if Mercedes herself had paused, knowing Cash would laugh and then apologize.
“You all have to lighten up or I’ll start crying,” Mercedes teased. “Sorry, Daddy. I can’t imagine how hard this is on you and Shawn and Jules. But Shawn and Jules will be there for you and Jagger and Hays will be there for them. Unless Jagger fell in love and needs to focus on his new bride. Did you fall in love, Jag? Please say yes.”
Wallace did pause the movie, raising his brows in a question.
“Jagger and Hays are on a SEAL assignment,” Shawn explained, wondering why he had to explain this to Wallace.
“I know that.”
Of course he did. He knew everything.
“So I have no idea if he fell in love.” Shawn knew Jagger loved Belinda Ralphs, but last time they talked, Jagger had said it was a mess. It sounded similar to Shawn’s hopes for a relationship with Julie. He hadn’t pressed his friend, and it was none of Wallace’s business if Jagger and Belinda had fallen in love.
Shawn focused on Franz. “We will be there for you,” he promised.
“Of course we will,” Julie reaffirmed.
Shawn held Franz’s steady gaze. Something in the man’s blue eyes scared him. Was he stable? Would he do something crazy if Shawn wasn’t there for him? Why did it feel like Mercedes and her dad were planning things behind his back and Shawn was a step behind? His biggest fear was Franz was transferring the money and setting up the legal walls and then ending his own life to be with his family on the other side.
He glanced at Julie. She shook her head slightly, as if she knew his question and had no answer. What was Mercedes planning? Would Franz be all right? What was he planning?
Shawn looked back at Mercedes, frozen on the screen. Wallace started the recording again.
“So, the plan.” Mercedes clapped her hands and did a little dance. “As Julie and Shawn know too well, I’ve been obsessed with my Chance for Charity reality television show. I didn’t mean to die before the last episode, but now that I have and Julie has everything on pause, I’ve decided to change things up a bit.”
Shawn’s stomach tumbled. What did that mean? The last week was all set. He, Franz, and Julie would fly to Colorado to kick it off in a couple weeks after everything was settled here with the funeral and the legal stuff for the transfer of wealth. He hated being the talk show host, but he’d get through it one more time. Julie could help him and make it a lot more entertaining. Unless Mercedes had drastically altered the plan. He looked to Julie, but she appeared as confused as he was.