Page 76 of The Player's Club
“For your prize. You won, after all.”
I kissed her palm. “Oh, I already won my prize. You, in my bed.”
“Well, technically speaking, this is my bed.”
“Sassy as always. I think that’s something we should work on.”
She just giggled, the giggles turning to moans when I started us on round two.
I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. I picked up, groggy with sleep, barely registering who was on the other end. Elodie yawned next to me and turned back over to keep sleeping.
“Mac, sweetheart.” It was Mom.
I sat up, any grogginess fading quickly. “Mom? What is it?”
She sighed. “Caroline died last night.”
ELODIE
Mac barely spoke on the flight to Idaho. After he’d gotten off the phone with his mom, he’d told me that he needed to go pack.
“Let me go with you,” I’d said before really thinking it through.
Mac had paused. Then he’d just nodded, told me he’d pick me up later, and left. I wasn’t sure if he really wanted me with him or if he just didn’t have the energy to fight with me over it.
I hadn’t seen Mac shed a single tear. He’d been stoic, his jaw clenched, but surprisingly calm despite everything. On the flight, I tried to engage him in conversation, but he kept giving me one-word answers. I eventually gave up and tried to read my book, but I couldn’t concentrate to save my life.
We were driven to a hotel in Coeur d’Alene right after landing. Mac had gotten us separate rooms, to my shock.
“It’s just to keep the press from going insane,” he explained, looking chagrined.
“But I don’t think you should be alone tonight,” I said.
“I’ll be okay. Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”
We got up early and met in the lobby. It was an hour’s drive to White Rock, and it was once again a silent trip. I wondered why Mac had allowed me to come at all.
But when he took my hand and squeezed it, I knew I’d made the right decision. He needed my support, even if it was silent support.
We arrived at the church and sat in the car for a few minutes. Mac breathed slowly and deeply. I imagined lots of thoughts floating around his mind at that moment. Memories of Caroline, good and bad. Having to face her husband. As bitter as my own feelings were about the Caroline situation, it was hard not to sympathize with him right now.
“It’ll be okay,” I said quietly.
His lips twisted. “Will it?”
The large and imposing church looked like any other building. It could’ve been a warehouse, for all I knew. Inside, the lobby was massive, and there was even a café at one end and a bookstore at another.
I was tempted to browse the bookstore, mostly out of morbid curiosity, but I couldn’t leave Mac’s side. We sat down on a bench and waited for others to arrive since we were a half hour early for the visitation and church service.
“Are we going to the graveside service?” I asked.
Mac shook his head. “I wasn’t invited. It’d be awkward, anyway.”
We sat and watched congregants slowly arrive. A few recognized Mac; some stared and whispered, while a few came up to him and shook his hand. I was thankful that soon enough, there were so many people that Mac and I could fade into the background.
When we entered the church, I felt dread fill me as I realized this visitation was an open casket. I’d only attended one open-casket funeral as a kid, and it’d freaked me out so badly that I’d had nightmares later.
Mac avoided getting in line to give Caroline’s family condolences.