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you’d see reason. Now get some damn rest.”
    “ Aye aye, Captain,” he said, with a snort.
    “ Don’t make me go over there, smart a—”
    “— Good night, Carrie.” He disconnected and dropped the phone on the floor.
     
    <><><>
     
    Jackson was laid back on his new couch, trying to concentrate on a ball game, when he heard the knock on his door. Suspecting it was his uncle, he rolled his aching body off the couch and limped over to open the door to let him inside. He stood tall, and nodded at Bill. “I knew she wouldn’t let up on me that easily.” He turned back toward the couch.
    “ Who?”
    “ You know who...Carrie.” Jackson resumed his seat in front of the ballgame. “She asked you to check up on me, didn’t she?”
    Bill shrugged and pulled a cold, six-pack of long neck beers from a bag. He held one out to Jackson and put the rest in his fridge.
    Jackson twisted the cap open and took a long swig of the ice cold brew. “That’s good,” he said, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.
    Bill stood staring at the results of Jackson’s furniture shopping spree. “Damn, you’ve been busy, haven’t you, Son?”
    Jackson nodded, keeping his eyes on the television screen.
    “ What brought this on?”
    “ Don’t try to act like Carrie hasn’t told you all about it. I know her better than that,” Jackson huffed.
    “ All right, I won’t. So, you erased all traces of Chloe.”
    “ That was the plan,” Jackson said, lifting his beer again.
    “ Well, I can’t say as I blame you. The place looks a lot better than before. I don’t know how you lived in this place.”
    “ I didn’t. I only existed here, but not anymore.”
    “ It seems like you should be grieving a little,” Bill said.
    “ I am grieving, just not over her. Never again over her.”
    Bill sat in a club chair and sighed in appreciation. “Nice chair. I know what you overheard at the hospital.”
    “ Never doubted it,” Jackson snapped. “Carrie would never pass up an opportunity to discuss me with you.”
    Bill leaned forward in his chair. “I’m going to say this one time. Carrie cares about you as much as I do, so maybe you could show some appreciation. I raised you better than that.”
    Jackson sighed and swung his long legs over the edge of the soft leather into a seating position. He stood slowly and faced his uncle. “You did, and I do appreciate both of you. But, I’m hurting as much over losing Toby as a friend as I am about anything else. I keep thinking I’m going to call him and see what he thinks about this, but I can’t. It’s hard to accept.” He grabbed the back of his head with one hand. “And if I’m hurting this bad,” he said, his voice hitching, “I just keep thinking how hard it’s going to be on Giselle and the girls.”
    “ Are you going to the funeral home tomorrow morning?”
    He gave his uncle a look that asked if he was serious. “If I don’t, Carrie will send over the National freaking Guard.”
    Bill chuckled and agreed. “You mind if I go with you?”
    Jackson watched him, curiously. “You don’t know them.”
    “ I’d like to go as a show of respect. I know how you felt about Toby,” Bill replied.
    Jackson remained silent, but nodded his head in agreement.
     

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 4
     
    Giselle made funeral arrangements, aided by Carrie. On the first morning of the wake, Carrie and Sam’s three daughters, all close friends of Giselle’s, joined forces and helped her to get through the first viewing without falling apart.
    Around ten-thirty that morning, every female in the room turned to stare in unconcealed appreciation as Jackson and Bill Broussard walked into the funeral home. Jackson looked like a male model, handsome and sexy in his tailored black Ralph Lauren suit, with a dove gray shirt and dark gray silk tie. Bill looked equally handsome in a dark brown western cut suit, also tailored, and wearing a pair of immaculately clean high quality western