Free Landon (In Safe Hands Book 1) by S.M. Shade

It still doesn’t feel real, even when a man in a white coat
leads me into the room where they lie on two gurneys, only their faces uncovered.
I haven’t seen them in almost five years, but they haven’t changed much. The
coroner has done his best to clean them up, but the blood crusted wound on my
mother’s forehead sends a sick spike through my stomach.
    My
father looks like he’s just taking a nap, like he did every Sunday after
church. “How did they die?” I ask, surprised at the flat tone of my voice.
    “Mrs.
Page had a head injury. Mr. Page’s chest was crushed. Both died on impact. They
didn’t suffer,” the man in the white coat assures me.
    “Thank
you.” After signing a paper, he tells me they will be released to the funeral
home of my choice and hands me a paper bag with their personal belongings.
Shit. I don’t know what funeral home. I mumble the first one that comes to
mind. It was right down the street from our house growing up.
    “I’ll
have them picked up. Just contact the funeral home to make the arrangements.”
    “Thank
you.”
    Frannie
drives us to a small diner. “I’m really not hungry,” I tell her.
    “You
need to eat something. You skipped breakfast and it’s past lunchtime.”
    I
manage to choke down most of a turkey sandwich while Frannie stares at me like
I might burst into flames. “I’m okay, really. Just a little overwhelmed. Thanks
for going with me.”
    “Do
you want to pick Ethan up from school?”
    “No,
I’ll tell him when he gets home. I should email my professors though, and let
them know I won’t be in today.”
    “You
need to tell them you won’t be in this week, Zo. You have to deal with the
funeral and a lot of little things you don’t realize yet,” she says softly.
    Nodding,
I compose a short email saying I’ve had a death in the family and won’t be
attending classes. After sending it, I look up at Frannie. “I guess I need to
call Landon, too, but I’m not taking off a week. I can’t afford it.” She gazes at
me when I let out a long sigh.
    “What?”
    “I
don’t want to talk to him. He’s going to be all sorry for me, and I just can’t
take it right now.”
    The
phone is plucked from my hand and she lays a finger across her lips as she
dials him. “Landon? Hi, this is Frannie, Zoe’s friend? She won’t be coming to
work today. Her parents have been killed in an accident.” Her eyes widen, and I
wish I could hear his side of the conversation. “She doesn’t feel like talking
at the moment, but she’s fine. She has a lot to take care of right now.”
    After
listening for a moment, her face hardens. “No, you don’t need to speak with
her. I told you, she’s not up to it. Don’t be a dick. When she has taken care
of her family matters, she’ll be back to wash your dirty laundry.” She presses
end and hands me back the phone.
    A
snort of laughter escapes me, which just makes me laugh harder. I can just
picture his face at her words. “You’re such a lady,” she says, making me giggle
again.
    “What
did he say? Was he insisting I come in?”
    “No,
just insisting on talking to you.”
    “Oh.”
I take a sip of my drink and check my phone. “Ethan will be out of school soon.
I should be home when he gets there.”
    I
flop into my recliner as soon as I get home. It’s early afternoon. Why am I so
exhausted? Frannie disappears into my bedroom and emerges with the paper she
was writing on earlier. “These are the two companies that hold the life
insurance policies. I know you think there isn’t any money, but you need to
find out before we go to the funeral home. They’ll want to know how you intend
to pay.”
    My
phone beeps with a text from Ethan that says he’s going to Colin’s for dinner.
Sighing, I take the paper. No time like the present, I guess. The first company
puts me on hold and I glance at the clock, suddenly realizing Frannie is late
for work.
    “Frannie,
you’re late. You’d better go.”
    She
looks at