Free 03_The Unexpected Gift by Irene Hannon

turned up the collar of her coat as a gust of icy wind lashed at her body, making the struggle across the uneven ground at the cemetery more difficult. She supposed she could have remained at the church, as many had, while the family and close friends concluded the funeral rite with the final commendation to the grave. After all, she didn’t fall into either of those categories. And maybe she shouldn’t even have come. Maybe she was infringing on what was intended to be a very private service.
    But she’d wanted to be here, for the whole thing—even if it did mean taking a day off work. Though she and Grant might be very different, connected only by chance through an unexpected gift from Aunt Jo, she wanted to let him know, by her presence, that she cared. And that she grieved for his loss.
    Morgan’s thin gloves didn’t offer much protection from the biting wind, so she shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat. While she waited for the final, brief service to begin, her thoughts turned to the woman Grant had loved. After speaking with family and friends last night at the visitation, and listening to the eulogies today, it was clear that Christine had been a very special woman. Intelligent. Talented. Loving. With a deep faith that had been the guiding force in her life.
    But the accolades hadn’t been only for Christine. She’d learned a lot about Grant, too, as family and friends had praised his steadfast loyalty, his faithfulness and his unwavering devotion. Morgan couldn’t even begin to comprehend the overwhelming sense of loss he must be feeling. She only hoped that the tremendous outpouring of love and support he’d received over the past couple of days, and the overflowing crowd at the church, had offered him some comfort.
    Bill took his place beside the casket, and motioned everyone to move closer. Morgan complied, but still remained somewhat in the background. Grant and Kit sat in front, their hands entwined. Andrew was on the other side of Grant, his hand resting on his son’s knee. Pete was up front, too, of course, as were Kit’s twins. So were Christine’s parents, whom she’d met the night before.
    And Grant’s mother was there, as well. She’d arrived last night, too late to visit the funeral home, so Morgan hadn’t met her. But she’d overheard someone at church point her out to a friend. From various conversations, she’d discovered that Grant’s parents were separated, that his mother had a prestigious job in Boston with a big-name financial firm, and that she was somewhat estranged from the family.
    As everyone settled into place and Bill began the brief graveside service, Morgan sent Grant’s mother a curious glance. Her fashionable clothing was elegant rather than trendy, and her hair and makeup were perfect. She sat at the far end of the front row, and Morgan noted that she glanced at her watch several times while Bill spoke.
    As the service ended, Morgan’s gaze shifted back to Grant. He stood, shook Bill’s hand, then turned to greet those who moved forward to speak with him. Again, Morgan felt out of place and moved a few steps farther away. She’d given him her condolences last night; she didn’t need to intrude on this final, private moment.
    Slowly, people began to drift back toward their cars, leaving just the immediate family around the casket. As Morgan turned to go, as well, she caught sight of Grant’s mother, standing off to one side. She watched as the woman checked her pager, then turned her back on the group gathered at the grave site and withdrew her cell phone from her purse. After punching in a number, she put the phone to her ear.
    With a jolt, Morgan recognized herself. She’d done something very similar at Aunt Jo’s funeral. It was obvious that, like Morgan, Grant’s mother was a workaholic. While her son was saying his final goodbye to his wife, she was on her cell phone taking care of business instead of comforting him.
    Morgan suddenly felt sick