The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max) novel Chapter 81

Lark entered the funeral home and felt her footsteps faltering.

Coming deep from somewhere within the rooms beyond her, there were muffled sounds of talking, crying and even laughter. Her parents and sister were already here. The place was packed to the brim with people, and she was going to have to plot a course to get to the room where her grandmother was laid out.

Her mother appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her, hissing quietly, “where the hell have you been? We’ve been waiting for you for nearly an hour.”

“Sorry.” She wasn’t really as her mother dragged her though the crowd not even aware of how the people were nearly hopping out of Everly’s path.

“Get it together, Lark. Your dad needs you.”

“I know,” she swallowed a bitter taste on her tongue. “I needed a minute to myself.”

“Lark, you left the house without us.”

“Actually,” she scoffed, “you left without me.”

“What?” her mother frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

“I was there, and you left. I lost track of time. I,” she took a breath, “I was in the treehouse. By the way, it needs to be torn down. I know Bobbie and Olivier keep their side up for their weird s*x adventures, but our side needs to come down. It’s a death trap.”

“What?” Everly was thoroughly confused by her rambling.

“I mean, even if I have kids, they need a new one. I’m not letting them up there.”

“You were in the treehouse?”

“Yeah.”

“We left you at the house?”

“Yup. Felt very much like sixth grade again when you thought I went with Max and Ollie to the fair and they thought I went with you and Dad. I got left home alone.”

“We called you Kevin McAllister for a year.” Her mother grinned at the memory and then hugged her. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were still in the house.”

“It’s fine. I called a ride share.”

“It’s not fine. I was pissed at you and it’s my own fault.”

“Mom, take a breath,” Lark grabbed her hands and squeezed them. “Today is chaos. We’re trying to do everything all at once and it’s a lot and it’s too much even and frankly Nana Prue would kick us all in the ass.”

“f**k I’m missing her.” Everly’s eyes started to water.

“Me too. Heriberto was telling me on the plane about how he shared drinks with her the other night.”

“Is that why you were all cozied up with him?” Everly asked as she inhaled before stepping into the room.

Per Nana Prue’s wishes, the casket was closed, and a big photo sat atop it. The woman had made them all promise ages ago when she went, they wouldn’t let anyone stand over her in ugly make-up talking about how good she looks dead. Photos only. It made Lark smile to remember the woman’s words.

“Yes. He was saying how Grandpa allegedly, after their sexy little romp,” she tried not to gag, “tried to commandeer Nana Prue to stay in Houston and move back in with him and she left him panting in bed and walked away.”

“She told me that too,” Everly grinned. “Said the s*x was good but not good enough she was going to give up her autonomy and freedom for it.”

“I wish she’d told me more.” Lark pouted.

“She also made a comment about whether he likely put Botox in his ball sack so count yourself lucky,” Everly snorted.” Bobbie and I were trying to figure out how to bleach our eardrums.”

“I wanted the inspirational stuff, not the disgusting stuff,” Lark gagged at the mental image now rolling through her psyche of her grandfather who was standing nearby talking to a distant relative. She shuddered and Everly caught it and chuckled.

“Your grandmother was a wonderful mix of inspirational and revolting.” Everly hugged her to her side. She kissed her temple. “For example, if you look around the funeral home, the vast majority of the mourners are men over the age of fifty. There is a very handsome man your father’s age here who called your grandmother a special friend he met on a cruise. She was getting it on with men nearly thirty years younger than her!”

“Dear god.” Lark made wide eyes at her mother.

“Right? Inspirational yet revolting.”

She giggled in spite of herself and found herself pushed into her father’s side.