Give My All to Jessie (Third in Outlaw Series)

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Jeremiah glanced around him at the crowd gathered inside the tiny church. He was sitting at the back pew and wondering just what the hell he was doing inside a house of God. He'd never in his life set foot in one willingly. Sure, he'd taken cover inside one a time or two during gunfights but there were no bullets whizzing past his head just now.

Light streamed through the stained glass windows, falling upon the crowd all dressed in black. The sound of weeping was heavy in the air. Weeping? Wasn't church supposed to be a happy play time for folks to talk to their imaginary friend in the sky?

Jeremiah's gaze went to the altar and he swallowed hard when he saw the casket sitting there. A funeral would certainly explain why everyone was sad—but who's funeral was he at?

Pushing himself to his feet, Jeremiah made his way through the mass of bodies doing his best to ignore the angry glares thrown his direction. Why was everyone so damned mad at him?

It wasn't until he approached the casket that he saw familiar faces. Rose was sobbing in Marston's arms and a tear was streaked down his tense jaw. Duke and Carol stood somberly side by side. Pete held Kaitlyn against his chest as she stared with wide, sad eyes at the body in the casket.

But who was in there?

Jeremiah pushed his way to the casket and his knees weakened. His legs turned to mush beneath him and he gripped tightly to the rough lumber that now held his nephew.

Langley was dead? Jeremiah couldn't believe that. How!? When?! Damn, it was all Jeremiah fault! He'd turned his back on the boy and had been too busy drinking and whoring to be around to take care of him.

Jeremiah went to his brother and Rose and fell to his knees in front of them. He folded his hands and stared up at them through his tears. "Please forgive me," he begged. "It should be me and not Langley. Please forgive me."

If they could hear him, they gave no indication. Jeremiah swallowed hard. "Please....."

His words died on his tongue when he reached out to grab his brother's arm and his hand simply passed through the other man. "What the hell....?" Jeremiah muttered.

He leapt to his feet and went to Duke but he couldn't hear him either and Jeremiah was unable to touch him. Jeremiah turned his gaze to the cross on the wall. "What the hell is going on? Langley didn't deserve this, you son of a bitch. And now I can't even beg their forgiveness! Why did you take that boy?"

Suddenly Jeremiah found himself encased in darkness. The church, the casket and the people all faded and he was surrounded by an oppressive silence that deafened him.

Jeremiah spun around and around but there was nothing. Only blackness on all sides.

Then, without warning, he was once again inside the church. He took a moment to gain his bearings and realized that there were no mourners. There was a casket sitting at the altar but no one stood crying beside it.

Jeremiah tugged at his collar, which suddenly seemed far too tight, and walked stiff-legged to the casket. He glanced inside and saw himself. He was still and pale, lying there dead and alone.

His stomach clenched painfully. Didn't anyone care that he was dead?

Jeremiah stumbled back and fell into the front pew. Of course no one cared. Jeremiah had pushed everyone from his life—all he cared about was drinking and whores and neither of those wasted much time at funerals.