Compromise Me (Book Two of the Kirkland Family)

Compromise Me: Chapter 25

Chapter 25

 Travis found the Kirkland farm with little difficulty.  He'd been there before, when Hannah married Josie's father, but the house sat out in the middle of nowhere and he didn't navigate dirt roads very well.  Never had to, really, growing up in a city and always lived in a city.  Today, he just followed the stream of traffic heading out of town.  They would have been earlier, but Livie wanted to check into the hotel and freshen up a bit before being around so many people, since they had to drive straight from Memphis to reach the funeral in time.  Travis glanced over at Livie.  Her symptoms seemed to intensify with the stress of the morning, but luckily no one had noticed yet except him.

He parked in the shade of a giant oak tree, staring at the farmhouse as he cut the engine.  An anthill of folks gathered around the place, and he had to swallow back his amazement.  Surely, not all those people were Josie's family.  Not relatives, at least.  He'd not seen such a gathering since the last time he went with Arielle on one of her family reunions.

It was an extraordinary feeling that overcame him.  This was Josie's life.  This was her family.  This was something he'd not ever experienced before.  No wonder the girl had it together.  She had support.  From every angle.  Travis had only relied on four people in his lifetime...himself, Livie, Arielle and Tristan.  He couldn't imagine, what in the world, how a woman like Josie, with these kinds of roots,  thought she was in love with him.

"You gonna stay in the truck all day?" Livie asked as he just sat there.

 "No," he said, unbuckling his seat belt.

"Well...prepare yourself.  These are good folk, but they'll stuff you full of that country loving before you get a word out," she chuckled.  "Hannah and Josie are blessed.  You and I...we come from a whole other world than this.  You ready?"

"Sure," he said, making his voice sound confident.  If he could survive Arielle's crazy family, this should be a piece of cake.

And there was cake.  Lots of it.  And more fried chicken than anyone there could eat...not to mention the casseroles, homemade ice cream, ice chests of cold beers and at least three barbecues smoking at the same time.

Before Travis and Livie could find a familiar face, they were surrounded by gentle old ladies and grandfatherly men, kids of all ages, smiles of welcome and bear hugs of compassion.

All this for...a funeral?

 "This is how they do it here," Livie said to him when he managed to catch his breath.  "They seemed to find joy in the worst of situations.  They're celebrating, you know.  The life of a good man.  I've met Mary Alice a few times.  Very little tears will be tolerated here."

 "This is crazy," he bent to mutter in her ear.

 "This is the Kirkland way," she said.  "You better get used to it.  I have a feeling this won't be the last time you'll be here."

 She grinned up at him and walked off to find Hannah.  Travis stood in one spot, afraid to make a target of himself until he found Josie.  Then he found a beer bottle pressed into his palm and Justin Kirkland scowling down at him.

Great.

"Mr. Kirkland," Travis began, ready to speak the necessary words of bereavement.

"Save it," Justin said.  "I don't need you telling me how great my father was."

Right...okay...

Justin drank from his own bottle.  "You here for Josie?  And think twice before answering that."

 Um...right...  Which answer was he looking for?  Eh...what the hell...

"Yes," Travis answered.