Read Online LEIF (Blake Security Book 3) by Celina McKane - Free Book Online
Authors: Celina McKane
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morning, boss.”
“Mm hmm…” He looked like he was on the verge of tears. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if he actually cried. Mack was a rock. Nothing ruffled him. This must be bad.
“Mack, what’s wrong?”
“Marilyn is sick.”
“Sick? How?”
“She has breast cancer.”
“Oh my God!” I went over and bent over his chair and pulled him into a hug. He did cry then, sobbing into my shoulder for a long time.
When he finally got hold of himself, he pulled back, looked at me, and said, “I’m sorry. It’s just…God, Karli, what will I do without her? I’ll be lost and miserable. She’s my whole life. She’s been my whole life for over thirty years.”
It was next to impossible for me to wrap my head around a love that would last three decades and still be so strong. If I had one wish, having that for myself would be it. “Is it that bad?”
I handed him a tissue, and he wiped his face and blew his nose. With an embarrassed look, he said, “We don’t know yet. I’m sorry, Karli. I’m getting all worked up over something before I have all the facts. It usually annoys the hell out of me when people do that.”
I smiled at him. I’ve heard him rant about his clients working themselves up over an “imaginary” guilty verdict before. It more than annoys him. “Don’t be sorry, Mack. I’m sorry you and Marilyn are going through this. What have they told you?”
“The cancer is stage four, but it’s operable and they’re optimistic they can get it…”
“That sounds promising.”
“I hope so; I pray so,” he said with a forced little smile. “Oh, Karli, I’m sorry. I really didn’t call you in here to sob all over your shoulder.”
“You can sob on my shoulder anytime. Lord knows I’ve done it to you more times than I can count.”
He smiled again; this one looked more genuine. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you either. But I need to ask you a favor and I want you to know that it’s absolutely okay to say ‘no.’”
“I’ll do whatever I can for you and for Marilyn.”
“I know. It’s one of the reasons I love you. But this is work and it would involve you being separated from your son for a few days, so please say no if it’s too much…”
“Okay Mack, what is it?”
“I called you in to ask you a huge favor…if it’s too much you can say ‘no.’”
“I can’t fly to Texas on Thursday and leave her all weekend…right after her finding out about this.”
“Of course. I can rearrange things for you…”
“I want you to go for me, if it’s okay?”
“Go to the funeral?” Mack had a client who had been with him since the day he opened his office. She lived in New Orleans with her husband, who was extremely wealthy, for over twenty years. His children, who were grown when she met him, never treated her well. When he died, he left everything to her and his kids were furious. One son was arrested for making threats to her life, and a daughter filed a lawsuit before he was even in the ground. The woman was overwrought with grief at the loss of her husband already, and then she was being accused of being a gold digger in a very public arena. She packed up one suitcase and went home to Texas to hide out from the media and get away from her hateful stepchildren. She’d planned on giving them as much of what her husband had left her as she could. If they’d only been patient. She died last week while the civil case was still waiting to be heard, and she actually left everything to what Mack termed “the ungrateful little bastards.” He’d been afraid they wouldn’t give her the respectful funeral she deserved, so he’d been working with her attorney in Texas. Because she’d been in the military, he’d been working with the people at Fort Hood Army Base, too, in order to arrange a sendoff he believed that she deserved.
“I can go.”
“Are you sure? I’d hate for one of us not to be there, but if it’s too much for you to leave
“Mm hmm…” He looked like he was on the verge of tears. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if he actually cried. Mack was a rock. Nothing ruffled him. This must be bad.
“Mack, what’s wrong?”
“Marilyn is sick.”
“Sick? How?”
“She has breast cancer.”
“Oh my God!” I went over and bent over his chair and pulled him into a hug. He did cry then, sobbing into my shoulder for a long time.
When he finally got hold of himself, he pulled back, looked at me, and said, “I’m sorry. It’s just…God, Karli, what will I do without her? I’ll be lost and miserable. She’s my whole life. She’s been my whole life for over thirty years.”
It was next to impossible for me to wrap my head around a love that would last three decades and still be so strong. If I had one wish, having that for myself would be it. “Is it that bad?”
I handed him a tissue, and he wiped his face and blew his nose. With an embarrassed look, he said, “We don’t know yet. I’m sorry, Karli. I’m getting all worked up over something before I have all the facts. It usually annoys the hell out of me when people do that.”
I smiled at him. I’ve heard him rant about his clients working themselves up over an “imaginary” guilty verdict before. It more than annoys him. “Don’t be sorry, Mack. I’m sorry you and Marilyn are going through this. What have they told you?”
“The cancer is stage four, but it’s operable and they’re optimistic they can get it…”
“That sounds promising.”
“I hope so; I pray so,” he said with a forced little smile. “Oh, Karli, I’m sorry. I really didn’t call you in here to sob all over your shoulder.”
“You can sob on my shoulder anytime. Lord knows I’ve done it to you more times than I can count.”
He smiled again; this one looked more genuine. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you either. But I need to ask you a favor and I want you to know that it’s absolutely okay to say ‘no.’”
“I’ll do whatever I can for you and for Marilyn.”
“I know. It’s one of the reasons I love you. But this is work and it would involve you being separated from your son for a few days, so please say no if it’s too much…”
“Okay Mack, what is it?”
“I called you in to ask you a huge favor…if it’s too much you can say ‘no.’”
“I can’t fly to Texas on Thursday and leave her all weekend…right after her finding out about this.”
“Of course. I can rearrange things for you…”
“I want you to go for me, if it’s okay?”
“Go to the funeral?” Mack had a client who had been with him since the day he opened his office. She lived in New Orleans with her husband, who was extremely wealthy, for over twenty years. His children, who were grown when she met him, never treated her well. When he died, he left everything to her and his kids were furious. One son was arrested for making threats to her life, and a daughter filed a lawsuit before he was even in the ground. The woman was overwrought with grief at the loss of her husband already, and then she was being accused of being a gold digger in a very public arena. She packed up one suitcase and went home to Texas to hide out from the media and get away from her hateful stepchildren. She’d planned on giving them as much of what her husband had left her as she could. If they’d only been patient. She died last week while the civil case was still waiting to be heard, and she actually left everything to what Mack termed “the ungrateful little bastards.” He’d been afraid they wouldn’t give her the respectful funeral she deserved, so he’d been working with her attorney in Texas. Because she’d been in the military, he’d been working with the people at Fort Hood Army Base, too, in order to arrange a sendoff he believed that she deserved.
“I can go.”
“Are you sure? I’d hate for one of us not to be there, but if it’s too much for you to leave
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