Ignoring Miranda, Britt brushed past her and hugged Jack. He hauled her against him and kissed her forehead. Britt smiled.
“Miranda, you remember I told you about Britt,” he said. “My girlfriend.”
She rolled her eyes at Britt, then walked away.
Marj’s eyes widened with shock at the news Jack had just delivered. She had heard it firsthand from Jack’s mouth and was totally blown away.
That statement from Jack meant everything to Britt. He’d told the hot girl he was taken. And he didn’t care who heard because a few others turned heads at his words. He had practically just announced them to the world. A few gasps erupted. Jaws dropped. More heads turned. All eyes were on Britt and Jack.
“Britt is dating Jack?” Kara, their scheduler, asked.
Jack wrapped his arm around Britt. “Yes, I’m dating Britt. And she’s been so supportive. She gave me the strength to come here today and say goodbye to my father.”
“She’s the girlfriend?” Joe asked.
Jack met his gaze straight on. “She is.”
“Whoa. I never expected that one.”
“So that’s how you knew he had a brother,” Marj said triumphantly.
“I’m Charlie. The other brother,” he said and extended his hand.
Britt could hear the whispers already starting.
Jack must’ve heard them too. “Just stop it. Office romances happen all the time. Now are we going to gossip about this? Or give my father a proper tribute and goodbye.”
Britt shook Charlie’s hand. “I’m Britt.”
“The lovely girlfriend. We spoke on the phone when Jakie-boy was indisposed.”
“Yes, we did.” She leaned in closer to whisper to him. “And if Miranda lays one more hand on him, you have my permission to stick her head in a toilet.”
Charlie chuckled softly.
“I’m sorry for your loss. For both of you,” Britt said.
Jack’s arm was around her waist as if he were reluctant to let her go for an instant. Jack kissed Britt’s temple and she whispered that she loved him.
Marj and Luke moved off to find seats for the funeral as more of the massive crowd filed by, pausing to speak to the Fitzsimmons brothers and pay their respects. Jack and I sat up front with Charlie as the minister spoke.
When Charlie stood and went to the podium, Britt was surprised. He tapped his iPhone and looked down at his notes before looking not at the crowd, but at his father lying still as stone in the open casket.
“My dad told me the last time he came to visit me in Auckland that he’d never live to see the day I came back to New York. I guess he was right.” He gave a nervous laugh. “But the fact is, nothing short of this would have brought me back. I should have done a great many things differently, but if I learned one thing from my father, it was to live a life without regrets. I’m trying to do that, to honor him in that way. But it’s hard as hell—pardon me, Reverend—to stand here and not wish things were different.”
He shook his head.
“If I had been here, well, I’m no surgeon so I’d not have done any good to save him. My brother, Jakie boy, he’s the good son. Our dad relied on him a great deal the last couple of years and Jack is in many ways the kind of man I could never aspire to be. I am thankful for him even more for that reason. He was what Dad needed him to be, and he’s made a number of sacrifices that allowed me to live my life the way I want. But this isn’t Jack’s eulogy. He’s not over. Not by a long shot. What I wish for him is a life as free as mine has been. As free as Dad’s was. He did everything he’d ever wanted to do. He never had a bucket list because he didn’t put things off or brood over what he hadn’t done. He took us both to the Galapagos a few years back and he said at the time, it was the only thing he’d always wanted to do that he hadn’t done yet. That’s the kind of life we should all aspire to lead. I thank all of you for being here.”
Charlie resumed his seat and Jack stood. He didn’t go to the podium but instead retrieved his guitar and pulled his folding chair to the front of the room. He strummed a chord and began to sing.
“Just yesterday morning/they let me know you were gone/seems like their plans put an end to you.”
Jack sang the rest of Fire and Rain. Britt wept quietly, her shoulders shaking. Charlie patted her shoulder, dry-eyed. When he finished, his voice thick with emotion, she had to hold herself in her chair by force of will. She wanted, she needed to go to him, hold him in her arms and let him sob out his sorrow on her shoulder. Still, Britt knew she mustn’t disrupt the funeral so she stayed seated. An older man, Maxwell James, spoke about coming up in the ranks of the Fitzsimmons conglomerate and how Peter had taken him under his wing and helped him to succeed and become a close family friend as well.
“He’s godfather to my daughter, Kim, and he never missed a recital of hers or a graduation. He was as caring and as thoughtful as he was ambitious and brilliant. He did, as Charlie boy said, lived the kind of life that we should all hope to. A brave life, without second-guessing ourselves. I know that he meant the world to a lot of us and I know his boys meant the world to him. After Joanna, his wife, passed away many years ago, he told me he’d never marry again. He had his sons and that was more than any man deserved. He didn’t want to find another love. In his heart of hearts, Peter Fitzsimmons believed that you love only once truly, and he had had everything a man could want. A loving wife. Two fine sons. All the success and achievement he could dream of. Another man would have been greedy for more, but not Peter Fitzsimmons. He was a man who knew how to be grateful. We should take that lesson and put it in our pockets today, take it home and remember it no matter what.”
The crowd applauded once again and the minister gave the word for the assembled guests to take a final pass by the casket for viewing before leaving the family alone with the departed for their goodbyes. When Britt paid her respects at the coffin, she saw that Jack was deep in conversation with Mr. James who had spoken during the service, so she withdrew to the anteroom with Marj. The graveside service was private so they went ahead to the banquet hall nearby for the dinner.