“Jes…se?” A broken voice penetrated Jesse West’s focus for a brief moment. He lifted his head. The rarest of commodities, a gentle breeze warmed by a kind, late-April sun seemed to kiss the tears streaming unceasingly down his cheeks. Then his gaze dropped back to the raw mound of earth at his feet. All around him, under the partial shade of wind-blasted oaks, other freshly dug graves—too many of them—clawed the earth apart. He dropped his eyelids.
Warmth penetrated the shoulders of his shirt. He did not react to the touch except to murmur softly, “Kristina.”
“Jesse, I’m so sorry. So sorry.” The grip of her capable musician’s hands became a full-bodied hug as she crushed him from behind. She’s so strong.
She’s so strong.But not strong enough to stem the flow of tears, or to stop his hea
