“I—I was going to call back when I was ready—“
Dad looked at Cane and grimaced. “I am so sick of you manipulating her, Cane! I swear to God, every time some shit goes down you’re in the fucking picture!”
“Dad, stop!” I shouted, rushing between them. “It was my choice to go with him! I knew how you would react after the school called you so I called Cane and he booked a flight for me to come back here!”
“Why?” Dad barked. “Why couldn’t you just call me and ask me to schedule the flight? Why the hell did it have to be Cane? You told me you weren’t talking to him anymore, but then I get a call from school saying your scholarship was revoked because you were with him? Just doesn’t make any fucking sense, Kandy! Don’t you see he’s ruining your fucking life?”
“He is not ruining my life, so back the hell off, Dad! I mean it!”
Dad’s eyes stretched wider, like he was shocked that I’d spoken to him that way. I could understand why he was. I had never spoken to him that way. I’d shocked myself, to the point I was literally shaking.
“Kandy,” Cane tried to speak, but I held my hand up at him. Cane was only helping and my dad was being a selfish asshole and letting his anger get in the way of what I wanted. Yes, he had a right to be upset, but he needed to realize that he didn’t control me. I’d had it with him.
“Kandy…out of all the men—all the people in this fucking world—you decide to be with him?” Dad questioned, voice lower. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“Well, sometimes things like this don’t make sense, but that doesn’t give you the right to hurt him or me because of it, or make me do things just because you want it to be your way. My life is not yours.”
Dad scoffed. “Hurt you? Kandy, I am trying to protect you! I know Cane! I know where he came from and it’s not a good place. I don’t want you getting caught up in any of that!”
“I’m fine,” I asserted.
Dad’s head shook. ”Your mother isn’t going to be happy knowing you’re in Georgia and didn’t tell her.”
“I was going to come home and talk to both of you when I was ready. I didn’t want to talk to you while your head was hot. I wanted us to talk when you’d cooled down. I knew you were pissed, that’s why I stayed away.”
Dad ran a hand over his face. “Can’t believe this shit,” he grumbled, looking from Cane to me. He stared at Cane, but Cane matched his stare, not backing down this time.
“Look, D, I—”
“No—don’t even fucking talk to me!” Dad snapped. “This is what’s going to happen. Mindy is off work tomorrow and so am I. Kandy is coming back home tonight, where she belongs, and tomorrow you are coming over for dinner. I don’t give a shit if you have meetings or flights—you better fucking cancel them because if you don’t show up tomorrow, I will be sure that you never see my daughter again. You aren’t the only person who knows people, Cane.”
I stepped back, peering up at Cane. His jaw was ticking, and his grip tightened around the paper bag of groceries cradled in his arm. “She’s only going home if she says she wants to. Otherwise, she’s coming back with me. You don’t tell her what to do anymore, D. She’s not your fucking puppet.”
Dad started to charge him, but I pressed a hand to his chest and forced him back. Dad was seething like a bull. He hated being challenged, but Cane had a point. My father couldn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do, and he needed to realize that. I wasn’t nine anymore and he couldn’t ground me over choices like this.
“Dad. Back. Off.” I forced him back some more and he lowered his eyes to mine.
“I want you home, Kandy. Tonight. I mean it,” he snarled.
“And I’ll come home, as long as you promise not to hurt Cane.”
Dad’s seething settled a bit. His eyes flickered over to Cane’s before dropping again. “Fine. But if he’s not there tomorrow, he stays away. I mean it.”
“Fine.”
Dad grunted, jerking himself away.
“I’m going back with him to get my suitcase and I’ll have him drop me off.”
“I mean it,” Dad repeated, pointing a finger at Cane. “You don’t show and I will fucking ruin you. She claims you love her so much? Well, tomorrow you’re going to fucking prove it to me.”
Dad turned his back, shoulders hunched, and trekked through the parking lot to get to the store. I let out the breath trapped in my lungs, turning toward Cane who was watching Dad go.
Without so much as a word, he trudged to his car, popping the trunk, dropping the bag of groceries in it, and then going for the passenger door, snatching it open.
“Get in,” he grumbled.
“Cane, don’t take what he said to heart. He’s mad at me and taking it out on yo—”
“Just get in the car so I can take you home, Kandy. Please.”
I clamped my mouth shut and climbed into the car, sitting back against the leather. Cane got in immediately and started the car.
He drove in silence, but I noticed how tight his grip was on the wheel. The silence was deafening. I had to say something.
“I don’t have to go back tonight, Cane. We can go together tomorrow. Maybe it’ll make a statement—show him that we’re serious.”
“No. That’ll just make him angrier. You can go home tonight, settle whatever feelings need to be squashed, and I’ll come for dinner. I have a flight tomorrow night, but I’ll reschedule it. It’s fine.”
“You shouldn’t have to do that for me.”
“I want to. I want him to know that what we have isn’t just meaningless sex, like I’m sure he assumes it is.”
I sighed and focused on the road ahead. When we got to his house, I packed up my suitcase—there wasn’t much to put back inside it—and met Cane back downstairs. He was raking his fingers through his hair, like he was annoyed about the entire situation.
I held the handle of my suitcase tighter and met him at the door. He opened it, letting me walk out first, but stopped me before I could get completely out. “Are you sure you want to put yourself through this to be with me?”
I shrugged. “I’m positive. They’ll have to understand eventually, right?”
He looked me in the eyes carefully before nodding. “Right.”
He shut and locked the door behind him, then followed me to the car, popping the trunk and grabbing my suitcase to put it in. We were in the car again, riding in silence, but this time our fingers were entwined.
We made it to my parents’ house, where Cane shut off the lights before pulling into the driveway. Dad’s truck was parked there, and I was sure Mom was home by now too.
Warily, I got out of the car and Cane followed suit. He carried my suitcase to the porch and I was glad the lights weren’t on. When he placed it down, he brought a hand up to cup one side of my face. “Let me know if you want me to come back. I will.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him.
“Okay.” He dropped a kiss on my lips. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Kay.” He pressed his forehead to mine, leaving one more kiss on my lips before pulling away. “Go, before he catches you,” I said, trying to smile for him, but it came off crooked.
“Call or text me if you need anything.”
I nodded and grabbed the handle of my suitcase, but Cane came in for one more kiss, wrapping a hand around the nape of my neck. He dug his fingers into the back of my neck just enough for me to feel it—most likely to let me know that this changed nothing. That he was still mine and I was still his.
When he pulled back and walked off, I ran my tongue over my bottom lip, heat blooming in the pit of my belly. I watched him get inside his car and start it and his headlights flashed on me and across the house.
As he pulled out of the driveway, the lock on the door clinked and then swung open. Mom was there, and when she spotted me, she let out a loud gasp and rushed toward me, reeling me in for a hug around the neck.
; I hugged her back. “Oh, Kandy. God, you had me so worried!” She sighed when releasing me. I walked into the house and she closed the door behind us.
Holding my face in hand, she looked me all over. “Tell me what happened, sweetheart. Was Cane really on campus?”
I dropped my eyes. “Yes. He came for a business seminar.”
“So he took initiative to come out and see you? All the way in Indiana?”
“Mom, please. It wasn’t like that.” I pulled away from her.
“Well, tell me what it was like, Kandy, because right now, his behavior doesn’t make any sense.”
“Doesn’t have to,” a deep voice said behind Mom. She turned around, and both of us looked at Dad. He was standing by the opening of the kitchen, arms folded. “He’ll be over tomorrow. He’ll have no choice but to explain himself. Explain all of this.”
Mom let out a breath. She looked at me like she had so many questions, but didn’t want to overwhelm me with them right now. Not yet anyway.
Truthfully, with Dad lingering in the background brooding, I wasn’t up for talking about Cane anyway.
“Well, go up to your room, get settled in, then meet me back down stairs.” She rubbed my shoulders. “We can talk—just you and me. Okay?” She whispered the last part.
“Sure,” I muttered.
She walked to Dad. They both went into the kitchen, Dad’s eyes staying back a little longer than Mom’s. It seemed he had a lot to say too, but was saving it for dinner the next night.
I went up to my room and showered, but I didn’t have it in me to go back down and talk to Mom. If she came up to my room and wanted to talk, sure, but I didn’t know what to tell her that I hadn’t already said.
I think it was pretty obvious why I’d gotten back with Cane again. I wanted him. I loved him. Plain and simple…they just refused to understand it.
To my luck, Mom didn’t come back upstairs. I curled up in my bed, which was freshly made by the way. Apparently, they were looking forward to my arrival. That was good to know, at least. They loved me enough to want me there.
Cane sent me a text around midnight. Thankfully I was still awake.
Cane: It won’t be easy, Kandy Cane.
Me: I know.
Cane: Hopefully things will be okay tomorrow.
Me: I hope so too…my dad is looking at me weird again.
Cane: Try not to let it get to you…
Me: I’m just ready to see you tomorrow. Prove to them that it’s real.
Cane: We will.
I shut my phone off, eyelids getting heavier.
I hoped everything would go back to the way it was before.
I hoped Cane was right. Everything needed to be okay. Not just for my parents’ sake, but for ours too.
Thirty-Nine
KANDY
I’d spent the morning helping Mom prepare food for dinner. She and I had gone grocery shopping, cleaned potatoes, meat, chopped broccoli, and seasoned it all throughout the day.
Of course she asked about school, and wanted to know what they’d told me at the hearing. Mom believed there was a way I could take it to court, seeing as it was such short notice that they revoked my scholarship, and refused to take it to court and give me a fair chance to talk to an attorney, but that was her lawyer side speaking. It was better to just let it go. Plus, I had a feeling Coach Carmen wouldn’t have wanted me around anyway. Imagine if I’d won the case and still had my scholarship, the school would have grown a disdain for me. I would have been the talk of the campus. It was better to start fresh somewhere else.
I told her all I could remember about the hearing, and even told her and Dad about Brody and Sophie, and how I dumped my drink on him and smeared a slice of pizza in Sophie’s face. Mom found it humorous. Dad didn’t. Of course he was still upset. Definitely on edge, probably ready to confront Cane and try to squash it all. Or worse, tell Cane to leave me alone out of respect for him.
Ugh.
To be fair, my parents didn’t speak much of Cane, and even though Dad walked around with a bit of an attitude, it felt like home again somehow. Not a complete and happy home, but home nonetheless.
Before I knew it, dinner was getting started.
I had gone through the same routine, almost like I was a teenager again, meeting Cane for our usual weekend dinners. I styled my hair and wore a more conservative black dress that stopped at the knees just so I wouldn't piss my dad off anymore than he already was. When I heard a car door shut, my heart skipped a beat.
He’s here.
I finished up rapidly, hoping to answer the door before my parents could. They were out back, by the grill. When I made it down, my parents were nowhere in sight. I could hear things rattling in the kitchen and the patio door sliding open and closed. I glanced over my shoulder once before focusing on the door, gripping the knob and twisting it.
When I pulled it open all of my worries seemed to subside, because there he stood, and when his eyes found mine, I smiled.
“Hey,” I breathed.
“Hey, Kandy Cane,” he murmured, scanning me with his eyes. “You look great.”
I gave him a small laugh. “You’re lying. This is one of my modest dresses. Wore it because I don't want to piss my dad off.”
When I said that, Cane looked over my shoulder, his smile slowly fading. “Where is he anyway?”
“He's probably out back. He's grilling steak tonight.”
“Steak?” His brows shifted, nearly touching his hairline. “Wow. He must really mean business. I don’t think we’ve had steak since the very first time I had dinner here.”
“Wow. How can you remember that?”
“Because it was the best steak I’d ever had. Homemade. Fresh.” He put on a lazy, lopsided smile.
I had the urge to hug him, kiss him even, but instead I let him come inside. When he made it into the foyer, I shut the door behind him and looked up to meet his eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this? We don't have to, you know? He can't tell me what to do anymore.”
“I know he can’t, but out of respect for the friendship I had with him before, and for you, I have to.”
I sighed. He was right, but I didn’t want to see him being hounded.
I heard the patio door slide open. “Kandy! You almost ready?” Mom called. Not even two seconds ticked by before she was trotting around the corner from the kitchen and into plain view. “Oh!” she exclaimed, like she was surprised to see Cane standing there. “Wow, you’re here early!”
Cane smiled. “Hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course not!” She walked closer. “I'm glad to see you made it.”
Cane smiled, eyes softening, then he lifted his hand, holding up the bottle of wine that I didn’t even realize he had. “I brought your favorite again.”
Her laughter chimed, bouncing off the walls. “Aw! That will go great with dinner. Thank you.”
The patio door slid open again, and Dad stepped around the corner too. He looked up as he dusted his hands off on his jeans. When he saw all of us standing there, he froze a little, looking between the three of us.
When he looked at Cane, I saw a spark of fury light his eyes, but it quickly subsided when they fell down to Mom’s. She smiled for him in a way only he would be able to understand. Dad's face softened and he drew in a breath, exhaling slowly.
“Cane,” he acknowledged.
“How are you, D?” Cane put on a wary smile.
“Fine. Could be better, you know…” Dad ran a hand over top of his head, focusing on me. “Food should be ready in twenty. Just waiting for the steak to finish grilling.”
“Okay, Dad.”
“Cane, let me grab that from you,” Mom insisted, reaching for the bottle of wine. “I'll pop it open, grab us some glasses.”
“Sure.” He handed it to her. “Sounds great.”
Mom forced a smile at him then dropped her eyes to me. She smiled at me but it didn't touch her eyes. Turning on the spike of her black heels, she heade
d back to the kitchen.
The tension was at an all-time high. I knew Cane was uncomfortable. I remember when he used to come over for dinner, before we got too serious, he would make himself right at home. Now, he was walking around, completely unsure of what to do with himself.
“Help me set the table.” I grabbed his hand and led the way to the dining room.
He drew in a deep breath, going straight for the silverware on the middle of the table. Silently, we placed the utensils outside of each plate. My heart drummed, and I couldn't help peering up at Cane every few seconds, hoping he would say something to make things less awkward.
His shoulders were tense, and he avoided my eyes for the most part, but when our eyes would latch, he would give me small smiles to ensure he was okay.
After setting the table, we walked into the kitchen, Cane trailing closely behind me. We stood there, not touching, and not really looking at each other. Just standing.
It felt strange not touching him after being alone with him so many times before. I wondered what was going through his head. There were plenty of other places he could have been, yet he was there with me—for me—and knowing that he would put himself through something like this and lower his pride for my sake, when he truly didn't have to, made me admire him even more.
Mom came back into the house, grinning at us both. That was Mom, always smiling through awkward situations. She reached into a cabinet and pulled down some wine glasses.
“So, how have things been, Cane?” she asked, uncorking the bottle he’d brought and pouring some into a glass. She handed him a glass and he accepted it with a gracious nod.
“Things have been great. Work is picking back up. Also have some really great opportunities happening in North Carolina. I may be relocating there actually.”
“Really?” Mom seemed surprised to hear that. I was too. He never told me that.
“Yes. We’ll be opening a building for Tempt there with bigger offices, more work space—much more accommodating than the one here.”
The Cane Series: Complete 4-Book Box Set Page 50