78
Day of Summer Mayhem - Twelve hours and counting until the handcuff challenge ends.
Candy held Slade’s hand so tight he thought his bones would break. She just stood looking at the door of the coffeehouse in an obscure location in the city. The smell of coffee and car fumes wafted over the streets.
“It’s all right, Sprinkles. We’re right here.” Slade kissed her hand. “I got you, babe.”
Gage opened the door and ushered them in. Kevin was sitting at a table with his head hung over a cup of coffee, seemingly exhausted. Even with his back turned to the door, it was clear he hadn’t slept.
“Daddy?”
Kevin looked over his shoulder and stood to greet them. “You came.”
He went to hug her, and Slade put his arm between them.
Looking at the expression, Kevin sighed and nodded his head. “You’re right. Too soon. Please... sit.”
Gage pulled a chair out for her. “I’ll grab us all some coffee.”
As the couple sat at the table across from the man, Slade glared at him. “So. Speak up. What do you want?”
Kevin gave a tight smile. “You're protective of my daughter. I like that. You want to jump right into it, huh?”
Slade’s eyes narrowed as he said, “We didn’t come here for a joyous family reunion.”
Shaking his head, the man gave a slight chuckle under his breath. “Don’t be so sure, son.”
As Gage sat down, he handed Candy and Slade their coffee. Leaning back, he looked at Kevin with a little pity, nodding his head to him. “How’re you doing, old man?”
“Not so good. My daughter thinks I’m an asshole and my wife is in a mental health ward.”
Candy crossed her arms, shaking her head in disbelief. “She’s not your wife. You’re divorced. You left us, or have you conveniently forget that fact?”
“Candy, I know you believe that, but it’s not true. I never stopped looking for you. Well, except for when I was in prison for some shit I didn’t do.” Kevin rolled his eyes, swirling a coffee straw in his drink.
Candy gave a fake laugh. “Don’t all inmates say that?”
“Yes. But some of them mean it.”
“Listen, I don’t need your lame excuse. I want answers. Were you cheating on Mom?”
“That’s what you think? God, no. I would never. I’ve loved her since we were kids. I always will. I wasn’t doing drugs or anything like that, either. I figure that’s your next question.”
“Okay then, if that’s true, what happened? Why didn’t you come back for us?”
“The day I left the house wasn’t at all what you think. You were so young, so you may not remember things as they were. When I came back home, you and your mom were missing. When I went to find you, the police pulled me over.”
“Because you were dealing drugs.”
“No. I wasn’t doing anything wrong. They had no reason to pull me over. Someone gave them a false tip that I was trafficking drugs. When they arrested me, there were enough drugs in the trunk to put me away for twenty-plus years. I got lucky and my sister found a decent lawyer to take it down to five since I had no prior record. When I got out, I started looking for you and your mother.”
Slade rolled his eyes. “You expect us to believe that shit? Candy told me the stories. All the signs were there that you were an addict. Leaving all the time and being gone for long periods. Sleeping constantly and changing your actions dramatically in a short time. You went from being a great family man to being a deadbeat father, like a flick of a switch. I’m an ex-addict. I know how it is when you do crazy shit out of the ordinary.”
“You’re right. I was gone a lot. But not for reasons people think. I was sick. I know we never explained it to you, but you were too young to understand.”
Gage leaned up, resting his elbows on the table. “What kind of sickness?”
“Cancer. I had leukemia. I was being treated and stayed with my sister in the city. A few times they hospitalized me. Sometimes it took longer for me to recover after chemo, and I didn’t want Candy to see me sick. She was so young, and I didn’t want my baby girl to remember the bad days. If I died, I wanted her to remember the happy times and have a normal childhood. I saw my father die when I was a child and didn’t want that for her. We believe the gene I carry to be hereditary.” He looked at Candy, hoping she would catch the connection.
She looked up with hurt in her eyes. “My brother Tyler had cancer.”
“I know. I’m sorry I never got to meet him. Maybe one day you could tell me about him.” He raised her brows knowingly.
“Daddy, he wasn’t your son.”
“I believe he was. I saw photos of him. I’ve been visiting your mom when I can.”
Candy pushed her cup away. “None of this makes sense.”
“I guess I need to start at the beginning. Your mother and I were struggling, and she took on a job at that little grocery store we always shopped at. I didn’t know, but on some nights she was also stripping in a local club for extra cash. She knew I used to work there as a bouncer, and I guess she thought it would be safe. The mob ran the place, and that’s how James met her. He was just some small-time thug back then.”
Candy shook her head in disbelief. “Mom, did that?”
She couldn't believe her ears.
