Page 58 of Dirty Play

“No, Dad. I’m not going to baby him. He hasn’t really been here in eleven years and he’s going to show up today and tell us what to do?”

“I’m not—” I start, but he’s not finished.

“He left us, he left the ranch, he left the house, he left our family, and now he’s back and wants to tell us what to do? Fuck that.”

I want to get defensive, tell him he’s wrong, and that’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m honestly just trying to talk, not shut myself in like I always have, but I’m clearly fighting an uphill battle. I know it isn’t going to be easy, and fuck, I just have to grin and bear it because I know deep down I made this mess. Now it’s my turn to fix it.

“Now isn’t the time, Vince,” my dad says.

“You’re right,” I say, knowing it’s not worth a fight, and it’s just best to concede. “I did leave, I did run, and we can sit here and talk about it, but do we really need to do that while fixing a fence?”

“No, we don’t, Cade, let’s just keep avoiding it. Why don’t you sit there and look pretty and let us work? I’m really not in the mood to listen to you spew your martyr bullshit at eleven in the morning.”

My mouth gapes. This is the first time that Vince has spoken to me like this. Being three years apart meant that we became really close growing up, especially once he got into sports. It gave us something to bond over.

It’s not even that he’s yelling at me, it’s the pain in his voice—it’s knowing that I’ve hurt him. I’ve hurt my entire family when I was only trying to protect them.

I fucked up.

Chapter 23

Gwen

Sitting on the porch with Cade’s mom Shelly and Kylie was not something I ever thought I'd be doing… today or any other day if we’re being honest. I was really nervous at first when Cade agreed to go help his dad. The thought of being alone with two women who are extremely important to Cade… well, it’s scarier than walking across a glass bridge and I have a fear of heights.

Flash-forward three hours, and I’m pleasantly surprised that I’m actually having a lot of fun. It helps that these two are absolutely hilarious and seem to be in a competition to see who can share the most secrets about Cade, even though I keep insisting we are just friends. It doesn’t surprise me at all that Cade and his brother got caught streaking through town when they were in high school or that he got in more fights than they could count because boys kept being rude to Kylie and Veronica.

They even tell me a little bit about Veronica, not going too in-depth, just enough that I can tell she was a special girl. The way they describe her, she was strong-willed, took no shit, and was really loyal to the people she loved. Although it seems like she also knew how to piss her brother off and chose to do it as much as possible, probably because she was the only one who could put him in check.

“The boys should be heading back soon. Carson doesn’t like to work too late, so he’s always back by three. Plus, I bet Cade is just itching to get back,” Shelly says as she looks down at her phone to check the time.

“There’s no doubting that. He didn’t let you out of his sight the entire time we were talking, even when Dad and Vince tried to get him to go talk on the patio. I’m sure he’s out there acting like a lost puppy dog,” Kylie adds, and I’m already blushing.

“No, no, you guys have this all wrong. That’s not what this is. I’m a nurse at the hospital in the PICU, and he ended up being a donor for one of my patients. Since we’re friends outside of all that—I’m best friends with his friend's girlfriend—he asked if I’d come with him to make sure he’s okay… Plus, he needed a driver.”

“You either think I was just born yesterday, which I can guarantee I was not, or you’re delusional.” Shelly laughs, and I’m not sure what to do.

Does she know about Cade and I? Fuck.

“I, we, uh… I don’t know,” I tell them, sighing, not sure what to say.

“Well, if it makes this conversation any easier, when I hung out with Sawyer we got nice and liquored up, so I happen to know a thing or two about you and my big brother,” Kylie says with a sly grin that tells me she has enough details to know just how close the two of us have gotten.

Son of a bitch. My face reddens immediately, and I can feel both their eyes on me. I want to disappear. I’m equally in shock that she knows about this and that she’d say something about it in front of their mom, but she just laughs. I’m not good at hiding things, and I’m even worse at brushing them off when people ask me point-blank. I want nothing more than to stop hiding this thing with Cade.

Whatever it is.

“Look, moms always know. We have a sixth sense about these things. Besides, anyone paying attention can see the way he looks at you. I saw it last night, and I was with you two for ten minutes. Which reminds me, I need to thank you.”

“You need to… what? Why?” I ask, looking at Kylie like she might help me understand, but she just shrugs.

“Yes, you brought my boy home. I think… no… I know that if it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t be here.”

Shelly says it so matter-of-factly that it’s hard for me to not just take her word for it, but I really didn’t do anything. I start fidgeting with my sweatshirt, trying to figure out what to say.

“Mrs. Williams, I really didn’t do anything. This was all his idea. He just brought me along for the ride,” I tell her, uncomfortable with the undeserved praise.

“Sweetie, it’s been almost eleven years since he’s walked into this house with a smile on his face. It wasn’t until last night, when he walked in with you, that I saw a glimpse of my boy. He’s been so isolated, doing his best to stay away and push everyone away in the process. But your energy reminds me of someone I love, and people like you don’t take no for an answer, so I’m not surprised you’re breaking him down a bit. I think having someone like you in his life has pushed him to want more.”

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