Page 53 of Subtracting the Heart

Life had taken a few unexpected curves the three men were learning to maneuver, but the death of Cade’s father in jail had been a shock to everyone. He was supposed to be in an isolation unit under heavy guard, whatever that meant.

Based on the news Fiona Porter/Abigail Mellon had given Cade, his father was going to testify on behalf of the state to name those involved with him in the criminal enterprise he and Clary Radcliffe had orchestrated. After his testimony, he was promised a better facility out of state and out of danger. Cade wasn’t exactly sure how to react to the news his father was dead, which was why he was standing with Ford at the back of the service while Jackson sat next to Katrina and Cheryl in the front. Cade just couldn’t do it.

The three handsome men were solid. The summer had been great except for Jax being named acting defensive coach for Chicago. It seemed the Cajun had put his own dreams on hold to support the team, and with his temporary position came the new rule of the three of them going back into the shadows, which pissed off Cade more than he could articulate.

“Sweetheart, you should go up and be with your mother. Ashton and Amy aren’t faring well, either.” Ford’s whispered words tickled Cade’s ear.

Cade scanned the crowd until he found his little brother and sister both clinging to Jackson, so he moved forward through the crowd and stood between Jax and Katrina, grabbing both of their hands.

He was surprised to see his mother shedding a tear for Hudson Hayes, but he supposed his better-than-average childhood had been because his parents loved each other, once upon a time. As he watched his brother and little sister, he could see nothing made sense to either of them, so he moved to the other side of Ash to wrap his arms around them in comfort.

The minister finished his worthless pontification as the urn was lowered into a small box before it was locked and placed into its spot in the Hayes’ family mausoleum. Cade had never been to the place before, and he’d never go again.

Things needed to move forward for the whole family, and dwelling on the past and Hudson’s horrible treatment of both families wouldn’t change anything. They needed to overcome the past, and they needed to do it as a unit, Cade was sure.

With coaxing from Ford and Jax, Cade had invited everyone to the Greystone in the historic district after the service because it was closest to the cemetery. They’d had it catered, and Cade had the assurance Griff and Cleveland would oversee the arrangements for him to play the part of reluctant host.

Ford had offered to hold the affair at the club, and as tempting as it was, Cade couldn’t. His father had adamantly disapproved of his lifestyle so the man was likely already pissed off from wherever he would reside for eternity at being in his son’s den of iniquity. Thinking of Hudson virtually spinning in his grave was enough consolation for Cade.

After the memorial, where nobody got up to say anything nice about Hudson Hayes, Katrina took Cade’s arm to have him assist her from the cemetery as Jax helped Cheryl, Amy, and Ashton. “Where’s Branford, Kincade?” Katrina asked. Cade pointed to the side where Ford was speaking with Owen Hatch and Brady Jones, other friends of the trios.

“Mom, is there anything I can do for you?” Cade asked as they approached the limo waiting for them in the gentle downpour.

He saw his mother’s stoic smile under the thin black net veil, which was a glamorous throwback to the days when women wore such things. It was veryJackie Oof his mother to wear it to the service.

“Not me. The house in Naperville sold, finally. I’m moving to New York, and I’ll be wintering in New Mexico with the rest of my group. Is Jackson really going to be the defensive coach for Chicago? Won’t that put a lot of stress on the three of you?”

Cade sighed. “We’re going to support him, even if it means we go back into the closet. Ford and I just won’t be seen out with him, I suppose. I’ll keep you posted.” Cade kissed her cheek and opened the door for her to get inside the limo. Cheryl followed, along with Amy.

Cade waited for Ash to climb in, but the teen touched his arm to get his attention. “Can I ride with you guys?”

Jax nodded in agreement, so Cade leaned down and told the women they’d meet them at the Greystone. After he closed the door, the three of them made their way to Jackson’s Hummer, climbing inside to find Ford behind the wheel, ready to go.

Ford slowly followed the limo along the one-way lanes of the cemetery to the exit. “Why’d you want to ride with us, Ash?” Cade glanced at his little brother.

The boy wore an angry expression. “I’m sick of hearing Amy bitch about how Dad was wrongly accused and how Miss Rina lied about everything. She’s so damn stubborn. I told her everything I knew about what happened, but she still swears Hudson was framed.”

Cade held Ash’s hand. “Look, Ash, you and I both know the shit that came out about Hudson isn’t made up. Amy just doesn’t want to accept the fact that the father she idolized isn’t the man she believed him to be. She doesn’t want to accept the changes coming whether she likes it or not, and the longer she denieshis guilt, the longer she can live in the fantasy land where her perfect world is exactly as she wants it to be.

“I remember being that boy until the day Hudson brought me to your house to babysit the two of you while he took your mother on their honeymoon. I needed Hudson to want to spend time with me, but his love was never given easily. We Hayes men had to work for it far too hard.” Cade’s voice trailed off as he stared through the side window, reliving childhood memories best left buried.

“What have you got planned for the rest of the summer, kiddo?” Jax turned to look over the back of the front seat of the Hummer.

“Mom brought me home from art camp for this crap. Anyway, we were supposed to go to the house in Wisconsin for the rest of the summer. Well, if it’s still ours.” Ash glanced at his hands in his lap, and Cade could see the boy was worried. The expression shouldn’t be on such a young face.

“I’ll make sure Mom gives it to you guys. She wants to be fair to Cheryl because none of us asked for any of this.” Cade released Ash’s hand and patted the boy on the knee. Ash only nodded before he turned to look out the car window as rain gently fell.

Cade was playing host along with Jax and Ford. There were a lot of people in attendance, including Fiona Porter/Abigail Mellon. Cade was about to ask her to leave when Liam O’Malley walked into the house. He had no idea how the man had heard about Hudson’s untimely death, so he didn’t have a clue why the man had shown up.

As Cade was about to approach him, Jax led him out to the back deck off the main floor. “Let her do her job, Kincade. I spoke with Mitch and Stan. Neither of them gave that fucking prick a heads-up about the shelter. Mitch says he’s a crook, and Abigail confirmed he’s the lawyer for the Irish mob here in town. We need to find out how Ford’s friend, Robin, knows him, but we’ll talk about it later.

“The FBI has evidence Kenneth Shaw was just a cover for the whole shelter scheme. It sounds like the whole thing was a setup to launder money, chére. The cops are working through it, so it’s no longer our concern. The man didn’t get his hooks into you, so let’s not worry about it, okay?” Jax held Cade close.

Cade wasn’t surprised by the revelations about his father’s behavior any longer. Life was full of unpredictability, and it was just something one had to learn to accept. Plans could be made, but life threw unexpected curves… for example, Jackson Delacroix signing up to be the defensive coach for Chicago.

“Are you going to take the job with the team permanently? I know it’s a great opportunity, but I worry what it will do to our relationships,” Cade said, finally.

All the worry and uncertainty had been a millstone around all of their necks. Decisions needed to be made, and truths told if the three men were going to continue their trilationship.

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