Page 48 of Candy

I frowned slightly. “Do you mean will he hurt you?” His nod was slow, and I reached over the bar and put the tips of my fingers on his arm. “No, Mike won’t hurt you.” And if he did, I would kick his ass.

“Okay. He’s kind of scary-looking.”

“He is?”

“Yeah, he’s bigger than I thought. My mom always said I looked just like him.”

I chuckled. “You do, and now you know how big you will be when you grow up.”

His eyes grew wide. “Wow.”

“How old are you, Harley?”

“I’m six.”

“Six, huh?”

He nodded sadly and then leaned forward to take another drink. I studied him and realized that Mike was watching us at the door. “Harley, can you excuse me for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay. Can I drink all of this? My mom never let me drink soda.”

“Yes, but only because today is a special day.”

“Okay!” he quickly said and began to suck more as I stepped under the bar and went to speak to Mike. We stepped just out of the way, although if Harley looked for me, he’d see me standing there.

“What is going on?” I asked him. “Did she really just drop him in your lap and run?”

“Yeah, she did. I guess she has cancer too, and she wanted to get him to me before she died, and he went into foster care.” He ran his hands through his hair and then down his face. “What the fuck am I going to do with a kid, Candy? He can’t stay here.”

“You’re right. He can’t stay here, but what are your options? You aren’t going to put him up for adoption, are you?”

“How do I even know he is mine?”

I tilted my head and gave him an are-you-kidding-me look. “I am pretty sure he is yours. He looks just like you.”

“Yes, I noticed that.” He leaned around the corner. “What the hell am I going to do? I have a kid. I never wanted a kid.”

“Yeah, well, that option is now out the window.”

He turned to me, taking me by the shoulders. “Candy, I have no right to ask you this, but I need your help. I don’t know what to do about this. I have no place he can stay.”

I thought about it for two whole seconds. “You can stay at my house.”

His hands dropped, and he stepped away. “I can’t stay at your house. He can, but I can’t.”

I stepped forward and got in his face. “Yes, you can. I am not going to take over the care of your son. I will help you get on your feet and give you a place to stay until you figure things out, but I am not doing it alone. You can both live in my house.”

“Candy, I can’t do that.”

I cocked my head. “Why? Because my brothers made you swear you wouldn’t sleep with me again? I don’t give a shit what they said. You men are all children as far as I am concerned. Besides, you won’t have to sleep with me. I have three bedrooms in my house. You would have your own room.”

“Candy—” He was shaking his head.

“From where I stand, Mike, you don’t have a choice. You want this tavern?” He nodded. “Then you and Harley will live with me for a little while until you can start making enough money to get your own place. I don’t see that you have many choices.”

He stared back at me as if he were in shock. I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the bar. “Now, come on in here and meet your son. He seems like a very nice little boy.”

He jerked to a stop. “I will ruin him. I have no business being a father.”

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