Release Me (The Music Within Book 2) (11 page)

“You
never did tell me about Cade. What’s his story?” Suzette requested, sitting
down at her spot at the table.

Mal
knew it was best to get this out of the way, so he poured them both a glass of
sweet tea and sat down next to her, telling her what little he knew about Cade.

“I
knew he was different, but a rock star? Whoowee,” she said, fanning herself.

Mal
laughed at his momma, but Cade made him hot, too. “Yes. We can now say we know
somebody famous.”

“I
can’t wait to see him Saturday. Are y’all going out afterwards?” Suzette’s
normally dim eyes were sparkling with mischief.

“Ma,
just friends, remember?” Mal stood and put their glasses in the sink. He needed
to be outside checking on things.

“You
keep saying that, but the sound of your voice when you’re talking ‘bout him
says something else. You can try to fool your momma, but it ain’t gonna work.”

Mal
sighed and shook his head. There was no use arguing with her. She would find
out soon enough when Cade was back in California with his new band, and they
were a distant memory. He had no idea why the man had agreed to fly all the way
across country just for supper, but he was kind of glad he had. He kissed
Suzette on the cheek before heading outside to check on things.

He
and the dogs made their rounds, and Mal mentally made a list of things he
needed if the farm was going to be productive once again. Since the new owner
was going to get Mal some horses, he spent the next hour going over every inch
of the barn. Quite a few boards needed to be replaced, but the roof was still
in good repair.

As
he hooked the small trailer to the back of the four wheeler, he got excited at
the prospect of having a tractor again so he didn’t have to purchase the square
bales of hay. He had continued purchasing top grade feed, but it would be nice
to have the large, round bales out in the pasture for the cattle to have access
to. He stacked eight square bales on the trailer and secured them with tie down
straps before taking off. The dogs ran on ahead of him, already knowing where
they were going.

As
Mal scattered the hay in several different spots, he felt lighter than he had
in a long time. He allowed himself to dream of the possibilities of making the
farm successful. Being foreman meant he would have a salary. Never had Mal had
a paycheck in his life. Sure he had access to the bank account, but rarely was
there money left over for him to purchase anything that wasn’t absolutely
necessary. Even though the house technically didn’t belong to him any longer,
he still felt as if it was his and his momma’s. The owner was drafting up a
contract stating as long as Mal remained on the land as foreman, the house was
his. He didn’t have to ask about making improvements.

His
truck was paid for, but the company was providing him with a newer model
pick-up that was more suitable for farm work. Next chance he got, he was going
to one of the Goodwills down in Nashville. He was always able to find brand new
jeans for around eight bucks instead of paying full price. He needed a couple
of new dress shirts, too, even though he probably wouldn’t have a chance to
wear them anywhere. Sitting next to Cade at the supper table came to mind, and
he decided then he would go shopping before Saturday. His boots were okay for
now, but as soon as he got a couple of paychecks in the bank, he wanted to get
a new pair.

Mal’d
make sure his momma got some new things as well. He couldn’t remember the last
time she had bought herself anything new to wear, even if it was a hand-me-down
from a thrift store. He felt bad for Suzette, being stuck at home all the time.
It was his fault, in a way. If he’d kept his dick in his pants, she would still
be the vibrant beauty she’d been instead of the frumpy lady who had no life.
Maybe he would ask Walt to start spending more time with her, just to get her
out of the house. The two of them had seemed extremely comfortable around each
other at dinner. Maybe they were together more than Mal realized and just
didn’t want him to know it. Was his mom asking for Walt to come to supper her
way of easing Mal into the idea of them together? If so, he needed to just come
out and ask her about it. He wanted his momma happy, and if that happiness came
in the form of Walt Johnson, then so be it. Mal couldn’t think of a better man
for Suzette. He added talking to Walt to his list of things to do.

Cade

Cade
probably should have called before showing up unannounced at his parents’ home,
but he always did love to surprise his mother. Now that he was standing in
front of the door, he felt bad for not coming to visit before today. He was in
a better place than he’d been in a long time and was ready to face his mother’s
inquisition. Even though he would always love Tag, he could finally put their
past where it belonged – in the past. He would never forget all their years
together and what they shared as both friends and lovers, but he was ready to
start the next chapter of his life.

Since
it was close to dinner time and his father should be home, Cade didn’t barge
in, just in case his parents were doing the nasty. After thirty-five years
together, they still had the hots for each other, so they said. While he
appreciated the fact they were still madly in love, he had no desire to walk in
on them naked. He rang the doorbell and waited. When the door swung open, his
mother gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. As quickly as the tears formed
in her eyes, they disappeared when she punched him in the stomach. “August
Kincade Anderson! Where the hell have you been? And why the hell haven’t you
called?”

Audrey
Anderson was a beautiful woman and did not look to be closing in on sixty. Her
blonde hair was pulled up in a neat twist, and her clothes were immaculately
pressed. “You never know when an emergency will arise or company will show up
unannounced, even though it would serve them right to see an unkempt woman
since they were, indeed, unannounced,” she’d once told him when he was younger and
fussed about having to wear something other than blue jeans and a t-shirt. He
got his height from his father, but his mother wasn’t a short woman, standing
at 5’9. Her mad face morphed into her concerned face. She didn’t have to reach
far to grab his chin and study him.

“Mom,
can we go inside? I’m fine, I promise.” He knew it would take more than a few
words to appease her. She would drill him relentlessly, and that was the reason
he’d stayed away as long as he had. That and the fact she would have seen the
sadness in his eyes.

“You’re
just in time for dinner. Did you plan it that way?” she asked as they walked
through the massive house to get to the dining room. Even if it was just his
parents, they always ate in the formal room instead of in the kitchen. Cade
smiled as he remembered breakfast with Mal at the small table for four. It was
a warm and cozy feeling to eat next to someone instead of in the stuffy room
that would seat twenty.

“Of
course I did. You know I’m a shitty cook, and I’m tired of room service.”

“August,
Kincade is here,” his mother announced to his father as soon as they reached
the doorway. Cade was quickly enveloped by his father who always managed to
crush him before beating him on the back.

“Cade,
Son. It’s good to see you, but you really should have called,” his dad said
when he finally let go.

“I’m
sorry, are you expecting company?” Cade asked, looking at the table. It was
only set for the two of them, so he was confused.

“No,
I mean before. You should have called so we weren’t worried about you. Here,
have a seat. Margaret can bring another place setting.” His mom had already
disappeared into the kitchen to inform the cook they had a guest. Even though
this was the house Cade grew up in, he was still considered a guest when he visited.
It’s just the way his mother was. He didn’t hesitate to make himself at home as
if he still lived there. It’s just the way
he
was.

“My
Cade!” a shrill voice sounded from the kitchen. Cade stood and held his arms
open for the small woman who was more like a grandmother than servant. Growing
up, Cade spent a lot of time with the servants while his parents were off doing
charitable things for less fortunate children while their own child was left
with the hired help. He didn’t begrudge his parents, though. They had spoiled
him rotten when they were home.

“Hello,
my Margaret. How have you been?” He held on to the woman who wasn’t afraid to
get her clothes wrinkled. Cade couldn’t ever remember a time his mother had
pulled him into a hug the way his father and Margaret did.

“I’m
getting old, my boy, but you would know that if you came around,” she scolded,
swatting him on the backside.

“Ouch!
Not so old your punishment hurts any less,” Cade said, grinning.

“Margaret,
if you are finished playing, we are ready to eat.” Audrey’s tone held a hint of
malice instead of her usual pleasantness.

Cade
returned to his chair, questioning his mother. “So, what’s new in the Anderson
dynasty?”

His
parents cut their eyes at each other before looking away quickly. Something was
going on with them. “Spill it. I know it isn’t because I haven’t called. I’ve
gone a lot longer than three months without calling before.” That was probably
a lie, but it sounded good.

“Don’t
think you can come in here and pretend nothing has been going on with you. You
are
going to tell us all about it,” his mother said sternly as she picked up
her half-empty wine glass and swirled the liquid around.

“It?”
he stalled.

“Yes,
it
. The reason you’ve been hiding from us.”

Cade
stood and went to the sideboard where the liquor was stored. He dropped a few
ice cubes in a glass and poured it full of whiskey. He shouldn’t need liquid
courage to talk to his parents, but for this, he just might. Instead of easing
his way into it, he plunged headfirst and didn’t come up for air until he was
at the other end of the pool.

“Taggart
is married?” his mother exclaimed at the same time his father asked, “The band
broke up?”

Cade
was surprised his parents hadn’t heard about the band breaking up already, but
he was glad to see Cortland had kept his word about not telling his father what
happened.
“Yes, Tag and Erik got married,
and yes, 7’s Mistress is no longer. The good news is I have a new gig. Divining
the Dark needed a drummer, and I agreed to take the job.”

They
stopped talking while Margaret served their plates. It wasn’t like the cook
couldn’t hear their conversation from the kitchen, but his mother had always
made it protocol to never discuss family business directly in front of the
help. Cade would have a conversation later with Margaret, anyway. “Will there
be anything else?” she asked before making herself scarce.

“No,
thank you,” his mother, dismissing the woman as if she hadn’t been in their
employ for over thirty years.

Cade
had picked up his fork, but at his mother’s tone, he laid it down on the plate.
“Ok, enough. What the fu… hell is going on?” he whispered. He looked at the
doorway that led to the kitchen and back to his parents. He leaned back in his
chair and crossed his arms.

His
mother downed her wine before looking at her husband and saying, “You tell him.
If you’ll both please excuse me.” Audrey had never once left the dinner table
before everyone had finished eating. It just wasn’t proper etiquette. When she
was out of the room, his dad stood up and poured them both another drink.

August
downed his and refilled his glass before he blurted out, “We’re talking
divorce.”

“You
what
?” Cade tossed back his own glass and emptied the harsh liquid.
After that little bomb, he welcomed the fire coursing down his throat. “Why on
earth would you be
talking
divorce?”

“It’s
complicated.”

“Of
course it’s complicated. Fucking
life
is complicated. But you two love
each other. Don’t you?” Cade couldn’t believe they were having this
conversation.

“Yes,
we love each other, very much. But sometimes love isn’t enough.” His dad’s eyes
filled with tears.

“Did
she cheat on you? Is that it?”

“Why
would you think she cheated on me and not the other way around?” his dad asked,
frowning.

“Because
I see the way you look at her, like she hung the moon. Don’t get me wrong, Dad,
I love her, but Mom can be cold.”

August
smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “She has a very good reason, Cade. I made
a mistake, a long time ago, and now, well, let’s just say the past never stays
buried.”

“So
you cheated on her?” Cade would never believe it if his father didn’t confirm
it.

His
father dropped his chin to his chest and whispered, “Like I said, it was a very
long time ago. When your mother and I married, we were young. You know this.
But what you don’t know is the kind of person I was back then. Even though your
mother and I are very much in love now, we didn’t start out that way. Our
families pushed us to get married, so we did. Over time we grew to love one
another, but in the beginning, I was still in the oat sowing portion of my
young life, and I strayed. It only happened one time, but it was enough.”

“Enough
for what? I don’t understand how that one time could be enough to rip you apart
now.”

“There
was a child.”

Cade
should have known there was more to the story than a one-time fling almost
forty years ago. “How long have you known?”

“Remember
when I called you last year in Japan?”

Cade
nodded. His father called in the middle of the night asking how soon he’d be
home. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Since
then. I thought it was a joke. Emma, the girl I slept with, contacted me at the
office, saying
our
daughter needed a bone marrow transplant. To say I
was shocked was an understatement. I went through a myriad of emotions, the
first being denial. When she showed me a picture of the girl, it was hard to
deny the truth since it was like looking at your twin.”

“So
what happened? Did you get tested? Is she okay? What’s her name? When can I
meet her?” Cade asked, forgetting for a second he shouldn’t really be excited
about having a sister.

August
smiled at his son and reached out, putting his hand on Cade’s arm. “I should
have been prepared for your questions, but honestly, I’m still dealing with the
fallout. I did get tested, and in doing so had the doctor run a paternity test
at the same time, just to be one hundred percent certain before I ruined my
life with your mother. Even though it was proven I am her father, I wasn’t
compatible for a transplant. You have to have six out of eight markers in
common, and I only had five. Her aunt turned out to be a match, and the
transplant was a success. She’s doing well for now, but she isn’t completely
out of the woods. Her name is Esmeralda, and you can meet her whenever you
wish. Esme was a fan of the band before she found out her brother is a famous
drummer.”

“I’m
sorry, Dad.”

“For
what, Son?”

Cade
laid his hand on top of his dad’s. “For not being here these last three months.
For wallowing in my own self-pity when you needed me.”

“Don’t
be ridiculous. I should have been there for you.” His dad looked away, but Cade
caught the sheen of tears.

“Let’s
put that part behind us now. Why is Mom mad at Margaret?” Cade had never seen
his mother speak to their cook in such a negative tone.

“Your
mother is mad at the world right now, but Margaret knew and didn’t say
anything.”

“She
knew about you having an affair?”

August
nodded. “And about Esme. Margaret’s sister Maria is also a cook. She worked for
Emma’s family at the time, and it seems she and Maria are really close. Maria
took Emma to all her doctor visits, keeping the pregnancy under wraps as long
as she could. When her parents found out, they demanded she name the father so
they could arrange a quick marriage. When Emma wouldn’t tell them, they wanted
her to have an abortion. Needless to say, that didn’t happen. They threatened
to disown Emma, but she stood her ground, telling them to go ahead. They didn’t
disown her, but they did send both her and Maria away so their friends and
peers wouldn’t know of the bastard child.”

“Other
than wanting to see if you were a match, what else did Emma want from you?”

“Nothing.
She is married to the love of her life who raised Esme as if she were his own
child. He even adopted her when she was ten. Emma always told Esme the truth
about how she came to be, and the girl never reached out to me, lest she
disrupt my life. Had she not fallen ill, I would have never known about her.”