Wishing on the Water (Water Series Book 1) (24 page)

I turned my attention back to the stairs and saw Jax carrying Vanessa down the stairs as she trembled and cried. When he sat her on the recliner she had blood splattered all over her.

Within a half hour, the house was swarming with people coming and going. The rains had finally subsided when the coroner rolled out Andrew, Niko, and Brent. There were medics looking over Vanessa and myself. They had to call out a separate ambulance for Christina and I pleaded with them to leave her to suffer the injustice of not being a priority.

“
How are you?” Brooklyn asked from behind me.

“
Sore, but I will live. Thanks for coming with me. This is not what I expected, but am grateful you were here.”

“
Anytime.” Brooklyn smiled as she leaned in to whisper. “I still have your bail money if you need it.”

I laughed at Brooklyn and cringed as it hurt my body. Jax looked over at me with that look in his eye. The one he commonly gave me that said he was worried about me. I gave him a light nod to tell him I was alright and focused my attention back to Brooklyn.

“
How is Vanessa?” I asked in a whisper

“
She is in shock. She claims a man appeared out of nowhere and killed the three of them and then disappeared just as quickly.”

“
Is that what happened?” I asked with confusion.

“
In my experience, the victims choose how they remember things because it is easier for them to digest their role in it. She also might think she would be charged with their deaths if she is not familiar with the court system.”

“
In my eyes she is a hero.” I murmured as I looked over to see them getting ready to take Vanessa to be evaluated.

“
In my eyes you are the hero.” Brooklyn whispered and nudged my shoulder with hers.

“
Come again?” I asked.

“
Candice, you came back to a place you feared. You stepped up and accepted responsibility for your actions. You let go of Chase, and Jax. That alone took courage, but then you forgave those who had said or done things to hurt you; like Jax and Christina. Then you went and became a justice delivering bad ass. You, my new friend, are my hero.”

Brooklyn walked off to handle the political side of this mess as the commissioner walked in. I watched as the commissioners face altered to anger as Brooklyn explained what had happened.

Not long after, he walked over to Christina and he had them handcuff her. He took the opportunity with the press outside to get the photo op and took her arm and began to walk her out. I made myself scarce, but followed.

“
Don’t worry, sweetheart. I will have you fixed up and back home by dinner.” The commissioner whispered, as he started out the front door. I looked around and no one saw them. No one heard.

“
Excuse me,” I called out as they got near the car. “I heard what you said. Why would she get to go home by dinner?” I asked.

“
It’s none of your business.” The commissioner spoke quietly, but kept his smile for the cameras. I grabbed his arm and jerked it toward me.

“
Get your hands off my husband!” Christina seethed and shock reverberated through me. I dropped his arm and stepped back. Everything else in the world ceased to exist at that moment. It was just them versus me.

“
Your husband?” I asked, with a need to hear it again. “You ordered Chase’s murder, and you put Andrew in my life. You altered the files and told Andrew where the police would be.” I covered my mouth as I watched his eyes glimmer and a smirk slide across his face.

“
They intervened in an effort to make me more money than the city of New York ever gave me. Sorry for your loss, but Chase should have stayed out of it. Now, walk away, princess or Mark and Jax will be running for the rest of their lives.”

“
You son of a bitch!” I shouted, as I slammed my fist into the commissioner’s face. I felt the pain immediately and pulled my hand down. I shook it as Brooklyn and Mark ran for me.

I lunged for the commissioner, but found strong hands around my waist. I looked like some psycho as the news cameras were turned on me. I quickly calmed down and composed myself.

“
What the hell?” Brooklyn asked. “I can only keep you out of so much trouble. I can’t help you with this.”

“
Why did you just assault the commissioner?” Mark asked.

“
He ordered Chase murdered. Christina is his wife.”

“
What evidence do you have?” Mark asked.

“
I heard him!” I exclaimed in a panic, because I had no hard proof. My heart raced and sweat broke out across my face. Jax stood on the porch and looked at me as though I had hurt him. Then a woman walked forward to Mark and Brooklyn.

“
Sir, my name is Kelly McDaniel, a reporter for News Channel 5. I have the proof. Our sound truck was able to pick up the entire conversation.”

The days came and went quickly as my body healed, and the commissioner pled guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence. He had to give up his operation, but since no one could trust him, the FBI was being called in to verify that they got everyone and that the operation had been shut down.

My dad and Michelle started dating and I was happy for them, even if I thought it was a little bit weird. I can’t say I didn’t see it coming as they had been spending every day together. They were even taking care of Chelle as if she was their own child.

Michelle had filed papers to start the process to adopt Chelle. It was only natural since Chase was dead and Christina should never be allowed to leave prison. I knew that my dad and Michelle would do whatever was necessary to make sure Chelle was raised right. They did after all raise me in their own ways. I may be a little jealous, but I carried a mean right hook and an open heart. All in all I would say they did a great job with me, and they would do the same for Chelle.

I sat at the Cafeteria and waited for my dad to come and eat with me. We had made weekly dates together; we were finally getting to know each other again. I finally had an understanding of how he felt when my mom died and he finally saw me as more than just a child who looked like the woman he had lost.

“
Hi, Candy Cane.” My dad called out, then placed a kiss on the top of my head.

“
Hi, dad. How are you?”

“
I am great! Have you decided to move back here and put the house in California up for sale yet?” My dad asked with a detective’s demeanor he had learned from spending time too much with Jax and Mark. Some of their habits should stay with them.

“
Dad, I have someone renting it on a month to month basis until I decide what to do with it.”

My dad smiled at me as the waitress came and took our orders. We both got the banana split waffles. Something we had both been eating since I was a little girl.

“
I have something I want to talk to you about, Candy.”

“
Dad, is this one of those conversations where I get mad, then you get mad, then we avoid each other for a week?” I asked, because his words sounded an awful lot like ‘we need to talk,’ and that never ends well.

“
I don’t think so Candy.” My dad answered and looked at me with confusion on his face.

“
Then let’s hear it dad. What’s up?”

My dad seemed to take a minute. It looked as though he was choosing his words carefully before voicing them to me. This made me nervous. I didn’t know what to expect.

“
Candy, you are my only daughter, so your opinion is very important to me.”

My dad started talking and I gripped the napkin into a ball and squeezed. I thought it would soften the blow of whatever he was trying to say.

“
What happened to you scared me. It made me take a serious look at our relationship and my life. I push for these meals together so we can have some time together; after all, I am not getting any younger.”

I gasped quietly as I thought about a time where my dad would no longer be with me and I couldn’t; I just got him back. What was he about to say? Where was he going with this conversation?

“
Candy, I love you and Jax. You are both my children. I will always remember Chase, but I think it is time you moved on as I should. I should have let your mom go, and allowed her to rest in peace knowing we were happy, but I couldn’t. I see you doing the same as me, and it is a life of loneliness.”

Tears began to fill my eyes. I had been trying to let go for a while, but something out there kept me holding on. Something out there told me Chase and I were not done yet. Jax told me he felt the same way, that it was part of healing.

The first stage of grieving is denial. I was stuck there. I had floated into anger, but then quickly went back to denial. I would always strive to get through the five stages. I would always wonder if I would ever get my heart back.

“
Candy, did you hear me?” My dad asked, squeezing my hand across the table. I shook my thoughts and smiled for him.

“
Sorry dad. What did you say?”

“
I want to ask Michelle to move in with me. I need to know how you feel about it.” My dad asked.

“
Isn’t that a little fast?” I asked, as concern immediately invaded my thoughts.

“
We both live alone. We are both going to help raise Chelle together. We want to sell our houses and move into a bigger place with room for us all.”

I held my breath until my lungs hurt. Thinking of my dad with anyone other than my mom was painful. I had to remind myself that she was gone and he was here. She would want him to be happy, and so should I.

“
Are you two going to get married?” I asked, with reservations about where the conversation might lead. This was uncharted waters and I wasn’t sure of what my reaction would be.

“
No, Candy. We just want the companionship and we want to raise Chelle together. I will never be married to anyone but your mother, and Michelle feels the same way about Steven. We both lost our spouses, but that shouldn’t stop us from having a companion, or friendship that allows us to help each other raise a baby.”

For some reason that statement made me feel better. I took in my dad’s appearance. He had a serene look about him, a happiness that had never been present before. I was happy he was moving on from my mom, but at the same time I didn’t want anyone to forget her.

“
Let’s talk about you and Jax.” My dad stated, pulling me out of my observations.

“
What about us?” I asked quietly.

“
Have you seen him since that day?”

“
Not really.” I whispered.

“
Why not?” My dad asked sternly.

“
I want to be with him dad, but he doesn’t want me if I can’t let go of Chase. I don’t know why I keep holding on. Chase is gone and he is never coming back. I don’t know how to accept that and put it behind me.”

“
Candy, I don’t think you are giving much credit to Jax. I think you are the one keeping him away. He came to see me recently about you. I think the man will take you any way he can get you, even if that means he will have to share your heart with a dead man. You should really go see him.”

My dad squeezed my hand and smiled at me as a tear fell from my eye. My dad was right I had erected a wall around myself and wanted to keep everyone out. I felt like Jax and didn’t want to be hurt again. I also didn’t want to hurt anyone else by my actions.