Sums of the Heart (Luv by Numbers #1)

11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Cade

Cade woke, finding himself to be a sweaty mess. He opened his eyes to see the redhead on one side and the blond on the other, both snuggled up to him such that he felt smothered. They were definitely going to have to turn down the AC if they were going to nap so closely together.

According to the clock on the bedside table next to Ford, it was ten o’clock. The three of them had slept side by side for about three and a half hours, and Cade felt rested. He hadn’t slept well the night before because too many things were circling his head. Things he needed to discuss with his new… whatever they were going to be.

After scooting down to the end of the bed and off the mattress, Cade left them loosely embracing each other. The two beautiful men looked at peace; he wished he hadn’t left his phone at his apartment. A picture of perfect peace would have been nice.

He relieved his bladder in the hallway bathroom before he headed to the kitchen to survey the mess. What Cade wasn’t prepared to see was a short, Black woman in a pair of black pants and a gray smock-style blouse taking in the mess as well.

“What on earth ? Those two,” she stated with a giggle as she began picking up the dishes Cade had left on the counter, along with the pancake batter he’d forgotten to refrigerate when he went off with Jax and Ford.

Cade suspected it was ruined, so he agreed when she dumped it in the garbage disposal, but he couldn’t allow the woman to clean up after him. He felt a little territorial over Jax and Ford as he watched her work her way around the kitchen. Obviously, she’d been employed by them for a while.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I was coming to clean up the mess,” Cade told her, trying not to startle her.

She turned to him, smiling gently. “Mr. Ford cooks, but he doesn’t make nearly a mess as this. Who are you, child?” she asked kindly.

Cade felt a little self-conscious because she’d referred to him as a child, but he wondered if Ford and Jax would prefer it if he told her he was a nephew or maybe... “I’m a friend from out of town. I was going to make breakfast, but they wanted to sleep in, so I went to take a nap in the spare room… where I’m staying… by myself. I’m Kincade Hayes.” He extended his hand, seeing it shake a little.

The nice woman smiled as she pushed back her short, gray dreadlocks from her face. “I see. Well, I’m Minnie—Minerva—the housekeeper. I come in once a week to clean. How long will you be staying with Mr. Jax and Mr. Ford?”

“I, uh, when do you usually clean?” Cade was hoping to learn the schedule so he could make sure he wasn’t there the next time she came.

“Varies from time to time. I was supposed to work tomorrow, but I have to take my momma to the doctor, so I came today. How long are you here?”

“I’m leaving today, as a matter of fact. Gotta get back to work, you know. It, uh, it was nice to meet you, Miss Millie.” The laugh from the doorway startled them both.

“It’s Miss Minnie, chère. Ma’am, this is our new neighbor, Kincade, from across the hall in that studio apartment. He’s gonna be spendin’ a lot of time here.” Jax wound his arm around Cade’s neck, his forearm brushing over the bruises from his ex. Cade ducked from under Jax’s heavy arm.

“What happened to… Jackson Delacroix, you better tell me you had nothin’ to do with the shape of that boy’s neck.” The woman’s scowl was frightening. Cade had no doubt she’d kicked her fair share of ass over the years.

“Oh, no ma’am. He had a stalker come to call, and he did that to Cade’s neck before I could get to him. I put the man in the hospital.”

Cade was stunned at the turn the conversation had taken. He didn’t think Jax wanted the woman to know about the part Cade might play in their lives, so he kept his mouth shut.

Of course, Jax wasn’t one to keep his mouth shut. “He’s going to work at the club with Ford as a personal assistant. He knows Cleveland.”

“Oh, you know my baby! You tell me if he’s not behavin’ himself, will ya? He has that girlfriend I don’t like. Have you met that harlot?” Miss Minnie cocked her head and raised her eyebrow.

Ford laughed as he walked into the kitchen, fully dressed. “It’s Chablis, and she’s a terror, Miss Minnie. I know you don’t like to discuss Cleve’s love life, but he picked her, and I employ her. Kincade’s going to end up working with the dancers so don’t worry about it too much. I’ll leave it to Griff and Cade to deal with her.”

“If you don’t like her, fire her boujee ass. I know my son has certain proclivities, and I have no issue with them because we’re all God’s children, but that woman… she’s no good. I just don’t like her.” No, Minnie Oakes didn’t hold her tongue either.

With that proclamation, she opened the fridge and pulled out eggs. She cleaned the skillet Kincade had used to fry bacon and placed it on the burner. “Sit. I’ll make you boys breakfast before you start your day.” It wasn’t a request.

Cade approached her and took the carton of eggs from her. “Miss Minnie, why don’t you sit, and I’ll make you breakfast. How do you like your eggs?”

“Over easy.”

He could tell he’d won the woman over as a slow smile brightened her face as he made her two eggs over easy while Jax made toast. Cade felt his chest puff up a little. Maybe they wouldn’t be the most hated three people in the metropolitan area because they were possibly in a relationship? That was his hope.

After breakfast was over, the three men shooed Minnie Oakes out of the kitchen while they cleaned up the mess. She came back with a load of laundry and turned to Cade. “Sugar, you start bringin’ your laundry over here for me to tend to. Those machines downstairs? I wouldn’t wash my dog in that mess. I expect I’ll see you around, young man. It was a pleasure to meet you and thank you for making me breakfast. I haven’t had anyone cook for me since my Otis was alive.” She hugged him and went about her daily routine.

Cade turned to Ford. “Are you going to the club?”

“I am. I’m hosting a fundraiser next Monday, so I need to touch base with the guy from Rainbow House. It’s an organization in Boystown offering a place for gay kids who’ve been bullied because of their orientation or gender identification to hang out with other kids like them and feel safe and supported. They do a lot of work in the LGBTQ+ community and being a gay club, I try to offer as much support as I can. Would you be interested in meeting Owen Hatch? He’s the director.

Cade didn’t know what to say. Community activism wasn’t prominent in Cade’s mind because he was still trying to figure out how to make his own ends meet, which sounded selfish, but it was the truth.

“I need to look for a job, Ford.”

Jax jumped in without missing a beat. “You have two job opportunities right here without leaving this apartment. Work for me as my personal assistant or work for the blond as whatever it is he needs. No need to go outside the family to look for work. These are legitimate job opportunities that have been long-standing but haven’t been filled because we never found a viable candidate until now. Up to you.” Jax drained the coffee pot into his cup.

Cade looked between the two handsome men, unable to hold the glee in his heart. “How about I split my time. Lucky, what’s your day look like?” he asked the big man with a bright smile.

“I’m headed to the stadium at noon. We have game film to review and then a full workout. Our next game isn’t until the end of August. After this week, I get another two weeks off, so babe, if you need help with your event, I’d be more than happy to offer my assistance and maybe some of the other players who aren’t fucking homophobes. We’d be free next week,” Jax offered.

Cade had an idea, but he wasn’t sure if it would fly. “So, um, you guys would be available the night of the fundraiser? You think you could get players to donate hosting lunches or a meet and greet with fans for a silent auction? It wouldn’t be anything freaky, okay? If we can appeal to the straight community with football players, maybe we can bring more attention to the cause?” Cade glanced at Ford for any sign of agreement.

The man nodded and turned to Jax. “ No pressure, big man, but would you ask? I mean, just because it’s at a gay club and the proceeds go to a gay charity, it doesn’t mean it’s a gay event.”

The three of them laughed, but it sparked an idea for Cade. He needed to talk with his mother anyway…

After the discussion among the three of them, Cade went to his apartment to change so he could go to work with Ford while Jax went to the stadium. As he was pressing his khaki slacks, he dialed his mother’s cell phone. He had no idea where she was, but he knew if he left a message, Katrina—or Rina, as she went by with her friends—would call him back.

After he was dressed in a yellow broadcloth shirt and pressed khakis, Cade rang the bell of 2D. Jax opened the door with a smile. “Well, now, chère. Don’t you look handsome? You two be on your best behavior and don’t get up to trouble without me. Have a great day.” Jax brushed his lips over Cade’s pout. The shock to Cade’s system at the feel of Jax’s kiss would be eternal, he was sure.

“You too, Lucky. Maybe we can watch some of this game film thing, and you can explain football to me this evening? I’d like to learn.” Kincade knew he was spending the day with Ford, but he didn’t want Jax to feel left out. He wanted to get to know them separately, as well as together, so he went with his gut feeling.

Jax smirked. “Sounds great to me. Tell me, why do you call me Lucky ?”

His comment brought on a giggle. “You vaguely resemble the guy on the box of cereal. Well, that’s only partially true. Besides, I feel like I was lucky to have met you.”

Unexpectedly, Jax picked him up and kissed him so passionately, thrusting a minty tongue thrust into his mouth. It was then he realized that while Ford reminded him of fall, Jackson Delacroix reminded him of winter.

The old animated special, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, came to mind. With Jax’s usual jovial manner, Cade could see him as a younger Santa Claus with red hair and sparkling eyes. Of course, Santa wasn’t nearly as fit as his Lucky. The rippling muscles would haunt Cade’s daydreams until he was able to swirl his tongue over each and every one.

“ Uh-hum. ” Jax put him down and smiled over his shoulder at Ford, who was dressed immaculately. “Do not manhandle my assistant when he’s dressed for work.” He turned to Cade and grinned. “You look handsome, sweetheart.”

Ford was wearing the same sexy, tortoiseshell glasses he’d been wearing the first time they’d met. He felt his cock plump in his slacks, and he wished he’d brought his messenger bag to hide the evidence he found both men very, very droolworthy.

“Thank you, sugar bear,” Cade teased, hearing Jax laugh.

“You’re not even trying,” Ford taunted as he took Cade’s hand before he leaned forward and kissed Jax. “Have a great day, love. Call me later… or call Cade. We’ll figure out dinner.” Ford led Cade down the hallway to the elevator.

Cade turned to look over his shoulder, seeing Jax checking them out. “Don’t forget your keys, Lucky.” He and Ford laughed as they stepped onto the elevator together.

The excitement at seeing what it would be like to work with Ford had Cade giddy. He had high hopes of success.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hatch. Mr. Thomas will be with us directly. May I offer you something to drink? Coffee, tea, water, soft drink?” Cade greeted Owen Hatch with a friendly smile.

Ford was talking to someone on the phone and had asked Cade to go downstairs and talk to Mr. Hatch while he finished up business. Cade wasn’t exactly comfortable playing host, but he supposed he should learn to adapt to new situations if he was going to be successful in the business world. In his personal life, he was a rock star with not one but two sexy men who both cared about him.

Owen Hatch was handsome. He was thirty-five to forty with salt-and-pepper hair and bright blue eyes. Based on his demeanor, Cade imagined the man to be a happy, flaming twink back in the day, and he’d bet the guy had a great time in life.

Cade had reviewed his LinkedIn bio when Ford had shown it to him, and he could see the man had a master’s in psychology. His undergrad was in social work, so it wasn’t a surprise Hatch was trying to head up a youth center for kids who needed someone to believe in them. There were times in Cade’s own life he could have used that type of support.

“I wouldn’t mind a cup of tea. Earl Grey if you have it with a touch of milk and one sugar.” Obviously, he believed Cade to be… well, exactly what he was—Ford’s gopher.

Cade sighed. His life’s motto came to mind: “ Everyone has to start somewhere .” At least Ford wouldn’t be hauled out of the place by the Feds for violating an armload of federal securities laws.

He walked the man over to the staircase and pointed out the office door before he hurried to the bar, seeing Brady Jones drying glasses before he put them on the shelf. “Oh, hey, kid. You scored a job here, as well?”

“Yeah… Uh, yes I did. I’m Mr. Thomas’ assistant. Do we have the stuff to make a cup of Earl Grey for Mr. Thomas’ guest?” Cade was careful to refer to Ford respectfully so he didn’t out himself to be the boss’… other ? He guessed that was what he was—the other.

“Umm, let me look around. I thought I saw… oh, here it is,” Brady stated as he pulled out a wooden box. When he flipped it open, Cade saw a variety of tea bags, including Earl Grey.

“So, I should just heat some water in the microwave?” Cade asked, not sure how to make hot tea. He was a coffee man, himself.

“That guy up there? He’s important?” Brady pointed to where the man was standing outside Ford’s door.

“I think so. Fo—Mr. Thomas is hosting an event next Monday for the charity Mr. Hatch runs. He must be important.”

Brady grinned. “Go on up. I’ll make it. You want somethin’?” the sandy-blond man asked.

“I’m fine, Brady, but maybe Mr. Thomas would like coffee for the meeting?”

Brady nodded and shooed him away. Cade hurried up the stairs, grateful to find Ford was off the phone. He and Mr. Hatch were busily looking over information Ford had spread on the table in his office, so Cade sat down on the couch in the corner and watched Branford Thomas in action.

Cade’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and when he pulled it out, he saw it was his mother. He rose from his seat and walked out of the office and down the stairs, going out the back door to the alley. “Mother, where are you?”

“Chasing ghosts in New York, darling. What can I do for you?”

Cade wasn’t surprised to hear the guarded tone of her voice. His mother’s often-frosty personality was always at the forefront, even with him. He could only imagine how much his father must have hurt her over the years for his mother to be so guarded, especially with her only son.

“I was hoping you could attend a charity event next Monday and bring a contingency of your friends. It’s a worthy cause, and if you come, the rest will follow. It’s an organization that supports LGBTQ+ youth in our community. I wish to hell I’d have had something like it when I was younger.”

Cade’s invitation wasn’t entirely altruistic. He knew his mother felt guilty for the way Hudson Hayes had treated him as a boy, so maybe he played on that guilt a little. It wasn’t a crime.

“Oh, darling, of course, I’ll come. Send me the specifics, and I’ll rally the troops. We’ll be there in Chanel,” his mother teased, though Cade knew it to be the truth.

It was only fair to be honest with her if the woman was going to attend. “It’s being hosted at a gay club, Mother, but the owner is an amazing guy, and the charity’s director is fantastic as well. I think you and your friends can get behind it. It’s rumored perhaps some of the Chicago Breeze might show in support, which would bring a lot of publicity to a worthy cause.”

“Send me the information, Kincade. Love you. Kiss, kiss,” his mother told him, which was her way of signing off.

It was for the best. The less information she had, the sincerer she’d be when confronted with the press… which was another thing Cade needed to consider. The press.

For the most part, Ford and Jax had already been outed, though one could only see the back of Ford’s head in the photo on the internet. If Jax was attending the event with some of the other players, it should be publicized as widely as possible.

With the publicity from the attendance by the Breeze would come reporters, and if some savvy reporter was to put together that Ford was the guy in the pictures from Cabo, the couple would likely become the new poster children for gay athletes and their lovers. Cade had to make damn sure he only appeared to be a personal assistant to one of them. The court of public opinion wasn’t known for taking its time to pass judgments.

Cade returned to the office, seeing he hadn’t been missed because the men were discussing logistics. Just as he was about to settle on the couch again, there was a knock on the office door. Cade opened it to find Brady with a tray set perfectly with tea and coffee service, along with some cookies. “Please, come in Brady.”

The bartender placed the tray on the coffee table in front of the leather couch. “Cleve said the boss keeps water in the fridge up here. If you need anything else, just buzz me downstairs, Cade.”

“Oh, who have we here?” Owen Hatch’s attention shifted to Brady. His eyes were like magnets to Brady’s denim-clad ass. Ford’s eyes followed the man’s line of sight, staring at Brady’s ass, before he smirked at Cade.

“This is Brady Jones, one of my new bartenders. Brady, this is Owen Hatch. He’s the director of Rainbow House.”

The two men stepped forward and shook hands, greeting each other by first names. Cade caught Brady’s gaze scan the man from top to bottom. He glanced at Ford and winked, receiving one in return.

“It’s a pleasure, Brady. Will you be working the fundraiser next Monday?” Owen asked.

Brady’s eyes flashed to Ford, who nodded quickly. “Yeah, I’d like to help. I’ll be more than happy to do anything you need for your party,” Brady agreed quickly.

“Oh, then maybe you and I could meet to discuss alcohol selections, or perhaps a signature drink for the event. Those seem to go over well at large parties. It also makes it easier on you bartenders because you can make them up ahead of time and then supplement with wine and beer.” Owen’s flirtatious smile was cute.

Cade poured tea from the small, silver pot into a cup, adding a splash of milk and a cube of sugar. He added a spoon to the saucer and carried it over to Owen. “Here’s your tea, Mr. Hatch. A signature drink is a fantastic idea. It can reinforce the theme of the event. What is the theme?” Cade made Ford a cup of coffee and handed it to him.

“Well, I hadn’t thought about a theme. Uh, maybe a play on Rainbow House? Something…”

“Gay and Irish! Oh, Over the Rainbow. We can have dishes of gold foil chocolate coins in pots on tables and decorate with rainbows and shamrocks. I bet I can even get a leprechaun to appear for photo opportunities.” Cade’s mind flashed with ideas like a hyperactive slide show.

There was a peal of hearty laughter, so Cade turned to see Ford holding onto his desk for support. He removed his glasses and tossed them on the desk as he continued to cackle. “Okay, so maybe it’s not classy enough,” Cade conceded, feeling a little embarrassed that he had missed the mark with his rushed suggestions.

Ford wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and stood to his full height, returning his glasses to his face. “No, swee—Kincade, that’s not it at all. The city dyes the damn river green for St. Patty’s Day, for hell’s sake. No, I just know the leprechaun you’re going to enlist, and I can’t wait to see you try. I like the idea of a themed event.” Ford’s agreement washed away Cade’s worries.

Ford turned to Mr. Hatch. “Owen, how about you and Brady go out to lunch and work out the drink selection. Maybe two cocktails, wine, and beer. Oh, also a nonalcoholic offering is a good idea in these situations. Cade and I will work on logistics and make calls to shore up support and a few sponsors. Let’s meet for lunch on Wednesday, yeah?”

“Uh-huh.” Owen’s eyes didn’t leave Brady’s face as he took the bartender by the arm and led him out of the office. Cade watched them walk down the stairs, with Hatch still carrying the cup and saucer.

A high-pitched giggle escaped Cade’s lips when Ford wrapped his arms around his middle and kissed the back of his head. “I feel like I just pimped out my new bartender. Oh, well . Anything for the cause.” Ford’s joke made Cade laugh again.

Ford continued. “You have a much better handle on this than me, sweetheart, so how about we get started on the plans. I’m going online to look for a leprechaun costume while you call the waiters, dancers, and drag queens to see who’d be willing to volunteer a few hours to set up, wait tables, perform, and help with cleanup. I’ll pay salary, but they won’t keep any tips. That money will be donated to charity. This will separate the community supporters from the selfish.”

Cade went right to work making calls while Ford went online, laughing every few minutes as he found one thing or another for the party. Cade was sure it was going to be one hell of an event. He just had to talk Jax into dressing like Mr. Lucky Leprechaun.

“ Nope! Absolutely not. I refuse to walk around in that thing. It’s cheap as hell. Branford, how much did you pay for this ugly…” Jax complained as he held up the green-felt knickers, green vest, jacket, and top hat. Cade could see it was going to be too small, anyway, but he was upset that Jax wouldn’t listen to reason when it came to why he wanted him to dress up like the guy from the cereal box.

“Oh, come on, Lu—Jax. It’s for a wonderful cause. We can charge people to take photos with you, and you’ll be in the paper, supporting the LGBT community instead of trying to hide from it.” The rambling words were out of his mouth before his brain caught up.

Ford whistled, stood from his chair to slink down the hall, and left Cade with Jax who looked about ready to shoot steam out of his ears. “You don’t think… You think I don’t… You think I’m embarrassed by who I am? Well, I’m too embarrassed to wear that piece of shit, but I told you I’m done running from who I am, Kincade. I promised the team I wouldn’t have my picture in the paper with Ford so I could play in peace this season before I go into free agency. I have high hopes of getting a good deal in a city where my orientation might not be such an issue. If I wear that shit, the publicity will shoot that idea to hell. So, no. I’m not wearing it.” Jax walked down the hallway and slammed a door, likely to their bedroom. He was pretty sure Ford was in the home office to stay out of the line of fire, and he couldn’t blame him.

They’d had the costume overnighted to them so they could have time to convince Jax to perform the favor, but Cade decided maybe he’d crossed a line he shouldn’t even have approached. The plans were forming around the Irish and Rainbow theme, and the copy was set to be sent to the newspapers and put on Fairytails’ website the next day, which was Wednesday. He had to figure out how to talk Jax into it, or he’d need to change the copy so he wasn’t promising something that wasn’t going to happen.

Cade studied the costume and wondered if his old boss at Fairchilds was the compassionate type of guy who might alter it to fit him? He’d wear the damn costume if push came to shove.

Glancing around the empty apartment, Cade decided he needed his phone, so he went across the hall to find his cell on the charger. There was a text from his mother alerting him she was coming in with her group of merry widows, or whatever they were, on Sunday morning and expected him to meet her at the Westin for brunch at one in the afternoon. He responded he’d be there.

He scrolled to Lonny James’ number and hit send, hoping his friend might have an alternative idea aside from stuffy Harrelson, the lead salesman and sometimes tailor at Fairchilds. “Hey, Cade. How are ya?” Lonny answered.

“Hi, Lon, I’m good. You busy?” Cade hadn’t talked to his friend since he’d quit the store, but he heard from Griff just that morning that he and Lonny were getting on famously.

“I’m on my break. What’s up?” Lonny asked.

“You wouldn’t happen to know a seamstress or a tailor, would you? I need something cut down.” He explained the whole situation, and after his friend stopped laughing, Cade had an idea.

“Griff sews. If it’s as cheaply made as you said, it’s likely easy to alter. I can call him,” Lonny offered.

Cade sighed. “I’ll talk to him at work tomorrow. Are you working on Monday night? You wanna come to a fundraiser as my plus-one?”

Lonny laughed. “I’m already going to be there to help with setup and cleanup. Griff and I are going out after. You can join us if you’d like.”

He was already the third wheel in one relationship. He definitely wasn’t going to be the third wheel in another. “Thanks, but I’ll be busy. Anyway, I appreciate the suggestion. I didn’t know Griff could sew. Is there anything the guy can’t do?”

“I haven’t found anything yet.” Lonny signed off the call.

There was a hard knock on his door, so Cade crossed the room to open it, somewhat surprised to see Jax standing there. “Look, Jackson, I’m sorry. I just thought maybe you’d…”

“Come on. You’re coming with me.” Jax took his hand and gently pulled him into his arms. He pulled the door closed and steered them down the hallway to the elevator.

“Are you going to take me out to a field somewhere and dump me like a naughty dog?” Cade felt every bit the scolded puppy in that moment.

Jax wrapped his muscular arm around Cade and pulled him to his side. “Maybe.”