4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Cade
The surgeon had removed Ford’s left testicle. The tumor was cancerous, but it had been caught early, thankfully. Ford had a brand-new silicon testicle and a really bad attitude about the whole thing.
The lymphatic sample was sent to another facility for further testing to ensure the cells hadn’t spread, and they were simply waiting for the call. Of course, the waiting had everyone on edge.
It was Friday night and Jax was home with Ford. Cade wished he could be as well, but he’d spent the afternoon at home with Ford while Jax was at the Center. It seemed Ford had nearly accepted the fact he was going to die, and Cade wouldn’t hear it.
“I want you and Jax to have a family, Kincade. I’d bet you a hundred bucks Sela would be a surrogate for you. Just think about it,” Ford had insisted. Yeah, Cade wasn’t going to think about it because Ford wasn’t going anywhere.
The knock on the office door brought Cade from his thoughts. “Come in.”
When Cleveland entered the room with a look of concern, Cade sighed. He believed Cleveland, who was a trusted employee and loyal friend, should have been told the truth about Ford’s surgery, but Ford had demanded nobody at the club be told about the biopsy. Cade couldn’t help but honor his husband’s wishes.
“Hey, Cleve. What’s up?”
“Look, Cade, I love y’all. I know some shit’s goin’ on, but you haven’t made it my business so I ain’t askin’. Now, that asshole, Marcus Drury is downstairs at the bar askin’ for ya. I can get Toby and Deon to throw him out and beat his ass such that he won’t come back, but maybe you wanna work out a little aggression? At least come downstairs and tell the asshole to get lost. I think you’ll feel a whole lot better about shit after,” Cleveland told him.
Cade stood up and straightened his tie and suit jacket. “You think I can intimidate that fucker enough to get him to leave me alone?”
Cleveland laughed as he pulled out a Glock, slipping out the magazine. “It’s Ford’s, and we keep it under the bar. I’ve been preachin’ to him to get you a license to carry but for now, let’s just see how this goes. This isn’t the only gun we have behind the bar, I’m just sayin’,” Cleveland told Cade.
Cade took the gun and checked that the safety was on. He turned it off and ejected a bullet already in the chamber. Cleveland stared at him with shock.
“I’ve had a gun license before, but I let it lapse. I know how to handle a gun, Cleve, don’t worry. I don’t wanna kill the asshole, just intimidate him into not coming back here. All I want is for him to leave me alone.” Cade said firmly.
Cleveland nodded as they walked downstairs. Cade had the gun tucked into his trousers behind his back as he approached the bar where Brady glared at Marcus. “I’ve got this, Brady.” Cade stepped up to the bar.
“Marcus, you’re not welcome here. I’m part owner in this place, and I have no idea why you think you can waltz in here and demand to see me. I want nothing to do with you. Leave now before I call the police,” Cade stated with as much authority as he could muster.
The large man reached out toward Cade, but before his hand got close, his arm was restrained behind his back and his face kissed the bar. Cade looked up to see a handsome face.
“Hello, Mr. Delacroix. Is this asshole bothering you?” the tall Norse God asked.
It was Hans Linder, and he was a welcome sight. He’d been at the wedding, and he and Jax had stayed in touch after Jax left the Chicago club. The timing was incredible.
“As a matter of fact, Hans, he’s a piece of garbage I can’t seem to shed. If you’ll escort him out, I’d appreciate it. Oh, and make sure he knows he’s never welcome here again. His picture will be posted at the door.” Cade slipped the gun from behind his back and handed it to Cleveland. It wasn’t needed, but it was nice to know it was there if anything popped off.
A short guy approached the bar and smiled at Cade. “You’re Kincade Delacroix. I’m Hans’ boyfriend, Andy Booker. He’s told me so much about you guys. I couldn’t wait to meet you,” the kid told him.
Oh, but he didn’t stop there, stepping closely into Cade’s space. “We’ve been together for about three months, but Hans is still under the radar. I’m surprised he agreed to come out tonight, but I guess it’s a good thing he was here. Can I have a strawberry daiquiri?” the young man asked.
After Cade processed the information the kid offered, he judged the young man to be about twenty. Since Hans was only twenty-three or four, the age difference wasn’t anything headline worthy. “How about a virgin one? You’re still in virgin territory, right?” Cade asked quietly.
He saw Andy swallow. “I was kinda hopin’ to cure myself of that particular affliction tonight. I’ll take a virgin one, but if you could turn your head and allow that handsome bartender to pour a little rum into it, I’m sure I’ll appreciate it tomorrow.”
The two of them talked until Hans returned just as Cyrus cued up some Stevie Wonder. It was a beautiful song Cade loved, and he took the young man’s hand, which grabbed Hans’s and pulled him to the dance floor.
It was going to be the last time Cade lost himself in something mindless because he had a lot to worry about at home.
When Cleve, Griff, and the other dancers came out to join them, Cade danced his heart out. He couldn’t imagine losing either of the men in his life, so he didn’t. He closed his eyes and danced like it was the last time he’d ever dance again in his life.
The three Delacroix men were sitting in Dr. Imani’s waiting room three weeks later. It had been a hell of a rollercoaster ride for them, but love had persevered.
Ford had been convalescing at home and was back for a post-surgical check-up and the determination if there would be any additional treatment needed as a follow-up. “I think it’s a good sign he didn’t want to see you right away, Bix.” Cade flipped through his phone, nerves apparent.
“Yeah, I think he’s right, babe. If it was serious, I’d think the doc would want to see you as soon as possible. I’d think they’d want to begin treatment right away, so this is probably good news.
“After we finish here, let’s go out for lunch. There’s that Korean barbecue place near the old apartment building that we all really liked. We haven’t been there for at least a year,” Jax suggested.
“Oh, yeah. I remember that place. I always thought Raney would love it. I should email him to see how he’s doing. He’s finishing his second year of law school, and the last I heard, he was interviewing for a summer internship,” Cade shared with them.
He hoped to get Ford’s mind on anything else but the reason they were sitting in the god-awful room that smelled of disinfectant and some wretched cologne someone must have worn while sitting and waiting a lifetime for news regarding whether they were going to live or die.
Cade wondered why the doctors’ waiting rooms had to be so damn awful. Most people were there for treatment of some medical condition. Did the room have to make them miserable, as well?
Just as he was about to share his thoughts on the matter, the door opened and a petite woman wearing a scarf over her head stepped into the waiting room. “Mr. Delacroix?”
The three of them rose from their chairs to follow her. “Uh, maybe just one of you? The room’s small,” she stated as Ford stepped forward first.
“No. One’s my husband and the other’s our son. Both of them come or get the doctor to come the fuck out here and talk to us. It’s been two goddamn weeks, and when I finally get in to see him, I gotta sit here for forty-five fuckin’ minutes? I’d say that’s enough inconvenience to me.” Ford’s comments were extremely uncharacteristic. Cade supposed it was expected because they’d all been a nervous mess while waiting for any word on the other test results.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Delacroix, but Dr. Imani was out of the office until today. His wife had a baby, you see,” the woman explained as if that would make them feel better about the situation.
“Oh, that’s lovely. I’m waiting to find out if I’m going to lose my other nut or possibly die, and he’s home changing diapers. That’s just spectacular,” Ford snapped again.
“Branford, babe, it’s not the time to shoot the messenger. She’s just the nurse,” Jax tried to soothe.
He turned to the woman and smiled. “We’re just a little on edge. We’ve been waiting for this news for two weeks now. Surely you can understand how difficult it must be,” Jax said.
She led them to an exam room and told Ford to take a seat on the table, instructing, “The doctor will be in shortly.”
After she left, Ford pulled Cade to sit next to him on the examination table, taking his hand. Cade could feel Ford’s hand shaking, so he held it tighter.
Jax sat on a little rolling stool and rolled next to them, taking Ford’s other hand. “Take some deep breaths and don’t take the guy’s head off when he comes in, okay? We’ll get the news and then you can find another doctor if there’s any follow-up. You should seek a second opinion anyway,” Jax said, which Cade agreed with wholeheartedly.
Since the surgery, Cade nor Jax had seen Ford naked. He seemed embarrassed about having an implant, but Cade couldn’t imagine why.
They loved him and didn’t give a rat’s ass about him having a fake testicle. Cade knew it wasn’t easy for someone like Ford to accept his body being less than perfect, but he and Jax certainly had no problem with his body. As long as they had him, that was the only thing that mattered.
The doctor breezed in with Ford’s chart in his hand. “Ah, Branford. How are we feeling?”
Ford squeezed Cade’s hand very hard and he had to jerk away. “He, uh, he’s been on edge. See, we hoped someone would call us within a few days after the surgery to tell us if there was a problem with the lymph node dissection, but we didn’t hear anything. We’ve been on pins and needles.” Cade shook his hand to abate the sting.
The doctor leafed through the chart. “Damn, I’m so sorry about this. My wife went into labor here at the office, and the delivery was dicey. I haven’t been in the office since the day after your surgery, and I couldn’t find anyone to cover my patients. Okay, well, the news is good. As you know, it was…” the doctor explained the type of cancer it was and reiterated the fact they’d caught it very early, which was good.
“As far as the pathology of the lymph node dissection, it came back negative for metastases. I want you to come back in three months for more blood work. When was the last time you three had your blood tests?” the doctor asked.
Cade was ready to cry at the good news. It was the best thing he’d ever heard in his life.
“Two months ago, before our anniversary,” Jax answered as stood to wrap an arm around Ford, who hadn’t said anything.
“Hey, should that blood work have picked up on this cancer thing?” Cade asked. It seemed logical.
“Not if the doctor only did a regular screening. I didn’t request the lab screen for STDs when I sent his sample before his surgery. Insurance companies get rather sticky about catch-all testing, so we don’t do it. Anyway, Ford, I’d like to check the incisions and see how your implant’s doing. They can stay or…” the doctor offered.
“Actually, can I have privacy, guys?” Ford asked.
Cade looked at Jax who smiled and winked. “One question. How long before he’s back in the lineup?”
Cade giggled, seeing the doctor chuckling too. “Another two weeks if there’s no tenderness or swelling, and six weeks for anything athletic. Let’s let Branford get undressed from the waist down,” the doctor said as he handed Ford a sheet from a cabinet.
Cade and Jax followed him out, after kissing Ford on the lips in relief. The doctor led them down the hall to his office and closed the door. “It’s none of my business, of course, but I’m assuming the three of you are together?”
“Yes, we are. Does it matter?” Jax’s voice was tense.
Cade could see the man was about to fly into the raging part of being the “Ragin’ Cajun.” No good would come of a bloody altercation with the doctor.
“No, Mr. Delacroix. It doesn’t matter to me at all. I just wanted to give you a spousal head’s up. I see it all the time with my male patients. They are hesitant to undress in front of their spouses for fear of looking different. They worry about potency, and some psych themselves into erectile issues because they feel less manly due to the type of surgery they’ve endured.
“In my hetero patients, it’s an issue if the couple is considering starting a family, not that it couldn’t be an issue for the three of you, as well. I just wanted to warn you in advance so you can proactively support him, and if you start to see signs of depression, you might want to find a good counselor to help him work through it. I can tell him his body will work just the same until I’m blue in the face, but until he believes it, he might have some performance anxieties. I can give you a referral. Just call the office,” the doctor told them.
The two men shook the doctor’s hand and thanked him for his understanding. They went to the waiting room and sat holding each other’s hands. Of course, Cade was crying, but he felt safe having Jax’s hand in his. “It’s okay, chére. He’s not going anywhere.
“Now, who was the hot little blond you were dancing with at the club last Friday night? Cleve sent me a picture and a text on Saturday,” Jax stated as he pulled out his phone and found the text.
Cade laughed. “That’s the Norse God’s boyfriend, Andy Booker. He’s a sweet kid. I was bummed because I didn’t want to go to work and leave the two of you, so we danced a little to get me through my foul mood. Trust me, Hans was right there with us,” Cade told Jax, ensuring the man had most of the story. There was no need for Marcus Drury to come up. It had been handled. Plain and simple.