Chapter 16
Dax
I can’t believe what Kandace is saying.
She goes on. “Molly is mine . I carried her and gave birth to her. I wake up in the middle of the night and soothe her. I feed her and clothe her. I tuck her in…most nights. I wake her and bathe her. Molly is not yours; she’s mine.”
I take a step back. “Right, Kandace. I’m a shit father because I didn’t know she even existed.”
“Don’t you get it? You left. You said you’d be back and that didn’t happen.
Do you know how many letters I wrote that I never mailed?
How many text messages I typed out only to erase?
You had your plans. And congratulations, you did it.
You’re a big lawyer in Chicago. You never wanted Riverbend.
I wasn’t going to be the one to force you to choose a life you’d hate. ”
Each sentence breaks my heart. By the time she stops talking, there are tears rolling down her cheeks.
My eyes are also moist as I stare at her. It takes every ounce of self-control to not reach for her, to not pull her into my arms. Instead, my tenor drops. “I never hated being here with you.”
Her eyes close and her nostrils flare as she wipes her cheeks with the back of her hand. When her focus is again on me, she’s more composed. “I should have told you, Dax. I’m sorry.”
Unable to stop myself, I reach for her hand. As soon as I do, I remember touching her last night and the way she looked at me and what she said. That rejection doesn’t stop me this time.
She doesn’t pull away.
With her hand in mine, I look into her blue gaze. “I’m the one who’s sorry, Kandace. I’m so sorry.” My head shakes. “I spoke to her—Molly.”
Her hand in my grasp stiffens. “When?”
“Yesterday morning. She was eating oatmeal with Joyce.”
“Neither Molly nor Joyce told me.”
“I didn’t know who she was.” As I envision her, a smile curls my lips. “I only knew that she is beautiful and brave and smart. She smiled at me, flashing her missing bottom front teeth.” I tug on Kandace’s hand. “Please come in and sit. I have so many questions.”
Kandace smiles. “She was so excited to start losing teeth.” And then she shakes her head. “I can’t. Molly was asleep when I left for the store. I want to go home to her before her bedtime.”
“I could come with you.” I’m not sure where the idea comes from, but once I say it, I’m committed.
Kandace pulls her hand away. “Not yet.”
“Not yet?” I question. “She’s five, Kandace. I’ve missed five years.”
“She is five and I don’t think springing her father on her is the best way. I need to talk to her.” Kandace looks around the foyer. “The house looks different. It’s even different downstairs.”
“I’m not sure I approve.”
That makes her grin. “I can hear Ruth and what she’d say.”
“She knew.” That isn’t a question, and I’m not talking about the renovation of her house.
Kandace nods. “Don’t be upset with her. She honored my wishes. I couldn’t raise her great-granddaughter in her town under her nose and not tell her.” Kandace wraps her arms around her midsection. “Ruth was supportive from the very beginning.”
“I love how happy she looks in the pictures with Molly.”
Kandace nods. “Molly loved her. She called her grandmom. Ruth loved her back.”
Thinking about Grandma Ruth, I can’t help but be grateful she had Molly even if I didn’t.
“I called my mom,” I confess. “Last night, after I saw the pictures and talked to Mick. He didn’t answer me. He told me to talk to you. I stayed up most of the night staring at her photos. She has your hair.”
“And your eyes. What did your mom say?”
“That she didn’t know about Molly and said if it’s true, she’d love to meet her granddaughter.”
“She did,” Kandace sighs. “She met her at Ruth’s funeral.”
“But she didn’t know…”
Kandace shakes her head.
“I want to know my daughter,” I say. “I hate that I haven’t been part of her life. I’ve drafted some support papers. Civil isn’t my specialty, but Murphy can look them over. I can send you monthly financial support and back payments. I won’t walk away from my responsibility.”
Kandace’s expression grows cold. “I don’t want your money. I’ve done well for five years. She doesn’t need a sugar daddy.”
I fight the urge to laugh. “I don’t think that’s the way that moniker works.”
“I came here to thank you for bringing the merchandise to the store and to find out what you plan to do with Quintessential Treasures.”
“It’s yours, Kandace.”
Exhaling, she bends forward as her knees bend.
I reach forward. “Are you okay?”
When she looks up, she nods. “I promise I’ll take care of it.”
“I never doubted that. It was your business model.”
“You remember that?”
“I’ve been remembering a lot of things.”
“Thank you for signing,” she says.
“When I received the mailing saying it was left to you, I didn’t understand. Now I do.”
“I don’t need charity. I’ll pay what Ruth stipulated.”
“I can’t sign yet. Grandma stipulated a few other things,” I say, remembering my last meeting with Murphy.
“What?”
“She wanted you and me to spend two days together running the store.”
Kandace’s eyes grow wide. “Two? That’s silly. Just sign the paperwork and then you can go back to Chicago.”
“Murphy said the directions are specific. Grandma Ruth had other plans.”
Kandace exhales. “Chloe was right.”
“About what?”
“She said Ruth kept her promise while she was alive. Now she’s playing matchmaker from heaven.”
I grin. “That sounds like Grandma.”
Kandace’s blue stare looks up at me. “Not tonight, Dax, but yes, I’ll introduce you to Molly.”
“I want more than an introduction.”
“Give me time.”
“You’ve had six years.”
Kandace steps back and reaches for the doorknob. “I don’t want your money. I also don’t need Ruth playing matchmaker. My life is as full as I can handle right now. I’ve been so worried about the store, but if you promise you’ll sign, it will relieve a bit of my stress.”
“If I said no about Quintessential Treasures, would you let me meet Molly?”
She nods. “I will never use my daughter as a pawn. She’s not a token to be brokered. She’s our daughter. If you want to meet her, you should. Don’t agree to signing over the store because you’re worried that if you didn’t, I’d be that kind of person.”
Listening to Kandace’s conviction, I remember how amazing she was, and I can see that six years hasn’t changed that.
I like her more than I did six years ago.
She loves Molly fiercely. I couldn’t ask for more for my—our—daughter.
One last time, I reach for Kandace’s hand.
“I’ve always known what kind of person you are,” I say before asking, “Where did we go wrong?”
“We didn’t go wrong. We stopped.” She pulls her phone from her back pocket and hands it to me. “Give me your number and I’ll call you.”
I take her phone and send myself a text message before handing it back. “I’m baling with Ricky tomorrow. I can be done whenever you want.”
She grins. “You’re helping bale?”
I turn over my hands, showing the blisters on my palm. “I did today, too.”
“Justin was wrong.”
“He hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you. He loves me.” She shrugs. “Now you know why he’s acting like a fool.”
“Do you hate me?”
“I never hated you, Dax. The opposite. It wouldn’t have hurt as much when you didn’t come back if I hated you.
” She turns toward the door and opens it.
Peering over her shoulder, she smiles. “Tomorrow night. Molly loves ice cream. We can meet at the Tastee Freeze. Six o’clock.
She shouldn’t be out too late. She has school on Monday morning. ”
“Six o’clock.” I smile. “Thank you.”
And with that, Kandace disappears behind the door.